Sweetening the deal

[RTC303]

I will soon be traveling four hours to pick up a 06 CPO 325xi. I have never seen the car in person before, just from website pictures. The internet pricing is pretty low as it is, so I am not sure if the dealer will budge from it.

Now I figure he can't drop the price much because internet pricing is near cost and the price margin is low on the 3-series. He currently has it at $23,300 with cold/premium packages with 39k miles.

Do you guys have any tips to sweeten the deal? Do you think I could get him to drop the price a few hundred? Or if he won't budge on the price, are there good things the dealership could add to this model, such as mats, etc?

Any good haggle techniques?

This is my first time buying from a dealership and I've never really haggled before. I don't need them to take my tradein, and plan to have about 25% of the cost as a down payment (using their .9% APR).

Thanks

[gluck75]

I will soon be traveling four hours to pick up a 06 CPO 325xi. I have never seen the car in person before, just from website pictures. The internet pricing is pretty low as it is, so I am not sure if the dealer will budge from it.

Now I figure he can't drop the price much because internet pricing is near cost and the price margin is low on the 3-series. He currently has it at $23,300 with cold/premium packages with 39k miles.

Do you guys have any tips to sweeten the deal? Do you think I could get him to drop the price a few hundred? Or if he won't budge on the price, are there good things the dealership could add to this model, such as mats, etc?

Any good haggle techniques?

This is my first time buying from a dealership and I've never really haggled before. I don't need them to take my tradein, and plan to have about 25% of the cost as a down payment (using their .9% APR).

Thanks


I think you can certainly get the dealer to budge in this environemnt. A few things you can do:

-Find cars in and around your region from the same model year with similar specs and show him that those are offered at
-Threaten to walk if the price is not lowered to a comfortable level
-let the salesperson sleep with your wife
-Threaten to walk out and cancel the deal
-Nit-pick on wear and tear in the car and tell its not quite in as good condition as you expected

Best of luck and congrats!!!

[carman26]

I will soon be traveling four hours to pick up a 06 CPO 325xi. I have never seen the car in person before, just from website pictures. The internet pricing is pretty low as it is, so I am not sure if the dealer will budge from it.

Now I figure he can't drop the price much because internet pricing is near cost and the price margin is low on the 3-series. He currently has it at $23,300 with cold/premium packages with 39k miles.

Do you guys have any tips to sweeten the deal? Do you think I could get him to drop the price a few hundred? Or if he won't budge on the price, are there good things the dealership could add to this model, such as mats, etc?

Any good haggle techniques?

This is my first time buying from a dealership and I've never really haggled before. I don't need them to take my tradein, and plan to have about 25% of the cost as a down payment (using their .9% APR).

Thanks

If you can afford a higher payment, don't put 25% down as .9% financing is almost free and when rates rise you can invest the 25% down payment better than .9%

These days you should definitely be able to do better just by asking for a better price.

PS: Don't tell the guy that you are married. That way you don't have to offer your wife.

[RTC303]

Well, I'm not married yet, so I can offer him my girlfriend....but that would have to get me an '09.

Those are good points you guys raised. The only problem I see is if we don't agree on everything 100% there is a chance I will have driven 4 hours for nothing. Has anyone had an experiance with a long travel to a dealership? (makes it kind of hard to walk away for a day...)

I'll definately try to nitpick him with random wear and tear. If he doesn't budge on the price, has anyone gotten perks to go along with the car? The only thing I can think of is mats at this moment (not sure why it seems I am suddenly obsessed with them...).

Also, if I decide to keep a fraction of the down payment and put it in a 1/2/3 year CD, will that affect the final price? ie: Is the amount I put down going to affect anything other than my payments.

Thanks for the help!

[Calif65GM]

The only problem I see is if we don't agree on everything 100% there is a chance I will have driven 4 hours for nothing. Has anyone had an experiance with a long travel to a dealership? (makes it kind of hard to walk away for a day...)



That's the problem. Does the dealer know this already? And don't let him/her know if they don't already.

If they know then they're banking on the fact that you probably don't want to walk considering you would have wasted 4-hrs.

Unfortunately that's the problem when you find a car at a dealership far away.

[Eliot]

Why are you trying to get him to lower the price. You already stated that the pricing is "pretty low."

Nitpick-ing random wear and tear...?
If the car turns out to be as you expected, buy it and have a nice drive home. Otherwise, walk away.

[adrian's bmw]

I think you can certainly get the dealer to budge in this environment. A few things you can do:

-Find cars in and around your region from the same model year with similar specs and show him that those are offered at
-Threaten to walk if the price is not lowered to a comfortable level
-let the salesperson sleep with your wife
-Threaten to walk out and cancel the deal
-Nit-pick on wear and tear in the car and tell its not quite in as good condition as you expected

Best of luck and congrats!!!

Your suggestions remind me of what Warren Buffett once said:

"We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful."

I wouldn't threaten to walk. It's cold out there right now. If anything, simply put an offer in writing of what, based on research of what other cars are going for in your market and region, you will buy the car now for. Not later today, not tomorrow, not a week from now. Right now, right now. Save all the back and forth and brain damage of negotiating for the domestic dealers (sorry, no offense). You're billable time is precious and so is the CA's, so spare both of us with a real offer for right now, not a "I'm shopping three more centers because I'm not ready yet" offer. If you want it, ask for it, if you get it, buy it. It can be that simple.

When you walk out, good hunting. There was a reason you went there to begin with- they had what you wanted and you couldn't fit it in your budget because you're walking. Simple. In many cases, while you may think the advertised price is inflated, I've seen cases all over where the ad price listed is making little or no money. It is what it is. If you get a 3 Series and you're getting 0.9%, why beat the dealer up over a couple of grand. :rolleyes::tsk: You're saving thousands with the 0.9%.

