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by bitsnbytes 1473 days ago
Very true, but in recent times it has been much easier to try to pay a fair price. That is until covid hit where it became a sellers market. However it looks like we might have another 6more months before it switches back to a buyers market the way things are going.

For example when I want to buy a car: I start at Carmax which I know its the highest price i can pay for the car. In history I have always been able to get a used car for 2.5K -4K cheaper elsewhere .

This is typically how it goes.

1. I determine which make,model, year car I want.

2. Determine what carmax has it listed for and make that the highest overpriced value for the car.

3. I send out emails and call dealers for similar cars ( millage,model,wear , etc) give them my price that is under 2.5K - 4K less than carmax.

4. they say sure come on in.

5. The games begin and the bs runs from the salesman script that tries to convince me that a manufactured car in the 100Ks is a custom one of a kind vehicle that I will never be able to buy again.

6. i Say here is my price and the good cop salesman than sends me to the back to the sales manager who says I will put him out of business if he sells me that vehicle for that price.

7. I say I understand then I walk out and he lets me walk out.

8. A few days or even a month later he calls me back says he can do the deal then send me back to the sales manager again.

9. the Sales manager than says oh sorry we cant do that price because its a cash offer or that I have to use his preferred loan provider. Or tries to convince me to take his loan provider anyways and then cancel it by paying cash or refinance it a week later.

10. I walk out again or I get the car. One case I had to walk out again until I got another call to come back. In most cases I only waste about an hour in the dealership all together talking to the salesguy and manager, since when the send me to the back to the sales manager I typically tell them I have 15 minutes to make it happen or you can call me back when you have all the information you need to make the decision.

So atleast today we have the no haggle places now to tell us what is the ripoff price for the car and not the dealership sponsored bs MSRP or the kelly blue book crap.

The crazy thing is that I actually want to buy the car from carmax because I do like the experience better, but its not worth paying 2.5K to 4K more for an equivalent car.

1 comments

I sincerely hope you're not trying to convince us that what you're descibing is a reasonable experience. Every word you wrote describes true horror!
It certainly is true horror experience and why everyone hates the dealer BS experience. However it was even more painful prior to the carmax of the worlds, where the consumer was in the complete dark about prices all together.

Atleast with the carmax and other fixed price dealers , you know what the worst possible deal is and can typically save 2.5K to 4K by going to a normal dealer. You just have to be willing to play the stupid games with them.