Why do car dealerships sell cars at discounts?
Dealer secrets: how to buy a car at a discount
When the time comes to purchase a new vehicle, we think about how to buy a car at a discount from an official dealer. Today, car dealerships can be found almost everywhere. You will not see long lines of customers in any of them. On the contrary, there are often more employees on the sales floor than customers. The competition is fierce, and the fight is for every customer. This contributes to the emergence of various promotions and discounts on certain models.
How to buy a car
Today, a car is no longer a luxury item, it is a common means of transportation. Some families have two or more cars. Thousands of different models – both Russian and foreign brands – travel along the country’s roads. You don't need to have a driver's license to own a car, unless you intend to drive it yourself.
If you have the required amount, buying a car is easy. To do this, you can contact a car dealership, look for advertisements on the Internet and newspapers. Today it is even possible to buy online.
Where to buy a car
You can purchase a car at an official dealer’s showroom or on the secondary market. The first option is more expensive, but at the same time the simplest and safest for the buyer. Buying a used vehicle will save you a lot of money, but there is a risk of purchasing a car with a dark past or hidden flaws.
When can I get a discount from an official dealer?
You can always find discounts at official dealers of Russian and foreign manufacturers, even if there is no bright banner on the facade of the building and promoters do not hand out leaflets in front of the entrance. The main thing is to know when car dealerships are ready to make concessions in the fight for a client.
A budget model of domestic production can be purchased at a discount of 40 - 50 thousand rubles. When it comes to the more expensive segment, the discount can amount to 200 thousand rubles and even exceed this level.
The whole process of buying a car at a car dealership is reminiscent of going to the nearest hardware store. You come, choose the model you like with the required equipment, take a test drive if necessary, and then proceed to registration. We will not consider all the buyer’s actions in detail here, since the topic of our article is receiving a discount.
Due to the change in machine generations
Even the most successful and sought-after model is sooner or later removed from the factory assembly line. It is being replaced by a more modern analogue. This should be regarded as a reason to profitably buy a new car. Car dealerships are willing to sell outdated but quite popular models at reduced prices, making room for the new generation.
The release of a new product on the market does not come as a surprise to everyone. First, the new model is presented at some popular exhibition. After some time, the manufacturer announces the start of sales and prices for luxury trim levels, which usually arrive at car dealerships first. Before sales of new items begin, dealers begin to actively sell backlogged goods at good discounts. If you are happy with a new, but recently discontinued car, this option is for you.
Corporate bonuses
Dealers often provide discounts to businesses to encourage continuous renewal of their fleet. For example, favorable prices are provided to taxi companies. If you are an employee of such a company, you can take advantage of a corporate discount of 5-10% when purchasing a new car.
For regular customers
A car is not a consumer product, so “regular customer” is an ambiguous concept. However, in the case of premium models, car owners often receive loyalty bonuses. This is done to retain customers who once purchased a car or had it undergo periodic maintenance at a certain dealer. Such customers have the opportunity to count on a 5% discount when purchasing a new car. Unfortunately, this practice is not applied to buyers of mass-produced models.
Anniversary promotions
If you want to get the maximum discount on a car, you should make inquiries at all car dealerships. Many of them hold various promotions dedicated to the opening date or significant days for the automaker. Sometimes a buyer who decides to get a new car on his birthday can get a nice discount.
Favorable prices before the holidays
A good time to buy a new vehicle on sale is December.
Before the New Year holidays, dealers often lower prices on certain models in order to gain the missing part of the annual plan.
Sometimes the discount is given not by the car dealership, but by the car manufacturer. For example, AvtoVAZ often holds such promotions. In this case, the car can be purchased at a discount from all official dealers of the plant.
Some unscrupulous dealers sometimes try to use the manufacturer's discount to their advantage and continue selling at regular prices. In this case, when buying a new car, it is worth reminding sellers about the holiday promotion. After that, they will have to name the real cost of the car with a discount from the factory.
Discounts on cars with defects
It's no secret that cars from the factory assembly line come to the car dealership not in packaging, but in an open form on the platform of a car transporter. They rarely get damaged along the way, since car transporter drivers are very careful and responsible people who receive high pay for their work. The same cannot be said about the car dealership employees who unload cars from the car transporter and park them in a special area. During the unloading process, some vehicles get scratches or even dents.
Dealers fix minor defects in their service stations and sell the car at regular prices. However, this does not always happen. Cars with damage can be found in car dealerships at a good discount. Before you buy them, you need to estimate the cost of repairs.
When looking for a bargain, you should pay attention to cars that were used for a test drive before being sold. They, of course, already have a certain mileage, but their price will be attractive.
End of month or quarter
A good time to buy a car at a car dealership is the end of the quarter, and sometimes every month. The fact is that dealers have a sales plan. The bonuses of sales consultants, as well as the salon director, directly depend on its implementation and overfulfillment.
