I have been in the Car Business for close to nine years. Over that time I've noticed that the most educated customers, and the ones that reaped the most benefits of this top five list, were the Internet shoppers/buyers. I can't stress enough the importance of researching your next vehicle online, and I hope this list convinces you to do just that.
#1 Time Savings. In the past you'd have to load up the family and drive to ten different car dealerships, and deal with ten different sales people before you found the vehicle you wanted. This was especially true if you were looking for a specific new or used vehicle. Fortunately, you now have the Internet and can do a search for the vehicle you want without even changing out of your PJ's.
You can also begin the negotiation process online before leaving your house. I don't know about you, but ten car dealerships, with ten sales people, with ten sales managers, with ten test drives sounds like a time consuming, exhausting day, compared to a couple of mouse clicks and a simple I'm interested in this vehicle, what kind of discount can I get, email sent from the comfort of your home.
#2 Money. This one ties in with the increased leverage you have at your fingertips. You will save money shopping over the Internet, because you have much more leverage. Just as you know you can stop responding to someones emails, so does the sales person at the other end. They know they must keep you happy if they ever hope to get you to come to their car dealership and finalize a deal.
Once you find a vehicle you like simply let them know where you stand up front; I've got $12,000 cash to spend, and I like this vehicle. Would you take $12,000 out the door? If the answer is yes schedule a time to go down and test drive it. If the answer is no look for another vehicle. See how much Time was just saved? If the vehicle was listed for $15,000 and you bought it for $12,000, see how much Money was just saved?
#3 Knowledge. Knowledge is power! The more you know, the more confident you'll be when you enter the dealership to make your purchase. You'll know all about the tricks car dealers will try to play, and you certainly won't be one of those people you hear about getting put together for $$$ thousands $$$ of dollars.
You'll also know the process, and will know what's around the next corner, which should drastically reduce your stress level. Being knowledgeable will also come across to the car salesperson and his or her sales managers, and they'll know that your not someone to try and play games with.
#4 Aggravation. You will save yourself a lot of Aggravation shopping over the Internet. One of the most commonly pointed to reason for people hating to go to a car dealership, is the process. This involves the back and forth, meeting eccentric or pushy car sales people, meeting with ten of their sales managers before you can leave, or during negotiations (closers), and possibly spending three to four hours finding a car, test driving, and negotiating to find that you and the dealership are too far apart on the numbers or some other facet. Most all of this can be eliminated by starting the process online. Less Aggravation ties in with both the time and money components. Trust me the Internet can solve all of these problems for you.
#5 Leverage. Plain and simple, all of the above components tie into Leverage. Leverage saves you Time, Money, Aggravation, and goes hand in hand with Knowledge. As mentioned before, the Leverage you have over the Internet is to stop the sales process at any time without being assaulted by professional car salesmen, and their managers. They also understand this and should, if they've caught on to the whole Internet thing, be a lot more attentive to your needs and a lot more aggressive (in your favor) with their pricing.
Another way to use your Leverage when in the dealership, is to be sure you're prepared. Bring printouts of car trade in values, invoices for the vehicle you're looking to purchase, and one that really chaps their hides, bring a financial calculator.
I remember my first deal I worked in the Internet Department and how easy it was for the customer, the dealer and me. The customer emailed about a new Ford F350 Crew Cab 4x4 Diesel King Ranch and asked what was the best price we could give him. We gave it to him and since he'd already emailed three other dealers, he found that our price was best and we agreed to start the process.
He gave us the information we needed to get his paperwork in order, I drove to his house, he signed the paperwork, wrote a check, and took delivery of the vehicle. Very simple process for all involved. I guess the moral of the story, was that he was a very busy, knowledgeable, business man and he new the time, money, and aggravation saving benefits of the Internet, while maximizing his leverage to get a great deal.
I really like the CarsDirect website, it's really easy to navigate, they'll show you the MSRP, invoice and the CarsDirect
guaranteed lowest price on any new vehicle. Their car buying service allows you to bypass a car dealerships sales staff, and it's real easy to get pricing. Just go to their website find the vehicle you want and there is the price. No emailing or talking on the phone to get a price. It's a really nice service, and I highly recommend it.
If you're looking for a used vehicle, they boast about having over a million listings. CarsDirect is by far my favorite site for car buying.
Another site that has been around about as long as the Internet, and has an immense amount of information is Edmunds.com. You can make new and used car inquiries from their site, and as I mentioned before, find a wealth of information there.
In the mean time...
Take care and beware!
J the Car Guy
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