Short version: do your research on pricing/financing, be patient, and remember, you’re the customer…if you don’t like the treatment you’re receiving, walk. Don’t make a scene/comment…just politely say ‘Have a nice day,’ and walk. They’ll either quickly change their tune and try to keep you from driving off the lot (management is watching) or they weren’t a dealership you wanted to work with anyway.

And a phrase that tends to help the ball in your court: (politely say)‘Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.’ It helps keeps you in control of the situation and to dictate how it will move forward. You’re not rejecting…so it really takes any legitimate counter away from them. It’s normally a significant purchase, you are more than justified to take some time to think it over. If they start with some form of ultimatum/pressure, just walk. If the salesperson has spent any amount of time with you, management is going to want to know why the deal didn’t happen and might motivate the salesperson to make a better offer.

Taking a disinterested friend who knows a bit about cars isn’t a bad idea either.

And remember, there’s literally millions of vehicles for sale and thousands of dealerships. Wait for one you like.

$.02 worth/ymmv.
Boss

quote:

if you don’t like the treatment you’re receiving, walk.

It really is that simple.
Decades ago I worked for a dealership where things like that were never allowed.
As employees, we were allowed to buy one car each year at dealer cost. Even so, I only bought one new car. We were also offered an alternative of one used car at dealer cost. That taught me the real way to buy cars and be way ahead in the game.
Even after being out of it for so many years, I've always waited to find a relatively new, but used, car at a huge discount. Usually in a private sale.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 220-9er,

Many years ago I purchased delivery vehicles on the used market from private sales.

I found a local mechanic who would inspect the vehicle of interest at a reasonable price. Among other things, he verified the mileage, ran a test on the oil to check engine condition matched the mileage, looked for collision damage etc etc.

I recall at least three purchased with the inspections… happily, all passed his inspection and ran very well.

We also followed rigorous maintenance schedules, the goal being over 200,000 miles of life minimum. A couple managed 300,000!

I have bought a handful of new cars over the past 15 years. I contact numerous dealerships for best price, and only through email or over the phone. I test drive anonymously. I only set foot on the lot after I have a purchase agreement. I sign the paper work, decline all add-ons, pay them, and pick up the vehicle. Total time at the dealership should be about an hour. There are no none-sense dealers out there you just have to find them.

Dealers do NOT want you to leave in the middle of a negotiation . Even when things are going well. My wife is a Diabetic and on the last two vehicles we bought my wife announced that she really needed to go eat something because she was feeling shaky. We told the salesperson that we were going to go eat and be back later. Panic ensued. They wanted us to take the vehicle to go eat. Good try. Nope. That look of relief when we walked back in was priceless .