When a quarter or month is about to end, and the plan has not yet been fulfilled, buyers have a good opportunity to get a discount. However, it is usually not widely advertised. If you immediately talk about your desire to buy a car, don’t expect a discount. Sellers will offer it to those who are still undecided or intend to go to a competitor.
Seasonal discounts
A car is a product that can “stay”, taking up space. The arrival of new cars usually occurs at the beginning of the year, so the optimal period to get the biggest discounts on new cars is from December to February. At this time, you can purchase a new vehicle, saving up to 15% of its cost.
The beginning of the year is the sales season for last year's vehicles. Many motorists treat them with disdain and do not want to buy a car that is already a year old, for fear of losing value when selling it in 4-5 years. This approach is not justified. If the car was released even last year, it is completely new, with only 3-4 km on the mileage (driving around the factory and at the dealer's premises). With careful handling, after 5 years its condition may be better than that of younger cars.
Trade-in program
In Moscow and other Russian cities, car dealerships have been selling their cars via Trade-in for several years now. By becoming a participant in the program, you give your vehicle to the dealer and receive a discount on a new car. The discount amount will be equal to the estimated value of the old car. Essentially, you are exchanging old for new at an additional cost.
State recycling program
Since 2010, our country has had a state program for the recycling of old vehicles. You can participate in it if your car is over 6 years old, running and fully equipped. The vehicle can be handed over to a special recycling point or to a dealer, receiving a certificate for a discount of 50,000-350,000 rubles, depending on the category of the vehicle. This, in fact, discount coupon can be used to partially pay for the cost of a domestically produced car or as a down payment on a car loan.
How not to overpay for a car
When selling each car, the dealer has a margin of 5-10% of its cost. But the markup from the sale of additional equipment is significantly higher. Therefore, every sales consultant at a car dealership makes every effort to sell you something in addition to the car. The size of his salary depends on this. If you don’t want to overpay, don’t give in to sellers’ persuasion.
Always quote the lowest price
As soon as you enter the car dealership and start looking at cars, a sales consultant will approach you, find out what model you are looking for and ask how much you plan to buy the car. This way he will know how much money he can get from you. You will be offered cars with more expensive equipment, even if there are cheaper models available.
Not all buyers need a rain sensor, parking sensors and other devices, so do not tell the seller the amount you have. First, study the prices of all the models presented and find out the cost of the configuration you need. This can be done even before coming to the car dealership on its website or the manufacturer. When you come to the dealer, name the price of the model of this or that configuration you are interested in, if you are asked about it.
Optional equipment
When you buy a new car from a dealer, you will not find floor mats or seat covers in the interior, and in the trunk you will only have a spare tire, a key to change it, and a jack. Also, only a standard alarm and immobilizer will be available. Everything else must be purchased additionally. Where to do this - at a car dealership or at the nearest car market - is up to you.
Carpets, seat covers, winter tires, alloy wheels and various branded souvenirs are 2-3 times more expensive at dealers. Some of them even offer tinted rear windows and additional anti-corrosion treatment for the underbody. It is better to refuse such services in order to save money - they can be found elsewhere. Even if you have covers and floor mats with the manufacturer's logo, this will not make the car any better. In any case, the buyer has the final say.
But you shouldn’t give up equipment such as a security alarm with higher capabilities than the standard one. Installing it in another location may void your vehicle's warranty coverage.
Additional warranty
Any manufacturer provides a guarantee for its products, including vehicles. For example, the warranty period for all new AvtoVAZ models is 100,000 km or 3 years of operation, as well as a 6-year warranty on body parts against through corrosion. Some manufacturers, such as Toyota and Nissan, offer their customers to extend the factory warranty by purchasing an additional one. Of course, for this you need to pay a certain amount, go through all scheduled maintenance and fulfill some other conditions.
The basic factory warranty is sufficient.
With careful operation, even after 6-7 years, your car will not need anything except consumables - filters, oil changes, antifreeze, belts, etc. Therefore, it is worth refusing the additional warranty.
Find out prices in advance
Do not choose only one car dealership if there are several dealers of the manufacturer you are interested in in your city. Preliminarily study the prices of each of them, inquire about the availability of marketing promotions. If you manage to get a commercial offer with a certain price from a sales consultant, show this paper to another dealer. It is likely that you will be offered a better price.
Conclusion
When purchasing a car, you can get a discount, just like when purchasing any other product. The main thing is to go to the dealership at the right time, when the likelihood of a discount is high. The ability to bargain can also come in handy. To increase your chances of getting a discount, do not make a purchase immediately after coming to the salon, even if you have long ago decided on the model and configuration. Walk around and take a closer look at other cars. Having noticed an indecisive buyer, sellers can offer a discount on an individual basis.
How to buy a new car cheaper than the official price: Video
Specialist in lending to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. Experience in the banking sector - more than 15 years.
How to haggle at a car dealership
It is generally accepted that buying a used car at a car dealership is convenient and safe. But if you can’t argue with the first one, then doubts arise about the security of the transaction. Alas, not all car dealerships are as reliable as you think. And among sales managers there are dishonest people. Therefore, when choosing a car, do not forget to check its history. And remember: bargaining at a car dealership is appropriate.
