Is it kosher to work with two salesmen??

I have been trying to see if it might be possible to buy my new truck by using email alone. It can be damn hard to even get ahold of the email addresses of salespeople. And, I don't think they, sales guys, like the idea of not having you there to .... how should I put it.... manipulate you (had a different word in mind) But, now it seems that I have the opportunity to work with two different sales guys accept they work for the same dealer that has a few locations. I know the exact truck I want. I found it on their website. I do not live on the same island as them so I can't go look unless I take a special costly trip.

I figure this is a stupid question because once they each give me an OTD quote, they will see that it is for the same buyer and the same truck. I was wondering though if one might come in lower than the other but it is Toyota after all.

Bad Question??

 

Bad mojo in my honest opinion, I would not operate that way, but if it works for you? Go for it.

 

The dealer's there to earn your business. There is absolutely nothing wrong pitting salesmen against each other in the car business, especially at competing dealers.

I'm young and look younger than I am, and was just getting the runaround in person. I started emailing a whole bunch of dealers and negotiating that way. I ended up getting my truck way below the sticker, including tax and dealer fees. The best I was able to get in-person negotiating was ~1k below sticker plus tax (would have put me at ~2k above sticker).

If you go the email route, just be ready to drive. I had to drive around 3 hours away to get my Taco.

 

Yes, I hear you.

So, is it bad mojo to play different dealers against each other or five? Isn't that what is recommended to get the best deal?

 

They are looking to milk you for as much as possible.

Nothing wrong with trying to find the best deal possible IMO.

 

It’s business, not friendships. Your job is to get the best deal you can, their job is to make top dollar out of you. Pit them all against each other, get the best deal you can!

 

Screw it, talk to as many sales peeps as you want. At the end of the day it's all about selling a car. When I bought my Tacoma I talked to 3 different salesman at the same dealership. They all get a piece. Granted it's a smaller piece but fuck it.

 

Who cares about the dealer...if you get a better price then that’s a win for you

 

Different dealers? Absolutely not.

I have over the years built friendships in a few dealerships, a couple now managers, and when needed I can now get a deal with no muss or fuss. In and out, no bullshit upsells etc.

 

I don't know what strategy you are using but if you are trading something you should trade for the difference. If you are buying outright, ask them for their best deal and be prepared to walk if they are way off. It's not complicated if you don't make it complicated.
I'm not young. I have bought 30+ vehicles. It's not hard to get a decent deal.

Don't put two guys at the same dealer against each other. That's just bad form. One dealer against the other is fine tho.

Just find a guy and deal.

 

Exactly.....well said

 

Synaps! Looks like to me that you did a great job. The way things seem to work, I don't think you could have done better. I'm looking on another island because, on my island, there is only one dealer with two locations and marks up and doesn't negotiate. I'm not sure the other dealer on the other island negotiates either.....

On my island, I can drive three hours but that just gets me to the same dealer, different location.

I am probably going to get the truck from the other island sight unseen until I pick it up off the ship. Unique situation here.

 

I wouldn't ever email people to negotiate buying a truck... Same with anything in life; confidence gets you far. Face to face deals on ANYTHING are always better. I've gotten way better deals talking to people, searching around and pushing to get what I want. If it works for you, go for it. If you show up there and LET (keyword there) them bully you, its your fault..

As far as working with certain salesman at a single dealership I honestly don't see a problem. One person may be willing to go above and beyond to sell the car while the other just wants a quick buck. Car salesman are about the bottom of the barrel. If they have problems with each other after your deal, that's their problem. You're buying a $30k vehicle; take your time. Good luck.

 

I always contact, shop dealers vs each other, basic business in my opinion.... However, onc I choose a dealer, I do NOT use two folks within the same organization - no good and bad business, again in my opinion

 

Just to add a point, if you didn’t already know this.

The salesperson isn’t the person that is deciding the price at which you will be able to purchase the vehicle. You might be talking to them on the phone or by e-mail, but they aren’t the one who is deciding what price to give you in negotiating. They are the messenger and consultant.

If you’re talking to two different salepeople at the same dealership at the same time, they’re probably getting your price from the same person in charge of pricing the vehicle.

The decision on pricing is made by the person in charge of the dealership pricing on any one particular day.
So it would probably be either the owner, manager, general manager, fleet manager, president, chief or head honcho.

Someone who’s worked at a dealership in the past could give you more insight.

 

Fuck em, sales people are cancer. Get the best price you can.

 

I used the car buying program when I bought my truck in 2010 and used the 5 email quotes from various dealers and took it to a 6th dealer in person and they beat the best one by a couple hundred bucks (brand new 11 DCSB sport for roughly $25k).

 

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion. It's in their job description to earn your sale. It's implied that they'll be competing with your alternatives to do that.

CC'ing two salesmen from the same dealer is probably a little discourteous on a personal note, but honestly if I was in their shoes I'd just compromise on which of them will take this sale, split the commission or owe a favor.

 

General advice - Don’t limit yourself to just your island, whatever it may be. You might be surprised how much you can save buying elsewhere and having it shipped to you.

 

yes, I totally agree. when I first bought my 2002 Tacoma (I bought it in 2004 in perfect condition), I put a rack on it, used it to remodel a sisters home, and shipped it from Oakland to Hawaii. It was actually a good experience I thought. It was very organized. One parks it in a line and it goes on the next ship that has room. It was out to sea for a long stretch though (oops) but arrived in great shape. Here on Big Island, there are Tacos just everywhere. One needs clearance if one chooses to drive to the beach on a lava "road". I think that is where this crawl control comes into play.