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Comment by mysterydip | Hacker News Reader

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mysterydip·

I was sitting at a table at a dealership in process of buying a car and overheard this at the table next to me:

"What's the best price you can give me?"

"Sir, we advertise our lowest prices up front so you don't have any pressure to haggle."

"You can do better than that price."

"... Let me see what I can do."

I believe he got a grand knocked off when it was all said and done.

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There are 2 types of dealers in the US. Lowest price advertised volume dealers who will never give you the advertised prices because you’d have to be a Veteran/new College grad/AARP member and use their shitty financing just to qualify.

The other dealers focus a little more on the experience and will haggle a bit with you. They usually don’t use high pressure tactics but won’t give you the lowest price.

I called 15 dealerships asking about their best price out the door "RIGHT NOW" for specific VIN numbers they had on the lot and only had to yell at one salesperson. Once I got dollar figures, at each generation of the binary search I would call and ask if they could beat the lowest price of the prior generation. In the end I paid well under MSRP for that particular trim level and model.

I wish I had your patience, but I just don't. I find the entire process so insulting to my time and intelligence that I refuse to participate, especially after spending 6 hours -- 6! -- buying a specific EV in the Bay Area.

I also find the personalities of used car salesmen to be so grating that I'd rather do it all over email.

I did everything over the phone and REFUSED to come in until we had a firm price negotiated

Like the other poster said you can deal completely online/over the phone with the dealers internet sales team. I called around for my wife’s car but they would only come down $500 so we went with the original dealer to avoid wasting time.

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