Content
Good reasons to bargain
It would seem how you can bargain at a car dealership, because this is not a market, but a reputable organization. Each car offered for sale here has a fixed price tag, which is probably justified. Indeed, before selling a used car, it undergoes technical testing and preparation. Experts calculate its market value and add their expenses and margin to the price. This is how the price tag is formed and announced to the buyer.
However, some problems identified by the car dealership at the stage of preparing the car for sale can be well disguised. Due to this, the price of the car can be quite inflated. Therefore, when buying a used car at a car dealership, you need to check it just as carefully as when buying from a private owner.
So do they sell at car dealerships? Of course yes! Bargaining is appropriate, but it requires good reasons.
When to bargain:
- if inconsistencies are identified between real (documented) and declared information;
- if technical defects or malfunctions are detected;
- if you are sure that the price is unreasonably high.
It is better to prepare for bargaining in advance. How to do this, read below.
How to bargain correctly
Before you start haggling at a car dealership, conduct your own inspection of the car you are interested in. To do this, you can use the Autocode service, which provides a detailed report on the history of the car in a matter of minutes. From it you will learn:
- the actual mileage of the car (the meter is often twisted);
- facts of road accidents (if any);
- restrictions;
- pledges;
- OSAGO data;
- customs history;
- history of fines;
- and also get a lot of other information.
If an independent check reveals facts that the seller was silent about, you can start bargaining. It is better to do this reasonably, confirming the words with iron facts from the history of the car. In this case, the car dealership will most likely accommodate you and reduce the price. The more convincing you are, the cheaper you will be able to buy a car.
If the report shows that the mileage was incorrect, and more than once, we recommend that you think about whether you need such a car. The car may already require major repairs, and it may have problems with the engine, chassis and gearbox. For that amount you can buy a much better car. And this is a serious reason for the seller to reduce the price. Think about how much you will have to spend on repairs if something happens, and insist on this discount.
Another case. The car was in an accident. The report shows the type of accident and the most significant damage resulting from it. From these data you can immediately understand how much, theoretically, will be needed for repairs after purchase. This is the amount you ask to be sent off. The exception is for cars after a frontal collision. It’s not worth buying them at all, since they can no longer be repaired.
Or, let's say, the car was listed as a taxi. This already suggests that she ran a lot. Moreover, passengers are delivered not only along smooth asphalt roads, but quite the opposite. Surely, the vehicle encountered stones, hummocks, and thickets. It is possible that some body elements (especially the suspension) will fail faster than usual. Request a discount of at least 10%!
Bargaining based on the results of a technical check
Another way to reduce the cost of a used car at a dealership is to order an on-site inspection. Even if the car's history is clean, it may have technical flaws that can be easily detected by an experienced expert. The services of a specialist often pay off, since there are no perfect used cars, and a professional assessment can convince showroom employees to agree to bargain.
Expert analysis is also your confidence in a successful purchase. By turning to independent specialists, you can avoid expensive repairs (if the car has hidden defects).
How to behave during bargaining
Confidence is a big advantage in the bargaining process. However, it is equally important to demonstrate dissatisfaction and irritation. It is better to show reluctance to buy a car than to agree with a smile to the words of the sales manager. This will force him to meet your demands.
It is important to maintain iron calm until the moment the contract is signed. The seller may try to artificially create fuss and talk teeth. Stand your ground. Better yet, bring a witness (an intelligent friend, colleague), he will support you and will not allow the manager to lie too much.
There is one more rule: it makes sense to bargain for no more than half an hour. If during this time the car dealership has not reduced the price, most likely, the efforts are in vain. You can, however, use a trick and say that the same car is offered cheaper in a nearby showroom.
Common Mistakes
Many car dealership clients make common mistakes:
- they do not check the car they are interested in;
- do not haggle when buying a car at a car dealership;
- They don't read the sales contract.
By blindly trusting salon employees, you are taking an unjustified risk. But to be on the safe side, it’s enough to spend a few minutes and study the detailed history of the car. And if you have the slightest doubt about the technical condition of the car, you can invite field experts. These are all bargaining opportunities.
Before signing a purchase and sale agreement, it is a good idea to carefully study it. The document should not contain ambiguous language regarding the rights of the buyer and seller. In addition, make sure that the exact amount that was negotiated is included in the contract.
How much can you really save by haggling in the salon?
When planning a trip to a car dealership, remember: almost every manager is inclined to meet you halfway and lower the price, since his earnings depend on the number of cars sold and bonuses accrued. The seller has a vested interest in you buying the car.
On the other hand, the manager does not have the right to make a large discount without the approval of management, who does not like to lose extra money. Therefore, you should not hope for too big a jackpot. A discount of 5-10% of the price of the car is considered decent.
We get discounts on new cars from official dealers. Easier than it might seem.
