Internet Sales Dept

[Mide]

If a used car that I'm interested in is posted as $X, lets say $20,000, how much in general should I offer below that since I'm sure that price is already marked up from the original seller who traded it in? Is there some general rule of thumb concerning kbb trade-in vs. private party, etc.?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

shoot them an offer for $15k..

 

[StageLeft]

Depends on the car. THis question is impossible to answer without that.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: Mide
If a used car that I'm interested in is posted as $X, lets say $20,000, how much in general should I offer below that since I'm sure that price is already marked up from the original seller who traded it in? Is there some general rule of thumb concerning kbb trade-in vs. private party, etc.?

It doesn't work that way. You offer a percentage of what the car is worth (80% ???) not a percentage of what they are asking.

If the car is worth 10K and the asking is 20K and you offer 16K, you're screwed
If the car's worth 16K and the asking is 20K, then offering 16K is reasonable but you might do better, depending on how bad the seller want to unload the car.
But what is the car is worth 25K (they just want to unload it), then your 16K will be beat out by the guy talking to the other salesman.

You gotta know what the car is worth. And that means worth to you!
Say you have a wife and two kids that you need to transport, a Porsche Boxter ain't worth much at all to you. And if you GF wants to do rides in the country on weekends, a mini van won't do..Well maybe, if you remove the seats and tint the windows real dark....

 

[Jugernot]

pretty impossible to say because you don't list a model. Some cars keep their value and have little wiggle room, others are higher prestige vehicles with crappy resale.

 

[Mide]

2006 Saab 9-5 38k ($15-19k)
2007 Saab 9-3 38k ($15-18k)
Yes Saabs depreciate like rocks, but I'd like to take advantage of that drop.

 

[Vetterin]

Now a days the question may be better asked as "how much are you willing to pay"?
Do your research, develop a price that you can live with and stick to it. Just as with housing, it's now a buyers market.

 

[Thump553]

You are aware that Saab filed Chapter 11 yesterday, right? Expect the resale value to really drop off a cliff now.

Look up the book values online to get an idea what to offer. For a Saab today I personally would take another 25-50% off.

 

[MiataNC]

You may get the car cheap, but how much is it going to cost to keep it running?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Thump553
You are aware that Saab filed Chapter 11 yesterday, right? Expect the resale value to really drop off a cliff now.

Look up the book values online to get an idea what to offer. For a Saab today I personally would take another 25-50% off.

I was going to add that. With Saab now filing for bankrupty, you ought to offer to take the car from the guy for free. It's a fact that as a brand is taken off line its resale generally goes down quite a bit.

 

[LTC8K6]

Saab hasn't filed for bankruptcy according to Saab. They have filed to reorganize.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Saab hasn't filed for bankruptcy according to Saab. They have filed to reorganize.

I think the wording is similar to "this is the equivalent of a bankruptcy protection in the US".

 

[LTC8K6]

Saab Automotive is now up for grabs. General Motors' Swedish subsidiary confirmed on Friday that it has filed for reorganization, a step to avoid bankruptcy protection, as the company tries to find a new partner and pay down pending debt.

"I can confirm that Saab has filed for reorganization. It is not a bankruptcy situation. The aim is to have Saab as a freestanding entity," a spokesman for the firm told Forbes.
**********

That is from a Forbes article.

However I think it's a moot point. The effect on sales/resale value will be the same, so it doesn't make any difference what they call it.

 

[Mide]

Yeah I know about their "reorganization"...I'll probably now wait 'till the price plummets.

 

[sindows]

Well considering most of Saab's lineup shares many components with GM cars, it shouldn't be that hard to get them serviced.

 

[bctbct]

Supposely dealers want to make 12-14% over the wholesale price on used cars iirc.