"Nick-pick on wear and tear"?? :rofl: Dude, that stuff comes standard. You didn't see that on the vehicle history? The car comes that way from the used car factory. You should know that. I call that the wear and tear package.. it's listed as option code ZWT. :angel:

Not sure about letting the CA sleeping with the wife. :eeps: We do have ethical standards, you know.

[carman26]

Your suggestions remind me of what Warren Buffett once said:

"We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful."

I wouldn't threaten to walk. It's cold out there right now. If anything, simply put an offer in writing of what, based on research of what other cars are going for in your market and region, you will buy the car now for. Not later today, not tomorrow, not a week from now. Right now, right now. Save all the back and forth and brain damage of negotiating for the domestic dealers (sorry, no offense). You're billable time is precious and so is the CA's, so spare both of us with a real offer for right now, not a "I'm shopping three more centers because I'm not ready yet" offer. If you want it, ask for it, if you get it, buy it. It can be that simple.

When you walk out, good hunting. There was a reason you went there to begin with- they had what you wanted and you couldn't fit it in your budget because you're walking. Simple. In many cases, while you may think the advertised price is inflated, I've seen cases all over where the ad price listed is making little or no money. It is what it is. If you get a 3 Series and you're getting 0.9%, why beat the dealer up over a couple of grand. :rolleyes::tsk: You're saving thousands with the 0.9%.

"Nick-pick on wear and tear"?? :rofl: Dude, that stuff comes standard. You didn't see that on the vehicle history? The car comes that way from the used car factory. You should know that. I call that the wear and tear package.. it's listed as option code ZWT. :angel:

Not sure about letting the CA sleeping with the wife. :eeps: We do have ethical standards, you know.

Well said!

[pistolpuma]

Your suggestions remind me of what Warren Buffett once said:

"We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful."

I wouldn't threaten to walk. It's cold out there right now. If anything, simply put an offer in writing of what, based on research of what other cars are going for in your market and region, you will buy the car now for. Not later today, not tomorrow, not a week from now. Right now, right now. Save all the back and forth and brain damage of negotiating for the domestic dealers (sorry, no offense). You're billable time is precious and so is the CA's, so spare both of us with a real offer for right now, not a "I'm shopping three more centers because I'm not ready yet" offer. If you want it, ask for it, if you get it, buy it. It can be that simple.

When you walk out, good hunting. There was a reason you went there to begin with- they had what you wanted and you couldn't fit it in your budget because you're walking. Simple. In many cases, while you may think the advertised price is inflated, I've seen cases all over where the ad price listed is making little or no money. It is what it is. If you get a 3 Series and you're getting 0.9%, why beat the dealer up over a couple of grand. :rolleyes::tsk: You're saving thousands with the 0.9%.

"Nick-pick on wear and tear"?? :rofl: Dude, that stuff comes standard. You didn't see that on the vehicle history? The car comes that way from the used car factory. You should know that. I call that the wear and tear package.. it's listed as option code ZWT. :angel:

Not sure about letting the CA sleeping with the wife. :eeps: We do have ethical standards, you know.
Adrian,
You had me nodding in agreement up 'til the part about not worry about a couple of thousand on the negotiated sale price because you are going to save it with the finance package. Is that really what you meant?

[adrian's bmw]

Adrian,
You had me nodding in agreement up 'til the part about not worry about a couple of thousand on the negotiated sale price because you are going to save it with the finance package. Is that really what you meant?

Actually, yes, because there's an overall inherent value when you marry the financing with the sale value of the car i.e., it helps accomplish a monthly budget for most buyers getting a pre-owned BMW. So while one may want to negotiate hard on the price of a pre-owned CPO that has special rates, there are many other buyers that are payment driven and when you do the math, negotiating on the price has only a modest effect on the monthly payment. For every thousand, we're talking $20/mo. So if 0.9%-3.9% is offered (compared to a private sale and no CPO and market rates), there is true value in terms of monthly budget, peace of mind in warranty protection, and vehicle history and condition.

[want_a_7]

.

The only problem I see is if we don't agree on everything 100% there is a chance I will have driven 4 hours for nothing. Has anyone had an experiance with a long travel to a dealership? (makes it kind of hard to walk away for a day...)


Thanks for the help!


Why not make your offer before going? At least you can see if your on the same page before waisting your entire day driving if you cannot come to a mutualy acceptable price.

[f1fan]

DO NOT drive 4hrs (especially if they know it) and then ask for a better deal. They will play on your desperation/situation. Who walks away after a four hr trip? Very few.

[RTC303]

Thanks for the help guys.

I have not revealed my location to the dealership at this time.

I must say, my intention is not to low-ball the heck out of the dealership. I have never bought a car from a dealership before (I am 22, all cars I previously bought were from a private party) and was just wondering if haggling was something that was expected. Sure, I can afford the higher price, but I figured why not ask; could mean more money in my pocket.

I will probably make an offer tomorrow on the vehicle, near the price he quoted me. Thanks again, especially Adrian's BMW for the detail.

[JW_BMW]

Why not make your offer before going? At least you can see if your on the same page before waisting your entire day driving if you cannot come to a mutualy acceptable price.

:thumbup:

I agree 100%.

Make an offer you are happy with. If they accept THEN go see the car. Buy the car IF the condition is up to standard.

Why would you agree to an offer drive 4 hrs only to renegotiate again. :tsk: Would that not be the same as the dealer agreeing to a price only to change it when you show up. I doubt you will be a happy camper if that was the case.