I don't negotiate, Negotiation implies that they will be able to swing me away from my buying price. I work in the Automotive industry as a Technician, I know how to value the car I'm looking at buying better than almost every salesman I've encountered.

I paid $17k for a Mint single owner 39,000 mile 2005 GPW/Tan from a dealer in NY. How? Show up with a certified check of what you're willing to pay, not a dime more - Don't carry any cash/cards/anything that could entice you to add a few hundred on to make them happy. Stick to your guns.

- RESEARCH, KNOW THE CAR BETTER THAN THEM!!!
- Ask what the Crash ratings of the vehicle are not because you care but to see if they're actually on the up and up with the car.
- Act Disinterested in the vehicle the ENTIRE time!!!!!
- Talk to yourself, Say things out loud that would give a clue of you second guessing looking at the car.
- - Do I really need a convertible?
- - Do I really need a car that takes Premium?
- NEVER mention ANY sort of Price, don't even say the word price.
- NEVER respond to any mention of the Price, I will flat ignore them like it was never said.

Basically, You want to put the salesman into his "Oh this person isn't buying shit, just wasting my time" Mode. Then you're ready to strike.

I'll go over the car meticulously and when I'm done I will let them know straight away that I am only going to make one offer on the car, they can take or leave it and there will be no negotiation from the price once I have made the offer. I display the Certified check at the same time I make the offer verbally. It works because it's not a tactic they expect to encounter, the expect to be able to beat you up on it for a few hundred or thousand while negotiating.

DO NOT NEGOTIATE. They have a price, You have a price. Stick to your guns, because 95% of the time they will crack and let the car go.

 

^LOL, may I ask how you ended up in NY if you are from MD with a cashier's check for $17k? Unless you are local you risk a plane ticket and travel expenses. If I was the dealer, I'll just call your strong-arm tactic and let you walk.

I'm not saying your technique does not work (it might work on a Chevy Cruze) but if the car was a true gem, then they probably will just get up and walk away.

It's amazing some of the replies I see in here, whether you guys are telling the truth or just playing tough guy, many of the tactics mentioned here simply don't work on s2000 (*especially not good condition ones here on the west coast) My guess is you guys are in geographic areas where convertibles are not easy sellers.

An 05 GPW with 39k miles will easily go for $20k here (CA) if not more private party. Dealer will probably start with $22k asking price. $17k means one of 3 things:

a) You got lucky (kudos to you)
b) Car has problems
c) Dealer was desperate to sell a car they thought they could not otherwise sell in your region

 

I FLEW! One-way! I could have driven(Less than 400miles) but with Gas/Tolls it was actually cheaper to Fly.

a)- I buy convertibles out of season, always. If there's snow on the ground even better. I bought my AP1 with snow on the ground .
b)- It had a single under $1000 parking lot hiccup on the history, One owner ever. From what I gather of the information in the Owners manual it was a Female over 35.
c)- It was an exotic/classic dealer who took me to his remote storage warehouse where the car was kept and it was full of AMG Mercedes, Landcruisers, Old Muscle cars, and a really nicely maintained old Boat.

I inquired on the phone about the car mostly, just feeling out the situation and felt I'd stand a good chance at offering under his asking price(Was originally asking 19k). I felt comfortable that the $110 Return-Trip plane ticket would easily outweigh the $2000 I could save on the car. I flew one-way to NY and drove it home that day.

It was the dealers First S2000 purchased and First S2000 sold. I know I was lucky.

My favorite part? It came with THREE Remotes, FOUR Sidewinder keys and the Valet key. Along with the standard manuals/radio code etc. I was pleasantly surprised when He got the keys out of the Key Box.

You're one of the people I wouldn't buy from, No biggie. My offers are market fair though, I don't do the stupid low number stuff.

 

Rosario717 will be those strong salesperson that stand firm on prices
Yes, you probably wouldn't end up dealing with someone that offers low prices

so that person will probably end up buying the vehicle else where with a rookie sales
and you may or may not find another potential buyer in a short amount of time
cars like S2000 or NSX are hard to sale due to demand, they're not practical

But instead of calling a sale rookie, say if he's happy with making a profit of $2000, making room for another used vehicle after selling one, in the end he still made a profit
While you might try to make a profit of $5000, where this buyer may or may not appear in the near future
Who's the rookie now? At least the guy is making $$
If I can purchase an S2000, sell it to make a profit of $1500, buy another one and sell it at quicker speed. I would do that any day than trying to make a greater profit at a slower speed.

Just my .02

 

I live in Florida, probably the most convertible friendly state.

a. I wouldn't call it luck if it happens every time
b. Every car I have bought has been great and my S2000 has 95k miles and is running like a champ
c. This statement doesn't make much sense. If they thought they could sell it for more to someone else, they would refuse my offer

For every guy like me who works hard for a good deal, there are probably four other buyers who walk in the lot and lease at full sticker or buy a car at a high price with lots of extras and poor financing. It evens out and the dealer still makes a profit. The way I look at it, guys like me help them clear up inventory. Every dollar they have invested in a car sitting on the lot is another dollar they don't have to by more inventory.


