"One price"... or haggle?

[Eric]

We don't "haggle" over TVs (or most other consumer goods) so why (with a few exceptions) do we continue to "haggle" over car purchases?

Would you prefer to buy cars the same way we buy most other consumer goods?

Or do you think "hagggling" (despite the hassles) is worth the time/energy spent?

[MikeHalloran]

One price selling doesn't seem to be real popular among the dealers. I assume that the cost of paying commissioned salesmen and sales managers and trainers is more than offset by the extra revenue they bring in. I.e., most civilians are not very good at haggling with a professional salesman.

The usual presence of a trade-in, and the associated negotiable transaction, means that one price stores don't really sell at one price anyway, and civilians are still at a disadvantage against the professionals. Only the bafflegab is different.

[Eric]

One price selling doesn't seem to be real popular among the dealers. I assume that the cost of paying commissioned salesmen and sales managers and trainers is more than offset by the extra revenue they bring in. I.e., most civilians are not very good at haggling with a professional salesman.

The usual presence of a trade-in, and the associated negotiable transaction, means that one price stores don't really sell at one price anyway, and civilians are still at a disadvantage against the professionals. Only the bafflegab is different.

Agreed!

One can come out ahead with haggling - but many people understandably hate dealing with it...

[pgranzeau]

I have a personal hate for haggling.

I bought a couple of cars using a buying service. Dealer's list plus $50. Both times, I ordered the car, rather than buying one off the lot, and got exactly what I wanted (well, what I wanted wasn't perfect, so maybe the dealers know better than I did).

One other time, I was offered a car for within $100 of what I had already researched as the dealer's list.

In 1998, I bought a Saturn. Saturn dealers don't haggle, at least not for new cars. MSRP, period.

[mrblanche]

If the MSRP is reasonable, that's great. Saturn dealers at one time had a great reputation.

I usually research a car, go to the dealer, and ask for a rock bottom cash offer. If they're close, I take it. If they don't want to give a quote, I move on.

[Eric]

I have a personal hate for haggling.

I bought a couple of cars using a buying service. Dealer's list plus $50. Both times, I ordered the car, rather than buying one off the lot, and got exactly what I wanted (well, what I wanted wasn't perfect, so maybe the dealers know better than I did).

One other time, I was offered a car for within $100 of what I had already researched as the dealer's list.

In 1998, I bought a Saturn. Saturn dealers don't haggle, at least not for new cars. MSRP, period.

I think many people (again, understandably) share that sentiment. And today, with the info all over the 'Net, it's easier to get a decent price without having to interact mcuh with a salesman. One way to do it is research the price (MSRP vs. invoice; factoring in options, incentives and a reasonable 3-5 percent profit for the dealer) then simply e-mail/fax local dealerships explaining what you want and that if they can meet your requirements, to get back to you. If they give you any run-around, just hit "delete" and move on to the next one!

[DonTom]

"We don't "haggle" over TVs"

That's because TV's are cheap. We usually haggle over home prices and other stuff that cost the big bucks.

But I would rather just have a set price on everything.

BTW, I think I am responsible for the home prices going up in Reno several years ago. I was the first to pay the full asking price on a house in that area.

Here in the SSF area, you're lucky if you can buy any house at the asking price, because it often ends up being higher because several people usually try to buy every home that's for sale.

-Don-

[Eric]

"That's because TV's are cheap. "

You mean like those $3,000 plasma screen TVs?

[misterdecibel]

There's more competition with TVs and appliances. We can at least compare prices on the same item from multiple sources, and then make a purchasing decision weighing price, service, and convenience.

[Eric]

"There's more competition with TVs and appliances."

I dunno abou that... there are something like 600 different makes/models of vehicle on the market right now. There has never been more competition, in fact.

Go back to 1980. No Japanese luxury brands. No Korean brands at all. The German brands had three or four models - if that.

Our "Big Three" had a fairly simple product line.

Today, major automakers have a dfizzying panoply of vehicle types ranging from compacts to crossovers to SUVs and pick-ups, with luxury versions of almost all of those, to boot. Benz has two SUVs, a minivan-esque thing, multiple coupes, several sedans, etc. BMW has twice the product it had circa 1985. And so on...

