Reader is Choice Prior to Car Shopping

Understandably, because, this is one action that leads to more headaches, annoyance and buyer’s regrets than any other consumers purchase. Rest assured, nothing else even comes close!

Of course there are very good reasons for this to occur when you least expect it. Beware of those car dealership fees and extras they love to foist on unsuspecting customers at the last moment. People at the dealerships are trained to blur the lines between sticker price, invoice price and out-the-door prices. Upselling extras and extended warranties is another activity they love. Salespersons do “I’ll-talk-to-the-boss” two-step while you simmer with suppressed impatience in a cubicle.

Psychology games? You bet. Salespersons use different colors of ink, writing angles, excuses to check with boss and circling numbers as strategies to make you buy. While they may rip off over 15 per cent in profits, you will be left with a bad taste in your mouth.

When to buy

Consumers can look forward to having the advantage for a few weeks. The best time to buy any car is just prior to the release of newer models or the holidays coming up. Reason? Car dealerships must make room for these new models and try to get rid of older models offering them at lower prices. Moreover, competitive car financing pull in qualified car buyers. This is the best time to keep looking to close great auto deals with discounts. However, beware of talkative salespersons trying to sell the latest model for more than you planned.

If you had a bad car buying experience last time, you can take all these precautions this time around.

Waiting for or not missing the last days of the month is good for potential car buyers. This is when negotiation scales tip in customers’ favor. According to insiders, car dealerships are under pressure to reach numbers. Coincide your next car purchase at the end of March, June, September or December. You will have better leverage since these months are the end of a quarter.

Says Jim Milan, a manager for Auto Accessories Garage, a car accessories website, “You may not realize it, but the day of the week and the time of day are quite important. Get surprised with good services and lower prices by shopping on a Monday or Tuesday instead of later in the week. Everyone is sluggish in the mornings, but afternoons with a good lunch inside them, negotiations become more agreeable somehow. Test drive in the late afternoon and you may driving home a car come evening.

Snap up any special that looks good to you. You may lose an opportunity to save thousands.

Data analytics have always remained in favor of winter and fall as the best times of year to buy a new car. Combine it with a model year end, as many manufacturers do, and you can pocket bonus points. Shopping on Black Friday, Memorial Day and Labor Day is a good bet to close the best auto deals.

Labor Day could well be the Black Friday for car shopping. This is when car dealerships aim to sell enough throughout the weekend to put himself or herself in the black for the entire financial year.

Consider the following points carefully before taking an important decision like car purchase.

How to buy

Visit car dealerships at the last minute when you are committed to driving your purchase home. If you test drive, you are more likely to be talked into a sale. Caution: do all your negotiations before you buy, preferably online or before getting behind the wheel.

Hire a broker

You may take the services of professionals likely AAA or Costco to find the model and broker the auto deal. This way you may be confident you will pay close to or less than the published invoice price. However, one more trick up your sleeve is to avoid haggling by shopping around and letting car dealerships send in competitive quotes.