Part of the problem is that you may be adding some emotion to the process ( I am guessing this based off of your use of the term "true gem"). I don't consider any car I buy at the dealer a gem or treasure I am trying to acquire. It's a chunk of metal and I am trying to get a good deal on it. I guess I could understanding calling a car a gem and assigning it more value if it was something super important to you (e.g. buying the car you used to own when you were younger from a private party). Calling it a gem might lead to you adding more value to it than you need to. Short of some super rare, super expensive car we might see on the famous auto auctions, nothing is that big of a deal. There is some guy or dealer out there who has the car you want and he is bored with it and ready for something else. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

Rosario717 will be those strong salesperson that stand firm on prices
Yes, you probably wouldn't end up dealing with someone that offers low prices

so that person will probably end up buying the vehicle else where with a rookie sales
and you may or may not find another potential buyer in a short amount of time
cars like S2000 or NSX are hard to sale due to demand, they're not practical

But instead of calling a sale rookie, say if he's happy with making a profit of $2000, making room for another used vehicle after selling one, in the end he still made a profit
While you might try to make a profit of $5000, where this buyer may or may not appear in the near future
Who's the rookie now? At least the guy is making $$
If I can purchase an S2000, sell it to make a profit of $1500, buy another one and sell it at quicker speed. I would do that any day than trying to make a greater profit at a slower speed.

Just my .02
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Not true my friend. You seem to like using tactics to pressure or intimidate a salesperson and this will only work on a rookie or weak salesperson. Not saying that I would or wouldnt consider what youre offering but I'd have to laugh at your attempts to be somewhat aggressive or controlling . Nothing personal man to each their own lol Its not the Im firm Im reasonable. I work for a small mom n pop honda store in the suburbs so we have to price aggressively online to get people here since we re not in a high traffic area.. Our prices are usually 1st or 2nd lowest on every preowned car that we list and we have a 10day return policy for NJ residents which is why we dont budge much on advertised prices since we already know due to our own research that in about a 50mile radious we're already the lowest.. We actually make less profit per used car that we sell but we sell twice as much as anyone locally around us.. I guess you can say we "Price them to sell" right off the bat so it kinda eliminates much of the haggling. I get people from all over the country flying or driving in due to our aggressive numbers for the most part.. We average about 1500 to 2000 per car profit on most preowned cars but will make more on something rare.. I once sold a used Plymouth Prowler lol YES a prowler to a car collector and made about $10grand or so but thats a very very rare exception..
[/quote]

If you have said that in the earlier post, then it would have been a different story
You said you guys price just to earn that 1500-2000, then obviously your price would be lower than other dealers
Chances are if it's really that cheap, you're already at my target price, and I probably wouldn't even negotiate a bit, i'll just put down a deposit right away just to hold the vehicle
My tactic, right from the start, targets car dealers that put their vehicle up $7000+ more than what they probably got it from, and I put out a price just to reach my target price
eg
car worth = 15000
my target price = 16500 (including a $1500 dealer profit margin say for example)
your price = 17000
other dealer's price = 22000
Assuming same year, same vehicle
See the difference? I probably wouldn't even waste my time to negotiate at your dealership since you have such an unbeatable price, but I would give other dealer's a hard time since I know what the car is worth.

 

The best technique is to bring ANY of my wife's family along. A lifetime of haggling for food at the market in Southeast Asia has honed their skills to a razor's edge. I've seen her work on salespeople in the past, and it's a beautiful sight-as long as you're not selling.

There's a fine art of haggling. If you'd like to get a bit of an idea how to do it, you can always watch "Wheeler Dealers" and "Chasing Classic Cars". The primaries on those shows know quite a bit about pricing and the psychology of sellers. On occasion they've given up some pretty good pearls of wisdom.

 

to the OP -- i think that is the worst advise ever

i've sold 4 S2000's so far and everyone that's tried to come and point out all the flaws and lowball me has left without a car and i've told them i'm sorry we cant make a deal.

i think these tactics only work on undesirable or beat-up cars

i've always bought my cars over the phone with a 10 minute phone call and a visa number -- time spent in the dealership has always been less than 30 minutes

time is my most valuable asset and i'm not going to waste it making 6 certified checks driving from dealer to dealer --- i'd rather pay 300 bucks more and spend my weekend on a patio having sangria's

 

I made 6 certified checks since I don't live in the states, and I can't produce any certified checks in the states
I live in Canada, and thus prepared a route in mind travelling to 5 different states in 7 days to find the right vehicle (which I have at the right price. Rookie dealers or not, I got my deal for the right car)
Normal people WON'T have to go along with the 6 certified checks, it's just a special case for me.

 

The art of negotiation is to be an expert at reading one's opponent. If I want the car at a lowball price, and you don't want to sell it at anything except asking, their is a time to realize that you either need to meet the asking price or walk.

Knowing YOUR absolute maximum price is always the key. There were many times during the purchase of my wife's vehicles that I was convinced that she was going to walk out-because she was. Never ACT like you aren't interested unless you are an accomplished actor. DO be ready to walk.

The seller who is trying to play hard ball will call you back. The one who doesn't wanted to play a different game anyway.

I've never paid more than invoice for a car, including the S2000. I've even managed invoice at BMW (they really don't like to deal below their usual "$1000 off sticker" types of arrangements). All others have cut into dealer incentives. I have also had to leave certain dealerships and purchase elsewhere. It is a risk of negotiating. Some places just won't give you the price you want.