Buying a truck - How to beat the dealer

[Fluxcapacitor]

When one goes to buy a truck, how do you keep the upper hand against the dealer ? With standard automobiles, there are lots of websites with pricing, invoice price, Market value, etc... You can go to a dealer knowing exactly what they have in it and what to offer. With trucks, I have no clue. When you factor in all of the custom configuration ( sleepers , landing gear, generators, liftgates) its impossible. How do you do it ? Whats a fair profit for the dealer to make ?

 

[targuard86]

I have found that buying a large truck is much different than buying a car. The sales people I have dealt with have all been very fair with me and wanted me to find exactly the truck I needed and gave me a fair price. Those that have been around a while know that trucks wear out fast and seeing you in their office buying another truck in a few years makes more sense than bending you over one time.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We also feel as you are starting a relationship with a dealer they need to know what company you are going to lease to so you will have your truck set up correctly. When we bought our truck they sure knew a lot more about what the company required then we did. We have had our truck a couple of years and we still contact the dealer with issues we have had with the truck. We also hope with the relationship we have developed to buy our next truck with the same dealer. We never felt the same way with any new car we ever bought once off the lot you are out of sight and gone.

 

[Paul56]

We have a truck dealership as part of our operation that the father-in-law started many years ago.

We are not out to gouge customers, but rather to ensure they get the correct product and associated equipment for their needs.

We don't upsell. In fact, sometimes we recommend customers buy less truck than they think they need because the application doesn't warrant the equipment they were originally looking at.

We have long term relationships with our customers and work hard to keep them happy.

 

[LDB]

Having spent several months selling cars after being talked into it by a friend in the business this question really ticks me off whenever anyone asks it. What would be wrong with asking how can I be sure that neither the dealer nor I get screwed on the transaction? It's ok if the customer is a crook and screws the dealer but not the other way around? Ok, having vented that off, I'd say you can be sure you are getting a fair deal by taking the specs for the truck and comparing the price at 2 or 3 different dealers. That doesn't mean 2 or 3 locations of the same dealer chain, but totally different dealers. Chances are you'll get numbers within a very few percentage points of each other which will show they are fair numbers.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[garman351]

As a consumer you are looking for a fair deal, that is backed up by quality service after the sale.

(DO YOUR RESEARCH)That is the most important part about purchasing anything let alone a $100K truck. Take the time to talk to other truck drivers, this web-site has been very valuable to me on anything truck related. All our Brother & Sister truck drivers will tell you what has happened to them good or bad.

I have found some truck dealership sales People to very arrogant, just by their attitude, one dealer was just weeded out by us recently because he would not reduce his price at all on a used unit. Bye Bye.
Another dealership was weeded out because our sales person's finance manager tried to give us the full court press to buy that DAY if I wanted to secure his one time deal. The sad part is the sales person we were working with was not working that day and the finance mgr was trying to steal his deal! (No honor among theif's) Bye Bye

Record everything your dealership tells you, because one salesman requoted us three times over changes we had made and I caught him increasing certain items over the previous quote.

The best trick is to pick out as many dealerships as you can who sell's the same product's work each dealership against each other and after a while they will fall off than your down to one or two such as in my case here recently. I was with-in $2,000 of each dealer and I felt to be "almost friends," almost! with the last two dealership's.
You need to be tough and do not let emotions get in your way, "Bill has worked so hard for us,I feel bad if I do not buy from him." Well Bill has worked hard for you because (HE) wants your business plain & simple. "Bill is a good salesman and better than most"

Sales People are like everybody else, their is some very good sales People and than their is the bottom feeders who do not care about you after the sale.

I do feel in truck sales their is some very good sales People who are in a unique business who really wants to make you a return customer, than their is the others who feel buy from us or move on.

You see I can tell you this little story because I'm a district Sales manager for a fortune 500 Company for the last fifteen years, and I have seen it all and have worked with the best. Sales is a rewarding business especially if you can sleep good at night because you sell a quality product backed up the best service dept,and support after the sale. For all you bargain hunters who want something for nothing, I have seen you come & go all the time. I lost out on our last dealings when you decided to go with another Company who was a lot cheaper. only to deal with you some time down the road asking if we take trade-in's. I always laugh and tell my self, "where is your good deal at now."

(DO your research before buying anything) After all you worked hard for that money,I buy only top named products and pay a little more but in the end I had good service from the product I purchased and never regreated it.

Garman351

 

[Broompilot]

Know your Specs or close to as possible, know your budget how much you are willing to spend. Check out the competition KW, International, Freightliner. Decide + & - let them know the specs and the best deal you feel for your $ than you decide.

