What's the best way to get a car that's a good deal?

[jutes]

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So, you missed out on a truck you were completely willing to buy simply because you refused to carry 65 pieces of laminated paper to get the deal done??!
What? You were scared that you'd be mugged by "teh boogeyman" in the limited time window between your bank and the deal location? That's insecure! I walk around daily with roughly $1k in my wallet absolutely problem-free, all day, every day. This is Canada, not Kandahar! Carry cash and seal deals.
Plus - LoL at the "security" of bank drafts. There is zero standard in what a bank draft needs to look like and what standard security encryptions need to be in place. I've never been more stressed out in my life than when I sold a $17k Ford on a bank draft and learned how ludicrously sketchy this instruments are.
If you want deals - cash gets it done. Period.

Don't be an idiot. Like I said in my previous post I don't have access to cash in those amounts on a whim. Plus I'm not going to open a local bank account just so I can make vehicle purchases every few years. No one uses cash anymore and I'm not going out of my way to withdraw 65 pieces of paper just so the seller can deposit it back into his account. If he can do that with cash he could've done that with a draft. I'm not the one losing out, there are hundreds of trucks for me to pick from.

[rx7boi]

Just came across a 2012 G37XS coupe with 85k km. Sunridge Mazda is asking $19,980, not a terrible deal.

Going in after work to scope it out.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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80-90% do. If you’ve given your word and they have a good feeling most people have no problems doing it. It’s important to word it as “if the item is as you describe, then we have a deal” because if you show up and find major problems you probably won’t want it.

I find it very hard to believe that 80-90% of people will pull their ad on word alone and not a cash deposit. The "word" of people on Kijiji/Trader is worthless 99% of the time in my experience. I would never pull an ad without a deposit, regardless how serious they seemed - if someone shows up with actual money, they move to the front of the line, and I need an active ad for that to happen.

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Just came across a 2012 G37XS coupe with 85k km. Sunridge Mazda is asking $19,980, not a terrible deal.

Going in after work to scope it out.

The part that stings is they probably paid around $12-14K for that, and you have to pay GST and they will try to scam an admin fee on top of whatever sale price you negotiate. If you end up liking it, try to find out how much work they had to do to it to make it sale-ready (they probably did literally nothing), and you might be able to use that to your advantage in negotiations.

[rx7boi]

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I find it very hard to believe that 80-90% of people will pull their ad on word alone and not a cash deposit. The "word" of people on Kijiji/Trader is worthless 99% of the time in my experience. I would never pull an ad without a deposit, regardless how serious they seemed - if someone shows up with actual money, they move to the front of the line, and I need an active ad for that to happen.




The part that stings is they probably paid around $12-14K for that, and you have to pay GST and they will try to scam an admin fee on top of whatever sale price you negotiate. If you end up liking it, try to find out how much work they had to do to it to make it sale-ready (they probably did literally nothing), and you might be able to use that to your advantage in negotiations.

Thanks Mark. I was definitely trying to figure that part out.

I hate buying from dealerships but I was thinking that if they'd consider somewhere around $19k OTD then I may take it. The advantage is that I'm not desperate for a new car and at the same time, they may very well say no and take their chances. It's the middle of summer right now, these cars don't come along frequently with lower mileage, and all they need is one sucker who doesn't mind paying what they're asking.

[lilmira]

I don't take deposit. If you want to buy it just buy it. I will hold it for 1/2 day or so for you to figure out the payment. If you can't do that it goes to the next person. The ad stays until the car is gone.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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I don't take deposit. If you want to buy it just buy it. I will hold it for 1/2 day or so for you to figure out the payment. If you can't do that it goes to the next person. The ad stays until the car is gone.

If someone offered you $500-$1000 or whatever to hold it for a day or two you wouldn't take that? If they don't come back, that is pretty good return on your time. If they do come back, you get the sale. Unless you have people lining up at your door to buy (obviously no need for a deposit in that scenario), deposits are usually pretty reasonable IMHO.

[lilmira]

From my experience, serious buyer will just buy it. The ones who couldn't make the decision for whatever reason don't like to forfeit the deposit so it's pointless. It's just way easier without deposit, I'm not obligated to do anything. On the other hand, I will hold it for you to go get fund within reason. In the mean time, someone shows up and offers me more, I won't ask you to match the higher offer. I don't play that game.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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I find it very hard to believe that 80-90% of people will pull their ad on word alone and not a cash deposit. The "word" of people on Kijiji/Trader is worthless 99% of the time in my experience. I would never pull an ad without a deposit, regardless how serious they seemed - if someone shows up with actual money, they move to the front of the line, and I need an active ad for that to happen.




The part that stings is they probably paid around $12-14K for that, and you have to pay GST and they will try to scam an admin fee on top of whatever sale price you negotiate. If you end up liking it, try to find out how much work they had to do to it to make it sale-ready (they probably did literally nothing), and you might be able to use that to your advantage in negotiations.

