Honda Car Forum

Hi,
Just to add some info on my trade-in. Although some say negotiating my
trade-in and the new car at the same time was a mistake, I still think
I got a decent price for my trade in. The blue book (kbb) amount for
trade-in was 18,800 (in good condition, not excellent) and they payed
me 20,500 (that's what I asked them). The front bumper had a dent, so
it needed to be changed, the tires needed to be replaced, etc.

Anyway I'm sure they got the difference back with my new car. I just
found out about a person in California that got the exact same car VP
automatic tranny for $600 less (he got it at below invoice). It seems
invoice price doesn't mean much anymore.

Somebody asked me for the name of the dealer, I would prefer just to
say that I'm in Southern Ohio. Actually these cars are built in Ohio,
so I think I should have gotten a better price than the person in
California.

Anyway, let me add that at the dealer they had the Kally Blue Book web
page (kbb.com) in their PCs for any customer to check on their trade-in
values. I tried to access carpoint.com but the browser sent a message
"Access Restricted", or something like that. They also printed me the
value of my trade-in from kbb. com to show me. My question is, if they
are so willing to show kbb.com values, is kbb more on the dealers side?
or on the customers side? or are they neutral as Consumers Report. I
didn't trust very much those trade-in values they showed me.

In article <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
"pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Just to add some info on my trade-in. Although some say negotiating my
> trade-in and the new car at the same time was a mistake, I still think
> I got a decent price for my trade in.

1) It's not ALWAYS a mistake, but it's a very weak point in the whole
deal. Eliminate the weak points.

2) you THINK you got a decent price. Remember, it's the salesman's job
to find out what your hot buttons are and where you are weak. He
discovered that he could get you on the trade-in price, while giving you
what you wanted on whatever your hot button was (new car price, discount
off of "invoice", extra accessories, interest rate, whatever).

Remember, the more things he has to work with, the more likely he--a
professional at this--will succeed at getting the TOTAL deal he needs to
send himself to Hawaii.

If you deal with him on ONE THING ONLY, like the selling price of the
car, you are on much more equal footing. And if you decide on your
maximum price beforehand, and walk out the door when he makes it clear
he won't come down that far, then you are in TOTAL control of the deal.

But, the sheeple being stupid as they are, they generally don't walk
out. And the salesman knows that. He just beats you down a little at a
time, while your weakened state of strong desire makes you just say "aw,
screw it, where do I sign".

And when he has the old car, the new car, the trade, and the financing
to work with...he finds the things that slide right past you and he
pumps those up, while "giving in" on the things you seem to want to
focus on.

He does it several times a day, 6 days a week. He's GOOD at that. You?
You do it once every few years at the most. You're BAD at it.

So you learn how not to play his game, how to turn the game to YOUR
rules. Rule number 1: you have a max price you're willing to pay.
Rule number 2: you walk out regardless if he won't make that price or
lower.

But then he wants to jack things around with the financing, so that you
end up paying huge amounts for the car. Why do you think he won't shut
up about "what monthly payment are you looking for?" If you recognize
that question as legitimate, that's what he'll go for--because he can
hide EVERYTHING in a monthly payment.

Just say no. "Well, how much does it cost?" Don't say you'll get your
money elsewhere; make him give a final selling price for the car while
he assumes you'll finance it through him. At the end, when he asks for
a credit app, that's when you tell him, "No thanks, I'll just bring a
check." He may have THOUGHT he could get a little extra by selling the
financing (he gets a commission on that, too, you know), but he was
wrong--and now he can't go back and jerk the price of the car back up,
because he's already put it in writing.

But if you let him jerk all the numbers around all at once, he'll come
out with a maximum paycheck and you'll have spent another $5K that you
weren't planning on spending.

In article <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
"pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Somebody asked me for the name of the dealer, I would prefer just to
> say that I'm in Southern Ohio. Actually these cars are built in Ohio,
> so I think I should have gotten a better price than the person in
> California.

Nope. Not at all. That's not how it works. The transportation fee is
set in stone, and it's the same in Ohio as it is in California.

In article <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
"pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Anyway, let me add that at the dealer they had the Kally Blue Book web
> page (kbb.com) in their PCs for any customer to check on their trade-in
> values. I tried to access carpoint.com but the browser sent a message
> "Access Restricted", or something like that.

BIG warning bells should have rung in your head, and you should have
walked out.

You got taken--but the salesman was so good, you think you didn't.

That's his job, and he succeeded. And you spent more money than you had
to, I can guarantee.

