We Can Help: Buying Your Next Vehicle
Why are we here? BayAreaCarGuy.com is dedicated to providing a consumer-oriented perspective of the car buying experience so shoppers will be better informed on how to buy their next vehicle quickly, with less stress, and on or below budget.
As an ex-Internet Manager for a major car dealer, I’ll help do that in a number of ways. Including:
- provide some of the best options on the Internet for finding the car want
- learn which websites to use when comparing features of different models
- help you find professional reviews of cars on your shortlist. Including what actual owners say about them.
- find the best price
- discovering what others in your area are paying for the same vehicle
- reveal the best manufacturer incentives currently available
Back To Basics
You only buy a handful of vehicles in a lifetime. It’s difficult to master all the steps. I’ll help by explaining the basics:
- how leases work and if they’re right for your situation
- how car financing works and how to save money
- how the trade in process works and how not to get ripped off
Taking The Next Step
BayAreaCarGuy.com won’t stop there. What’s the use of having an industry insider provide information if it doesn’t get to the juicy stuff! I’m talking about knowing before you walk through the front door how car dealers got such a bad reputation in the first place. Such foresight allows you to protect yourself and increases your chances of getting more than a good deal.
I’ll provide an insider’s view of the car industry that you can take to the bank by helping you make a better deal on your next car. I won’t be telling tales out of class: even the pros who sell cars for a living know that their bad reputation is well earned.
For example, have you ever wondered if a dealer’s invoice was their actual cost? Why does your salesperson have to leave so often to talk to their Sales Manager? What are they actually talking about? Is the retail price of the car the only profit point you need to concern yourself with? Or can you buy your car for invoice and still end up paying thousands of dollars more than necessary? (Answer: yes, and I’ll tell you why!)
And if you still have unanswered concerns, send an email through this website with your question and add “Ask James” to the subject line. Get straight answers from an industry insider! I’ll post the most informative questions and answers for everyone to read.
Be Sure to Stay Informed
Check back often because I’ll be posting new articles virtually every day of the year: article that will help you get more than a good deal on your next car purchase.
There’s a lot to talk about, questions to answers, and tons of insider information to pass along. Stay tuned to BayAreaCarGuy.com.
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The author’s The 8 Biggest Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them is free at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Getting More Than A Good Deal: Your Next Vehicle Purchase
In this incredible age we live in the world is changing at breakneck speed: alarming some while exciting others. The good news for car buyers is that amid the turmoil and change are more tools than ever for making a great deal on your next car.
Yes, I’m talking about the Internet and the vast array of websites that are available to help you research and shop for your next car. The Internet can help you decide:
- which make and model to buy
- the best new and used vehicle prices
- realistic trade in values
- and so on
But remember that the very thing that works to your advantage with the Internet – its diversity – makes it more difficult to find just the right tools that you need in your vehicle search. There’s just so much information out there.
The good news is that BayAreaCarGuy.com is here to help you get more than a good deal on your next vehicle purchase. How? I’ll help narrow down and distill the information that is available online so it makes sense. I’ll also try to make sure that the tools you need are at your finger tips.
Even More
We haven’t even gotten to other crucial information you’ll need when shopping for your next vehicle. I’ll help you:
- Find the car you want – Compare benefits and features, read reviews, including from other owners, and where to get that information online.
- Know when you’re paying too much – Where to find the dealer invoice cost for the car you want to buy. Most important: discover what other buyers in your area are actually paying for the same vehicle.
- Save money – What are the best dealer incentives available right now? This includes hidden incentives your dealer may not be required to pass along to you.
- Leases – How do leases work? Are they right for your situation? What are the best lease deals available now?
- Financing – How does it work? What are my options? How can I lower my financing costs?
- Trades – How does the trade in process work? What do I need to do before I talk to the dealer? How do I trade in my car and not get ripped off.
- Questions? – Do you have a burning question? Send an email through this website with your question and add “Ask James” to the subject line. Get straight answers from an industry insider! I’ll post the most informative questions and answers so everyone can benefit.
- And so much more – We’ll go with the flow. As new consumer issues arise, they’ll get priority treatment here at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Tomorrow: a further look at how BayAreaCarGuy.com will help you get more than a good deal in your next vehicle purchase.
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The author’s The 8 Biggest Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them is free at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
An Insider’s View of the Car Industry
The car buying process is one of the most stressful experiences a person will go through. Most of us only buy a handful of vehicle in our lifetime, making it difficult to master all the steps. It’s easier for some and harder for others.
As an ex-Internet Manager for a major car dealer, I saw the most common mistakes buyers made when shopping for a car, truck, or SUV. These were often simple miscalculations, lapses, oversights, and missteps. In some cases they were outright blunders. The common thread was any kind of misstep created unnecessary stress and bother. Many times they cost shoppers hundreds, and often thousands of dollars more than necessary.
BayAreaCarGuy.com is dedicated to providing a consumer-oriented perspective of the car buying experience so shoppers will be better informed on how to buy their next vehicle quickly, with less stress, and on or below budget.