Hi all! My post concerns how I literally bought myself a car before the New Year. I want to say right away that I am not writing to convince anyone of anything, to argue about tastes, much less to brag - just to discuss the process of buying a new car from an official dealer. At the same time, maybe someone will share their experience and the goodies they bargained for.
Perhaps this post will help someone save money and feel more confident in the salon.
In principle, the topic is not new, but nevertheless, I only recently discovered that you can and should bargain with dealers. Moreover, many of my friends (drivers with more experience than me) are surprised to learn about this in conversations with me.
But let's start from the beginning. My parents bought my first car in 2012. I didn’t know much about cars back then, and my parents, as it turned out, weren’t far off either - we only had to buy 50 thousand rubles worth of extras for my Nissan for a little over 800 thousand. And it would be okay, we also bought a comprehensive insurance for this car for 75 thousand rubles. from the salon. As you understand, we were fucked well then.
After 6 years, priorities changed and a more family-friendly car was needed. I won’t describe the process of determining the model and the budget, but the choice fell on the Skodia Kodiak. The parameters fit, we fit into the budget. Well, how do we fit in? With the required configuration, this bear meat costs 1,970,000 (according to the price list), we had 1,940,000 at the time of purchase.
After watching enough videos with Mashkov, it was decided to try to bargain - if they don’t give in, I’ll wait for February, even though everyone is talking about tough price increases for cars in the new year. However, let's start in order.
1) I already mentioned that I was surprised by the fact that you have to bargain with dealers. The size of the discounts is different for everyone - for the premium one they can reach up to a million (as on the outgoing Audi A4 and BMW3 this year), and for the mass segment, especially the Koreans, God forbid it will be 40 thousand. Therefore, the most important thing in bargaining is to understand what you can count on and what you can’t. Kia, for example, with its margin, will never allow itself the same discounts as Infinity or Mercedes. As for me and the Skoda, I liked a very popular model, so at first all the dealers told me that we didn’t offer discounts on them (but on the Superb there were discounts of up to 225 thousand, but they don’t take many of them). Even if there is a trade-in. But it didn’t bother me, I decided to go to the end and simply fuck them up.
2) Bargaining is a good thing, but without competition you can’t really bargain. And it’s a no-brainer that the more salons you call, the better the offer they’ll give you. Moreover, many managers are put off by the proposals of competitors. Therefore, your first step after you decide on a model is to write down on a piece of paper the phone numbers of all the official salons you are interested in and methodically call them. Immediately write down all the details on the cars that are offered to you - it will be much easier to compare later. Be prepared that managers need time to prepare, so you leave them a request and your phone number at the beginning, and later they call back with a specific offer. By the way, don’t get attached to a specific salon, because... This is where they can give you the worst conditions. For the sake of such a purchase, you can take a taxi to some fucking place once to save an extra ten, or even more. Even worse is to listen to advisers who recently bought a car and recommend their manager to you as the most fair and honest. Today he gives a discount of 100 thousand, but next month he won’t even want to give 40 thousand. They do not work according to the word of mouth system, and your confidence that he will already give you the most privileged offers will play into his and not into yours.
3) Managers do not want to disclose their prices. They don’t really want to fight in front of competitors or bloggers; they want to work for a real buyer, preferably one who is as ignorant as possible. Because the more people come and buy without talking about the price, and even with extras, the greater the profit for the salon and the size of the premium. Therefore, no one will just want to tell you the real price over the phone, but will invite you to the salon, where they will agree with you “in all the details” and make the “best offer.” To save your time on arguments, we simply say that you are from a neighboring city. It’s too far for you to go to every salon blindly; you will go where they will give you a real offer. In the case of Moscow, I said that I would come from Tver specifically to buy a car and plan to leave on the same day. Adequate managers don’t have questions in such cases, although I had a couple of guys from the same network who absolutely refused to say anything.
4) When managers are finally ready to conduct a dialogue with us, they should immediately outline the terms of the purchase for themselves. The least zealous managers are ready to reduce the price for cash payments, and for trade, insurance from the salon and a loan, he will try to make a more advantageous offer. In the case of a loan, you need to be very careful, because... This is where you stand to lose the most. Ideally, you need to take with you someone who fumbles, or carefully read and calculate everything, immediately refuse life insurance and double-check everything, because They can say anything, but still stuff extra options into the contract. About trading - it’s convenient, but not profitable, unless the brand itself provides support for trading. It usually comes from the brand itself and does not fit in with the salon discount. It's almost always better to sell it yourself. In my opinion, if you are not yet completely sure what you will get out of it, bargain on the topic of cash payment - this will be the minimum from which you are guaranteed to be able to get yourself a little more discount at the expense of trading. , insurance or credit.
5) When you have called all the dealers (it is better to do this 2 numbers every 30-40 minutes, otherwise many callbacks will arrive at the same time, some offers can simply be missed) and have received at least half of the responses from the one you called - you can sit down and compare . Ideally, you need to select the 3 most profitable offers for you, because... 1 or 2 may actually not grow together. By the way, at all stages you will be offered to put the car on reserve for money - you should not do this, if only because the manager can put it on reserve for a day completely free of charge if he is confident in the buyer. It was the same with me at a car dealership, where I found the most acceptable offer for myself, although I had to refuse for about 5 minutes. By the way, a particular car can really go away, but this is far from a tragedy.
