I own a Prius!!

I bought my car today. Even though they give you the "we don't negotiate on Prius'" speech, they do.

I went in the dealership with the researched price they paid.

I waited until after they gave me my $500 discount for working for the bank. Then I made them honor a random internet coupon I found somewhere for another $500.

I refused to pay their $589.00 administration fee. They told me it was non-negotiable and covered all the administration I saw around me. I asked for an itemized list of the charges that made up the amount and they would have rathered give me the $589 than do that. They agreed to add $600 to the value of my trade-in to cover it.

At one point I made them remove $4 from the price for something that seemed weird. They thought I was joking. They learned I was not. I actually got up to walk out the door over the $4.

In the end I got the $25k Prius for $22500. They gave me $9200 as a trade in on my 2004 Grand Am that I bought 11 months ago for $10k.

Overall, I think I did okay.

Very cool, Neehai. You'll have to let us know how you like driving a hybrid. I'm hoping my current vehicle will last a few more years but I'd really like to get something greener next time around.

Did they charge you for air in your tires and a full tank of gas? That would have been on the admin charges.

What was the $4.00 charge for that you refused to pay? Curious minds want to know.


Nice price on the trade-in though.

I find the fact that he talked down the price of a Prius shocking.

I'm really shocked too. I would have let you walk out the door. Most dealers have waiting lists on the hybrids and sell out of them instantly.

Good job on the talk down. They won't charge you extra for undercaoting and keys. LOL

I thought it said "I own a Penis!!" and I was like --duh!

Talking down a hybrid, This is amazing, Well done

You did an outstanding job. I want you to negotiate for me when I buy a new car. I like the bit where you had them pull the 4 bucks, lol. I wish I could have seen that, I hate car dealers.

Enjoy that new Prius, they are very nice autos, quiet, roomy and great for scooting around town. I also like the little computer info screen thing. Looks cool.

••••

Heh, I've known people that say "I'm not buying a car to advertise your dealership, either discount X amount or remove your decal".

Okay, I hesitate saying this because I know some of you think I am already a little crazy. Maybe you are right.

I did plan things out a little bit. But I figure they had a whole team working to charge me a higher price, so I needed backup.

Day 1: I sent my friend to the dealership in her old car to look at a new Land Cruiser. While she is there, she remarks about the Prius and how she has a friend who would love one. Naturally the dealer suggest she bring him in. In the interim, she is "this close" to buying the $55k vehicle. Unfortunately they don't have what she needs on the lot. She goes to research on the website and will come back tomorrow.

Day 2: She comes back with the printouts of the specs she wants for the car. The salesman is very excited. Her friend calls her while she is there and she invited him for advice on what she wants. I am nearby so I agree to stop in. "He's the one that would love the Prius," she says.

I arrive and help her look at the car. It was almost torture waiting for the greedy salesman to bring up the Prius.

Meanwhile my friend thinks she has the perfect vehicle. She takes the paperwork all the way to the limit. I look at the Prius and am in love. She needs to get with her bank to arrange the financing. When she gets the check she will bring it in to complete the purchase.

Day 3: I arrive alone to look at the Prius again. I really want it but am so fragile and inexperienced with car buying. I think they are always trying to rip me off. I even call my friend with the big ticket purchase to discuss my angst within earshot.

At this point I negotiate some of the discounts.

Day 4: I come back to buy a car. I negotiate hard. My friend "got her check" to finalize the purchase of her vehicle and will be in that night after she leaves work. I purchase my car and negotiate hard. I call again to worry that I am being ripped off and maybe this isn't the best dealership. She thinks I may be right. Maybe we both moved to fast.

I negotiate the final discounts and make my purchase.

Strangely, my friend seems to have lost interest in a new car purchase. Some people can be so fickle and unpredictable.

At the end of the day, Prius or not, I bought a MSRP $25k car. She was going to buy an MSRP $55k car. If people are willing to use their greed against you, the easiest thing is to use their greed against them.

So you had your friend pretend to be interested in a 55K car so you could talk them down as low as possible on a 25K and get it for below MSRP when they could have sold it for above MSRP? Also screwing some sales person out a commission and wasting their time?


Nice to see liberal morals in action.

The salesperson certainly didn't have to accept that price. It's also unlikely that the salesperson lost the commission - it may have made it smaller, but you can't blame a customer for haggling a good deal. The dealer could have easily said "No thanks".

To be fair, they, being the car dealership, are trying very hard to screw YOU, too.

Now you can put a bumper sticker saying "I don't fart at red lights"

Neehai, you did a kick ass job!! Enjoy your Prius and be proud.

Eboni,
They still get a pretty good commission. They weren't screwed out of that damn much. They WILL still be able to feed their families, so I wouldn't feel too badly for them. Neehai did a great job haggling on that car. He should gloat!!

Let us know how the car handles. I've been wanting one of those since they came out. It's weird to hear no engine noise at a red light. Reminds me of a golf cart!

I'm just curious if it has the same "oomph" of a gas engine. And what it's like dealing with repairs N stuff.

So far my lil' 2002 Cavalier SPort Coupe has been doing fine for me. Easy on gas. Only thing I did so far was change oil a few times, replaced the tires. So far it's a decent car.

I had a friend who was a car salesman. From talking to him, I can tell you YES they ARE out to screw you at dealerships.

Ahh Neehai you'll love your Prius ! I ordered mine December 2004 and it was delivered 4 months later... but it was certainly worth the wait

The only thing that *really* bugs me, is that you can't put a heavy bag on the passenger seat because the damn car will keep beeping ( and increase the volume ! ) to let you know the passenger must wear a seat belt *wink*

I've driven my grandmother's (who is a speed-demon, btw) and I was very surprised at the pickup. Not like an 8-cylinder, obviously - but very strong for a 4-cylinder. It's also very cool to roll from a stop using electric only - spooookie!

Conservatives told me I had no morals. I believed them.

You lie.

When have you ever believed a conservative?

Liberal morals in action? Nevermind.

That was brilliant, using your friend as a bargaining chip. Car dealers make a habit out of screwing honest people in the butt. Having them only get you a little in the eye isn't something to feel bad about. Good Job!

Dealers will used other people as a barganing chip. They say, "Well I have another guy looking at that same car" stuff like that.

Nice caper on the dealer. Reverse bait and switch, very clever.

Beyond the whole "They do it to you" angle... The guy was an idiot. There's an old saying that covers this:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

The general lesson from that saying is this: don't get so greedy at the promise of an even greater reward that you screw up.

The got greedy, the guy payed the price.

Oh, the $4 I demanded off the price was based on the mileage on the car.

The car had 4 miles on it. I wanted them to deduct a dollar for every mile it had been driven. It was completely irrational, but I just wanted to see if I could get away with it.

At some point it turned into a game for me and that allowed me to find a comfort zone. We all find ways to cope with potential stress I suppose.

And you're right, I've never believed a conservative. That was just a lie.