Buying advice needed so I won't get ripped off! :)

Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
$28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
negotiate from??

How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
for effective negotiations?
I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.

Thanks for any advice! :)

On Wed, 24 May 2006 16:56:57 +0000, kelly wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> negotiate from??
>
> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> for effective negotiations?
> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
> Thanks for any advice![/color]

I went to edmunds.com and found out the dealer price for the truck and the
options. The 'dealer' price for the trunk I wanted with the options I
wanted was around 22.5K. They give you the sticker price and what the
dealer pays. Also what people in your area pay for the vehicle your
looking at. It said that people pay about 23.5K for what I wanted.

I also submitted a internet quote using edmunds.com to 4 different, local
dealers.

After I got their email responses, I responded back with the exact details
of what I wanted
4-door
automatic
indigo ink pearl
cruise / power windows
not the off-road or sport package
after a few emails, I got one of them to give me exactly what I wanted
for 22.4K +tax, tile, and license.

I was pretty happy with the whole deal.

The only thing I wish was different was I got cruise without the SR5
package. I think I paid for more stuff that I wanted just to get cruise
control. I'm not sure if they can add cruise after the fact or not.

The Stereo sucks. It is the one with steering wheel mounted controls.
The controls are nice, but it won't play MP3 cds, doesn't have a aux
input, the speakers sound bad and it's not loud enough at MAX. I'm going to
replace the speakers and see if that helps...

--
D.A.M. - Mothers Against Dyslexia

see [url]http://www.jacksnodgrass.com[/url] for my contact info.

jack - Grapevine/Richardson

kelly wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> negotiate from??
>
> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> for effective negotiations?
> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
> Thanks for any advice! :)
>
>[/color]
How much are you selling your old truck for? Where do you live? Do you
have pics? I'm interested in buying a used Toyota.

Read this:

[url]http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html[/url]

And don't get nail with the prep package and some of the other crap
the finance guy will try to unload on you. check the financing at
your bank or credit union that way you will negotiate for the cash
price.


check the following:

[url]www.kbb.com[/url]
[url]www.intellichoice.com[/url]
[url]www.edmunds.com[/url]

They will give you an idea of what the cars are going for and what
incentives are in your area. Check in incentives (and not all of them
show up)
Also check the dealer inventories on line, count the units and see
what and when the units are not moving. If the trucks ain't moving
out the door they may have



On Wed, 24 May 2006 16:56:57 GMT, "kelly" <nospammers@me.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
>a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
>dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
>$28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
>price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
>negotiate from??
>
>How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
>for effective negotiations?
>I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
>Thanks for any advice! :)
>[/color]

Thanks for the input...
Well I'm in the Northeast and after looking again I saw one I liked with
the chrome wheels, performance trimmings, etc... (not TRD pkg), for $28,000
out the door. I also spoke to the salesman about a 3 year lease 20k/mo with
a buyout of around 15k at the end of the lease.
Any feedback??


"kelly" <nospammers@me.com> wrote in message
news:tf0dg.5485$J95.2979@trndny05...[color=blue]
> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except
> with a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in
> on a dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices
> on it, $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested
> retail price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says
> you should negotiate from??
>
> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your
> experiences for effective negotiations?
> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
> Thanks for any advice! :)
>[/color]

"kelly" <nospammers@me.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>"kelly" <nospammers@me.com> wrote in message
>news:tf0dg.5485$J95.2979@trndny05...[color=green]
>> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except
>> with a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in
>> on a dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices
>> on it, $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested
>> retail price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says
>> you should negotiate from??
>>
>> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your
>> experiences for effective negotiations?
>> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>>
>> Thanks for any advice! :)
>>[/color]
>
>Thanks for the input...
>Well I'm in the Northeast and after looking again I saw one I liked with
>the chrome wheels, performance trimmings, etc... (not TRD pkg), for $28,000
>out the door. I also spoke to the salesman about a 3 year lease 20k/mo with
>a buyout of around 15k at the end of the lease.
>Any feedback??
>[/color]
Well, if you're looking to "not getting ripped off", then a lease is pretty much
the wrong way to go. Generalizing a bit, leases are basically for suckers who
can't afford the ride they think they deserve (yeah, I know there are some
business cases where a lease makes sense, but there's almost no good case for an
individual to go that route). If you're planning on hanging onto the ride like
you did your old Taco, you can usually find much better financial arrangements
than a lease.