I do this professionally and I’m up front about it. If you built rapport and they know you aren’t some random or fly by night operation then it’s very easy to do. The ones who don’t want to take the ad down or hold it with or without a small deposit, more often than not it’s a indication they are either liars about their items (usually condition or there’s a catch) or they just won’t trust anyone no matter what.

[ExtraSlow]

I won't take a deposit. Don't want to reduce the sense of urgency.

[rx7boi]

Alright boys. I'm heading out to Sunridge Mazda for that test drive now.

I've been so focused on private sales that I didn't even consider what kind of deal I'd negotiate with a dealer but like I said, I'll tell em somewhere around 18-19k OTD. If no bueno or I get laughed to the door, I'm just out my own time and can keep looking.

Keep you guys posted.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[roopi]

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If someone offered you $500-$1000 or whatever to hold it for a day or two you wouldn't take that? If they don't come back, that is pretty good return on your time. If they do come back, you get the sale. Unless you have people lining up at your door to buy (obviously no need for a deposit in that scenario), deposits are usually pretty reasonable IMHO.

What if they come back and decide they don't want the vehicle but insist on having their deposit back? It's just a pain IMO.

[Rocket1k78]

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I do this professionally and I’m up front about it. If you built rapport and they know you aren’t some random or fly by night operation then it’s very easy to do. The ones who don’t want to take the ad down or hold it with or without a small deposit, more often than not it’s a indication they are either liars about their items (usually condition or there’s a catch) or they just won’t trust anyone no matter what.

If you're buying from the same guy or dealer i could see that rapport thing working but i cant see that happening on a 1 time sale with a random buyer/seller. Anytime i sell a vehicle on kijiji i want the deal done quick and easy, im not going to waste my time building a rapport with a random guy just so i can trust him enough to take my ad down based off his word alone. My ad is not going down until i get a deposit plain and simple, if you're serious enough i dont see why you wouldnt be ok with leaving a small deposit. You're also nuts if you think theres a problem with sellers who wont take their ads down without a deposit, if anything id be more worried about the guy wanting me to hold my vehicle based solely on his word lol

[Type_S1]

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What if they come back and decide they don't want the vehicle but insist on having their deposit back? It's just a pain IMO.

When you take a deposit you should always have the buyer sign an agreement stating something along the lines of “a $XXXX non-refundable deposit is being paid by Buyer to Seller in exchange for the Seller holding the vehicle for X hours. Should Buyer not deliver the remaining funds of $XXxx by x time on x day the deposit will be forfeited to Seller.” Very very simple and you can tell them to pound sand if they don’t show back up. I’ve taken deposits before where the buyer then wants to back out the next day with a refund of the deposit and you can just tell them to read the agreement that was signed - you held a vehicle and potentially lost 3rd party sales and their deposit compensated you for that.

[rx7boi]

Soooo that was interesting. I didn't realize several of my high school acquaintances worked at Sunridge Mazda as General Sales Manager, Sales Manager, and Finance Manager

I test drove the car but the body had a fair amount of of oxidizing chips, some rust spots in addition to your regular 7 years of wear and tear which is no biggie. Car drove beautifully but someone had already been there in the morning. In fact, when I got back from the test drive he was there waiting for his 2nd test drive before making a final decision.

We got to talking about the numbers. Even with the guy in the other office ready to buy, they came back with 18500, 500 doc fee, and 1000 tax for 20g's OTD. In the end I passed on the vehicle and it was awesome of them to even lower the price when they didn't have to. Wonder what that guy ended up paying.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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I do this professionally and I’m up front about it. If you built rapport and they know you aren’t some random or fly by night operation then it’s very easy to do. The ones who don’t want to take the ad down or hold it with or without a small deposit, more often than not it’s a indication they are either liars about their items (usually condition or there’s a catch) or they just won’t trust anyone no matter what.

I have literally never had that experience - you must be very lucky with your Kijiji buyers! I'm always on the sell side though, I don't buy anything from Kijiji, ever. The buyers are more the issue IMO. The most genuine, friendly, seeming people ghost me all the time. When you text/call them after they don't show up, they are just like "yeah sorry man changed my mind".

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What if they come back and decide they don't want the vehicle but insist on having their deposit back? It's just a pain IMO.

You have a signed agreement so they can't really do anything about it.

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Soooo that was interesting. I didn't realize several of my high school acquaintances worked at Sunridge Mazda as General Sales Manager, Sales Manager, and Finance Manager

I test drove the car but the body had a fair amount of of oxidizing chips, some rust spots in addition to your regular 7 years of wear and tear which is no biggie. Car drove beautifully but someone had already been there in the morning. In fact, when I got back from the test drive he was there waiting for his 2nd test drive before making a final decision.

