Negotiating prices on dealer installed options.

[tim.s]

The accessory prices found at Internet stores tend to be about 70% of the MSRP prices listed at Hondacars.com. But if the item requires a lot of install, many people still have the Dealer do the install.

How many people had success using the Internet price info in getting the price reduced on accessories they had the Dealer install?

[kemosabe]

I tried really hard, but my dealer wouldn't budge on the accessories. I was going to get the lower trim also, but since they had my hands tied, I had to settle for most of the items on my accessories list and the lower trim didn't make the cut...

[hop23]

Do it by telephone. Call the service dept. and ask for the price to install customer-supplied parts. Then order the parts from Tim at hondacuraworld.com and take your best deal. If they give you any BS about warranty on customer-supplied parts, refer them to the warranty booklet and tell them that Honda, not the dealer, decides the terms of the warranty.

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by kemosabe
I tried really hard, but my dealer wouldn't budge on the accessories. I was going to get the lower trim also, but since they had my hands tied, I had to settle for most of the items on my accessories list and the lower trim didn't make the cut...

Having bought from the same dealer as Kemosabe, I can vouch that they really hung tough on the accessory prices.

My husband and I literally had to say, No Deal (after everything else had been worked out over nearly 3 hours) and head for the door before anything broke our way. Our salesman got the sales manager to overrule the "best and final price" given us by the accessories saleswoman. I still think we paid too much, but "a bird in hand" (the car we wanted was on the lot) proved too much to resist.

P.S. Until the Pilot purchase, I've never had the experience of having to negotiate accessory prices with a separate "accessories salesperson" brought in after having agreed on basic car price with the original salesperson. Is this unusual?

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by Ziploc

P.S. Until the Pilot purchase, I've never had the experience of having to negotiate accessory prices with a separate "accessories salesperson" brought in after having agreed on basic car price with the original salesperson. Is this unusual?

I'm curious. Prior to speaking with the "accessories salesperson" had you signed anything?

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by florida_guy


I'm curious. Prior to speaking with the "accessories salesperson" had you signed anything?

No.

All the paperwork had been filled out, excepting the line where accessories costs would have been added, and we had yet to sign on the final dotted line.

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by Ziploc


No.

All the paperwork had been filled out, excepting the line where accessories costs would have been added, and we had yet to sign on the final dotted line.

How much of the three hours was you just sitting around waiting for them to "get approval" "check on that" etc. with them out of sight and you just twiddling your thumbs?

[tim.s]

This article has been posted before, but it is interesting reading if you are going in to buy a car soon. Check out part 5 where "Mr. Park" is trying to negotiate the price and the Dealer plays "musical salesmen" with him. Poor Mr. Park is just trying to get the "best deal" while "paying cash".

Kinda funny (if it's not happening to you) and also educational for the buyer.

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by tim.s
This article has been posted before, but it is interesting reading if you are going in to buy a car soon. Check out part 5 where "Mr. Park" is trying to negotiate the price and the Dealer plays "musical salesmen" with him. Poor Mr. Park is just trying to get the "best deal" while "paying cash".

Kinda funny (if it's not happening to you) and also educational for the buyer.

I read most of the lengthy article. I don't know who I felt sorriest for...the car salesman author or the poor customer.

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by florida_guy


How much of the three hours was you just sitting around waiting for them to "get approval" "check on that" etc. with them out of sight and you just twiddling your thumbs?

About 1-1/2 hours were consumed by the "activities" you describe, probably exacerbated by the fact it was our salesguy's first week on the job and we were his first sale.

Other fun things filling out the remaining 1-1/2 hours included:

1. Waiting for the dealer's balky computer system to do its thing
2. Being shown the dealer's "state of the art" service facility (looking ahead to many happy returns by us in the future)
3. Waiting for the key to be found so the subject Silver EX could be driven off the back lot and around to the front of the dealership
4. Visiting the subject Silver EX parked outside, with me pointing out the features to the salesman (like I said, the guy was brand new and obviously was no match for someone who had just spent 2 months researching the car)
5. Waiting for the paperwork numbers to be re-totaled after my husband discovered a line item that had been left out.

Note that the above duration does NOT include the time spent haggling with the accessories person or with the financial closer after the deal (finally) was struck. Thank God a trade-in wasn't involved. It was quite a day, but we did end up driving our Pilot off the lot.