A few months ago, I was facing that dreaded day. It was time to get my next car. I have always had anxiety around car shopping because I worry that I’ll be pressured, taken advantage of, and ultimately not know what I’m doing and get a bad deal.
I was so worried about buying my car this time that I went deep into procrastination mode. With mere weeks left on my lease, I hadn’t even started evaluating my next options. However, after checking current lease finance rates (which are brutal), I decided to buy this time. It’s simply a better use of my funds, especially if I get a car that lasts.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to go to an actual dealership. I’d find the car I wanted online, and then ignore it. I wouldn’t follow up or go see it in person. I was dreading the in-person shopping experience.
Finally, I bit the bullet and checked out a car that caught my attention. Twenty-four hours later, I drove home in a car I felt very confident about, having paid a price I had zero qualms about. What did this dealership do differently from the others? Here’s what stood out to me.
Third-Party Price Verification
Of course, the dealer always tells you that the price they’re offering is a great price. They’re all going to say that. Comparing prices across dealerships only gives you so much information. Until you get there, you don’t really know the condition of the car. Plus, they all tend to inflate the prices, knowing you’ll talk them down.
What I liked about this dealership is that they listed their model on TrueCar, a third-party platform that thoroughly vets every deal. TrueCar analyzes a great deal of real-time transaction data, including local market trends and data from tens of thousands of dealers. They take all this information into account before deciding whether a vehicle is a good deal.
The whole idea behind TrueCar is transparency. They are an independent company designed to tell you the truth about the deal you’re getting. They don’t get kickbacks from dealerships. They just tell you how it is. They said the price this dealer was asking for the car I wanted was more than fair.
Carefully Selected Inventory
From the moment I arrived at the dealership, I could tell that it did not accept any old vehicle. Unlike most other dealers I’ve visited, which seemed to have a whole pile of rejects that nobody else could sell, it was evident from a simple eyeball check that this dealer only took the cream of the crop.
Every model on site was in excellent condition and appeared to be very well maintained, even used models. I didn’t notice any models older than five years, and nothing showed visual wear and tear. Overall, I just had a feeling that these vehicles had been thoroughly vetted.
A Pleasant Layout
The dealership itself had a pleasant layout. Every vehicle had adequate space around it, so I could really take in the inventory. It was also designed in a sort of tiered way, with a few showrooms and lots sprawled out at different heights. At most dealerships, I just see a crowded sea of cars, all at the same level. This makes it hard for me to see all my options clearly.
No Rush, No Pressure
During the test drive, I was surprised at how relaxed the salesperson was. I’m used to salespeople talking my ear off, trying to tout the benefits of the model every second I’m driving. I’m also used to them rushing the test drive, not really allowing me to fully experience the vehicle. This salesperson remained quiet, speaking only when I had a question. He also let me take an extended test drive so I could experience the model under different conditions, such as accelerating and going up a hill.
Zero Distraction Tactics
When it came time to sit down and talk numbers, I had my own research I wanted to do. I’d even brought my laptop and logged onto the dealer’s Wi-Fi. They had no problem with me doing my own research. I wanted to confirm the fairness of their fees and the accuracy of certain taxes. I wanted to confirm whether certain vehicle features would affect my car insurance and, if so, how.
In the past, when I’ve visited dealers, they have not liked me doing my own research on the spot. In fact, they had suspiciously awful Wi-Fi, almost as if they didn’t want us to connect to the outside world while we were there. That was a huge red flag.
This salesperson patiently waited while I spent nearly 45 minutes confirming facts online, making calls to my car insurance, and doing my due diligence. He didn’t try to distract me or deter me. This gave me confidence that nobody was pulling a fast one on me.
Outside Inspection Approved
This was an important one for me. The dealership allowed me to take the vehicle to my own mechanic for inspection. I was buying a used car, so it was important to me that someone with no skin in the game look the car over.
Most dealers I spoke to would not let me do this. They just insisted the car was in good condition, but this insistence actually made me trust them less. After having my own mechanic do a multi-point inspection and report that the model was in excellent condition, I felt really good about my decision.
Online Reviews
I checked online reviews before going to the dealership. I honestly expected a lot of nasty ones, because people can have mixed feelings about car dealerships. I wasn’t even going to hold it against them if they had a few bad ones. I was surprised to see that people had really nice things to say about the place. In fact, they said everything I’ve said up until this point, including a pleasant layout, no pressure from salespeople, extended test drives, and a carefully curated selection.
Clearly Displayed Buyer Rights
Each vehicle had a notice of my consumer rights in big, bold letters. It laid out the conditions under which the dealership must legally take the vehicle back and issue a refund. I appreciated this transparency and the dealership’s desire to ensure we fully understand our rights as buyers. I’m used to these types of notices appearing in teeny, tiny fine print.
Patience, Transparency, and Curation Made All the Difference
I walked away thinking that all the tactics some dealerships use to try to seal the deal are exactly why people shy away. The pressure, the rushing, the refusal to let us do our own research… A vehicle is a huge purchase, and I don’t appreciate anyone trying to interfere with me gathering the information I need.
I also left realizing that, while I know some dealerships specialize in collecting what can only be called “junk cars,” I now prefer places that are picky about the vehicles they take in. Seeing the pristine condition of the cars across the lot made me feel at ease, rather than feeling like I had to put my guard up and put on my detective glasses.
