Now yes one customer can get a better deal than another on the same truck. Doesn't mean that the dealer lost money on one and made money on the other. The dealer made money on both, just not as much on one as the other. Negotiation skills of both the customers and employees vary greatly.


But if you're assuming the dealer lost money on a deal, see the last line in my last post. I've worked in dealerships (still work with them today just not for them), they NEVER work a deal thinking they will make up the difference on the next customer.

If a sales manager cuts a vehicle at a loss, they have to explain it to the general manager. If the excuse is to make up the difference on the next customer, that sales manager is fired. Sales profits on each and every vehicle are watched very closely.

I've closed loser deals (deals that on paper lost money), but they were only last vehicle of the month to hit volume bonus, or an old age unit.

 

We got the exact same deal. Cant imagine a dealer letting an 18 Plat go for 11k under MSRP and 7k under invoice..... especially in Jan of 2018 lol

 

If there's a trade involved then that's a common way for the dealer to sweeten the pot if need be and if the traded unit is worth anything extra.

The trade that I had was against a 1999 Taurus so I'v been out of the two sided deal for a while now.

I've used X-plan once, not too hard to get under that price (though it is a fair price) once you find a dealer who sells at one price only. A traditional dealer will quickly negotiate to cut their throats.

 

I still have a hard time trying to understand why motor vehicles can't just have a price on them that is a fair price for the dealer. I know some dealers pretty much do this but then negotiate on your trade-in. It just don't seem right that in a supposedly civilized country we still have innocent people subsidizing purchases for the ones who like to haggle. I know Saturn and maybe others have tried this but still had the trade-in to negotiate with.

 

We do, it's called the Monroney sticker.

It's just that with home buying and vehicle purchases we've developed a culture of haggling. Everything else it's pay the price on the label (grocery stores, retail stores, etc.).

Go to other countries and everything is up for negotiation.

 

Having traveled the world over, you are correct sir. The barter system is alive and well and everything is subject to negotiation.

I believe that car buying practices stem from the olden days of horse trading. Unfortunately we now have a generation of youngsters who would rather not barter for anything. They look at a price and say that it's fair.

There's a big difference between buying a pair of shoes for $130.00 that you would reasonably expect to get 2-3 years out of and buying a $50K truck plus a warranty for peace of mind, plus GAP insurance in case of a total loss and then you're still looking at the over all cost of ownership with maintenance, taxes and insurance.

And then we get to factor in depreciation when the old grey mare ain't what she used to be.

 

Evidently the answer is yes. It's great to get a good discount but they would not be in business long if they gave em all away.

In my area these trucks are selling like hotcakes so if they don't get what they want from you, there are plenty of other customers coming through the door that are willing to part with a few more thousand or as they like to put it... a couple of buck more per day...

Good luck.

 

Write that on your hand before going truck shopping.
Great advice right there!

 

I think it’s all psychological. There was a large department store chain that tried that pricing model....no sales, just fair pricing. It failed and they went back to the normal Big Sales events again. People have this need to think they are getting something for a great price. Like mentioned, Saturn tried it.

I think CarMax May have a set price and don’t negotiate.

The dealer where I bought my truck advertises their vehicles online at some pretty good prices....and don’t negotiate beyond that. I didn’t have a trade-in, so I’m not sure how fair they are when you trade something. I felt that I got a good price, I’m happy. That’s what counts. If you walk away with what you want, feel you were treated fairly, and don’t get any post-purchase regrets....then you are in good shape.

 

I don't know the exact options on the truck you are looking at, but the NADA pricing I looked up for a fairly well optioned crew cab 4x4 Platinum had an MSRP of $63,145 and an invoice price of $58,782. Based on that the dealer appears to already be around $3k under invoice.

There is currently a Ford $2k retail customer cash offer (at least in my region) + the holdback (minus the small portion of that they are probably keeping for floor plan). That's probably how they got to the $56k number.

Based on that and, at least around here, Platinum F150s only spend a few weeks on the lot before being sold I don't see them going for it. With the current demand they know someone will buy it for $56k.

I doubt the dealer would give up $4k in floor plan money to move a Platinum in the current market even to a loyal customer.

Any price lower than that and I'd expect that if you had a trade-in you would be giving up value on the trade side for the lower price so it would be a wash. Even then they will only play with the new/trade numbers so much.

 

Same here. The dealer I use has the best pricing up front on the windshield and their website. My salesman was telling me about a guy who was looking for an XLT they had priced at $41k (basically invoice minus all rebates and the majority of the holdback) and the guy still wanted it for $38k. He knew the guy was shopping the other dealers in the area and asked him what kind of pricing he was getting elsewhere. They guy said $43-44k for the basically the same truck. Needless to say the guy didn't get the pricing he was looking for.

 

There is another way to do it.. go to http://www.cargurus.com and look for a new F-150 and you will find XLT's at 10k off MSRP, but the Lariats are priced around 4k to 6k off MSRP. You're wasting their time if you think you can push for a lower price.

 

My Lariat MSRP was $60,450. After a $1250 rebate, the discounted price was $51,184 + TT&L. All together, the out-the-door price was $54,821.22.

No haggling needed. Some may do better, some may do worse. I did not have a trade, it was a very simple deal.

The salesman in me did try to get a little more, they were not having it. lol.

 

Some dealers like to add in package discounts to the MSRP. Mine was $51K but had the $2K Chrome Package discount so the price was $49K. Dishonest dealers would advertise it as $51K MSRP while some would use a more accurate $49K MSRP.

I used the website to see how much dealers were discounting the XLTs then checked Ford.com for the exact one I wanted (four things were a must: 5.0 with 6.5' bed, center console with column shifter, and 302A package) and picked the cheapest I could find then haggled him via e-mail for $10K off the MSRP, down to $39K. As expected, the TTL was about $5K.

And I didn't budge on my four-year-old trade-in.. a 2012 XLT 4x4 that was bought new at $29K and traded in for $24K. That was also haggled in the e-mail.

I walked out a very happy customer.

 

Getting $9K off the Lariat is an impressive deal though.. and that was without haggling.