Your salesman should also have years expierence and his/her committment to making sure you have the right truck for the right job should be #1 on his/her agenda. My salesman at Fort Wayne, is excellent, I can still call and get answers to questions. I would rather buy slightly used in the future but I would most likely go back and do it over with them.

I got a great value for my investment, nothing like a car dealer this is your tool to make $ the only thing cars and trucks have in common other than wheels is they will loose $ and alot of it so you need to make sure your making $. Hard to do with a car.

 

[panthervanman]

leo,if a dealer gets screwed,than he is to dumb to be in sales in the 1st place.....buy a truck from some one who thought they would like trucking and just couldn't handle the bs that comes with it...there are a lot of nice used trks out there and you don't lose money on them as soon as you drive them off the lot. and remember lets all be safe out there!!!! from the world famous panthervanman...jim..:7 :7 ;-)

 

[greg334]

When you get qoutes, TELL the sales person you want a written qoute, not just to be told a price. TELL them that you will have to bring it to the bank, business manager or what ever. Many dealers will give you a qoute on papaer with their name while others will not. I will not deal with anyone who will not give me real solid written qoutes, even if I am just looking.

My latest trip to a GMC dealer was interesting, the guy had no clue about his product and thought that the 1 ton vans came with an allison (i wish), I find that many salesmen (women too) at dealerships are equal to carpet and pharma sales men (women too) - meaning they just got the job on monday and here you are talking to them on tuesday.

 

[LDB]

The point is that neither side should be going into it looking to screw the other side and it is just as wrong for the buyer to seek that outcome as it is for the dealer.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[tazman]

Hi,

If I'm worth anything...they won't have to TELL me...I've already offered them the quote long before they would have asked me for one....

If you get someone that does that ...then you are pretty safe in assuming they are treating you fairly....

I've watched this thread continue and wanted to see how it progressed...since you are discussing my business (truck sales)....

How is it that I'm somehow not allowed to make a profit ????
And in your business...it's ok ???
Whenever I contractor show up and argues price...I ask him how many times he quotes a client and they argue the price for the work ????
Most just look at me with that "fishface" look ??? You know what i mean.
I'm not singling anyone out here...but I get people in all the time thinking they feel good when they have made me loose money ????
I have a family to feed...and bills to pay...I don't drive a Lexus or a Mercedes....but even if I did .... I would have earned it and deserve it .....
Somehow though people have the idea that we are "all rich..and getting richer on their purchase....I don't (and probably will never understand) that.....
Anyway......in this country (a free capitalic based society)....People ARE allowed to make noney...it's ok...it won't hurt you...your higher power won't strike you dead for it ....
My best description of this was this quote:
"Money...make you MORE of who you really are"
I thnk that sums it up..pretty good

Thanks for listening to my sermon this week....

"Father" Frank in Pa.

"The Beast in the East"

 

[cheri1122]

Flux, did you ever think of going into a dealership with an attitude of collaberation, instead of needing to feel you have the upper hand? (Which you do anyway, you know, because you can walk out...)
Maybe you can turn your last question around, and feel that if you got the truck you wanted, equipped the way you wanted, at a price that you were willing to pay, then the dealer got the right amount of profit, whatever it is.

 

[garman351]

(Tazman)
You face the same attitudes I do everyday.

"Lets face it" There is a lot of bottom feeder sales People out there.
They have no sales training, no product knowledge, also selling a bad product or over priced in my situation. they have to do what ever it takes to make that sale, because most are 100% commission. Also you have a sales manager who could care less about anything except your sales numbers or your gone!

As with my previous post, People need to be very careful when spending close to 100K. They need to know what they are doing, other wise they will be destroyed by a bad decision.

The best advise I can tell everyone is shop around compare pricing and have it in writing as the one person has just mentioned,(Good point) And simply look for that (fair deal) And have it in writing when that so-called good deal will be available for pick-up. I have seen so many People very mad about waiting weeks after the dealship told them a est pick-up date.

Sales is a rewarding profession, but we are looked at as scoundrals by most,until we work hard to make then feel more comfortable and to tell them, I'm sorry I cannot give you the product for free, but here is my best price, after all we cannot win every deal. I have seen so many People buy a cheaper deal from another dealership only to find out their service & support after the sale was no-good. If you leave a positive impression I guarantee People do not forget, I have had many People through the years come back to me and tell me I should of bought that product from you, because everything you told me was right.

The sad part is People buying our products dont care if we make any money, but like you say stop at their business and it is a different story. I like to Pi-- Off sales People all the time when I stop at their business and tell them I want your best product and I do not want to pay anything for it, and look at the look on their face. I than say well that is what everybody wants from me.

Garman351