Best way to talk down price of used car?

[Aestheticus]

I'm not the best negotiator in the world and I'm getting ready to purchase another BMW. What are the best ways to go about talking down the price? Is having a firm attitude better than being very polite or is the opposite better? For example, should you offer a price and if the salesman doesn't bite walk away right away? Do you try to talk like he's a friend and joke around like "Come on I know you can give me a better deal than that"

I heard offering to pay I full does NOT help because dealerships make more money when customers finance instead. Is that true? Does that mean it would be of no benefit to me if I said I could pay it all at once?

How do you go about pointing out flaws? Something like a scratch, worn seats, or tire tread that is pretty worn already

I know these are probably "noob questions" but long story short I practically paid sticker price on my car because I bought it young. The guy knocked off like 300 from it which I know was nothing. He probably laughed at my as I left his lot. Oh well...that's why I want to go into this next car purchase with a much better strategy

[ikari]

Best advice is NOT to think there's some magic to it, because car salesmen are the ones who want you to think it's complicated. You're in full control... go in knowing exactly what your maximum price is (research), and don't be convinced to pay a dime more, not for taxes, fees, anything. When it comes to deal closing time, be the difficult one yourself by matter-of-factly pointing out any half-reasonable flaws, and refuse to leave without a discount on account of them (discount from your maximum, of course, not his).

Making your offer and walking away is the best strategy. If you can manage a little patience, you might even need to leave and make the dealer call you back later in the week (they will)

[BimmerBreaker]

You dont want to go in with any sort of overly stern attitude. If you make one offer and they say no, you want to just walk away? Thats not how you negotiate.

A dealer does make more money if you finance, so even if you are buying cash all up front, tell them from the get go you want to run the numbers as if you were financing. If they ask if you are financing you dont have to tell them, but have them run the numbers for you as if you were. Car dealers always try to convert you from cash (price of vehicle) to payment (monthly payment) buyers because its easier to screw you on price if your focusing on $400 vs $450 a month instead of $24,000 vs $27,000. Go into the dealer with a price you want to pay if the car is in X condition, if you notice things were misrepresented online (scratches, condition, tires, etc) then lower the price you are willing to pay accordingly. Start negotiations well below your target price, and never reveal to them what you really want to pay for it.

Walking away is a strategy, its probably the strongest card you have, but you have to know how to use it. If you go in and offer 1/2 off their asking price and they say no and you walk, they dont care. But if your within $1000 or so of your target price and they stopped budging, threaten to walk away. If at that point they don't budge, then walk.

How you treat the salesman regarding being firm or friendly really depends on you, the salesman, and the rapport between you two. Your best bet is usually to be friendly and firm. Above all, the best strategy is to be flexible.

[Colo Springs E]

I agree with all BimmerBreaker said.

[modular93fox]

When I sell any of my cars and the buyer points out scratches or dents.. I just say "lucky I didn't charge more for the custom work, or didn't see that, it's going to cost you another 100"... It's used, not new

[SpeedsterBek]

What car are you looking to buy? You might be better off with buying from a private seller who took care of the car rather than the dealer.

If you found the car in a used car lot, then do a plenty of research on what you should pay for that car. edmunds TMV, kbb, nada value, etc. Know what you want and how much you're willing to pay before going to the dealer. Once you're there, take your time looking over the car and adjust your offer accordingly. Start with offering lower than your max, and work your way from there.

Always be ready to walk away if you think you're not getting the best deal. Up until the point you sign the dotted line and pay, you have all control. Or just go to carmax since they have a no haggle policy, so you pay what you see on their site.

[BimmerBreaker]

When I sell any of my cars and the buyer points out scratches or dents.. I just say "lucky I didn't charge more for the custom work, or didn't see that, it's going to cost you another 100"... It's used, not new

So if you were looking at a $10,000 car and it had $5,000 in damage you'd just pay $10,000 for it because "its a used car"?