We got to talking about the numbers. Even with the guy in the other office ready to buy, they came back with 18500, 500 doc fee, and 1000 tax for 20g's OTD. In the end I passed on the vehicle and it was awesome of them to even lower the price when they didn't have to. Wonder what that guy ended up paying.

That doesn't sound like a great deal, I think you were smart to pass. Also, never pay a doc fee, especially a $500 one haha - this isn't a brand new S-Class MB. If they want you to pay it, get them to take it out of their end after negotiating an "all in" price you're comfortable with. It is quite literally a 100% money grab, so they can get rid of it without losing any actual money.

When I bought my 2010 Civic used around 2011/2012, it was from a dealer. Window sticker was $19,999. I ended up paying $15K. I'm guessing they paid $12-13K for that car on trade in, tops, and it needed nothing because it only had 10,000 KM so the dealer didn't have to put a dime into it. See if you can find cheaper private samples with similar mileage to use as leverage if you find more at dealers that you like. In my case, I told them I could buy a brand new 2012 for almost the same price, even though I had no intention of ever doing that, and the car was obviously overpriced.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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I have literally never had that experience - you must be very lucky with your Kijiji buyers! I'm always on the sell side though, I don't buy anything from Kijiji, ever. The buyers are more the issue IMO. The most genuine, friendly, seeming people ghost me all the time. When you text/call them after they don't show up, they are just like "yeah sorry man changed my mind".

Maybe the mentality is different between someone making a living buying vehicles and average people just looking for discounted items. Unfortunately I’ve dealt with a lot of dishonest sellers too and lost my fair share of deposits to either scams or extremely dishonest people as well, which is why I hesitate to give a deposit anymore. I also got stuck with a stolen but unreported vehicle a couple years ago, which really sucked.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Maybe the mentality is different between someone making a living buying vehicles and average people just looking for discounted items. Unfortunately I’ve dealt with a lot of dishonest sellers too and lost my fair share of deposits to either scams or extremely dishonest people as well, which is why I hesitate to give a deposit anymore. I also got stuck with a stolen but unreported vehicle a couple years ago, which really sucked.

That's rough - I guess though if you're doing it for a living your sample size is going to be way higher, so you will see the full gamut. If you gave a deposit to someone that wasn't a dealer, and decided not to take the car, why would you be expecting it back? Either way it would be in writing, no?

[rx7boi]

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That doesn't sound like a great deal, I think you were smart to pass. Also, never pay a doc fee, especially a $500 one haha - this isn't a brand new S-Class MB. If they want you to pay it, get them to take it out of their end after negotiating an "all in" price you're comfortable with. It is quite literally a 100% money grab, so they can get rid of it without losing any actual money.

When I bought my 2010 Civic used around 2011/2012, it was from a dealer. Window sticker was $19,999. I ended up paying $15K. I'm guessing they paid $12-13K for that car on trade in, tops, and it needed nothing because it only had 10,000 KM so the dealer didn't have to put a dime into it. See if you can find cheaper private samples with similar mileage to use as leverage if you find more at dealers that you like. In my case, I told them I could buy a brand new 2012 for almost the same price, even though I had no intention of ever doing that, and the car was obviously overpriced.

For sure. I always negotiate the OTD price so it doesn't bother me if they want to show a $500 doc fee in the breakdown. They can put whatever words they'd like next to the numbers. That said, I just wasn't feeling the exterior. Those small rust chips seem to be common in alot of the sedan/coupes I've looked at and I've really been holding out for one with zero rust.

The boys tried to do right by me given that we were high school friends. The guy was in the other office ready to buy it as is and the manager had even told his sales guy to sell it to me if I decided I wanted the vehicle in addition to lowering the price of the vehicle, otherwise it was 22g OTD. I appreciated that they put me first knowing full well the other guy was about to pay their list price.

Even if the other prospect wasn't there, I wouldn't expect them to firesale a car to me; it's still business.

I may have chosen a tougher car to get a steal on. It's a sought after vehicle and even harder to find one with lower mileage.

[D'z Nutz]

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The ones who don’t want to take the ad down or hold it with or without a small deposit, more often than not it’s a indication they are either liars about their items (usually condition or there’s a catch) or they just won’t trust anyone no matter what.

That's an interesting take on it. I guess I fall into the latter category.

For me, I can't even begin to count how many times I've had buyers message me with "I'll take it!", "I'm interested!", and even "I'll come pick it up now" only to never hear from them again. I've just gotten to the point where I think everyone on Kijiji is flaky and until they show up with cash in hand, nobody is serious and the sale isn't final. It has nothing to do with me being a liar and everything with everyone else is full of shit. Hell, I don't even give out my phone number most of the time anymore cause they can contact me through Kijiji.