Questioni am looking to by a dodge viper i need to know how to talk to the salesman they always take advantage of me please HELP!
AnswerHi,
Of course they take advantage of you; this is the car sales business! Let me give you brief quote from the Preface of my book: “[This is] a highly competitive business driven entirely by bottom line numbers, where potential buyers are forced to negotiate for something they don’t know anything about, and buy based on how much money they are willing to spend every month.”
But, there is hope.
After spending some agonizingly long months in the auto sales business, and seeing first hand the tricks and tactics they use to get as much of your money as possible, it was obvious that the average buyer had virtually no chance of getting that ‘good deal’ they were always looking for. As long as we played the game that the dealer’s want us to play, we would always lose.
No problem! All we have to do is play a different game, and play by our rules. This is the basis of my Six-Step Approach, the simple, six ways I developed to buy based on what you want to buy, not what the dealer wants to sell you.
Here are a few ideas that may help:
1. Be an informed consumer. Know what the MSRP and invoice prices of the Viper are, with the options you want, before you walk onto a car lot. You can find links to this information on one of my sites, www.SaveOnYourNextCar.com. You also need to know what rebates and other financial incentives are available for you to take advantage of.
2. Know your monthly payment. Don’t get drawn into the “What kind of monthly payment are you looking for?” question. It’s designed to help get even more money from you. Before stepping onto a lot, calculate an approximate monthly payment from one of the many auto loan calculators available. You need to know what the monthly payment range would be for this vehicle, and make sure it fits your budget.
3. DON’T NEGOTIATE. I open Chapter 5, Negotiating, of my book with the statement “The best way to pay more than you need for a car is to try and negotiate a lower price.” Keep in mind that these are professional negotiators; they know everything about what they’re trying to sell you. So, like I said above, change the rules of the game. Calculate what you’re willing to pay based on knowing how much the car cost them (invoice price), and any rebates and incentives that are available. I give recommend percentage range guidelines in my book that are based on the total cost of the vehicle, but what you’re willing to spend to get what you want is ultimately up to you.
4. Finally, if they don’t want to sell to you at the price you want (which has to be reasonable), thank them and ask for directions to the next Viper dealership! Ever notice how they do everything they can to keep you from leaving? Now you’re in control.
The best thing you’re doing so far is realizing that you need, and are asking for “HELP!” Most people, my daughter included, think they can handle it themselves and get that deal of a lifetime. The bottom line when buying a car is that if you’re happy, that’s all that counts. I don’t mind paying for something I want, I just don’t want to pay thousands more than I have to.
Please let me know how it works out for you.
