New car buying services (e.g. Costco & BJs) vs. emails to dealerships?
mike
comfortable with is buying a new car and driving it till the wheels
falls off. Discussion of even slightly used cars is off topic. I know
all about depreciation, etc.
What's the best way to buy a *new* car? Using a new car buying service
(like via BJ's and Costco or CarsDirect) or emailing dealerships
directly? Clark Howard suggests that the only thing you should do at a
physical dealership is show up, sign paperwork, and take possession of
a vehicle, e.g. if you go in and start trying to haggle, you've lost.
Would using a car buying service like BJs prevent me from taking
advantage of year-end financing incentives (0%) from Ford, etc?
I hate car dealerships and haggling. Too many factors and variables.
Also, which fees are "junk fees" that I shouldn't pay for a new car. I
always see "document" fees, etc.
Again, sorry, but I'm not interested in buying used or being persuaded
to do so. What I'm asking is, once one has decided one wants to buy a
new car, what's the least painful and economically best method /
approach for doing so?
Rod Speed
> First of all, I'm not interested in a used car. What I'm most
> comfortable with is buying a new car and driving it till the wheels
> falls off. Discussion of even slightly used cars is off topic. I know
> all about depreciation, etc.
> What's the best way to buy a *new* car? Using a new car buying service
> (like via BJ's and Costco or CarsDirect) or emailing dealerships directly?
I personally just rang all the dealerships and got the best price
they were prepared to offer and then took that to the only dealer
in my town and got him to match the best price I could find.
Its more complicated than that if you have a trade,
I didnt, and I drive new cars into the ground like you
do. I had used the previous car for 35+ years.
I didnt even bother with a test drive of the car I wanted, and
shocked the dealer principal speechless when I told him that.
I paid for it using a card too.
> Clark Howard suggests that the only thing you should do at a physical
> dealership is show up, sign paperwork, and take possession of a vehicle,
I dont recall that I signed any paperwork. I was paying cash for the car.
> e.g. if you go in and start trying to haggle, you've lost.
I haggled over the phone, just because it was more convenient to do it that way.
I had to wait a week or so till the car I wanted was delivered, but I wanted
a bright yellow car, because those are much easier to find in the carparks
etc. I could have had a light blue one without waiting.
> Would using a car buying service like BJs prevent me from taking
> advantage of year-end financing incentives (0%) from Ford, etc?
> I hate car dealerships and haggling. Too many factors and variables.
> Also, which fees are "junk fees" that I shouldn't pay for a new car.
My price did include registration and compulsory insurance.
> I always see "document" fees, etc.
I made it clear that I wanted the actual price I was going to pay.