Techniques used to Buy Civic - Email? Buying Service? Call? Face to Face?

kirkhilles

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Like most people, I'm really not interested in the games and BS of negotiating.

What techniques have worked out for you guys and what DID NOT work well?

Services like TrueCar are not longer as valuable as they were originally were. For instance, using a fixed price dealer nearby as a comparison, TrueCar shows a price for an EX that's $400 more than its 3 "Certified Dealers" have and for an EX w/ Sensing its a whopping $1,135 over what our dealer shows as their fixed price.

I've heard people get quotes just by emailing. Does that work? Do the Chat functions on the website work in terms of getting prices?

I've considered just coming up with a flat OTD price that I think is fair with the EXACT model and color I want and to say "call me if you can do it". Of course, they'll probably lie and when I drive 2 hours to get there find out that the person "isn't working today" and their offer isn't valid.

If you do face-to-face, how do YOU negotiate? Do you state the price you want? Do you just keep them talking? Do you bring in other offers?

What works?
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Billy4202

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Start with email. Use TrueCar/what others have paid here, ask for OTD price and a full breakdown (watch for the accessories). IMO, most dealers nowadays will honor their OTD prices because if they don't, guaranteed nasty reviews online and that will haunt them.

My dealer played no games, price I was emailed was honored + taxes, registration, and one accessory. I got them to go a few hundred lower than offered by bluffing and saying I had a lower offer from a nearby competitor (YMMY).
 

PandaXpress

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I created a new email just for this and contact all the dealerships in my area asking if they have the specific civic i want in stock and ask for pricing once they reply with their offer take the lowest number and see if the other can beat it
 

Billy4202

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I created a new email just for this and contact all the dealerships in my area asking if they have the specific civic i want in stock and ask for pricing once they reply with their offer take the lowest number and see if the other can beat it
And obviously along with email, fake phone number too. Nothing like having an overeager sales guy blow up your phone at 10PM on the daily.
 

TChewy

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Start with email. Use TrueCar/what others have paid here, ask for OTD price and a full breakdown (watch for the accessories). IMO, most dealers nowadays will honor their OTD prices because if they don't, guaranteed nasty reviews online and that will haunt them.

My dealer played no games, price I was emailed was honored + taxes, registration, and one accessory. I got them to go a few hundred lower than offered by bluffing and saying I had a lower offer from a nearby competitor (YMMY).
This is what I've been doing. I've emailed 4 or 5 dealers asking for their low prices and go back and forth a few times when other dealers have given me lower prices. I don't tell them what those exact prices are but that I have a significantly lower offer, usually true. My first response for a touring quote was $25,890 before TTL and the latest one I've received (the first offer from this dealer, after saying I had an offer less than $25K, which was true) is $24,600 before TTL with tint, a trunk tray, wheel locks and mud flaps included. So with just a bit of my time, I've been able to get the price well below MSRP along with added options.

**NOTE** I haven't actually been to the dealership but I do have everything in email that the price given is all inclusive and this dealership does get good reviews. I've been picky about only emailing dealerships that have a lot of good reviews on google, cars.com, dealerrater, and Edmunds.
 


PandaXpress

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And obviously along with email, fake phone number too. Nothing like having an overeager sales guy blow up your phone at 10PM on the daily.
its so funny the phone number i put is 555-555-5555 so i dont accidentally put someone else number, i get auto generated emails saying they tried to reach me with that number and please call them
 

mno86

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I disagree with TrueCar being irrelevant. I researched prices of sold cars in my area and determined what was (and was not) a good price. I sent my information to the dealerships and within a half an hour, I had four locked in quotes, including two considerably under the $25K TrueCar offered for the Touring.

I would've had no problem pitting the dealers against one another to get them to go lower. Someone who bought the exact same car as me nearby did this (pitted one against the other) and he got them to $24K before tax/title/registration.

The worst thing they can say is "no". You're not out anything and it spares you the awkwardness of haggling in person. Doing it by email is so easy and I'd say there's an extremely high success rate.
 
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kirkhilles

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Thanks guys, good info. I like the fake phone # thing. I have an old number that would be perfect for that. Are email addeesses posted on dealers websites or do you just dump it into the contact form?
 

PandaXpress

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Thanks guys, good info. I like the fake phone # thing. I have an old number that would be perfect for that. Are email addeesses posted on dealers websites or do you just dump it into the contact form?
Go to contact on the dealership Web page there is a section for your question and your info
 

corbygray528

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And obviously along with email, fake phone number too. Nothing like having an overeager sales guy blow up your phone at 10PM on the daily.
Whoever has the same number as me with the last two digits transposed is pretty pissed I'm sure.
 


ICanLiftACivicUp

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I got inventory price through an employe discount program through TrueCar, and I just had to make an appointment with my dealership and show them the offer they gave me.
 

Mannyp93

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Funny with the phone number. Someone with the name Florence has left a freaking path of destruction with my phone number. Over 12 different dealerships have called me about the "Altima, Camry, Accord, TC, Grand Cherokee, Optima, Rouge, Mazda 6, Fiat and 3-Series" i looked at. I don't know who you are Florence but i will find you.
 

corbygray528

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Funny with the phone number. Someone with the name Florence has left a freaking path of destruction with my phone number. Over 12 different dealerships have called me about the "Altima, Camry, Accord, TC, Grand Cherokee, Optima, Rouge, Mazda 6, Fiat and 3-Series" i looked at. I don't know who you are Florence but i will find you.
I don't give the name Florence, but I do give the same number at every dealer I go to. And I've started going to test drive cars for fun just to know what's out there and how they are changing. I feel so bad for whoever's number I've been giving to these dealers.
 

ChrisR16

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I used cars dot com to locate my car. Then I emailed the dealer that had it, requesting a bottom dollar OTD price. He called me the next morning with an OTD price that was better than I was hoping for. I texted him pictures of my DL and such and we had my credit approval done within 15mins of the phone call. I made the 3hour drive to pick it up and all paper work was done, car was ready to roll, and there were no hidden surprises. It actually almost went too smooth lol
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