Originally Posted By amazedncal2 The last 3 cars we did the "buy online" thing and supposedly paid a $500 markup. Choose your car online and go and pick it up at the dealer There were other hidden fees of course However, we had a client who worked in the accounting dept. for a dealer and she said that you get a better price if you finance. The dealer gets a kick back from the finance co. For instance, GMC. Anyway, she said to finance and then pay it off with your first bill. Reading the fine print is key of course. For me that was too much work and we just paid cash. LOL, Lisann about the points Whoo Hoo, decisions, decisions on what to use them for
Originally Posted By LuLu Oh yeah! I did save money on the price by "shopping" online. Fortunately our local dealer was the cheapest. But you go thru the Fleet Sales dept. so I guess you save the salesperson commission (or some of it, anyway!). They didn't ask about financing so I assume it wouldn't have been any lower, but probably some manufacturers do that.
Originally Posted By beamerdog I found that I got a better price if I called the dealerships and asked for the sales manager's email. They assign a regular salesperson to the fax and email inquiries and they have little or no power to lower the price. The manager does. Don't talk to anyone except the manager. When they give you the "final" price, don't buy the car. Wait a few weeks if you can. You'll either get a better price or not. If you don't, ask for some "extras" on the car. It took me a while to do the whole process, but I ended up with a good price and a lot of extras. I'm very happy with my car.
Originally Posted By Lil Mermaid I would totally pay in cash. If you finance a car, it's considered an investment. Cars are the worst type of investment the average person can have. It looses its value the second you drive it off the lot. You'll rarely ever get what you paid for or even close. Pay cash, no monthly payments, and pay extra on your mortgage instead. Sounds like you've already made your decision...
Originally Posted By crazycroc Monthly payments are the path to poverty. The only item which it is okay to borrow for is a house, because it "can" appreciate in value. Financing other items is giving your money away for no reason, if you have the means to pay for it all up front. Get out a calculator and do the math. When you see you will be giving away the equivalent of several high-end vacations by paying interest, I think you will know what to do.
