Poll: Is it generally a bad idea to deal with the same car salesman twice?

[DataFly]

We stopped by a local Honda dealer a few weeks ago and talked to a guy about purchasing a Civic. We went back a few days ago to speak with him, only to find that the guy who sold us our Toyota Sienna in July had replaced him. We got a rather good deal on the Sienna.

I called the dealership a few hours ago to get a quote, only to find that the Toyota guy doesn't work on Wednesdays. So, a different guy at the dealer gave me an attractive quote - only 400 above invoice.


The Toyota guy is nice and was very helpful even after the Sienna purchase when he worked at Toyota, but I'm not sure if it's generally a bad idea to buy 2 cars from one guy in a single year. I would assume that the quote I was given stands for the dealership as a whole and Mr. Toyota would honor it, right?

 

[ToBeMe]

I've dealt with the same Ford salesman since 1985!......That's 8 vehicles ago!

 

[Cheapster]

You'll probably end up getting better service if you use the guy again. I'd tell him I got a quote on the car and ask him what his quote is? It would be wise to call around to other dealers, play one against the other. I ended up saving $3,800 on a $14,000 car a few years ago by playing dealers against one another. Good luck.

 

[Dedpuhl]

playing dealers against one another.

The ONLY way, besides being a friend of the salesman, you can get a good deal...

 

[DataFly]

Thanks for the input. Well, this is practically the invoice price, and I hardly expect any dealer to sell an 01 Civic for below the invoice price. I've also heard that their service department is consistently rated among the best Honda dealerships in the northern midwest, and they give out lots of free stuff including carwashes if you buy the car there.

 

[vi edit]

The first guy to make conversation with you at a dealership is called the "upman". I very rarely deal with the first person that makes contact with me. From my experience, they are often times the "freshmeat" of the dealership and I almost ALWAYS know more about that specific vehicle that that inital salesman.

I will visit a dealership up to four different times on various days to find a salesperson that I feel comfortable working with. Once I get familiar with that person, and they gain my respect, I will deal directly with that person.

From my experience, when you directly ask for a specific salesperson, that salesperson will treat you much better because they can tell how interested you are in the vehicle.

 

[SuperTool]

Go to carsdirect.com Get a price quote. They essentially quote the invoice price minus rebates. So there is no reason to pay above invoice, especially in this economy. Remember, dealer makes money even if he sells for invoice. Print it out and take it to the dealer. Or better off, fax it to several dealers, and see what they do. Also, there was some site where dealers bid for your business. I forgot what it was, but you can bump off a couple hundred below invoice, and not even see the dealer.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Um, DataFly, you do know that the "invoice" price is BS don't you? My father got our last two new cars for below invoice, in fact he got his Explorer for less than my grandfather (who has a GM employee discount) could have gotten a comparably equipped Jimmy for. Basically, the invoice price is the dealer's MSRP, it is what a dealer would pay if he did not negotiate any deals whatsoever with the company. Most dealers get their cars for at least $2,000 below invoice, generally you can start negotiating a price of abour $1,000 below invoice. At least that has been my father's experience with NW Ohio dealerships.

Zenmervolt

 

[DataFly]

Ah. That makes things a little more complicated since it's not quite as good of a deal as I initially thought.

I'll call around tomorrow after I get home.


vi, wouldn't they be easier prey for hagglers like myself if they are "freshmeat?"

BTW, I've read Edmunds' "Confessions of a Car Salesman," so I know most of the terms. For any of you who haven't read it, I highly suggest you do. It's very interesting and educational. Once I started, I couldn't stop reading it.

 

[Cheapster]

Two things to never discuss with them until you've got the final price of the car:

Trade-in
Monthly payments

They always try to get you to focus on the monthly payment and forget the total price. If you mention a trade-in, they will up the price they'll give you for it, you'll get so excited, but they don't go as far down on the price of the car, so they basically got your trade-in for free.

The freshmeat isn't good for you, they have limited authority. If you really want the deal to go down, talk to the sales manager, and only him. If they won't let you talk to him, walk out the door, they'll come after you. They realize most people will buy a car within 72 hours of your first visit to them, so they want to get you signed up quickly.

Good Luck

 

[Missus]

If you were screwed the first time, you deserve what you get...

If not... Then at your own risk...