In article <elmop-EC84AC.10564027112005@nntp2.usenetserver.com>, "Elmo P.
Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:

> In article <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
> "pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Somebody asked me for the name of the dealer, I would prefer just to
> > say that I'm in Southern Ohio. Actually these cars are built in Ohio,
> > so I think I should have gotten a better price than the person in
> > California.
>
> Nope. Not at all. That's not how it works. The transportation fee is
> set in stone, and it's the same in Ohio as it is in California.

Believe it or not, some (if not all) of the Honda cars sold in California
were built in Japan. I have a 1999 Accord and I found out that it was
built in Japan. One poster told me that it was less expensive to import
them from Japan than it was to transport them on trucks from Ohio. The
poster was probably guessing--I don't know the real reason. I do know that
special pollution control equipment is on all new cars sold in California.
The reason that my car was built in Japan instead of Ohio might be related
to the pollution equipment.
Jason

--
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Jason <jason@nospam.com> wrote in rec.autos.makers.honda:

> In article <elmop-EC84AC.10564027112005@nntp2.usenetserver.com>,
> "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
>
>> In article
>> <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
>> "pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Somebody asked me for the name of the dealer, I would prefer
>> > just to say that I'm in Southern Ohio. Actually these cars are
>> > built in Ohio, so I think I should have gotten a better price
>> > than the person in California.
>>
>> Nope. Not at all. That's not how it works. The transportation
>> fee is set in stone, and it's the same in Ohio as it is in
>> California.
>
> Believe it or not, some (if not all) of the Honda cars sold in
> California were built in Japan. I have a 1999 Accord and I found
> out that it was built in Japan. One poster told me that it was
> less expensive to import them from Japan than it was to transport
> them on trucks from Ohio. The poster was probably guessing--I
> don't know the real reason. I do know that special pollution
> control equipment is on all new cars sold in California. The
> reason that my car was built in Japan instead of Ohio might be
> related to the pollution equipment.
> Jason
>

Mine was built in Canada.

--
Brandy**Alexandre®
http://www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

In article <jason-2711051113430001@pm4-broad-34.snlo.dialup.fix.net>,
jason@nospam.com (Jason) wrote:

> > Nope. Not at all. That's not how it works. The transportation fee is
> > set in stone, and it's the same in Ohio as it is in California.
>
> Believe it or not, some (if not all) of the Honda cars sold in California
> were built in Japan.

Honda doesn't guarantee that the Accord you buy is from Ohio; some are
from Japan, for whatever reason.

And the sticker price and transportation fee is identical, whether it
came from Japan or Ohio.

Jason wrote:
>
> In article <elmop-EC84AC.10564027112005@nntp2.usenetserver.com>, "Elmo P.
> Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <1133105809.491148.78470@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
> > "pichula" <kansas4451@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Somebody asked me for the name of the dealer, I would prefer just to
> > > say that I'm in Southern Ohio. Actually these cars are built in Ohio,
> > > so I think I should have gotten a better price than the person in
> > > California.
> >
> > Nope. Not at all. That's not how it works. The transportation fee is
> > set in stone, and it's the same in Ohio as it is in California.
>
> Believe it or not, some (if not all) of the Honda cars sold in California
> were built in Japan. I have a 1999 Accord and I found out that it was
> built in Japan.

----------------------------


The 'J' on the front of your VIN is the proof that it came from Japan.
It's also printed on the stickers on the driver's door pillar. I've
never owned a non-J, but I'm in Canada.

'Curly'

SoCalMike wrote:
> Bozo wrote:
>
>>> You have three transactions: new car sale, old car sale, and money
>>> sale. Letting one guy quarterback all three of them is crazy.
>>>
>> Not always true. For example if he really needs the sale he may be
>> prepared to reduce the sales price a little IF he gets the finance as
>> well.
>>
>> As to the trade-in, you may get a few more dollars with a private
>> sale, but sell to the dealer and no haggling etc
>>
>
>
> id only trade in something i wanted to unload quickly, like if the car
> had a knocking rod, or a failing tranny.


I've been able to get rid of two junk cars for decent trade ins in the
past. I love screwing dealers. My sister traded in a Neon that died in
fog of smoke as they drove it away from the front door, after she had
signed the papers.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 22:12:37 -0800, SoCalMike
<Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Gordon McGrew wrote:
>> Others mentioned keeping the new car and trade-in deals separate.
>> Part of that is knowing not only what is a good price on new car
>> (which you seem to have done) but also knowing what is a fair price on
>> the trade-in, what Car Max would pay you for it, and what is a fair
>> private party sale price.
>
>i thought carmax bought strictly at low blue book tradein value.

I don't know exactly how they calculate the value but at least they
give you a bona fide offer to use as a basis. If the dealer discounts
the new car price and tries to screw you on the trade-in, at least you
have a minimum price that you know you can get for the old car.