How To Buy Your Next New Car Online And Get Best Possible Price

A friend just sent me a link to a presentation by a gentleman named Rob Gruhl at the Ignite Conference in Seattle a few years ago.

http://consumerist.com/2009/12/buy-a-new-car-without-getting-ripped-off.html#comments

It's quick, clear and concise and hits on some great points. Very well done.

Selfishly, almost everything he is touches on are the consumer pain points that led to our creation of AutoBidsOnline.com. Watch the video and pay particular attention to the following:

Says Rob: Give yourself a lot of time - two full weekends.
Says ABOL: Screw that. Use online dealer competition to minimize your time.

Says Rob: Get pre-approved for financing from local bank or credit union.
Says ABOL: Absolutely! The dealer may have better financing but you need to have a pre-approved loan (or cash budget) prior to negotiations.

Says Rob: Don't trade in your old car at the dealership.
Says ABOL: Absolutely - if you have the stomach and financial ability to sell privately. However, if you don't want to go through that hassel, at least get a guaranteed buy bid from CarMax and/or AutoTrader. Your local bank or credit union may give you a bid as well. If the dealer will match your best price, then it will be much easier to trade with the dealer. He does the title work and pays off any existing loan. Just make sure you are getting a reasonable deal before trading with the dealer.

Says Rob: Select 3 (or more) different cars to increase your options.
Says ABOL: Absolutely! It is amazing how emotionally attached people get to a car. Dealers use this to their advantage. However, it is equally amazing how quickly the newness wears off that new car and the emotional attachment withers away. There are very likely several cars in your desired class that will provide similar performance. Try to focus on the one that provides you with the best VALUE and you will be way ahead when it comes time to trade in 2-4 years.

Says Rob: Don't buy a car when you test drive.
Says ABOL: ABSOLUTELY!

Says Rob: Call up to 8-10 dealers to get into a competitive bidding situation.
Says ABOL: Screw that. Submit an anonymous buy bids at AutoBidsOnline and let dealers compete to be the first one to meet it.

Says Rob: Get the "drive it off the lot" price.
Says ABOL: Absolutely. We call it the cash price. If I paid you cash out of my wallet today, how much do I need to hand you to get title to the car?

Says Rob: Stick to your guns!
Says ABOL: Absolutely. However, the beauty of ABOL is the consumer's ability to rate the dealer experience.

Says Rob: Say no in the back room.
Says ABOL: Don't ever ENTER the back room. Arrange for delivery of your new car at your local bank branch, home or office.

How To Get Best Price For Your Next New Car

Massive rebates are coming into the market on the heels of the government's Cash for Clunkers (or CARS program). With dealers literally starving for new sales, now may very well be historic times for the new car shopper.

As you set about buying your next new car, you are probably wondering the best way to establish the true market value and secure the best possible price.

Edmunds.com has done very well with their True Market Value figures or TMV. There is also a new site www.truecar.com that can help as well.

Regardless, true market value pricing is important to know so you can set realistic expectations about how much your new car is really worth.

Set your price at AutoBidsOnline.com and let dealers compete to meet it. Compared to requesting a "free" quote, you can quickly see how AutoBids delivers much more competitive pricing than other car buying sites.

When dealers respond to your buy bid, you control the negotiation and spend zero time playing the dealer sales game. By knowing the true value of your car, you take the uncertainty out of the deal.

You may think that dealers will shy away from these offers, assuming that they can make more money selling to someone else. Of course, dealers are in the business to make money, so they are not likely to accept offers that equate to a loss for their dealership. But money is money. Even if you are only offering a small profit for your dealer based on the price you want to buy at, a speedy transaction is often well worth consideration for the dealer.

Additionally, AutoBids dealers know you are serious about buying now. They too grow tired of online tire-kickers much as you grow tired of all the dealership "games".

Our dealers are willing at competitive prices because they are assured of a quick turn. AutoBids deals require considerably less time than the traditional type of sale. When a dealer doesn’t need to spend time selling to you, their workload is significantly reduced.

So spend the time necessary to determine the true market value of your next car but submit it as a buy bid at AutoBidsOnline.com. You'll save a ton of time and get a great deal too.