Excellent tactic. Love it.

However, if your car manufacted in Japan (by looking at your VIN) then it was
shipped to the States, then you hit the jackpot.

kwon22@gmail.com wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I just had a good Honda buying experience, so I figured I'd share with
>you. In essence, I think the reason that I had a good buy was a
>combined result of the internet shopping tactic and happening to
>getting in touch online with a salesperson with a particular
>personal sales policy.
>
>First, define some variables here.
>X="published" invoice price of my model without any additional
>options including destination charge. "Published" means
>that I got this number from edmunds.com or carsdirect.com.
>Y=Tax, tag, registration, documentation fees
>Z=manufacturer-to-dealer cash incentive per sale of my model
> (happens to be available for the month of my purchase)
>All numbers below are approximate within $100.
>
>At the beginning of the month, I emailed 6 dealers asking for
>their best out-the-door price for my model. In the emails,
>I made clear that I am shopping online and comparing
>several dealers and "undecided" about the method of payment.
>The responses were (in the order of descending price).
>The breakdowns are my interpretations.
>
>Dealer 1: (X+$900)+Y
>Dealer 2: (X+$600)+Y
> --> In about a week after the first quote, this dealer corrected
> their quote to X+Y. I think they decided to pass $600 out
> of Z to me.
>Dealer 3: Car price is X+$100
>Dealer 4, 5: X+Y
>Dealer 6: Car price is X-Z-$200
>
>Dealers 3, 6 did not give me the exact out-the-door price. The price
>from Dealer 6 was too low and therefore I guessed their car
>price does not include destination charge. I asked about it, but
>there was no definite answer from them.
>
>After waiting for three weeks, I sent another email to dealers
>2, 4, and 6 asking for their final best out-the-door price. (I did not
>any method of transportation to dealer 5, so I gave that place
>up.) In the email, I made it clear that I am writing one check
>in full amount of the out-the-door price and I will be walking
>in to the dealership with the lowest price and simply pay and
>pick up. I also gave my willing price in the email saying that
>I am willing to spend X-Z+Y. The final responses were
>
>Dealer 2: X+Y
>Dealer 4: (X-Z+$100)+Y
>Dealer 6: (X-Z-$200)+Y
>
>The interesting part is that dealer 6 could just have accepted
>my price, but did not and stuck to its original quote, which
>turns out to include destination charge. At this point, the dealer
>- no, the salesperson - got my trust (sort of) and my business.
>A couple of days later, I went to dealer 6, wrote a check for
>the quoted price, and drove one home. The salesperson said
>he gives relatively aggressive prices to sell many vehicles
>under his name.
>
>Well, I bought an Accord LX sedan Special Edition. It is interesting
>to me that my final price is slightly lower than the out-the-door
>prices projected from those 'fair values' for a new Civic EX
>sedan. Hmmm. It could be due to that Civics are hot-selling,
>but Accords are not so... Anyways.
>
>The good part for me about internet buying was that I only gave
>them my email address and no phone numbers whatsoever,
>so they could not call me trying to negotiate over the phone or
>make me come to their place first. I just don't like haggling
>in any real-time fashion. I could take time to think over their quotes
>and reply at my convenient time in the privacy of my place.
>
>Finally, this purchase was made in the US. Thanks.

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