Last summer, I bought my first new car. It’s not a long story, and there are plenty of great reasons for me to tell you about it, but since that’s a pretty personal experience, I’ll just say that I did a little research beforehand, and I was able to get a great deal. I’m a much better car-buyer now, and I’d love to give you all the details on what I learned.

But first I want to talk about the people I bought from and why buying from a private party is much better than buying from a dealership. Let’s start with what the people who gave me my car did right.

Best Negotiating Dos and Don’ts

Think about this: In your neighborhood or on the internet, you have access to hundreds of potential buyers with cars similar to yours. You could potentially used cars in pasco deal with a dozen of these buyers before you find the one who’s willing to give you the best deal. Why would you go to one guy over others?

A dealer, on the other hand, only has access to a few dozen used cars. To give you the best price, they’re going to have to give up their commission on that car. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to find someone who’s willing to negotiate a little better, but more likely than not, you’ll end up going to a dealership and getting one of the same deals offered by your other used car buyers.

The point is, the people who have the ability to give you a better deal can do so only if you give them the chance. But you can’t be bothered to look, and that’s a pretty common pattern. You hear a great deal offered by a friend, used cars in pasco but you don’t go to meet the seller in person. Or you hear a car is a good deal and you’ll end up with it anyway, because your friends are just being nice.

If you’re at all interested in getting a great deal on a used car, then make yourself a little less lazy and stop avoiding the people who have the best cars for you. Go to them. They’re out there waiting for you, and you won’t even have to take them to dinner first.