6) The most interesting point is the size of those discounts, a kind of game of believe it or not. No one wants to give a good discount right away, so there is nothing wrong with pitting dealers against each other. Many people immediately ask how much they offer you in other salons. I answered honestly, but some said that there are no such prices and they are deceiving you. Spoiler – I was not deceived and one of the dealers actually gave me a hundred thousand discount from the price list. Considering that there are no discounts on Kodiak in principle, this suited me. During similar negotiations at Kia, they didn’t even give me 40. Now we are talking about the difference in discounts, and not in price, because... It’s very rare that they give you a choice of car interiors with the same equipment. There are different options everywhere, including alarms and winter packages of various features. Therefore, here you need to look at how much the offered car will be at the price and how much it will be sold for, and compare the size of the discounts, and not the prices themselves. In my case, I managed to get a car without extras I didn’t need (mats, additional anti-corrosion treatment and additional Shumka - gifts). And here is another important point - literally this month Skoda raised the prices of its cars, so from 1,930 all-wheel drive 150-horsepower Kodiak rose to 1,970 tr. Most of the dealerships took the discounts away from the new price list, but the one where I eventually bought the car immediately calculated it based on the old one - so the actual discount for them was only 60 thousand. There was also another salon, but there were more unnecessary extras, due to which the price tag was ten higher.
7) Having decided on the salon, you need to decide on the latest conditions. For example, I really wanted comprehensive insurance for the first year, but I needed tires. I can choose either motor insurance + tires, or motor insurance + motor insurance. It’s clear that you won’t be driving on summer tires in winter, so the choice is obvious. The manager scratched his butt, chatted again with everyone he could, and offered tires as a gift if I only took out the cheapest comprehensive insurance policy. Of course, it’s 10 thousand more expensive than through an agent, but they gave me good tires, so in terms of 20 thousand, I still ended up winning. If you don’t need comprehensive insurance in principle, then of course the scheme will not be interesting to you.
In the end, they didn’t offer me loans (after all, I’ve been here supposedly for 1 day, from Tver). The Moscow registration was easy to explain - I’m on a business trip in Tver all the way to New York. As a result, I left on the same day in a new car. During the bidding, many managers, not being able to give me the desired discount, started a hurdy-gurdy story that you will be deceived and that there will finally be no such cars in those showrooms, they say they are luring you in and they will heat you up there.
Playing on the fear of screwing up with such an expensive purchase is sacred, especially when you lose a client. I can say that all this is bullshit, don’t give in to provocations. If you go for a car that has a title (or the dealer buys it at his own expense) and pay in cash, the worst thing that can happen to you is that the car you want simply won’t be available. In this case, you will turn around and go to the next salon without losing anything. You need to worry when they don’t want to tell you the full price and demand an advance payment (not a deposit) under the contract, not 50 rubles, but for example half the cost. This means that the dealer has nothing to buy back the vehicle with, and you may well be buying back the vehicle not for yourself, but for an earlier buyer. In particular, I had such nonsense with a salon near my home - that’s why I urged you not to get hung up on those places where it’s convenient for you to get to. Later, several managers of different salons shared information that everything was bad there and the dealer was “forbidden to ship cars.” I can’t judge whether this is true or not, but their manner of work alarmed me. I don't want to deal with such people at all.
In the end, instead of 1,970,000, as expected, I paid 1,870,000 for my configuration. I also received tires for insurance, so I had enough money for the commission at the cash desk, tire fitting and registration (about another ten in total).
6 steps to make it more profitable to buy a new car
Buying a car is a serious purchase that should be approached responsibly. Everyone wants to know the best way to buy a new car. The showrooms offer a large selection of cars to suit every taste. Dealers compete with each other, because even one brand has several representative offices in the city. We reveal the secrets of shopping.
What is the best way to buy a new car at a dealership?
Key factors in the amount you'll pay at the salon:
- Dealer status: gray or official;
- Applying for a car loan – co-financing programs will help;
- Seasonality : purchase of vehicles with title from the previous year;
- Test drive a copy from the showroom.
Below are all the factors in detail.
Let's dispel the myth: you need and can bargain with salons.
What does the price depend on?
It is quite possible to save on buying a car. To do this, you need to know the factors that affect the price.
Often the price tags for the model you like in some showrooms are significantly lower than those from an official dealer.
They have to significantly overpay for a car, and the documents are drawn up in such a way that it is impossible to challenge the injustice even in court. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase cars from official dealership showrooms.
Today, more and more people buy cars on credit. In such a situation, it makes sense to arrange it on the spot.
Banks regularly organize promotions together with car dealers, stimulating car lending. The salon subsidizes part of the interest rate. As a result, the loan can be concluded on more favorable terms.
