It's amazing to drive without a cracked windshield and broken air conditioner for the first time in six years! Plus, this car actually has a CD player and hazard lights (unlike my old one which no longer had such things after the tragic break-in of 2007).
Looking for a new car was nothing short of a nightmare. It was so stressful! Walking into a car dealership is like playing poker, at which I suck. Well, okay, I don't totally suck, but I have zero poker face. If only I could have bought the car online...and for fake money, like I do on Full Tilt.
Luckily, my good friend, Keith Lenart, taught me how to barter (we had many practice sessions). And he told me to treat the salespeople like hecklers. "Don't let them have the last word, and never let them win!" was his advice.
After dealing with several salespeople who either insulted me (one called me "hon" and then implied that I was super privileged with rich parents who bought me a brand new car) or tried to sell me a piece of junk (one honestly tried to get me to buy a car with a dent already in it), I ended up buying my car from a very sweet woman who wasn't in the least bit pushy.
Dealing with her was great, although it was much harder to see her as a nasty heckler because she was so nice. Plus, the negotiating seemed to take FOREVER and they tried every trick that Kelley Blue Book and every other car website said they would.
But, in the end, I still was able to get $900.00 off the sale price (it was already reduced by $2,000.00 from the original price).
Here's hoping this one will get to 365,000 miles, too!
I feel sorry for your bad experiences with salespeople. Anyway, just be thankful that all your efforts paid off in the end. You were able to purchase a new car within your budget. I hope that first-time car buyers will have the attitude like yours, so they can make the right decision.
ReplyDelete-Lexus of Lansing