Question: You say not to talk about a trade-in until after the price for the vehicle I'm buying is determined, so how do I handle it when a car salesman asks me if I'm trading?

August 25, 2005

Dear Tony

I love your advice about buying a car, but I have a question about your trade-in advice:

You say not to talk about a trade-in until after the price for the vehicle I'm buying is determined. How do I handle it when a salesman asks me right off the bat, "Will you be trading in a vehicle with this sale?"

I find that they ALWAYS ask me this before we even start talking price.

Chris

Answer:

Hi Chris,

I know Chris, they ALWAYS ask about a trade. What scoundrels they are!

A well trained sales person will always ask about a trade, about a down payment and how much you can afford a month. This is how they take control of the deal to maximize THEIR Profit.

And always remember . . .that is all they care about; how much profit THEY can make off of you.

So, in order to maximize YOUR Savings instead, you can't negotiate the way they want you to.

When they ask if you have a trade - and I certainly don't advocate lying to them . . . even though many of them will lie to you - you'll have to say something along the lines of: "I only want to negotiate a selling price on this car. That's all I'm interested in." Use this same tactic if they try to get you negotiating a payment.

At this point you're throwing the sales person for a loop, so he or she will probably go to the sales manager for help. They may go along with you, or they might get more aggressive trying to find out what your situation is.

If they become too obnoxious go to another dealer. There are plenty of dealers out there who would love your business.

Remember, walking out is your ultimate control mechanism!

If you give in and do things their way it will cost you. Just be firm with them and refuse to be distracted off of your game plan. I promise you...they certainly have a game plan of their own.

All my very best...

Tony Iorio