You can repay the loan much ahead of schedule - then the benefits will be greater.
Before you go buying a car, study the offers of large banks and leading dealers, paying attention to discounts and promotions. Send them emails asking them to advise you on current special offers on car loans.
Seasonal discounts: profitable and cheap according to the time of year
We must not forget about seasonal discounts. They appear at the end of each quarter .
There may be a plan at the auto center for the sale of specific models that are subject to an individual discount. If you're looking to save money, plan your salon visits for the end of any quarter.
You can get a big discount by purchasing a car that has not been sold for a long time or is often used for a test drive. We will tell you more about these options later.
In January there will be a discount on cars with December title. No age, but the year is already past.
Discount scheme: revealing secrets
A new car is not a cheap pleasure. But even in this case, it makes sense to apply for discounts. The main thing is to be able to bargain.
The personal experience of one of your friends or a corresponding motivational book will help you tune in to the right wave. It’s a good idea to use your own natural charm and ability to get a person to talk.
Dealer tour: choosing a new car from car dealerships
You need to start with a visit to all dealerships that sell the models you are interested in. Take printouts with complete sets and go analyze them.
Book a test drive at the showrooms where you liked the cars. This will help you understand what kind of car you need, and also catch the attention of managers.
It is important that they understand: you are a person who is one step away from parting with money. Sellers will definitely want you to do this with them.
After the test drive, visit the salons that caught your attention a few more times. Take a look at the model you like once again and ask the managers all your questions. At this point, most likely, a specific specialist will be assigned to you .
Models in stock may not match the configuration you need.
The next step is to find out about the vehicles that the dealer has in stock. After all, cars are often delivered to order in the required configuration. Those presented at stands sell poorly.
Dealership: how to buy correctly at a car dealership
The next stage: how to get a discount at a car dealership. Make sure you are remembered as a virtually guaranteed customer.
Come to the showroom with a thoughtful and puzzled look, meticulously and slowly inspect all the models again.
When you next come to a dealership, for example, a Mercedes, carefully inspect the car. When the manager asks about your plans, answer that you like everything. But in the Audi salon the price is no less favorable, there is an interesting package. Then go to Audi, where you play out the same situation again.
Comparing similar models from different brands live is an extra argument for the seller to lower the price for you.
At this stage, the managers themselves begin to call you and make tempting offers : free insurance, a set of tires, mats or other little things.
The main thing is for the sellers to know that you are receiving the same offers in the next salon. Then they will give in and start lowering the price. If you want to save money, you can agree to a car that is available in the showroom. The discount will be even more significant.
To summarize, there are several main points:
- Never hesitate to bargain.
- If you want to buy quickly (in one or two days), you won’t be able to really save money. a few weeks for this .
- You should buy at the end of the quarter or year, when everyone is preparing sales reports.
- Don’t be afraid to waste the manager’s time; it is advisable to contact the same employee of the dealership where you are choosing a car.
- You will never be initially offered the actual value of the car. So remember that the dealer can always change the price.
Do not hesitate to ask the manager to indicate the proposed price on paper. Or write it yourself and show it in a competing salon.
Margin and bonuses
When purchasing a car, it is important to understand the concept of dealer margin. Then it will be easier for you to bargain. Dealer margin is the difference between the purchase price of a car from the importer and the retail price.
It varies in the range from 5 to 11%. Of course, it differs depending on the specific brand. The average is 6-7%. For an auto business to be profitable, the minimum margin must be 2-4%.
In fact, it is higher, so you need to understand: managers are internally ready to meet halfway. Give up at least a few percent. Car dealers won't lose anything.
It is beneficial to enter into a loan agreement and issue an insurance policy immediately at the auto center. Today, dealers' earnings come from providing additional services. These include the sale of “nice” license plates and vehicle registration.
If the manager takes out CASCO or a car loan, he will have additional income from the bank or insurer . It is justifiable to demand a discount.
Cash
Ask for a discount if you have cash. Many people buy cars on credit. If you don’t need a loan from a bank, you will become an enviable client at any car dealership.
The dealership itself constantly uses borrowed funds in settlements with suppliers. Interest is constantly accumulating. for them to give you a 5-6% discount and sell it cheaper in order to get rid of obligations to the bank.
If the dealer is not ready to reduce the price, you can always count on gifts and bonuses.
At a minimum, you can qualify for a set of winter tires or CASCO. Try to monetize the gift by offering to exchange it for a comparable discount.
By purchasing a car that is in stock, you can count on more generous offers . For example, climate control or other options.
Even inexpensive options have bonuses: PTF, floor mats or window tinting.
Cheaper after a test drive
You can claim your right to a discount if you take a car that has been regularly used for test drives or has been in the showroom for a long time.
When it doesn't sell for a couple of years, it can no longer be considered new. After all, several hundred people were behind the wheel. This is a compelling argument to demand a price reduction of 20-25%.
