For most people, getting their very first car is an expensive deal. Walking into the dealership and seeing all the sticker prices on the car can be overwhelming. It’s not just the initial car price that’s expensive, either. It’s the insurance, the MOT, the prices of gas – which we all know are rising rapidly right now. Trying to get the right price on your car doesn’t have to be difficult, especially if you learn how to haggle with the car dealers. Yes, you can haggle the price of your car!
If you want a car at the best possible price, haggling is the answer. Whether you go to a used car dealership or you go online and buy from a private seller, you can haggle. It’s often easier to haggle with the car dealerships than a private seller but negotiating the price of your car can be done. Knowing how to haggle for a used car is the best way to get your car at the best price. Below, we put together some tips to help you to embark on your haggling adventure.
- First, consider your timing. Did you know that there is the best time of year to buy your car? September and March can be the best months to buy a used car, because these are the months that follow the launch of new number plates. Not only that, but March can be the time of sales right before Easter and after the winter, and September is prime time summer sales month. It’s often in these times that people will exchange the old cars for a new one, which means dealers can find themselves with a high stock of cars that they want to get rid of. This makes the prime time for you to have money off of your car.
- Next, know the list prices. When you go to the dealership, they have big fluorescent colored stickers on the cars with the cost of the car on the stickers. You could also go online and check the big chain dealership websites. You can compare the costs of the car you would like to buy with the dealership cost plus costs around the area in other dealerships. If you notice that the dealership is more expensive than going online, you can point this out to the dealer, and often they might bring the price down.
- Know your specs. If you know the specification of the car that you would like, make your mind up about that early on. Know it, and do not allow yourself to be talked down from that to the cheapest price. The whole point here is to get the model that you want for the lowest price. If you are talked down on the price, you’re going to spend more money on the lesser model.
- Simply ask. If you want to haggle down the car price from the sticker cost, don’t even visit the showroom. Email the dealership or phone them up before you waste your time. Tell them the make and the model of the car you want and ask them for the best possible options. Of course, you could sign up for a lot of emails later on, but it’s a good way to cut to the chase.