Hey all, Ok tommorow morning i am going to FJ to speak to Dolf about finding my car, and if he cant, i think i will just order it. the wife and I are pretty set on the color and option we want. Jeez our car is gonna be one of a kind

anyways, when ordering a car and paying cash, whats the best approach
- do u let them know method of payment then?
- do i agree on a final price, im hopin under invoice, then give them the 1000 deposit
-or is negociations on final price after the car comes here and then pay then, or am i to just agree on a price and then pay leter.
- i think im confusing myself now, so ill leave it to that

i cant wait to get this thing ordered, so i cant stop with the 1000 questions and get my other S classes detailed so i can post pics

anywyas, thanks

 

From my experience, with the car I ordered, it's better that I negotiated after the car came in. My car had a relatively high sticker price for a C230 ($35,550), so I guess it would take the dealer a little longer to sell. Since they've already taken a deposit from me, they rather sell it right there and then, than have the car sit on the lot for a few weeks. I was able to get the car under invoice, even though it was ordered.

If you try to negotiate before you order the car, they have nothing to lose, since the car hasn't been ordered yet. Hope this helps.

 

when u ordered it, you had first dibs on it right, so they wouldnt just sell it to some one else. so basically u are saying, that if i order it, they will know they have a car coming, so they will have to sell it, and get rid of it, esp in 10 weeks so they will deal then.

i guess ill see what happens tomm. i totally want to get under invoice too

 

also, if you don't want them to mount the front plate bracket, you've got to tell them not to mount it. otherwise, they would put it on when the car comes in. that's one of the advantages of ordering

 

that is very important, thanks, what else should i request??


so did i make sense about geting a price now or when the car comes, i think ive confused myself, lol

 

when I ordered mine, the salesman told me they would take 3% off the sticker price. I think you can do better because I didn't push the issue. I had a car to trade in and I knew had I pushed the issue, they would reduce the trade-in value to compensate for the profit. btw, the dealer didn't know I had a car to trade in when they offered me 3% off sticker price.

 

Doesn't anybody search this forum anymore? All of this has been covered numerous times with multiple scenarios by members.

 

no

 

Exactly. The saleswoman said the deposit is basically the "first right of refusal". So if I decide I don't like the car, I could get my deposit back with no obligations. I bought my car from FJ as well, so I'm sure you can get the car below invoice too. Although I haggled for almost 3 hours before getting the deal, so be patient and hold your ground!

 

when i ordered mine:

all that was required was a $5000 non-refundable deposit.

then i got to wait for 2 1/2 months. wait was agony but well worth it. ill definately order my next one rather than picking one off the lot. you dont get as good of a deal if your looking to save money. i did get the $2500 rebate that was offered at the time for all C-Classes. hard to haggle much more than that. i didnt care though. i knew what i wanted, and felt i got a fair deal.

 

To gaogi and vdubpower: I think gaogi can introduce the sales person to vdubpower so probably then vdub can get more discount. Just IMHO though cos it happens to me. A friend of mine was looking for a C230 Komp sedan a couple months ago and I introduced and even brought her to my sales person ( who I bought 2 MB from) to deal. The process of negotiate took only 15 mins and she admits that the process is really no hassle. Again this is just my input for you. I cant guarantee will work best for you but it doesnt hurt to try.

Good Luck vdub

 

Citron: where did you get your car from?? I only had to put $1000 full refundable when I order my C back in 2001.

 

here's the timeline of my order:

7/27 ordered the car
8/2004 car built at Bremen (according to the door sticker)
9/29 picked up car at the dealer

10-weeks from date ordered

 

I have ordered almost all of the vehicles I've purchased, at least 11 of them. I have never waited until the car came in to make my deal. Maybe I do things differently from most people, but I want to know what I'm paying for the car when I sign the order. That's when I also tell them what I don't want, like badges, stripes, etc.

When people say "I got a good deal even though it was ordered", that should be obvious, IMO. An ordered car actually is a "sure thing" for the dealer and you should really be able to get it for less than a stock unit. They won't be paying floorplan for the sold vehicle and will have more incentive to make a good deal. They're simply acting as your "agent" in acquiring that vehicle for you.

Good luck with your car!