When you walk into a car dealership to look for a car, who do you think has the advantage? Does the customer have the advantage, since he has the money? Not on your life! Even if you buy a new car every two or three years, the salesperson who is about to greet you talks to at least three or four customers EVERY DAY! The dealer has this down to a science, and you don't. This book will tell you what to watch out for, and how the salesperson is trained to control the customer. I became a car salesman after I went shopping for a new pickup truck in 1979, and the dealership offered me a job because the salesperson couldn't control me, and couldn't break me. In fact, I bought another brand entirely, because I got such a great deal. But I just could not turn down the kind of money I could make selling what I knew were the most reliable cars on the road, so I took the job. Every dealership belongs to an organization that employs Psychiatrists and Psychologists to interview customers, and determine what words and phrases the salesperson should use at each point in the selling process. I can help you negotiate the best deal. More than that my experience includes working as parts, service, and warranty claims manager for two smaller sports car dealerships, and as a service writer for a larger dealership, as well as working as a sales representative for three different dealerships in two states. I have also worked as a mobile home sales rep, a motorcycle, ATV, and Personal Watercraft sales rep, parts guru in the same shop, and parts counterman in a boat dealership. This book is twice as long as most books of its kind, and I go into how to not get ripped off by the service department, and how to handle warranty repairs, and I even discuss phony warranty claims, and how you can help the manufacturer control this cost of doing business, which I believe amounts to hundreds of dollars of the sticker price on every new car. Then I tell you how to get the best deal on financing, and whether you should finance or pay cash, if you can afford it. I tell you all about dealership added accessories, like rustproofing, fabric coatings, and paint glaze, and about extended warranties. Topics in this book include: Pay Plan for salespeople, mechanics, and service writers, and how that affects their conduct The Five Principle Steps in selling a car The Test Drive Negotiating the Deal The F & I Guy (Finance and Insurance) aka Customer Service Manager (LOL) Delivery (No, not to your house, at the dealership, but they call it delivery) How to see and read the invoice, or determine the dealer's true cost How to determine the Actual Cash Value of your trade, or any used car The Quota System, and how it affects the dealership and you (including the best month to buy and the best TIME of the month to buy.) Getting the best financing deal Buying a used car Dealing with the Service Department Warranties and Warranty Work How to choose between the dealer and an independent shop for after sales service Keeping an eye out for phony warranty claims The most important thing to look for in test driving a used car, and why you should always do this Why your salesperson is your best asset in the dealership, and why you should not buy a car over the phone or over the internet Dealers who say they have only one price--you can do better at a conventional dealership if you learn to negotiate the best deal "Bird Dog" fees your dealer will be happy to pay you When you have finished reading this book, you will be ready to buy a new or used car, at the best possible price, and what to do when problems arise after the sale. I also suggest that you "practice" buying a car from other dealers before you shop with the dealer you are most interested in buying from. And I advise you to check with friends about what they think of the dealers they bought from, and find out whether there is a high turnover of personnel there.
Jay Hamilton was a freelance photojournalist specializing in motorsports, through most of the 1970s. His work was published in national magazines such as "Cycle Guide" and "Modern Cycle" as well as smaller publications. He had his own darkroom where he processed black and white as well as color photographs, and color slides as well. He still enjoys riding his motorcycles, though he drives a mini van these days, instead of a collection of Bug Eye Sprites that he no longer owns. His collection now is limited to a Chrysler Town and Country, a Honda Shadow 750, a Honda CL-360 from the 1970s and a 1982 Honda Civic Wagovan. He uses digital cameras these days, and would love to have one of those new Lumia 950 phones with the 20 megapixel camera built in. He is a bit of a computer nerd, but does not have the funds to own any real mega computers, though he does have a Galaxy Tab S 8.4" high def tablet, which fits in his pocket and largely takes the place of his Gateway laptop, and an old P4 desktop that he built from scratch. He likes dogs, and very much loved his Chocolate Lab puppy that was dognapped from his home one Sunday morning a couple of years ago. He is looking for a replacement. He also has several Calico cats. He is working on a solar installation to reduce electric costs, and has a Champion 3500 watt generator wired into his power pole through a breaker, so he can manually switch between the power utility and his own power. He is an avid gardener as well. Like the rest of us at Crossroads Publishing, he hopes the sale of his books will supplement the meager check he gets from Social Security (being a freelance photojournalist is not conducive to having a large Social Security check.) He is a hopeless liberal, not at all happy with Republicans, but not fond of Obama either. He fully expects to live well past the age of 90, and is in very good health, and doesn't look anywhere near his real age, which he refuses to disclose.... And yes, he is still single, and expects to remain so.
