How To Win Car Price Negotiations
For example, do you know what MSRP is? It’s the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. That second word is critically important. A dealer does not have to take the suggestion. He can charge more or less than the MSRP. Here’s how the process usually works.
The dealer buys cars from the manufacturer at a wholesale price, called the invoice price, or factory invoice price. The difference between the invoice price and the MSRP is profit for the dealer…sort of. Dealers have other costs, like the contributions they make to advertising. Those costs cut their profit margin. But they also have some things that pad their profits, like “hold-back” from manufacturers (essentially an incentive to sell the vehicle), documentation fees and selling trade-in vehicles. These profit boosters can allow dealers to sell below their invoice price and still make money.
What you end up with is the selling price of the car. It’s often in between invoice price and MSRP, and it is pretty flexible.
Once you know this stuff, it’s easy to see how to win.
First, find the car you want. Pick out the model, the features, the color and anything else you want.
Second, use Edmunds.com or Consumer Reports to find out the invoice price a dealer pays for the vehicle. That’s where you should start your negotiation.
Third, offer $100 over invoice for the car, not a penny higher, at least not at the beginning. But also know your actual price ceiling. If you’re willing to pay $500 over invoice, you need to have that number in your head.
Fourth, refuse to talk about monthly payments or financing. Stick to the total cost of the vehicle. Tell the salesman you’re ready to sign and drive the vehicle off the lot today if he takes your offer. That’s tough for a salesman to resist.
Fifth, do not be shocked when they try to resist. They will pull out every stop to get your pay more. They will talk about salesmen having to eat, the dealership having to pay their overhead, you not being fair. Let it all roll off your back. Stick to your price, and maybe reluctantly increase your offer by $50-100 up to your price ceiling.
Sixth, do not crack your ceiling. Tell them you’ll simply walk away, because you do not have to buy a car today. That will make them nervous. When they know you’re serious, they’ll be much more likely to give you a deal.
Seventh, throughout the entire process, keep your cool. Be nice, not confrontational. Smile. Be firm but pleasant.
If you go in armed with price information, stick to your guns and maintain a pleasant attitude, your car price negotiation might just have a happy ending for your wallet.
by Paul Ransom
Car Maintenance Tips - 5 Ways To Save Your Car
It be great if you could buy a car, drive it until you wanted a different one, and never have to do anything in between. Too bad cars are machines. Machines need a little tender loving care if you want them to keep running well. Here are five car maintenance tips that will keep your car running well, and as cheaply as possible.
Tip 1: Change your oil regularly
This is an easy one. It’s also one of the simplest things you can do to make your car last.
Oil breaks down. It stops doing its job of lubricating your engine so the parts don’t wear out. That’s a fact of life. You have to stay ahead of the breakdown by checking your oil regularly and doing one of two things:
- Top off the oil if your dipstick says it’s low
- Changing your oil when your car manufacturer recommends
Most relatively new cars can go 3,000-5,000 miles before an oil change without any problem at all, and many can go longer than that. But going years without an oil change is a recipe for major expense down the line.
Tip 2: Take care of your tires
When most people think of a car, their mind thinks “engine.” But your tires are an important part of your vehicle, and keeping them in good shape helps your engine work better.
Have your mechanic check your tire pressure every time you get an oil change, and check it yourself when you fill up at the pump. If the pressure is too low, add some air. Many gas stations have a public use air pump, and it usually costs less than a buck to add some air to your tires.
And get your tires rotated regularly. Every second or third oil change is a good idea. That’s every 9,000 to 15,000 miles for most cars. Rotation keeps tire wear uniform, and uneven wear can tell you if you have wheel alignment problems.
Tip 3: Stick to your maintenance schedule
Your auto manufacturer recommends regularly scheduled maintenance. It pays to listen.
There are some maintenance items that simply can’t ignore. Timing belt replacement is a good example. You’ll end up replacing the best roughly every 50,000 to 80,000 miles, and it’s not cheap. You can try to cheat and go longer, but sooner or later, the belt will wear out. If that happens at full speed on the highway, it could do major damage to your engine.
Tip 4: Change your filters
This means your oil, air, transmission and fuel filters. Your car’s owner’s manual will give you the recommended schedule for changing them, but here are few guidelines that should hold true for most cars:
- Change your oil filter at every oil change
- Change your air filter at every tune-up, or at least every couple of months
- Change your transmission fluid every two years
- Change your fuel filter once a year
Tip 5: Clean your engine
A dirty engine runs hotter, and makes it tougher for your mechanic (or you) to spot leaks and other problems.
You can clean your engine yourself, but be sure to cover sensitive parts with plastic to avoid water damage. A better option is probably to have your engine professionally detailed or steam cleaned once every couple of years. That’s not free, of course, but a clean engine is likely to save you money in the long run.
by Paul Ransom
How To Get The Best Deal On A Used Mercedes Benz Car
So you want to buy a used Mercedes Benz car. There is nothing wrong with that, and you can save a bundle. But be smart when you buy. You are going to have to make some important decisions as you consider your purchase.
The most important decision you will make is where to buy.
You can obviously buy a Mercedes car from an individual owner. You might get a great deal that way, and if there has only been one previous owner, you will have a better chance of getting a car that was taken good care of.
But there are serious advantages to buying a certified, pre-owned Mercedes Benz car from a dealer.
Mercedes Benz prides itself on the quality of its certified, pre-owned cars. They intentionally make the certification process rigorous. The put each vehicle through nine different inspections, with a total of 162 different checks. That includes a complete check of the engine components and compartment (28 points), a road test (14 points) and a check of the electrical system (33 points).
