Brokers
Last edited by graffixnyc; Apr 24, 2025 at 09:04 PM.




It kind of depends on how long they've been in business and how far-reaching their Dealer contacts are.
Service Departments don't usually care where you bought the car, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Last edited by graffixnyc; Apr 25, 2025 at 08:24 PM.




I ran an auto brokerage for a couple of years. We didn't go round and round about discount percentages and all that stuff. We just said here is the price we can sell it to you. Plus tax. We made a profit and covered our expenses.
Regarding interest rates on dealership or other finance contracts, it's important to understand the fine print and what that "rate" means. It means we'll deliver the car to you and promise that the interest rate won't exceed XX percent, but we'll shop it around and see if we can't get a better rate. Which they usually do.
The alternative is don't take delivery of the car and wait and see what interest rate turns up.
More regarding the interest rate - dealers get a "kickback" from the finance company/bank, so they make a profit even if they write the contract at the same rate as you would if you went straight to the bank. The dealer is taking a load off the bank.
You can use that bit of profit they make, in your negotiations for purchase.
In short, yes I like brokers, but some of them play the same games as dealers.
A referral to a good broker is worthwhile.
I ran an auto brokerage for a couple of years. We didn't go round and round about discount percentages and all that stuff. We just said here is the price we can sell it to you. Plus tax. We made a profit and covered our expenses.
Regarding interest rates on dealership or other finance contracts, it's important to understand the fine print and what that "rate" means. It means we'll deliver the car to you and promise that the interest rate won't exceed XX percent, but we'll shop it around and see if we can't get a better rate. Which they usually do.
The alternative is don't take delivery of the car and wait and see what interest rate turns up.
More regarding the interest rate - dealers get a "kickback" from the finance company/bank, so they make a profit even if they write the contract at the same rate as you would if you went straight to the bank. The dealer is taking a load off the bank.
You can use that bit of profit they make, in your negotiations for purchase.
In short, yes I like brokers, but some of them play the same games as dealers.
A referral to a good broker is worthwhile.
I know why dealers tact on points to get kick backs. No need to really mansplain it to me, I was simply saying that with a broker you don't have to deal with any of that bs that the dealer tries to pull. They do try, if you don't look over everything with a fine tooth comb.
When we bought my wife's car they had a line item in there for vin etching for like $400, I noticed it and said something immediately and made them remove it. They count on people not reading things. If you go through a broker, you don't have to deal with any of that stuff, which is nice. I hate dealing with car salesmen and think the $600 to not have to deal with them at all is worth it.
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I know why dealers tact on points to get kick backs. No need to really mansplain it to me, I was simply saying that with a broker you don't have to deal with any of that bs that the dealer tries to pull. They do try, if you don't look over everything with a fine tooth comb.
When we bought my wife's car they had a line item in there for vin etching for like $400, I noticed it and said something immediately and made them remove it. They count on people not reading things. If you go through a broker, you don't have to deal with any of that stuff, which is nice. I hate dealing with car salesmen and think the $600 to not have to deal with them at all is worth it.
Based on your experience, it looks like Buyers today are more concerned with percentage discounts than what they're actually paying for the car.
If you ever go to a dealer again, study that guaranteed interest rate - "not to exceed" is what it says in the contract.
It's useful to know how that works.
They aren't "tacking on points." They're giving you the opportunity to take delivery of the car while they search for a better interest rate for you.
An established auto broker will also get kickbacks from the lender.
Last edited by mikapen; Apr 27, 2025 at 01:33 PM.
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Based on your experience, it looks like Buyers today are more concerned with percentage discounts than what they're actually paying for the car.
If you ever go to a dealer again, study that guaranteed interest rate - "not to exceed" is what it says in the contract.
It's useful to know how that works.
They aren't "tacking on points." They're giving you the opportunity to take delivery of the car while they search for a better interest rate for you.
An established auto broker will also get kickbacks from the lender.











