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Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-02-23 12:57:36 +0000

Do they offer a used car warranty?

Posted by Miriam on 2007-02-23 14:09:15 +0000

Don't know yet. Good idea, though.

Posted by G lib on 2007-02-23 15:07:09 +0000

I'm a fan of Subarus, but obviously can't help you out in the car buying department-- good luck, though!

Posted by Miriam on 2007-02-26 19:17:43 +0000

I'd have to buy additional warrantees. The powertrain one is only good for another 10K miles. Found good financing though a local credit union (6.75%). Turns out the car is a 2004, and our ending price on Friday night was $15,700. I think it's about 1500 more than I'm willing to spend on it, but I still don't have all the info I asked for on the car. Trying to get the specs and a carfax report, then talk with them a little more on price, then take it to my mechanic across the street for an indie inspection. It drives well, and it looks clean, even before they've detailed it. Keep your fingers crossed; they want it sold before the end of the month!

Posted by Miriam on 2007-02-27 17:54:07 +0000

Having a very hard time deciding if it's a good deal or not. It seems like they want to sell me the car, and have been calling me to do so, but are unwilling to drop the price any further. Both Edmund's and Kelley tell me they're still a little high, and I don't want to get too attached to a car that's not mine, but it's got most of what I want, and it seems like it's in good shape. Just don't want to waste $100 getting another car I'm not going to buy inspected just to stop looking around. It's a nice car, but I don't know if I could get something as nice in a new car for the same price. Certainly not with leather seats and a sunroof.

Posted by MF DU on 2007-02-27 18:12:59 +0000

Say for the sake of argument the car winds up being a 'good deal' and you wind up buying it. How much more of a savings or how much above Edmunds / Blue Book is it? If you have to spend another week of your time haggling and going back and forth with them is that week of missed time spent on haggling worth the monetary savings? That would probably help make a decision a bit quicker for me, but that is a question everyone answers differently...

Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-02-27 18:28:53 +0000

Tell them you're not interested and walk away from it. They'll likely call you in a couple of days and offer it to you at your price. If they don't, then really walk away from it.

Posted by Miriam on 2007-02-27 19:52:46 +0000

I've come back to them with another offer, and am now walking away. My time is worth more than their car, and they are seriously bullshitting me with their inflated numbers. Either that, or the company is screwing them on their purchase deal. Whatever. I now know what I'm interested in getting, and can look for it there or somewhere else. Thanks for the input and advice!

Posted by tgl on 2007-02-27 20:38:09 +0000

$14,500.

Posted by Miriam on 2007-02-27 21:48:53 +0000

They wouldn't budge past $15,700. I tried. They weren't willing to even think of negotiating further...which is just annoying. I love that part.

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-09 00:00:05 +0000

I've researched this car a bunch more, and searched for others like it anywhere nearby, and have come up empty. The dealer is dropping it at my mechanic's tomorrow morning, and I'm going to talk with the dealer again in the afternoon. After a plumber comes to my house in the a.m. to give a second estimate for sewer line replacement (looking at $1750 from the guy who came last week), I'm going to apply to join the Tennessee Credit Union and sign up for the 5.75% auto financing. Hooray for socialist enterprises! My first communal investing foray. Wish me luck, with some, I hope to have a new-ish car on Saturday. Or Wednesday at the latest.

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2007-03-09 06:49:08 +0000

Good luck!

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-09 16:05:44 +0000

Thanks...I'm really nervous about it, but as you all know...it's time. Also might be time for me to limit my use of elipses...it's getting out of control. Semi-colons might be better. Anyway, this is my second biggest purchase ever, and only my second loan. Like I said, I'm nervous.

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-09 21:51:29 +0000

passed inspection...get my loan approved at 6.75%...wish me luck!

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-12 16:07:37 +0000

No deal. Complicated misunderstanding. Then I was offended and had to leave before I started a BIG fight.

Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-03-12 16:37:36 +0000

Good for you! A lot of us aren't capable of walking away from a deal once we get our heart set on it, but most deals _require_ walking away from. As much as I like my new van, and think I got a decent deal on it, I'm disappointed in myself for not walking out of the dealership once I realized the (typical) sleaze they were pulling on me.

Posted by tgl on 2007-03-13 14:40:13 +0000

True story: We left the first dealership (Village Subaru in East Maynard) because the manager got offended (and offensive) when we did not agree with him that the price we had inquired over email was the price we would agree to purchase the vehicle for. Then came the hard sell and knowing we could get our price (or better) somewhere else, we left. Not before asking that the half-written sales agreement be destroyed. I actually went back in to watch the other two parts of the triplicate be torn up because A) they didn't own a shredder and B) manager says "you can't take these with you, I own these forms." We left the second dealership (MetroWest on Rte 9) because they were nowhere near the price they said they could make over phone/email. Then, the manager trots out his "math" to demonstrate how the dealership would lose money at the amount we are offering. This dealership populated by older chain-smoking dudes and younger heavily-moused dudes. We walked out. The experience was much more comfortable than the first place, but at least the first place didn't try to blow smoke up our butts by showing us their secret "math". In fact, I might respect the manager at the first place --he of the hard sell-- than Slick Rick at the second place. Third dealership (Ira in Danvers), we walk in (we had been there before to test drive), and asked for our price. We get it. Ask for some freebies, are turned down, but complete the deal. The difference with fthe irst dealership is that we get a printed and signed price quote showing all charges before the triplicate sales agreement is drawn up. Said agreement being typed out (without need of a SSN) instead of hand-written by the salesperson. We started out the day wanting to get a couple hundred off our best price and/or some free accessories, we ended up with neither. So, maybe we could have held off for a slightly better deal.

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-14 15:15:15 +0000

Wow. I feel a little better now. Then again, the reason I was offended was because the customer and salesman in the cubicle next to me (while my salesman was checking on if he could beat my incredible financing) both said the phrase "Jewing down the price." The other lying nonsense was expected, but dissappointing. I prefer when people are honest with me.

Posted by tgl on 2007-03-14 15:31:21 +0000

That's a bit more offensive than we experienced.

Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-03-14 15:39:11 +0000

That reminds me of the time I went with Big Matt to look at a motorcycle and the guy selling it said that he "Nigga rigged" the clutch pedal.

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2007-03-14 15:50:38 +0000

Or the time Big Matt and I went to Woburn to buy and a VW Jetta, and the salesman said, "I'm not going to haggle with a Jew like Mr. Stamski."

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-14 15:56:34 +0000

What's weird is that the night before I said to a friend in Cali that I felt like every time I walked away after negotiating that they said something like that. Just annoying. Hoping to do something positive with it, though...like educating my local community on how to deal with similar situations.

Posted by MF DU on 2007-03-14 15:58:57 +0000

People suck - That is awful.

Posted by tendiamonds on 2007-03-14 15:59:45 +0000

Big Matt == Racism Magnet

Posted by pamsterdam on 2007-03-14 16:55:55 +0000

It's been an hour since I first read that, and I still can't close my mouth. I'm catching flies, here, people!

Posted by Miriam on 2007-03-14 20:51:37 +0000

Yeah...I couldn't stop raving about it for 2 days. Still seething, but not fuming.

Posted by pchippy on 2007-03-14 21:32:51 +0000

In my NH house I was pretty heavily moused myself. Luckily, here in MA we have Lila.

Posted by tgl on 2007-03-15 01:51:50 +0000

Ah, mirth.