Car Buying Tip: The Best Time to LIE is Now

Almost all of the manufacturers and their dealers say the same thing during many of their commercials.

"Now is the best time to buy."
"Don't wait. This offer will pass you by!"
"Hurry, before the best deals are gone."



As buyers, it's in our best interests to wait for the absolute best deals. That's a no brainer. The tough part is sifting through the good deals to get to the great deals. If every deal is the best according to the advertising, how can we recognize the real gems?

First, a bit of history about how it works. The car business is impatient. All of them, from the CEO down to the salesperson, wants action immediately. They are compelled to "whip the horse" at all times. It's a constant sprint despite the fact that they are in it for the long haul. Thus, all advertising, all inquiries, and all contacts are treated in a way that will generate revenue in the shortest time possible.

The way that consumers can get the very best deal is to lie. No, I don't mean the lies propogated by other car buying advice websites, such as hiding the trade until the last minute, getting financing ahead of time and not telling the dealer, or making up numbers that you were "quoted." I'm referring to lying about the urgency of your purchase.

Set up an email account specifically for your inquiries. Once you've identified the make and/or model that you want, start contacting everyone and their dog from the dealers to the manufacturers to the third party websites such as Edmunds and Automotive. When prompted about time-frame on making a purchase, check the box for "Now."

Why? The simple fact is that people who are in the market today are the ones that get the most attention. They are the ones that can put money in everyone's pocket. They are forces to be reckoned with and demand attention.

After this is established, it's time to switch gears and wait. You should receive a ton of responses. Stress the fact that you are looking for the absolute best deal. Be polite in your responses, keep in contact regularly, and let them know that you can pull the trigger at any moment.

The deals will roll in. Compare them with each other. Research them on the Internet. Then, you wait again. What are you waiting for? You want the best deal, right? When the best deal arrives, EVERYONE you've contacted will let you know in unison.

In 2006, Ford was really pushing their low interest rates. It wasn't making a dent because almost everyone had low interest rates available at the time. So, they announced very abruptly that they were offering 0% for 72 months on most makes and models. This sent a ripple effect through the industry. In a week, I received contacts from everyone I'd been in contact with: several dealers, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury, three 3rd party websites, and even a classified website. This resounding proclamation told me what I needed to know: this was the real deal.

In conclusion, don't lie to car dealers just because you think they are lying to you. BUT, it's acceptable to feign your interest to get on the lists that will let you know that the real "best time to buy is now!"

Car Buying Tips

New Campaign Uses Penguins to Save Environment

Okay, so this has nothing to do with car buying tips, advice, or even dealing with car dealers. Please indulge me, as this is hilarious.

The American Bus Association has launched a new campaign with brochures featuring penguins as the reason we should take the bus. By taking the bus, we will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help stop the destruction of the penguin habitat. Now, while I am definitely in favor of saving the environment, this newest promotion to "go green" strikes me as hilarious.

Clever, yes, but ultimately, our motivation as humans is to save ourselves. The penguins will get hit first if we don't improve, but let's look at the big picture. We want to live. We want our children and their children to live. It's a cute ploy, but is it really the best approach to get more people out of their cars and onto buses?

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Before the Dealer, Try the Automotive Classifieds

In this competitive market, car dealers are starting to rely more and more on third party websites to generate leads. They need to be in front of the customers in any way they can, so having their inventories available on automotive websites is important.

The consumer can take advantage of this. There is, of course, the obvious benefit of being able to search through multiple inventories simultaneously, but there is one thing that people don't often know. Because internet departments are often fighting to justify their budgets, leads that come to them from automotive classified websites are often "worked harder" so they can have stronger statistics.

In other words, you may be able to work a slightly better deal going through these automotive portals than you would have had you gone straight to the dealer. Sound crazy? It absolutely isn't.

Try it. You'll probably be surprised.

Car Buying Guide