January 8th, 2007 by Atomictumor
OK, so heres whats happening.
I talked to my bank, got a mighty nice rate, and pre-approved for $12,000, evidently my credit isn’t as bad as I thought. She’d be able to rework the loan after I get the insurance money without extra fees, because she’s cool like that (this gal has been our go-to financial chick), so there wouldn’t be a reason to wait to get the cash.
Woot.
I called used car guy, and told him we’d be there 5ish, I want to put Pigpen in the car, drive it up to the ‘Ridge, make sure that it won’t scrape going up our driveway, drive it on all sorts of roads, introduce it to my family, and have a good ol’ time. We’re also going to use it for our Time-Out Deli run.
Yes. Grand borrow auto. Good stuff.
Then I’m going to drop off Pigpen, and MastaG is going to accompany me on the haggling, because its a good thing to learn. I don’t remember my folks ever taking me to do that, and its a skill everybody needs for when Al Gore’s global warming turns us all into barbarians. I’ve been schooling him.
For instance, on the second time the guy comes back with a new price, he has been trained to look at me and say “They’re breaking your balls, Dad”. Additionally, I have trained him to start acting bored, and picking stuff up off the guys desk, after the first 20 minutes.
I have a firm price in my head, which is the lowest that I will accept. I have three other cars (with VINS) at three different dealerships, with three different prices. I have the NADA, KBB, and Consumer Reports values memorized. I’m all set to thank em, and get up to walk out.
I’m going to talk “out the door” pricing for the Mazda before I even discuss the van, and then I have a certain amount that I won’t take less for for the van, and I’m not going to mention that I have the financing taken care until everything else is figured out. We’ll have that nailed down, and then I’ll grab a deal sheet and split. Oh yes.
January 8th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Wow, all I can say is: That’s awesome saucem.
Please provide pictures of the lucky vehicle whenever you make it your own (or perhaps while on the Grand Borrow Auto ‘trippin).
January 8th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Sending the vibes ….go get em!
January 8th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
You’re definitely on the right track. I have read that the best time to haggle is at the end of the day and especially if you have your kids with you. THEY’RE more anxious to close the deal than YOU are.
Best of luck!
January 8th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
“They’re” being the car salesmen (not the kids, LOL).
January 8th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
You’re awesome. Come with me when I need to trade in the Maxima.
January 8th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
AT, sounds to me like you are locked n’ loaded. Go slay a salesman.
January 8th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Go get em tiger!
January 8th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
OK, I’d write a post about it, but it was sorta anticlimatical…
We picked it up around 5:30 or 6, drove it in heavyish traffic back here, went up and down the driveway (slight scrape, but nothing to worry about, better than the van was).
Took it to the time out, had a meal, got back late, 30 minutes till quitting time, and the guy hadn’t had the van appraised, he was “busy”.
So I told him that a setback, and told him about the other place that’s selling essentially the same car (same mileage, same year/model) for 1500 cheaper.
I told him I don’t like that dealership, but I’m not going to spend extra because I like this better.
So I told him I’m not going to pay more than 14,500 for the car (1000 bucks less than this other place, btw) and that I won’t accept less than 3500 for the van.
Lowball away… he said he didn’t know if he could scrape 2500 off the cost of the car, but he’d see what he could do. I told him to talk with who he needs to, and that I’ll be calling him tomorrow.
I also told him that we’re not really worrying about financing, that I’m only talking an ‘out the door’ price.
Played the dead wife card, in saying that I really don’t want to spend more of this money than I have to because… “its all I have left of her”
(I’d like to thank the academy…)
January 9th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Brilliant idea to use the youngster in negotations. Fabulous!!
My girls would never work for that. Belli would give them 5k for a pink gumball out of the machine and Rachel would forget what she was supposed to do.
Sigh,….