When buying a car that was used for a test drive, you have to deal with actual deception of the client. After all, such a car is initially provided by the manufacturer free of charge.
When it becomes obsolete, the dealer sells it at the cost of a new model . In this case, the manufacturer is informed about the sale of a worn-out car at a discount, and the client is charged the full price.
For a car after a test drive, ask for a discount of up to a third of the original cost.
Last visit to the dealership
Before doing this, make preliminary inspection plan . This way you won't forget what to pay attention to. It will depend on the specific model.
A detailed plan includes checking locks, body parts, trunk, seats, lights, and hood.
Start the car, the engine should run smoothly. Check that you have:
- 2 sets of keys;
- service and warranty book;
- instructions;
- engine and body numbers correspond to those specified in the PTS;
- warranty book;
- contract;
- Act of Handover;
- All papers must have signatures and seals.
Buying a car abroad
You can buy a car outside of Russia. This is another option to save money. In the 1990s, cars were imported from Europe, but now buyers go to European countries themselves.
The advantage of this option is low prices . Difficulties arise in the form of the need to cross the border, waste time, and fill out separate documents.
Russian road cameras have not yet been trained to recognize foreign license plates - this is a separate plus.
Recently, the scheme of purchasing a car on lease through foreign companies has become popular. The vehicle may be used or new. Most often, our compatriots go to the Czech Republic. Here they buy a car on lease, and then immediately register it in their name.
They also register the car to a company that is a VAT payer. Such companies are even created specifically for such purposes.
This simplifies registration, allowing you to drive on Russian roads without re-registration. You just have to periodically go to the country where the purchase was made . Therefore, this method is not suitable for everyone.
What do we take to a car dealership?
So, the choice of a new car from car dealerships has taken place, the advance payment has been made. All that remains is to pick up the vehicle. When going to a car dealership, check this list:
- documents (driver's license, passport, confirmation of payment, loan approval);
- money (needed to buy insurance, tires);
- tickets (if you are going to another city);
- navigator (when you are not sure that you remember the way home);
- folder for documents.
Car acceptance
Before finalizing the paperwork, thoroughly inspect the car. Only then sign the documents.
Found any shortcomings? Demand another car, troubleshooting on site, a discount or compensation in the form of a gift.
If there are dents or scratches on the car, the seller will try to cover these places.
Check the documents to ensure that the data matches letter by letter. When everything is done, put the papers in two folders. One is for traffic police officers, the second is for everything else. If stopped by the traffic police, you will need a title, a transfer and acceptance certificate, and insurance.
When you leave the car dealership, do not rush to immediately drive out onto the road. Stop (if prohibited, turn on your hazard lights).
Check that all documents are in place. Adjust the mirrors, seat, steering column. Only after this do you hit the road.
Before making the final payment, make sure that everything works and there is no Check Engine indicator on the panel - at this stage this is a dealer problem.
Instead of a conclusion
To summarize, we note that to purchase a new or used car at a discount . True, this will take time.
Do not hesitate to bargain, remember that there are many options for obtaining benefits. For example, instead of a discount, issue a bonus or gift.
Why are cars at car dealerships cheaper than those from an official dealer?
Good day to all. In today’s article I will tell you why cars in car dealerships are cheaper than those from an official dealer. So that you do not read this article with subjectivity, in addition to my opinion, videos from popular bloggers have been added to the article.
The first time I saw this paradox was in 2017, when I wanted a new car.
Then my choice fell on the Hyundai Solaris 2016 model year in the basic configuration on the handle.
First of all, my attention was attracted by the price - only 385,000 rubles. for a car without mileage. At that time, official dealers sold the new Solaris in the basic configuration for 685,000 rubles, and the old one for 645,000 rubles. Agree, quite a discount!
It’s interesting that the low price was explained by the old year of manufacture of the car, they say that a new body has been coming since 2017, and this is a sale of old illiquid stock.
At the same time, from official dealers, cars of 2016 in the basic configuration were sold out by taxi services faster than they arrived at the showroom! At that time, taxi companies were actively developing in St. Petersburg.
And at the car dealership on Vyborg Highway, where I wanted to buy a car, the manager confirmed to me that the cars were indeed in stock and I could buy them at this price...
I briefly inspected the car, it was NEW, and had a title in stock. I didn’t see any catch at this stage.
What is the deception?
The deception was revealed when I sat down with the credit manager to draw up a loan agreement.
We filled out the application form for a car loan, and I went to the waiting area to wait for calls from banks and decisions on issuing a loan.
At this moment I receive a notification about a new credit history request, by the way, I recommend it to everyone - 390 rubles per year, in the united credit bureau.
Banks, when requesting from the BKI, indicate the loan amount. And what I see:
The car loan is not for 385,000 rubles, but for all 963,250, and then for another 700,000, fortunately I refused over the phone! When I asked the manager why this was so, I was told that I had not read the contract carefully!
If I didn’t have a notification from the service about my credit history, I’m on emotions, I could easily make such a purchase, believe me, the sales managers there are good psychologists and know how to click on the right points..... I would take my head in later when I saw actual loan size... So the service saved me from debt...