[DonTom]

"You mean like those $3,000 plasma screen TVs?"

Compared to new cars and houses? Yes, 3K is very cheap.

-Don-

[ColleenC1]

One way to do it is research the price (MSRP vs. invoice; factoring in options, incentives and a reasonable 3-5 percent profit for the dealer) then simply e-mail/fax local dealerships explaining what you want

That's exactly how I bought my last vehicle. I did everything over the internet, only went to the dealer to sign the papers and pick up the car, Put out what I wanted knew the MSRP, set my price and who ever met that, that's who I purchased the car from, I will only purchase a car that way next time I buy a car. I am not good nor do I like haggling.

[ColleenC1]

Hey Don, don't know where I have been but I have missed your posts. Glad to see them, I look forward to them as well

[DonTom]

"Hey Don, don't know where I have been but I have missed your posts. Glad to see them, I look forward to them"l

You don't know where you have been? And you miss the posts like the one I just sent you about religious nonsense ;D?

I get on here at least a couple of times per day no matter where I am, but I could be in any section in this forum.

BTW, Tom loves to haggle, but I hate it. It was the norm when he lived in Hong Kong, but not any more! Hong Kong has changed in many ways since those days.

I can tell you one way to NOT buy a car. That's on E-Bay. The car is fine, but it was so many hassles. BTW, I hear E-Bay sells more used cars than anywhere in the world. But I bet most only do it once.

-Don-

[Eric]

One way to do it is research the price (MSRP vs. invoice; factoring in options, incentives and a reasonable 3-5 percent profit for the dealer) then simply e-mail/fax local dealerships explaining what you want

That's exactly how I bought my last vehicle. I did everything over the internet, only went to the dealer to sign the papers and pick up the car, Put out what I wanted knew the MSRP, set my price and who ever met that, that's who I purchased the car from, I will only purchase a car that way next time I buy a car. I am not good nor do I like haggling.

Most people aren't - and almost everyone hates it! Glad it worked out well for you...

[Eric]

"You mean like those $3,000 plasma screen TVs?"

Compared to new cars and houses? Yes, 3K is very cheap.

-Don-

But thinkmy point's made: TVs can be expensive; the question wasn't how expensive they are relative to houses! (And some TVs cost a lot more than $3k, too!)

[mrblanche]

That's exactly how I bought my last vehicle. I did everything over the internet, only went to the dealer to sign the papers and pick up the car, Put out what I wanted knew the MSRP, set my price and who ever met that, that's who I purchased the car from, I will only purchase a car that way next time I buy a car. I am not good nor do I like haggling.

Without test driving the car?

I learned a long time ago that a test drive was a crucial step in a purchase. Just as an example, I found a dealer with number of leftover cars in 1982 and was offering a really good deal. I drove one, liked it ok, and brought Dottie over after work for her to test drive it. She was tepid about it, too, but we needed a car. At the last moment, we saw another one, same price, but a hatchback. We drove that, really liked it, and bought it.

Sort of the same thing happened on our pickup. We just went down the list and chose one, but when we got to the dealership, we found another one in a color we liked better, with dealer add-ons from a previous promotion that they threw in free.

And I hear all the time about people who bought a car without a test drive who are disappointed in the ride, the handling, or some such thing that a test drive would have shown easily.

[ColleenC1]

Without test driving the car? I already had a Ford Taurus, love the car and I new I wanted a Ford Taurus, bought a brand new one. If it was a lemon than I would have brought it back to the dealer. Anyway, I had already shopped around for the color, exterior-interior what extras I wanted etc.

I don't see how anyone can go wrong buying a new car online. One can get the specs from the maker and then contact the dealers through email and who ever comes in with the lowest price for the same thing go get it.

[ColleenC1]

But you're right if you don't know the make and model, I can see why one would want to go test drive. I did that years ago when I bought the '97 Taurus, tried the KIA but it didn't seem to have enough metal around felt very unsafe... I don't know if they are built any sturdier today, maybe when I look for another car and not buy a Ford then I will go out and see what is out there!!!

[gail]

I love to haggle! Did I ever tell you how I got my minivan? Read all about it on my web page.
http://www.geocities.com/glocks2/journal.html