I provide an insider’s view of the car industry that you can take to the bank by making a better deal on your next car. Don’t get me wrong: I have many friends in the car industry and plan to keep them as friends. But unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last thirty years, you know that car dealers have a bad reputation for a good reason. I won’t be telling tales out of class.
Win-win Situation
Almost one out of every five retail dollars feeds the automotive industry. Yet, the recent economic downturn hit the industry hard with many dealers going out of business.
I want car dealers to make a fair, market-driven profit so they stay in business serving their customers with excellent service while offering a wide selection of cars to choose from. It’s in everyone’s best interest.
I know from personal experience that there is room for car dealers to thrive AND provide an opportunity for customers to make more than a good deal on their next vehicle purchase.
In fact, having content customers who feel well served AND who can trust that won’t be taken advantage of actually works in favor of those dealers who are in this business for the long haul. By the way, this includes virtually everyone I know I the industry.
It’s the last part – about customers not being taken advantage – that I’ll help you with, with the ultimate purpose of you getting more than a good deal on your next vehicle purchase.
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The author’s The 8 Biggest Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them is free at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Car Dealer Finance Managers: The Final Hurdle
Nissan Rogue Primary Ext Photo
I’ve been writing about how I recently helped a friend buy a car at her local car dealership. We made it through the vehicle selection process and price negotiation unscathed. My friend asked me to help her negotiate the price because I used to be Internet Manager for a major car dealer. We were able to get selling price well below the vehicle’s Kelly Blue Book value and probably close to the dealer’s cost. However, getting such a good price on the “front-end” set her up for a more difficult time with the Finance Manager, who was responsible for “saving the deal” by selling products on the “back-end.”
Working with your salesperson, deciding which car to get, negotiating price, and completing the initial paperwork is all referred to as the “front-end” of the deal in the car business. It’s important to discriminate the front-end from the back when talking about a car deal. Why? Because most car buyers are so exhausted after what can often be described as a nerve-racking marathon of finally saying yes to the car and selling price, they go to sleep at the very time they need to be alert for more of the dealer’s profit points coming their way.
Be Careful of the “Back-end”
The deal is done and you find yourself sitting around and waiting before you can head into the business office to complete the last of the paperwork. You r salesperson reminds you that the Finance Manager you’ll be working with even completes the paperwork for the DMV, saving you the trip. That makes you happy. You’re relaxed, content, and pleased with yourself for not just concluding a difficult process, but making such a great deal.
What you don’t realize is that getting such a good deal on the selling price means the Finance Manager is under pressure to sell you something—from an extended warranty, vehicle alarm, security system, car care products, and so on—to bring the profit on the deal back up to a respectable level. This system allows a dealer to sell a new or used car for their cost—or even at a loss—yet end up making thousands of dollars on the deal after the Finance Manager does their thing.
My friend knew all of this going in. I not only helped her negotiate the price, but prepared her for the final step in the process. Yet, she still became upset and irritated while sitting in the business office with a burly and imposing Finance Manager. The specific point at which my friend became upset was when the Finance Manager kept coming back to the extended warranty he was trying to sell. Like a dog with a bone, he wouldn’t let go of trying to “close” her on the extended warranty even though she kept saying “no” to his offer.
I’m A Big Fan
I’m actually a big fan of extended warranties. However, these are a big profit point for most car dealers, meaning they tend to make a lot of money from each one they sell. I often recommend that my friends purchase them, but only after the price has been significantly discounted.
Some Finance Managers are trained to illicit two or three “no” responses from customers before they give up on trying to sell any given product. They will often drop the price each time they ask, hoping the customer buys and they make at least some profit. Although not true for every dealership, this means it can work in your favor to always say “no,” even to something you want to buy. In fact, keep saying “no” until the Finance Manager moves on. Then, you return to it by saying, “I’ve reconsidered the extended warranty. Are you sure that’s the best price you can offer?” At this point the price has probably been discounted a few times, so no matter what the Finance Manager says, say “yes.” It’s a win-win situation: the Finance Manager sold a product, the dealership made a profit, and you got a much better deal compared to the first price offered.
Unlucky in Love and War
My friend wasn’t so lucky. She didn’t see the value of the extended warranty and kept saying “no.” However, the Finance Manager must have been under pressure to sell something, anything, because twenty minutes later he was still trying to close her on the extended warranty. Finally, my friend became visibly upset, stood up, and walked out. It was my turn to save the deal. After getting a verbal commitment from the Finance Manager that he would “move on” and complete the transaction quickly, I convinced my friend to return to complete the paperwork. She ended up driving home in her certified pre-owned vehicle and was actually pretty happy with how things turned out. She certainly drove home in her new car with a better understanding of the car industry, and knew from first-hand experience to never let your guard down until your tires hit the pavement on your way home.
Finally…
Not all major dealerships use what I term “old school” methods like that what I described above. Newer, progressive dealerships are changing how the car business works. They use a more intelligent, and a kinder, gentler system. More on this industry-wide shift in future articles.
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The author’s The 8 Biggest Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them is free at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