Without knowing the exact option packages (the stuff on the sticker), it's hard
to make a call as to how good the base price of the rig is.

kelly wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> negotiate from??
>
> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> for effective negotiations?
> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
> Thanks for any advice! :)
>
>[/color]
You generally won't get to see the invoice. That is the
dealership's property, and most like to keep it private. Some will
show it. The posted prices were either the factory price sticker
(expect to pay lower unless that model is in very high demand), the
dealership 2nd sticker (a rip-off that gives them negotating room),
or a sale price.

As the others are saying, check the online sites and online referral
services. You might also telephone or email the fleet sales person
or internet sales person and ask for a price on a truck with your
must-have equipment and without your deal-breaker equipment. The
more open you are about a list of colors and equipment you'll accept
the more trucks you'll have available the the more you can negotiate
with dealerships. If you require only one or two colors and only
certain equipment, few trucks will meet your needs and the
dealerships have an edge.

Keep in mind that negotiations can not happen over just one item.
It can't be just price alone. It has to be price plus something
else. In this case, it is your very real threat to walk away from
the deal. If you aren't willing to give the deal up, you have to
pay their price. Do negotatiate at least a 20% discount on any
Toyota brand accessories you want at that time.

Try to find out most of the scams going on in your region. The
usual ones are--
--mixing together the value of the trade and price of the new one
always to the dealership's advantage and the customer's confusion
(not in your case),
--browbeating and intimidating the customer so they sign anything
just to get out of there,
--lying about the availability of certain options or the functions
of certain truck parts,
--charging a higher than market rate for financing and getting a
kickback for the dealership and salesman,
--phony higher price when the contract is printed,
--phony addition, always in the dealership's favor,
--various unneeded and phony charges on the printed contract,
--all the crap the finance & insurance guy tries to sell including
the extended service plan (so-called extended warranty)
.....do this--take a cup of hot coffee with lots of cream & sugar
into the F&I office. If they print a contract with phony high
prices, "accidentially" spill the coffee into the sleazebag's lap.

--what other scams are going on, folks?

If you decide to lease (usually the most expensive way to get a
vehicle), first negotiate hard on the purchase price. Then
negotiate hard on the "money rate." Don't even tell them that
you'll lease until you have the purchase price ground down as low as
you can. Determine how many miles you'll drive each year and have
that mileage as the base mileage in the lease. Leasing is actually
the vehicle being bought by a financial institution, and you make
payments on the value of the car, interest, and tax each month you
have it. At the end of the lease, you owe for miles that exceed
your contracted mileage, for wear & damage, and a final fee.

IF YOU WANT A FRIEND WHEN BUYING A CAR, BRING YOUR DOG. EVERYONE
THERE ONLY GETS A PAYCHECK FROM MONEY OUT OF YOUR HIDE.


