I thought I’d write about something a bit different (although personal in nature) as I recently purchased a new car and to say the process was extremely pleasurable and actually a bit of fun, is an understatement. And, if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, this was an easy and excellent process to follow. I did this for a new (not used) car, so let me explain…

First, let me say the process for doing this is not something relatively new, it’s just a different and an extremely easier method to purchase a car. I got the basic information from a former car salesperson I followed on social media for the past 6 months and tailored the information to suit my own needs and situation. I knew I’d be purchasing a new car within that time frame and, it worked like a charm.

So, if you’d like to follow this “recipe” for buying a new car, I firmly believe you’ll do very well. First, and most important, is that I wrote a statement that went to each dealership which described several things about my anticipated purchase. This is a rough draft that you can tailor to your own situation. Once written, you’re well on your way to getting the car you want, at your price, and from the comfort of your own home.

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing a (insert exact type vehicle name here), with (insert options here if desired).

1. I would like to know your fees as I will not be paying anything other than Doc fees, taxes and DMV registration fees.
2. I would like to know any incentives, rebates, and/or any specific discounts available from your dealership.
3. Assume a very good credit score (I placed my approximate FICO score here) as I already have financing but would be open to hear of your dealership’s financing options.
4. I will ONLY visit a dealership to pick up my car if yours is chosen to purchase from.
5. I am a military veteran and also retired law enforcement officer, (obviously, if anything like this pertains to you, let them know for incentive/rebate purposes…it worked for me).
6. Finally, I would like you to give me your BEST quote as I am comparatively shopping very aggressively and have already received offers. You must be prompt. 
7. Please send your quote to the below email address: (I created a junk protonmail email address just for this purpose so as not to junk up my personal email address).
8. I will not speak to anyone on the phone unless I receive what I believe to be a fair offer.

Thank you,

(your name here)

(your city/state here)

(your email address here)

Do not add a cell or landline number unless you want to be miserably inundated with phone calls.

Ok, that is the basic narrative outline…

Now, several things. 

• Obviously know exactly what type of vehicle you want, go to KBB.com and find out the car’s invoice price, MSRP and the fair price range for purchase.
• Make sure they do not put any “add ons” or bogus fees to any quote you receive, this is also important.
• I did this “shopping” totally online. I researched and contacted via their website contact prompts, appr. 25 dealerships within a 100-mile radius from my home and they each got this basic narrative. The reason for this is that local dealerships believe they have you because you live locally. Don’t be swayed. If a dealership 50 miles away from your home sees where you live, they will be more apt to give you a good price because they know you’re serious.
• Grab a notebook, watch the offers pour in and write them all down. They are going to do their level best to get you to “visit” the dealership. Be absolutely adamant about not doing that until you’ve chosen the car and dealership and will be going there to finalize the paperwork and pick up your new car. One dealership asked me twice to visit them for the best price and I replied that if they asked me again, I’d remove their dealership from contention. They stopped.

You should already have your own personal financing in place as leverage for a dealership but be VERY open to theirs as 0.0% is obviously much better than 4% to sometimes twice this much from other lenders. There are many to choose from…your bank, credit union, car lending institutions, etc.

Know your FICO/credit score as this is also leverage for applying for dealership financing. 

Since you already know the fair price of the vehicle in question, you’ll begin to get an idea of what a good quote is and what is not. Reply to the good ones that you’d like them to do better as you’re beginning to “narrow down” your choices. This will incentivize THEM to do better. Always get the quote in writing. Print them out and put them in your notebook.

Many will come back saying that the quote given is their best one. So, if they don’t budge, cross them out in your notebook and move on. Believe me, you’ll get plenty more.

Once you’ve narrowed down the choices to 2 or 3 dealerships, go back and forth a bit with them to see if they’ll do better. This is the only time to give them your cell or landline number.

I chose a dealership that was an approximate 25-mile drive from my home. I received exactly the car I wanted, at exactly the price I wanted and also got 0.0% financing (you may have to do a 24 or 36 month loan for this). Longer loan periods will have probably 2%-5% loan rates. I opted for the 36-month loan with a decent down payment. Putting a good down payment on the vehicle will go a long way to receive decent financing.

I did not have a trade-in as I’m keeping my (very) old second car for tooling around town, errands, etc. But, if you have a trade-in, sell it outside a dealership as they won’t give you much for it.

I started this process on a Saturday morning and picked up my new car the very next Saturday. I am extremely happy with this car buying process, my purchase and the entire experience. I never once had to step foot in a dealership, sitting for hours, and have some car salesperson say to me “let me go check with my manager” about a dozen times trying to wear me down.

So, if you’re in the market for a new car and choose to use this process, I think you’ll have a very enjoyable car buying experience.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via my blog site.

Enjoy the process folks and have fun!!!