How To Take Advantage Of A Car Dealer’s Slow Season

On The Cusp Of Fine Deals

For most dealerships, between January and March very little inventory is moved. This means salesmen are a bit more likely to strike a bargain with you. If you can pay in cash, wholesale, you can potentially save $5k on a new car—just be savvy and don’t settle for anything less than a single price. 

Essentially, you’ve got to tell the salesman that you will not pay a penny more than the price they quote you, all extra fees included. Often what happens is, they’ll tell you the MSRP, then tack on associated fees when you get to the paperwork. Some of these fees are legitimate, some of them are an underhanded salesperson trying to see what he can get you to pay for. 

The thing is, you’ve got a mixed bag with dealerships. There are definitely honest salesmen out there. And there are unscrupulous Danny DeVito-style swindlers. (Not that the actor is actually underhanded, but many of the characters he plays are.) So what do you do? Well, you’ve got to know what your budget is, and you’ve got to be firm. 

Here we’ll cover a few more tips to help you get the best possible deals during a dealership’s off months. 

Know What You Want, And What You’re Willing To Pay

It’s best not to finance a vehicle if you can afford it, because you can get a better deal that way. With this in mind, you’re going to get the best deals if you shop used. People are unlikely to buy new cars between January and March. They’re very unlikely to buy used cars during this time. So lean on that, and get ready to haggle.

Set the price you’re willing to pay, and when you see a vehicle in that range, deliberately pitch two or three grand under what you think the dealer will give you after negotiations are finished. You might even go as low as five grand under that expectation. Then you can open up the haggling. 

Now here’s the thing: dealers are almost always going to be better at haggling than you, so you’ve got to apply lessons from Donald Trump’s The Art Of The Deal here. You must be willing to walk if you can’t come to an agreement. Flashing some (but not all) of your cash can help. Sellers know if you’re really interested, they can push you a bit. 

But if they see cash and you about to walk, that amps up the pressure on them. In the primary season, you’ve got less leverage. In the slow season, they’ve got commissions that must be protected; so they’re more likely to take a hit so they can sell a car. 

Offer To Make Trades

Trade-in value can be a way of offsetting price, but be careful here. You’re never going to get the full value of a trade-in at a used or new car dealer, because the dealership has to renovate your vehicle to their selling standards, and that costs money. So your vehicle will likely be appraised slightly below the value it can command. 

Even so, you may be able to get closer to legitimate Kelley Blue Book value during the off-season; so this may be the tactic you use. You will accept price X, but only if value Y is assigned to the used vehicle you’re trading in. 

Bring Somebody Along With You

When it’s two on one, there’s a little more pressure. When there’s more pressure, you’ve got a higher likelihood of getting the deal you want. Bring a ringer. It’s best if the person you bring along to help you haggle knows more about cars than you.

If they don’t, then assure they act like they do, and share a lot of sidelong glances with them while the both of you rub your chins in thought. That salesman needs his commission; if he feels he’s about to lose the sale, he may even be the one to offer a discount. The thing to be careful about in this situation is a female salesperson—if you’re male, that is. 

The flirt game is strong when there’s a commission on the table, and a fine figure can cut your strategy right out of your brain if you’re not careful. Just remember: she’s interested in selling the car, not dating you. Be sure whoever you bring along as moral support knows the score and won’t be taken in by a wink or a smile from a pretty lady.

Getting The Best Deal You Can

Approaching a dealer with more than one person, exploring trade-in options, and knowing what you’re willing to pay from the outset can help you maximize your buying power during the off-season of a dealership selling new or pre-owned vehicles. For more tips, tricks, insight, and the occasional humorous bit of writing, be sure to check out our blog at Anybody’s Autos!