It’s interesting that these figures are still working and haven’t even changed their work scheme! They are dealers of all brands at once and their cars are at very tasty prices - a Polo for 201,000 rubles. cheaper than at the dealer (at the time of writing this article, 699 rubles), a new “Solaris” for 171,000 rubles (at the time of writing this article, 679 rubles).
I think at this very moment all readers understood that cars in a car dealership may cost less than those from an official dealer, but this does not mean that someone will sell them to you at that price!
How is this possible?
Yes, friends, there are no miracles in this world! Unless, of course, you are part of a close circle of famous personalities...
the cheapest new cars without cheating can be found using the site autospot.ru
The car plant sells cars at a fixed price, while dealers receive discounts and deferred payments...
Car dealerships that are not official dealers cannot count on such conditions; they often buy cars from officials, posing as, for example, taxi companies... What should they live on? They also need profit, which is why they lure gullible motorists with attractive prices. Naturally, they are not going to sell you cars at this price! And the task is for you to come with money, and then suddenly what will you buy!
Never be fooled by new cars that are sold cheaper than used cars, this is 100% deception!
Deception schemes at a car dealership that offers new cars cheaper than the official price.
Formally, this is not cheating. The logic here is this: there is no title for these cars; when they will be available is unknown; this is done for two reasons:
- receiving a cache (in this case, the next buyers will pay for the cars of the previous ones, i.e. a kind of pyramid).
- deceiving out-of-town buyers and forcing them to buy more expensive cars.
Some car owners will wait for their cars, and some will take cars with a title.
The whole calculation is that you will agree to buy a more expensive car here and now. It is very likely that this car will have a bunch of special features. and the price will be HIGHER than the official dealer price.
Earlier there were even TV reports about this:
“Muddy” loan agreement.
This is a classic of the genre. The scheme is approximately the following - you will be offered a new car, an old one, at a tasty price on credit from “your” bank at 4-6% per annum, while the rate for a car loan starts from 15%... You will be happy to sign the agreement, but in small print it will include life insurance for the entire term of the loan, and your life will be valued at 150 thousand rubles. or an increased rate - they slip 5-6 sheets of paper for signature about the rate of 4-6% and in the end these rates are summed up, the calculation goes to those who sign the documents without reading.
Here is a video on this topic from Yaroslav Efremov:
Personally, I came across a loan from Sovcombank at 10% per annum, but the scheme was like this - if you pay payments at a rate of 10% for 3 years, the balance of the debt is written off, you cannot repay ahead of schedule, and if there is the slightest delay, the effective rate on the loan turns out to be 52% per annum. Those. even a car loan from Tinkoff Bank at 22% per annum is an honest product (at least they don’t hide the rate).
Overpricing.
It is this option that I considered in the first part of the article. The car itself in its basic configuration actually cost 385,000 rubles, but you can only buy it under a number of conditions that raised the price significantly higher than the official one.
Specifically in my case, I had to wait for a car at this price, although they said over the phone that it was in stock, but they had already installed extras on the existing one and upon purchase I had to pay separately for the trade markup and transaction support service.
The scheme itself is based on the fact that for a purchase it is necessary to pay various commissions, fees, mandatory pre-sale preparation, etc. There’s no way the salon’s lawyers can get away with it….
Such salons rely on “mugs from the region.” Ildar Avtopodbor talks in detail about this type of fraud:
Advance payment fraud.
This is the most “rotten” of all schemes! Car dealerships can only deal with such “black stuff” under the cover of law enforcement agencies.
If you didn’t see the deception at the stage of signing the contract, say goodbye to 100% prepayment or pay a significantly inflated price for the car. Their contracts were drawn up by competent lawyers and in court they will be formally right! Therefore, carefully read what you sign!
The main idea of a car dealership is to take a deposit from a person! (the deposit, unlike prepayment, is not refundable).
Usually it goes like this:
- the buyer is given a ride in his future new car.
- To celebrate, he signs the deposit agreement and pays it in the amount of 50-100 rubles. depending on the cost of the car and the arrogance of the interior. This is done supposedly so that they can start preparing documents. The deposit agreement will include the clause “The Depositor has the right to return the deposit if the full cost of the car is transferred to the Seller’s bank account.” Managers will tell you that this only applies to legal entities that pay by bank transfer and you will calm down!
- The deception itself lies in the final purchase and sale agreement - the full cost of the car will be indicated there, exactly as on the website, and on the price tag and in the deposit agreement, but the cost is indicated without a trade markup, which must be paid separately.
As a result, you either give a deposit or buy a car at a much higher price than from the officials.
These were the main deception schemes that I or my friends/relatives encountered.
Conclusion.
That's all for me today. I hope you now understand why cars at car dealerships are cheaper than those from an official dealer, and you will never fall for scammers.
If you know other methods of deception from “gray” car dealerships or want to share your story, write them in the comments, I will be happy to supplement the article.