🚀 go-pugleaf

N.R.H. Black wrote:

> I recently tried Costco, the price was way too high.
> Then Auto by Tel, a great price but no car close to
> my spec. was available - they could order one (4-8 wks).

Utter bullshit. I tried AbT to locate a good price on a Mustang GT. It
took days and the "only one that was even close" had the wrong color
interior and over $1500 in options I didn't want. Got the usual BS from
the sales weenie that "you can't even find one of these without all
these options." Price was not that great, about $500 over invoice (and
over $1,000 more than the MSRP of the vehicle I wanted.)

I ended up at Future Ford in Roseville. Sure, the windows list MSRP plus
a $2,000 markup, but the price on the Mustang I liked (which was within
a low-cost option or two of what I wanted; there were *lots* of them
without heavy option loading) went from this marked-up level (about
$25k) to about $400 over dealer cost ($21,000) in 30 seconds flat.

Buying a car is the same as it's always been: Do your homework (with the
Consumer Guide new car book), get your finances sorted out so you know
what you can afford, and then go in and don't take any bullshit from the
dealer. Let them know that you know what dealer cost is and that $4-500
over that is more than enough for them to be happy (excepting certain
high-demand cars, which can be marked up to the moon and still sell).

If you stay firm, don't let them give you the runaround, don't let them
upsell you on paint coating and interior protection and those shitty
Loctronics alarm systems and an overblown extended warranty, you can do
good.

The most important rule: GET UP AND WALK OUT IF YOU AREN'T HAPPY WITH
THE CAR OR THE DEAL. DON'T LET THEM BAMBOOZLE YOU INTO SIGNING BECAUSE
"YOU'VE WASTED YOUR TIME AND THEIRS" OR "YOU WON'T FIND A BETTER DEAL
AND THIS ONE GOES AWAY WHEN YOU WALK OUT" OR ANY OF THAT CRAP.

In my case, I was perfectly aware that the Mustang is selling well, but
it can't stand being marked up from MSRP (the opposite, in fact), and
that there are ten Ford dealers within an hour's drive, all ready and
eager to sell me a car on my terms.

Screw Auto-by-Tel. Worthless misdirection coupled with barrage
advertising. (Just who do you think PAYS for the service?) If you've got
half a brain and go prepared, you can get a better deal on your own.

(Didn't buy a Mustang, incidentally. Bought a Contour-- what I really
needed was a long-commute car and the 'tour was a better match. 1998
Cobra next year...)

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