Mercedes wants a certified, pre-owned car to be as close to new quality as it can be, and the results prove it. The reliability of these vehicles is superb. But they don’t ask you to trust them on that.
Every certified, pre-owned Mercedes car comes with a comprehensive limited warranty. Any remaining part of the four-year/50,000 mile new vehicle warranty still applies, of course. Beyond that, the certified pre-owned warranty extends the coverage another 12 months, or up to 100,000 total miles. That warranty takes effect at the time of vehicle delivery for any car no longer covered by the new car warranty.
They also offer a Mercedes Extended Warranty that covers just about everything imaginable, including the steering, brakes, engine and powertrain, transmission, and so on. The warranty guarantees the work at over 300 authorized dealers nationwide in the U.S., and you will get all genuine Mercedes-Benz parts. There is no deductible for the extended warranty, and you can transfer it to a new owner if you sell your Mercedes car.
So the cars are exhaustively evaluated, and Mercedes stands behind their reliability with one of the best warranty programs in the business (right up there with BMW–maybe it’s a German thing). But Mercedes goes above and beyond with their certified, pre-owned vehicles.
You will get 24-hour roadside assistance, just like new Mercedes owners do. You’ll also get what they call Sign and Drive services, which gives you a free jump-start, flat tire change, or gas if your tank is empty and you are stranded.
And when you buy a certified, pre-owned Mercedes Benz car, you will get the seven-day/500 mile exchange privilege. That means you can return the car within that time and swap it for another pre-owned Mercedes of equal value (or greater value, if you want to pay the difference).
If you are considering buying a used Mercedes Benz car, it is certainly worth your time to investigate buying a certified pre-owned vehicle from an authorized Mercedes dealer. You might get a steal if you buy from some other source, but you might be surprised to find that Mercedes itself is the best deal around.
by Paul Ransom
About the Author
Adsit Company specializes in Mercedes Benz transmissions and other Mercedes parts and accessories.
You can get a free, 100 page printed catalog mailed to you by visiting the Adsitco.com Mercedes parts website.
Auto Theft - 10 Easy Steps To Avoid Getting Your Car Stolen
2. Take your keys. Yes, Roughly 20% of stolen cars get driven away with their own keys in them. And since many cars these days won’t let you lock the doors without using your key or a button on your key fob, that means cars with their keys in them also were unlocked. That’s like putting out a welcome sign for thieves.
3. Hide your valuables. Don’t tempt a thief by having valuables in plain sight. You can not necessarily hide your car, but you don’t have to put a bow on it.
4. Keep your windows up when you’re not in the car. An open window makes it easier to unlock your car…or just open the door and get in. An open window is like locking your garage, but leaving your front door unlocked.
5. Park in a public spot with lots of light. Thieves don’t want to risk getting caught unnecessarily. If you park in a dark alley, that is asking not to have a ride home.
6. Speaking of parking, park in your garage. This is another easy one. If you have a garage, use it. A thief would have to break into your house in that case, not just jack your car on the side of the street.
7. Get an anti-theft device. This could be one installed by the car manufacturer, or a device you can buy on the aftermarket. In fact, it is smart to have both. Get the anti-theft device from the manufacturer, and then go buy The Club. Nothing deters a thief better than seeing The Club locking your steering wheel.
8. Set your emergency brake and turn your wheels toward the curb. These things make it harder for thieves to tow your vehicle away.
9. Consider a security tracking service. Lojack or Onstar are the two biggest names. This not only can let law enforcement locate your car faster if it is stolen, but also might save you some money on your auto insurance.
10. Buy a car with an eye toward not having it stolen. This is not something you can do if you already own the vehicle, but if you are shopping, you should keep it in mind. But don’t think only flashy cars get stolen. For years, the Honda Accord has been one of the most stolen vehicles, because it’s easier for thieves to sell the parts without attracting attention.
Most of those simple tips do not cost a dime. The ones that cost something cost a lot less than having your car stolen. If you will use your head, avoiding car theft can be as routine as putting gas in your car.
How to Use Your Credit Card Oversea
First, the mainly suitable and the best law you must memorize in intellect as you loom or ask any notes position overseas in America is that retreating notes in overseas would release or show you up to not just 1, but 3 diverse and numerous imbursements. Not just is there the financial institutions substitute rates or rebate to feel of, but also the overseas barter imbursement and an ATM fine and imbursements of amid or hub of 2 and 3 notes.
These overseas barter cards can be utilized in the United States of America or in Europe and would operate or behave as a debits cards when you are in overseas. And if you sprint or thrown out of notes you would tranquil at the pinnacle and renew the cards up when you are at overseas, either by telephone or telecommunication or through the online process, creating it a expedient and best method to control your expends when you are on vacation.
If you do settle on or plan to utilize any cards in overseas, it is a nice and enhanced thought to bring lesser but bigger drawings. This method, you would possibly acquire low sum of imbursements since financial institutions frequently fines or rebates one points five percent of the sum drawn, with a lowest or lesser fines of ? one point five and a utmost imbursements of ? five. Then, it is sensible and nice to be assured that you have the full knowledge of the tenure and regulations that be here and is customary with yours cards, since many financial institutions do not put an upper limit on the imbursements.
Though there is pessimism and disputes to utilizing credit cards in overseas, there are clear-cut in support of this method of reimbursements too. If it’s not “as described and understood ” or flawed, it is doable and elucidation to obtain the notes returned from the vendor or the cards supplier, but with debits cards fiscal institutions would mull over the point saying a protest or dispute but there would be no guarantee.
When you carry on your cards in overseas, it’s a nice scheme to memorize to take detail and information of your cards suppliers and allow the cards organizations be acquainted with and recognize that you are going to overseas, or else they would percept or assume that your cards had been robbed.
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