Car-buying is one of the many arenas in life where we as Christians have to heed Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:16 – “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Car-buyers can be easily manipulated, taken-advantage-of, and overcharged in the car-buying process. Especially when buying a used car from a dealership*. That is why I have developed the following system for vehicle-buying.

*I don’t buy new cars because of the severe depreciation that occurs as soon as you drive a new car off the lot. Instead, I prefer to buy a car that is 2-4 years old, which is still young in years, usually has low(ish) mileage, and is often still under factory warranty, which protects the Buyer.

This vehicle-buying system is unconventional, yes, but it has served me well, and it can serve the Salesperson, too, if they can agree to it. If not, I will simply move on with no hard feelings and no time wasted for either of us. I will actually give a printed copy of these conditions (below) to the prospective Salesperson when I arrive at the dealership, so there is no misunderstanding about my conditions along the way. (Access a PDF/printable copy of these conditions here.)

I will explain each of these conditions in more detail below.

My Vehicle-Buying Conditions:

1 – I will not haggle. I will agree upfront to pay the amount you have listed for the vehicle as the all-inclusive total for the entire vehicle purchase, but not a penny more.

2 – I want to be treated the way you would want to be treated. I would like a warranty if one is available. If not, I will buy the vehicle on an “Informed As-Is” basis. “As-Is” meaning in its current state. “Informed” meaning you will fully disclose to me all of the information and knowledge you have regarding the vehicle in writing, not withholding any information from me. If I buy the vehicle and later discover some pre-existing issues that I was not informed of, legal action will follow.

3 – I value my time and yours. If this deal closes in under an hour, I will award the Salesperson a $1000 direct commission today. If however this deal takes longer than 1 hour to complete, I will subtract $100 from the agreed purchase price for every minute that passes after that 1 hour.

4 – I will only work with the person authorized by this dealership to make decisions. If that is not you, then I will instead work with the decision-maker directly. Every time the person I am working with steps away from me to go discuss something with someone else, I will subtract $500 from the agreed purchase price.

This is how I buy vehicles, and it can be mutually-beneficial for both of us. If you can operate under these conditions, we can continue. If not, I will walk away now – no hard feelings – no time wasted. Shall we continue?

Explanation of my 4 Vehicle-Buying Conditions:

1 – Dealerships make some money by upcharging for the vehicle. That is to be expected. They have to do this in order to be a profitable business. I don’t mind that at all. What I do mind is all the fees, charges, and interest they pile-onto the back-end of the purchase process after they’ve already “hooked” you in with the car you want. They make far more money off the fees and interest they charge you to buy the vehicle than they do from their markup of the vehicle itself.

I preempt this by agreeing to pay their posted sticker price for the vehicle as my all-inclusive total for the entire vehicle purchase – and not a penny more. I’m talking about the taxes, fees, and interest – everything all included in that posted sticker price. This is the hardest point for Salespeople to accept, and that’s why it is #1. If they can’t abide this condition, then I can walk away, no time wasted, and move on to another dealership who will agree (because they’re out there, and the Salespeople know it, too).

2 – All used vehicles are sold “As-Is.” That’s fine with me. Every used car is going to have its quirks and unique personality. Some will have scratches and dents in the body. I don’t mind any of that. I don’t even mind if there is a maintenance issue that needs attention – so long as I am informed about it upfront. I want to buy this car with my eyes wide open to any issues it may have – I don’t want to be surprised by pre-existing issues that were dishonestly hidden from me beforehand.

3 – One of the most infuriating parts of the car-buying process at dealerships is the sales tactic of dragging out the purchase process over hours. This is unnecessary and is meant to discourage scrutiny, price-comparing, and questioning all the mystery fees and charges they start tacking-on to the sticker price. Buyers who get tired of the process are more likely to relent and agree to pay the higher prices just so they can get out of there!

I use some vehicle-buying judo on this sales tactic by leveraging speed in the Salesperson’s favor. If they can get me in-and-out of this process in under an hour, I will hand them $1000 cash as a direct commission for working with me as the Buyer instead of only working for the dealership as a Seller. This makes them more like a real estate agent who is working for both the Buyer and the Seller, making a commission from both the dealership and the Buyer. Basically, “if you will work with me to make this deal swift, you’ll earn a direct commission from me today, on top of the commission your dealership is also going to pay you for selling this car to me.” This incentivizes the Salesperson to not drag out the process and hold me hostage for hours by adding in lots of extra charges that will prompt questions and explanations. I just want them to sell me the car I want for the price they listed for it. That’s it.

Now, many dealerships will not allow their Salespeople to receive payments directly from the customer. That’s fine. This condition still emphasizes my desire not to have an unnecessarily lengthy buying experience. And the second part of this condition still stands, even if they cannot accept a direct commission from me: “If this deal takes longer than 1 hour to complete, I will subtract $100 from the agreed purchase price for every minute that passes after that 1 hour.” For example, a 10-minute delay on their part costs them $1000 off the purchase price. A 30-minute delay saves me $3000 off the purchase price! So it’s in their best interest to work fast.

4 – One of the most common and frustrating sales tactics is the “I’ll have to go speak with my manager about that…” routine. This tends to discourage Buyer scrutiny of the process because every question about the price or a fee or the interest rate can prompt the Salesperson to “go speak to their manager about it.” They step away and apply silent pressure by making you wait in discomfort while they “discuss your question with someone else.”

My upfront request is to work with the decision-maker directly. If that’s not the Salesperson, then let me work the entire deal with the Manager. And every time the person I’m working with has to “step away” to “discuss something” with “someone else,” then I’m just going to subtract $500 from our agreed price. I’m not here to waste your time – thus you will not waste mine without it costing you.

The vehicle seller is out to make as much money from you as they can. The most effective ways for them to do this are to add fees on top of the sticker price, charge a high interest rate on the loan, and apply silent pressure by making you wait for no reason every time you ask a question or scrutinize the price or the process.

That is why you must go into the vehicle-buying process with a plan not to be manipulated or taken-advantage-of. Or as Jesus said it, to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”