Car Buying Secrets

Low Ball - You are out of there on a rocket!

By: Roosevelt Gist

Auto dealers are eternal optimist. Dealers expect to sell you a car on your first visit to the showroom. Statistics show that roughly 25%-30% of car shoppers who take a test drive, buy.

Those car shoppers that test drive, sit through the negotiations and don’t buy are often given a "low ball" price on their way out.  Note: Not all car dealers use this sales tactic.

The "low ball" is a price that no dealer will meet. Quite often car shoppers just want to get the dealers "best price" to shop it against other dealers. Some salespersons, under the direction of management, will quote the low ball figure to get the shopper out of the dealership. You’re out of the dealership on a rocket just knowing you have valuable info.

The low ball price cannot be met by any dealer. The buyer shopping this price will waste his/her time trying to get other dealers to sell a similar car for less than the low ball figure. The salesperson that quoted the low ball price is very aware of this and expects the buyer to return to his/her dealership days later to buy the car at the low ball price.

Those shoppers that do come back to purchase at the low ball price will discover that the car has been sold or a mistake was made in the pricing or that "special offer" was good only for the day quoted or numerous other excuses.

Auto dealers have plans and sales pitches already designed to respond to the shopper when they return and try to buy at the low ball price. Dealers depend on your getting exhausted from trying to meet or beat the low ball price. Many shoppers return to the original dealer and buy but, higher than the low ball price.

All of a sudden the salespersons original, fair offer, now becomes acceptable to the shopper. He/she just wants to make the purchase and end the aggravation. Isn’t car shopping fun?

When you’re out car shopping you can prevent being sent out of the dealership on that low ball rocket by being ready to buy, have done your research and are willing to accept a reasonable selling price. 

Questions to ask the salesperson: I’m not ready to buy today but, I’d like to know a reasonable purchase price? Have you really sold this car at such a low price? May I get your offer in writing on your buyers agreement and signed by a sales manager?