Experts explains how to talk with car dealerships to avoid paying more money than required

As much as we would love to rely on public transport, there is no denying that having a personal vehicle can be incredibly freeing. But purchasing a car can be a confusing process for many people, especially when it comes to the financial side. Thankfully, @zachshefska, who frequently shares content related to purchasing a car, posted a valuable tip about how individuals should respond when asked what they want their monthly payment to be. His video has amassed 569.3K views and 257 comments on the social media platform.

He suggests that individuals respond by saying, "I'm not concerned with the monthly payment. I am only focused on the total out-the-door price." At this point, the salesperson would probably inquire if they were paying with cash. The buyer could respond by revealing that they had not decided on the mode of payment and that they were only concerned with the out-the-door price." Even at this point, buyers should not let their guard down, as the salesperson will most likely inquire if they have a monthly budget.

But they should still maintain their stance about being concerned about the out-the-door price and how they would only want to discuss that. The creator also mentioned how his dad, who had worked in the car sales business, had made a cheat sheet that would guide customers to navigate a conversation with a car salesperson safely. All people had to do to get these cheat sheets was go into Google and search for "CarEdge cheat sheet." He finished by clarifying, "The cheat sheet includes things like how to handle your trade-in, as well as things that you should be prepared to talk about with the finance manager."

People found the advice helpful and shared their opinions in the comments section. @lydnan99 said, "Great advice, man! The salesperson will hate it, but you gotta do what's best for you!" @aavilaa.mi commented, "Saved. I'm going to pull this out when I talk to a salesman! I hope he responds back as you put it because otherwise I'll get lost." @baumer_toyota highlighted, "Good info. It's 2024, though, and transparency is key. If you can't find a dealership willing to show all terms upfront, then that's a red flag." You can follow @zachshefska on TikTok for more car dealership content.

On the topic of car salespeople, it is very common to see them jump to conclusions about customers. While they use it to gauge a potential buyer's financial state, such assumptions don't really carry any value and tend to be wrong most of the time. u/senadi1 shared an experience that they had at a car dealership where the salesman was too quick to judge them. The couple had their finances ready and could easily afford a Kia Ceed or a Ford Mondeo. All that was left was to visit the dealerships and take test drives to decide on one.

The salesman, John, was an older individual who immediately assumed that the young couple did not have the budget that they were claiming. So, he did not allow them to test drive the cars because they were "not serious buyers." The couple ended up going back to the Kia showroom, where they had a nice experience and bought the car, even keeping the car for six years. They even sent a picture of their new car and sent it to the manager at Ford to let him know how John had lost a potential customer.