Ken

Ken Shelton wrote:[color=blue]
> kelly wrote:[color=green]
> > Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> > a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> > dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> > $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> > price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> > negotiate from??
> >
> > How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> > for effective negotiations?
> > I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
> >
> > Thanks for any advice! :)
> >
> >[/color]
> You generally won't get to see the invoice. That is the
> dealership's property, and most like to keep it private. Some will
> show it. The posted prices were either the factory price sticker
> (expect to pay lower unless that model is in very high demand), the
> dealership 2nd sticker (a rip-off that gives them negotating room),
> or a sale price.
>
> As the others are saying, check the online sites and online referral
> services. You might also telephone or email the fleet sales person
> or internet sales person and ask for a price on a truck with your
> must-have equipment and without your deal-breaker equipment. The
> more open you are about a list of colors and equipment you'll accept
> the more trucks you'll have available the the more you can negotiate
> with dealerships. If you require only one or two colors and only
> certain equipment, few trucks will meet your needs and the
> dealerships have an edge.
>
> Keep in mind that negotiations can not happen over just one item.
> It can't be just price alone. It has to be price plus something
> else. In this case, it is your very real threat to walk away from
> the deal. If you aren't willing to give the deal up, you have to
> pay their price. Do negotatiate at least a 20% discount on any
> Toyota brand accessories you want at that time.
>
> Try to find out most of the scams going on in your region. The
> usual ones are--
> --mixing together the value of the trade and price of the new one
> always to the dealership's advantage and the customer's confusion
> (not in your case),
> --browbeating and intimidating the customer so they sign anything
> just to get out of there,
> --lying about the availability of certain options or the functions
> of certain truck parts,
> --charging a higher than market rate for financing and getting a
> kickback for the dealership and salesman,
> --phony higher price when the contract is printed,
> --phony addition, always in the dealership's favor,
> --various unneeded and phony charges on the printed contract,
> --all the crap the finance & insurance guy tries to sell including
> the extended service plan (so-called extended warranty)
> ....do this--take a cup of hot coffee with lots of cream & sugar
> into the F&I office. If they print a contract with phony high
> prices, "accidentially" spill the coffee into the sleazebag's lap.
>
> --what other scams are going on, folks?
>
> If you decide to lease (usually the most expensive way to get a
> vehicle), first negotiate hard on the purchase price. Then
> negotiate hard on the "money rate." Don't even tell them that
> you'll lease until you have the purchase price ground down as low as
> you can. Determine how many miles you'll drive each year and have
> that mileage as the base mileage in the lease. Leasing is actually
> the vehicle being bought by a financial institution, and you make
> payments on the value of the car, interest, and tax each month you
> have it. At the end of the lease, you owe for miles that exceed
> your contracted mileage, for wear & damage, and a final fee.
>
> IF YOU WANT A FRIEND WHEN BUYING A CAR, BRING YOUR DOG. EVERYONE
> THERE ONLY GETS A PAYCHECK FROM MONEY OUT OF YOUR HIDE.
>
>
> Ken[/color]

Ken Shelton wrote:[color=blue]
> kelly wrote:[color=green]
> > Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> > a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> > dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> > $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> > price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> > negotiate from??
> >
> > How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> > for effective negotiations?
> > I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
> >
> > Thanks for any advice! :)
> >
> >[/color]
> You generally won't get to see the invoice. That is the
> dealership's property, and most like to keep it private. Some will
> show it. The posted prices were either the factory price sticker
> (expect to pay lower unless that model is in very high demand), the
> dealership 2nd sticker (a rip-off that gives them negotating room),
> or a sale price.
>
> As the others are saying, check the online sites and online referral
> services. You might also telephone or email the fleet sales person
> or internet sales person and ask for a price on a truck with your
> must-have equipment and without your deal-breaker equipment. The
> more open you are about a list of colors and equipment you'll accept
> the more trucks you'll have available the the more you can negotiate
> with dealerships. If you require only one or two colors and only
> certain equipment, few trucks will meet your needs and the
> dealerships have an edge.
>
> Keep in mind that negotiations can not happen over just one item.
> It can't be just price alone. It has to be price plus something
> else. In this case, it is your very real threat to walk away from
> the deal. If you aren't willing to give the deal up, you have to
> pay their price. Do negotatiate at least a 20% discount on any
> Toyota brand accessories you want at that time.
>
> Try to find out most of the scams going on in your region. The
> usual ones are--
> --mixing together the value of the trade and price of the new one
> always to the dealership's advantage and the customer's confusion
> (not in your case),
> --browbeating and intimidating the customer so they sign anything
> just to get out of there,
> --lying about the availability of certain options or the functions
> of certain truck parts,
> --charging a higher than market rate for financing and getting a
> kickback for the dealership and salesman,
> --phony higher price when the contract is printed,
> --phony addition, always in the dealership's favor,
> --various unneeded and phony charges on the printed contract,
> --all the crap the finance & insurance guy tries to sell including
> the extended service plan (so-called extended warranty)
> ....do this--take a cup of hot coffee with lots of cream & sugar
> into the F&I office. If they print a contract with phony high
> prices, "accidentially" spill the coffee into the sleazebag's lap.
>
> --what other scams are going on, folks?
>
> If you decide to lease (usually the most expensive way to get a
> vehicle), first negotiate hard on the purchase price. Then
> negotiate hard on the "money rate." Don't even tell them that
> you'll lease until you have the purchase price ground down as low as
> you can. Determine how many miles you'll drive each year and have
> that mileage as the base mileage in the lease. Leasing is actually
> the vehicle being bought by a financial institution, and you make
> payments on the value of the car, interest, and tax each month you
> have it. At the end of the lease, you owe for miles that exceed
> your contracted mileage, for wear & damage, and a final fee.
>
> IF YOU WANT A FRIEND WHEN BUYING A CAR, BRING YOUR DOG. EVERYONE
> THERE ONLY GETS A PAYCHECK FROM MONEY OUT OF YOUR HIDE.
>
>
> Ken[/color]


