Why shop online for a car? Why is NowCar the new way of car buying? Because many people are fed up with the tricky techniques car dealers use to sell a car, and at NowCar, we don’t play games.  Here’s how we tackle some of the situations a customer may face when buying a car at a dealership.

Time Crunch

Car salespeople will always play with time to work a sale in their favor. They do this in one of many ways:

Playing the Waiting Game - Salespeople want to take as much of your time as possible when selling a car, hoping to wear you down so you’ll give in and buy. You shouldn’t ever make a purchase under pressure, especially if it’s a long-term commitment like a car.

When shopping online, you have as much time as you need and you can take a break whenever you wish.

The Pull Away - A technique as old as selling itself, salespeople will act like a car may not be available tomorrow or a sale is ending soon, hoping you will want to act quickly to avoid missing an opportunity. The truth is, most dealerships have plenty of cars in stock at a particular price. If the dealership you’re in doesn’t have what you want or need, another dealership will.

Because we exist online, NowCar doesn’t operate via cars in stock. Rather, we have a selection of brands and franchises we provide you access to when shopping with us. Regardless, we probably have what you’re looking for at the price you want.

Research

It’s not something you can do at a dealership, especially if you’re short on time.

Comparison shopping is one of the easiest things you can do online. On NowCar, you can compare all brands side-by-side and make sure you’re getting the best price for the car you want.

Vetting

“Vetting” is the term used for analyzing another person. Finding their weak points, their strengths, and how they tick. A car salesperson can vet a customer pretty quick, and then they use their analysis to get to know you. However, you are not given the same opportunity to vet them.

Do you want this or this? Car salespeople will typically greet you with a question that asks for a clear response i.e. “What are you looking for today?” or “Do you want a SUV or Crossover?” This is a quick way to stop you from disengaging and forces you to interact.

When shopping with NowCar, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want or you’re just browsing (haha). Look around, take your time, see if anything piques your interest. We don’t mind.

Damage Control - Another way to get information out of a buyer - car salespeople will usually ask about your current car to find out what you don’t like about it. Then, they can respond by presenting you with a car, preferably a new one, that makes those problems non-existent. What many people forget is to also learn about the problems of a car they may be buying, new or old.

At NowCar, we don’t ask what’s wrong with your car or why you’re looking to purchase one. While online, you can look up reviews about a new car you’re checking out.

How much can you afford? Car salespeople love to ask this question. “What’s your budget, how much are you looking to spend?” They ask this so they have a ballpark number to throw around when making the pitch. How much you’re willing to spend is information only you need to know. Moreover, if the salesperson knows your budget, they may say something like “Oh, and it only costs X amount a month.” They say that to make you think, “Wow only that much?” When really, it’s going to cost more by the time you sign the contract.

When shopping online, you know how much you want to spend and you don’t need to tell anyone else. Most online shopping has filters for price now-a-days too. We don’t need to know how much you want to spend, but by using our “shop by price” feature, you can choose a price range to narrow down your search.

Play Date

Car salespeople love play dates. Once they get you on the lot, all of the above techniques can be put into action. There are many ways they can do this:

Gone Fishing - Car dealerships will advertise deals, sales, models, etc on TV, radio, online, really anywhere they can. They want to entice people to come into the dealership, and once they lure someone in, they can act like the deal is no longer available, or the sale ended, or that car isn’t available...but they can help you with another option. That’s how they catch you.

On NowCar, a deal doesn’t end because you logged in. We don’t pull the ol’ bait ’n’ switch. We always have options available. Always.

Come on over and let’s chat - As mentioned, every car salesperson wants to get you into the dealership. If you call them on the phone, they’ll invite you over. They want to play ball in their own backyard so they have the advantage.

When shopping online, you don’t need to go anywhere. You have all the tools and all the power to make a smart buy.

Add-ons - Any finance manager worth his medal will use techniques to get a driver to buy more. Anything from tire protection to theft devices you may or may not need. They may even sell unnecessary features. The big kid always has the cool toys, and you want the cool toys don’t you?

When shopping online, you have time to think about other features and offers. Plus, with research, you learn what you want in a car and stick to it. No one is persuading you otherwise.

That’s how it is with NowCar. You have the power, and we’re here to help.

Photo Source: Shutterstock; Copyright: KPG Ivary