Used Car Negotiating Tips 2

In part two of this resource we continue to advise you on how to negotiate and get the best used car deal when buying a used car.

Strategy for buying a used car

Find someone you know who bought a car recently and ask them if you can look at the buyer forms so that you can become familiar with the paperwork.  This is excellent strategy because the forms can be very confusing and can be used as a strategy against you to intimidate and confuse you when you are buying a used vehicle.

Don’t change your offer on the used car no matter what              

Once you have made your offer on the used car for sale, the used car salesperson may try various tactics to get your offer up. One popular trick is to offer to split the difference with you, i.e. they will give up 50% of their profit and you go up on your offer on the used car.  Don’t budge, this is just a tactic, walk if you have to. The used motorcar will still be there tomorrow if you can’t get anything better.

Don’t negotiate on an empty stomach

The best advise you can be offered, is to eat a meal, rest, shower and dress comfortably before you go to negotiate a deal on a used car. Don’t dress too casually, look smart but you don’t have to overdo it. If you are sick and/or have a headache, don’t go used car shopping. Any sign of weakness and you will lose your advantage.

Know your payments    

Try to take a low priced financial calculator with you that has loan calculation functions. Never be in a position where you don’t know how to check the numbers for buying a used car. You must know what the payments on the used car should be. Have all the documents, like your notes, quotes, ads from other used vehicle dealerships as well as online used car prices, in a folder with you. As soon as the used car salesperson sees this they will know that you have done your homework and this will send a clear message that they can’t mess with you.

Go into the used car dealership refreshed          

 Have a relaxing day, then go in to the used car dealership, the end of the day is tiring for them, but you will be fresh. Negotiations can tense you up so you could try to do some stretching before you go so that you are even more relaxed and focused. Don’t just have the model price options that you are interested in, have the other model prices as well in case you see something else there that you like.

The buddy system           

Always better to shop for a used car with a friend because then the used car dealer has to convince two people. Don’t let them separate you under any circumstances. If there are any verbal disputes it’ll be easier to state your case if two of you heard it. Your friend should act as the ‘devil’s advocate’ throughout the negotiating process, slowly eating away at the salesperson’s resolve and making them loose concentration. A used car salesperson will often use more than one salesperson in the negotiating process to try and intimidate you, which is exactly why you must have a ‘team’ too. And don’t let them try to trick you by saying that the cars are ‘flying’ out the used car dealership and that if you don’t take the used vehicle today, tomorrow the prices are going up. Just walk out and call their bluff, it’s all just tactics to make you buy the used motorcar then and there.

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