Shopping for a new car can either be an exciting adventure or a nightmare. The thrill of test driving cars that you couldn’t possibly afford during your lifetime. The feel of a new engine, the smell of new leather interior. The dazzle of the latest technology.
Even shopping for a used car can be an event. After days of research online, checking out CARFAX, numerous websites, Kelly Blue Book prices and even the local want ads, you’re ready to do battle with the used car salesman. You go armed with a list of “must haves,” pricing information and even a specific car’s history. After all the time and energy—whether the car is new or used—the deciding question is always, “…what does it cost?”
Show me the numbers. And, they are always negotiable. If you’ve ever bargained for a car, you know that getting a “final” price on a car is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. It slips, it slides, and it melts away. Well, Edmunds, the car research company, wants to change all that. A Time Magazine article, “Gimme a Price Already! Edmunds Tries to End the Most Aggravating Part of Car Shopping,” reports how Edmunds' new service, Edmunds Price Promise will end the most aggravating part of car shopping—getting the price.
The problem with car shopping is that the dealer or seller has all the information. Somewhere in the back office is the real price of a vehicle, known only to the salesman and the elusive “manager” who has to approve every dollar negotiated off the price. With Edmunds Price Promise, a car shopper only has to enter in the vehicle make, model, and a name, phone number and email address, and the person gets the actual price for the actual car. The price becomes a quote that ensures the car shopper will get the price once it’s given to a dealer.
This concept of getting the price for a car before going to the dealership isn’t new. TrueCar and Kelly Blue Book have their own versions of car price quotes that claim the end of haggling. But what is unique about Edmunds is that there is no waiting for a quote. Push the button and there it is.
The price is the price. No waiting for emails with a better deal or a few extra perks thrown in. No come-ons or bait-and-switch to a more expensive model with more features. No loss leaders to get you into the showroom, just to be pressured into buying a car that sat too long on the lot. This service is for people who don’t have time to fool around. Just give them a price.
There is an upside for dealers, too. Without the long, drawn-out haggling, they are able to sell cars for a higher price. With fewer trips back to the manager to approve negotiations, the price stays a little higher.
Once the price is established, the car buyer just pushes a button to print out the price guarantee certificate. There is no “buy now” button. People still like to take a test drive before they sign away. Buying a car starts a relationship with a dealer and, in some cases, its service department. Car buyers need to get to know who’ll be taking care of their one-price-wonder. Taking the hassle out of price makes for a better, long-lasting relationship.
Photo Source: feelart / Freedigitalphotos.net
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