Damage - be it scratches, dents, transmission failures or blown head gaskets - all detract from the value of the vehicle.

[modular93fox]

No, I'm no idiot.. If I seen a car for 10,000 and it had 5,000 with of damage it's worth 5,000 to the right person. Move I. To the next car if a legitimate offer cannot be met. That's all

[apollo322]

Best thing to do is focus on getting the right car first, it's always the best value. I'd always rather take the mint one, then use the average prices around to get him to become the best value. Best thing you can do is take your time and really look at some cars either online or in person. Once your at the point of buying it reason and the market usually works out with most sellers.
When it just won't, when the guys insisting THIS ones really worth 5 k more than everyone else's, just politely move on. Your feet are your best negotiating tool.

[bucs19]

The thing About walking away is this... The salesman doesn't need YOU to buy the car. He just needs SOMEONE to buy the car. Your top dollar is not his problem.

Just something to keep in mind.

[cfmistry]

The best way to talk to down the price of a car is to be prepared to lose it. Once you get attached and decide it' the only car you want, you're hosed.

[ross1]

KNOW THE CAR'S VALUE. Be prepared to buy on the spot. Be prepared to walk away if the deal is not to your liking.

[Aryana]

I've sold over 300 cars, new and used, (at a pot lot & at a big factory dealership) in my lifetime and buying a used car is highly dependent on the individual circumstances for each case.

If you're buying from a dealer, they could have ripped the car out from someone cheap, paid out the nose to make another deal happen, or anything in between.

Good luck figuring that out and remember that these aren't exactly rare cars. You can find them EVERYWHERE so don't be afraid to move on.

With that said, when I find a cheap car ($10k or less) I like I don't really care what price I pay.

I overpaid for my 530i and I decided it wasn't worth the hassle to go through BS just to save a few hundred or even more.

I spent more than 50% of the cars value in the first year in parts anyway and I'm never getting any of that back so...

[BimmerBreaker]

The thing About walking away is this... The salesman doesn't need YOU to buy the car. He just needs SOMEONE to buy the car. Your top dollar is not his problem.

Just something to keep in mind.

Salesmen want everyone to buy every car. Private sellers dont need YOU to buy the car, they need someone because they are only selling their one car. Dealership salesman want to sell as many cars as they can. And regarding money, the dealerships get all kinds of kickbacks and incentives based on units sold, the sale price of the car is a very small factor for them. They generally make more money from manufacturer kickbacks then they do from sales. Used car department is a little different than new, but not different enough to where the fundamentals change.

When you walk away from a salesman they are losing more than a deal and their commission they are losing a bonus for the dealership and a car off their lot. It is a very strong move to walk away. So in a sense, a buyer's top dollar is his problem. Very much so. The dealer oftentimes wants to make a deal more than the customer, but they wont let that on. I worked at a car dealership so experienced this first hand. I've seen managers go chase down customers even when they were asking for a price $5,000 below our cost of the car.

[DYL]

What I found works is to be a serious, reliable buyer and stay in contact with the seller. Wait a bit and they may change their mind.

[Cmann]

Like with anything, going in blind will put you at a disadvantage. Do some research to find out what price similar cars are selling for and also do research on what to look for in terms of common faults or issues old models have and also how much it will cost to fix them. Walk in to the dealership with your max price in mind and start looking for these faults. For everyone you find knock the cost and a bit off the total value.

In terms of dealing with the salesman don't forget he's a person too. He really does want you to buy the car but at a price that will get him a nice bit of commission. As a general rule I would say be firm without being obtuse. You know what you want and you're not handing over any money until you get it. The best bit of advice I've read on here is to remember that you are in control of the situation. A lot of salesmen can be overbearing (helps them milk more money out of their clients) be prepared for that. Good luck!

[325bob]

If you attend a local auction, you'll be amazed at how little cars are actually worth( only what someone will pay), of course you have to be extra wary, as is usually being the case, but I have personally driven home several $26 cars that needed very little work.( decades ago)