Awesome Car Buying Experience

18 years ago

I have often used internet auto sales websites to check out car specs and prices. But I have never actually used them to buy one even though their screen prices are always lower than what dealers are typically trying to sell at. Well, I used them for the first time yesterday and I must say I was really, really impressed. No haggling, nagging, salesman going back and forth, no waiting for hours at the dealer, no non-sense mark ups at the finance, etc. I specified what I want in their website, their price showed up instantly, I pressed the OK button and the car was delivered to my driveway next day with a full tank of gas and washed/cleaned! It was just amazing. The person who delivered even went over each item on the delivery-inspection sheet and I had to sign it. I saved over $3,000+ on a $30,000 car. What I also found out was that dealer invoice price (the one that salesperson showed me) was a few $1000 more than that of the website company. The salesperson showed me that (marked up) invoice and said they would lose money if they sell me the car at the website company's price. The salesperson said he would buy from the website as well if he can really get it at that price. So, I left the dealer and exactly did that.

Two different invoices? The actual one that what dealer paid for and the other one that they show to customers?

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Comments (12)

earthworm
18 years ago
Death of a Salesman..

This is slowly becoming a reality, a good thing ?? I for one would miss the car salesman as much as a root canal or a wart..
These INTERNET people may have much less overhead and fewer men roaming about doing nothing..
And with the dealer out of the equation, how is warranty work handled ??
I can imagine some animosity and bitterness..Dealers do not make that much money on the warranties.
johndeere
18 years ago
What brand did you buy?
Where will you take it for Warrany issues?
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mister_h
Original Author
18 years ago
As far as I know warranty related repairs can be done at any authorized car's brand dealers. In the past I've taken my cars to dealers that I didn't buy from, and still got the repairs done all the time. Some dealers service dept write-up staff asked me if I bought the car from them. I said no but they still took care of me. Maybe I would have gotten a better treatment if I bought the car from them, like free doughnut and coffee or something.
From now on, I think I will just use local dealers to test drive new cars and check out their selling price.
mister_h
Original Author
18 years ago
I bought a MB.
If a warranty issue occurrs, I will take to the MB dealer that is closest to my home (about 10 min away). Or maybe I will take to the dealer that internet company recommended which is about 30 minutes away from me (that's where they picked up the car from because the car still had dealer name plates in the place of license plate in front and rear when it was delivered to me).
gary__
18 years ago
I'm betting that your internet source is a dealer with an actual dealership near you. Manufacturers don't sell cars at cost to just anybody who wants to sell them.

My brother in law works for chysler. Last new vehicle I got was through their 'green sheet' program, ie employee discount. All it amounts to is getting the car at invoice without fighting for it. When I ordered it, I did check over the computer what invoice was supposed to be. Dealership figure was even a few bucks less than that when the vehicle actually arrived, about $9k below the msrp in the window. He said there are price changes all the time. The figure that matters is the one on the paper work that comes with the car.
johndeere
18 years ago
Probably brought in from New Orleans LOL.
earthworm
18 years ago
That could be , JohnDeere.
I believe many New Orleans/Katrina vehicle were only partially damaged - whatever that means...
lynxville
18 years ago
I bought my truck from a local dealer through the internet. Got the best price I could find and the dealer is right by my house.
enquiringmind
18 years ago
when I hear people talked about 2 different 'invoices'....
one normally think of the one with 'markup $ & viewable by buyers' and then the one which dealer really pays for the car.....
but I also heard even the real lower / dealer paid invoice are not 'really' the cost to the dealer....
because there are 'monthly' or 'quarterly' or 'annual' total revenue 'incentives' or 'bonus' or 'rebate' from the manufacturer to the dealers and your car purchase just adds more profit to the dealer..... is this true or just a myth ?
gary__
18 years ago
**I also heard even the real lower / dealer paid invoice are not 'really' the cost to the dealer....
because there are 'monthly' or 'quarterly' or 'annual' total revenue 'incentives' or 'bonus' or 'rebate' from the manufacturer to the dealers and your car purchase just adds more profit to the dealer..... is this true or just a myth ?**

Vehicles are sold to the dealership at invoice. The factory holds back a certain percentage of that price, something like 3%. Quarterly, the dealership gets a check from the factory that totals that 3% hold back for all the vehicles they sold. It's the factory's attempt to guarantee the dealer makes a profit.

It's not that much money. A high volume dealer can afford to sell cars at invoice or a few hundred over. I doubt that little guys could.

If a vehicle is sold under Chrysler's employee discount program, that hold back check they get is doubled for that car sold to the employee or employee's familly member. That's the factory's way of making up to the dealership the difference between what they may have gotten for the car selling it the normal way.
trixie111
18 years ago
make sure it has warranty on it. if you are tired of looking for an easy to pay and affordable insurance for all your needs, check this http://www.insurancepaylite.com my dad just got one.
steve_o
18 years ago
"trixie," you've posted in a couple of forums here. Posting advertising in these forums is prohibited. Now let your daddy use the computer.

Awesome Car Buying Experience

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