Need Tips on Haggling Price Online

logan said:

I emailed a bunch of Honda dealership and now they are all responding. How do I pend them against each other so that they start to try and compete.

Do I just mention to them that I was offered a better deal? They may ask for proof, so then would I forward the email to them that I got from the offer?

Some things I've noticed and would like to hear if anyones had this situation too,

One thing that I see that they put into place is that the emails expire within 1-2days, which make it harder to haggle because I am sure the dealership will use this as leverage to say they don't need to compete with that price since it will be over soon. I can definitely see them doing something like that.

Also I noticed that they continuously start new emails and only talk about the price of the car as if to try and avoid having the name and price be on the same email chat log. My assumption they are doing this is so that they could offer a ridiculous price to get me to come to the dealership and then claim that I am trying to connect two emails that don't apply to each other and then waste my time. Has anyone experience that?

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DX2000 said:

Some dealers are easier than others to work. I would suggest sending out emails to everyone even if they're 300 miles away. Get the lowest price back and send that to everyone else like "hi thank you but I just got an offer for xx" and maybe one more round after they beat the first lowest price.

One dealer sent me a quote of msrp and wouldn't budge which is hilarious.

Also don't let them trick you by being vague or adding accessories. Ask for the price of the car itself before taxes and fees, no accessories. Then maybe ask for out the door price with a breakdown of each fee for your zip code.

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logan said:

I emailed a bunch of Honda dealership and now they are all responding. How do I pend them against each other so that they start to try and compete.

Do I just mention to them that I was offered a better deal? They may ask for proof, so then would I forward the email to them that I got from the offer?

Some things I've noticed and would like to hear if anyones had this situation too,

One thing that I see that they put into place is that the emails expire within 1-2days, which make it harder to haggle because I am sure the dealership will use this as leverage to say they don't need to compete with that price since it will be over soon. I can definitely see them doing something like that.

Also I noticed that they continuously start new emails and only talk about the price of the car as if to try and avoid having the name and price be on the same email chat log. My assumption they are doing this is so that they could offer a ridiculous price to get me to come to the dealership and then claim that I am trying to connect two emails that don't apply to each other and then waste my time. Has anyone experience that?

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Rawnerve1 said:

What model are you looking to buy?

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logan said:

I am looking to buy an Ex-T. Hoping to get it for $21-22$k out the door.

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djasonw said:

Just offer $100 over invoice. Tell them you're ready to buy today. Don't let those emails scare you by saying the offer expires in 48 hours. That's bs. I guarantee one of the dealers you send the offers to will bite. That's how I got my touring.

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DX2000 said:

I disagree, you can easily get below invoice.

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logan said:

I emailed a bunch of Honda dealership and now they are all responding. How do I pend them against each other so that they start to try and compete.

Do I just mention to them that I was offered a better deal? They may ask for proof, so then would I forward the email to them that I got from the offer?

Some things I've noticed and would like to hear if anyones had this situation too,

One thing that I see that they put into place is that the emails expire within 1-2days, which make it harder to haggle because I am sure the dealership will use this as leverage to say they don't need to compete with that price since it will be over soon. I can definitely see them doing something like that.

Also I noticed that they continuously start new emails and only talk about the price of the car as if to try and avoid having the name and price be on the same email chat log. My assumption they are doing this is so that they could offer a ridiculous price to get me to come to the dealership and then claim that I am trying to connect two emails that don't apply to each other and then waste my time. Has anyone experience that?

Click to expand...

logan said:

I emailed a bunch of Honda dealership and now they are all responding. How do I pend them against each other so that they start to try and compete.

Do I just mention to them that I was offered a better deal? They may ask for proof, so then would I forward the email to them that I got from the offer?

Some things I've noticed and would like to hear if anyones had this situation too,

One thing that I see that they put into place is that the emails expire within 1-2days, which make it harder to haggle because I am sure the dealership will use this as leverage to say they don't need to compete with that price since it will be over soon. I can definitely see them doing something like that.

Also I noticed that they continuously start new emails and only talk about the price of the car as if to try and avoid having the name and price be on the same email chat log. My assumption they are doing this is so that they could offer a ridiculous price to get me to come to the dealership and then claim that I am trying to connect two emails that don't apply to each other and then waste my time. Has anyone experience that?

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turtle jr said:

Hello,
So what I did was start off with a true car estimate.


Hi Logan,

So this was my first time purchasing a new car from a dealership and the internet haggling is just the first step in terms of negotiating - the true negotiating happens when you get there with the manager. What I did first was get a true car estimate, and let the emails flood my inbox. I replied back to a few dealerships asking for an estimate- one that included destination and documentation fees, sales tax, inspection sticker, and plates. When they replied back, I chose the lowest out of those estimates then emailed the others back asking if they could beat their price. The email sounded like this:

Hi _____,
I am interested in a new 2016 Honda Civic ____. Another dealership has made me an offer for $______ final price. This includes destination and documentation fees, sales tax, inspection sticker, and plates. Please send a counter offer by _____ via email, or kindly remove me from your email list.
Thank You,

+Do not include the name of the dealership you got the estimate from- its none of their business.

+If your best deal "expired" - email them again and ask for an updated copy of the estimate. Make sure it is valid long enough to bring with you when your ready to visit the dealership. Also make sure that the entire estimate (listed with all the fees and stuff) is printed on one page.

+ Through email, make an appointment (or several) and ask who you should see when you get there.

+ When you visit a dealership, only bring with you the estimate that they offered you - leave the others in your car, hidden. They don't need to know what other places are offering you.

+ I understand that some dealerships may ask you for a copy of their competitor's estimate so that they can "match" that price. Definitely do not send them those estimates through email. If you do wish to visit those dealerships - save them for last ( after you visit the others who already given you their own estimate. Matching a price is whatever...you really want someone who can beat the price...

Sorry this was long, I hope it helped answer your questions.

Extra:
I was originally in the market for an LX. I told them I did not want to pay more than xxxx amount, they told me this was not possible. I ended up purchasing an EX for the price I wanted the LX for that they said they couldn't do. It took many hours, its definitely an emotional roller coaster, but it can be done. Remember its a game of chess, do not show them how much you want/like a car (even if you do), be prepared to walk out on them, make them sweat. They will try to wear you out with confusing numbers and such, but just make sure everything is absolutely understood and doubled checked before signing anything (seriously, easier said than done). In the end, we ended up wearing them out and they started making mistakes on their own numbers and I got an extra $500 off

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