When I decided to buyat the end of December, when salespeople are desperate to meet their quotasI faxed seventeen car dealers and told them exactly which car I wanted. I said I was prepared to buy the car within two weeks and, because I knew exactly how much profit they would make off the car, I would go with the lowest price offered to me. The same day, as I sat back with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a Taco Bell burrito, faxes started rolling in from the dealers. After I had all the offers, I called the dealers, told them the lowest price Id received, and gave each of them a chance to beat it. This resulted in a bidding war that led to a downward spiral of near-orgasmic deals.
In the end, I chose a dealer in Palo Alto who sold me the car for $2,000 under invoicea nearly unheard-of price. I didnt have to waste my time going to multiple dealerships, and I didnt have to bother with slimy car salesmen. I went into only one dealers office: the winning one.