If it's any consolation. I paid 26,700 w/o tax and license with the TRD
off road pkg and tow group in SF

Jack Snodgrass wrote:[color=blue]
> On Wed, 24 May 2006 16:56:57 +0000, kelly wrote:
>
> I also submitted a internet quote using edmunds.com to 4 different, local
> dealers.[/color]

I also did the same thing. I emailed and called 4 local dealers, in
trying to get
the best price for what I wanted. I eventually found out that they're
all networked
together, even though they're 'independantly' operated dealerships.
Even though at least one of the dealers had exactly what I wanted, the
dealer I
eventually chose got the vehicle from another out-of-state dealer.
[color=blue]
> I was pretty happy with the whole deal.[/color]

I wasn't very happy at all with my deal, or anything related to it.
I've bought 3 trucks from that dealer, but never again.

I'm constantly getting these stupid fake advertisements from Toyota for
non-existant bargains or rewards. ----they do nothing but piss me off.

Salesman told me; "get a cup of coffee" ----machine was broke.

Dealer advertised free food that day ----for the employees, cause no
customers
got any. ----guess they're trying to wear you down.

Salesman offered me 1/2 the trade-in value 2 independant Web based
appraisers
said the vehicle was worth. ----I told them to forget that. Their final
offer was
about 2/3rd's of appraisal.

Another salesman asked me if I was happy with my experience there. ---I
told
her, "no was wasn't".

Salesman told me he made $100,000 last year. ----not bad for being a
slimeball.

Saleswoman arrogantly said she'd see me there next year. ----I said,
"you'll
never see me here again".

Then Toyota corporate calls me asking me to answer questions. ----I
told them,
"look, I'm not doing your job for you. Figure it out".

Then to top it off, the salesman wants me to fill out some form telling
Toyota what
a great job he did! -----I don't think so.

The bottom line is I know I paid more than should have.

My advice for anyone shopping for new auto is;
begin shopping at the earlist date as possible, don't be in a rush.
Time is on your side.
If your not happy with the deal they're giving you, or the
experience.....walk out
the door. Tell them to give you call when they have the deal your
looking for and not to waste your time with deals your not looking for.

kelly wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello, I'm ready to sell my 98 Tacoma (124k) and get another one except with
> a double cab which gives much more room in the back seat. I popped in on a
> dealer in my area and the sticker on one of the Tacomas had 2 prices on it,
> $28,000 and then $25,000 'suggested retail price'. Is the suggested retail
> price the same as the invoice price which is where everyone says you should
> negotiate from??
>
> How can I negotiate the best deal for this truck? What are your experiences
> for effective negotiations?
> I'm going to sell my truck on my own so I won't be trading in anything.
>
> Thanks for any advice! :)
>
>[/color]

1. As a general negotiation tactic, start out by walking out or
attempting to - I guarantee the salesperson won't let you. Tell them
that you think their prices are not just too high, but way too high.
This will get you to their best price right away. But mean it - start
to walk out, then let them persuade you.

2. Do your homework, know what your truck and the new truck are worth
(black book) and go from there.

3. Once you have agreed on a price & terms, WATCH OUT. At this point
the fun may begin at some dealerships, as part of the final process they
will try to sell you the extras like the extended warranty & the extra
plastic coating. Have a look at the options on the trucks in the
showroom, they will try to sell you the extra coatings, etc. Some of
these items are worthwhile, others are just high-profit add-ons.

4. Finally if you smell a rat, walk out.

Good luck

Jim