05-19-2024, 11:10 PM
When I was shopping for used cars I went to all the lots. I think I missed a few I didn't know about at the time like Credit Cars, but I went everywhere I could find.
I understand they need to make a profit but all the prices were so far over bluebook (dealer) it was crazy. And this was back when there were a lot more used cars available. On one lot I found a car I wanted to drive and it wouldn't start. The sales guy was trying to arrange a jump start and I was like, forget it. That whole thing about one chance to make a good impression. At another lot I was looking at a car, I wasn't really that interested in it, but couldn't help but notice one of the headlights was full of water. I asked the guy, if I buy this car, are they going to fix the headlight? He said he'd check. I continued looking at their offerings while he did his checking. He came back and said that, "They were already losing so much money on the car that at this price, they couldn't fix the headlight." You have to be kidding me.
Finally at the last lot we went to, found a vehicle we could live with, but it was way too overpriced for the number of miles it had on it. I tried to get them down to a fairer value and (which was still way above blue book (dealer) for a vehicle with lower mileage)) and they wouldn't budge. Just kept pushing the financing. I found out later that was my problem, they negotiate in terms of "monthly payments" and not vehicle price. It was like we didn't speak the same language. They have a markup they know (or think) they can get, and 99% of people come in thinking that they can afford, say, $500/month. So then they show cars that fit that budget. They want to screw the customer, but gently, so they don't know they are getting screwed. Most people think they know how to negotiate with them, so they'll be like, "I won't pay more than $15k for this vehicle" (lets pretend it was priced at $19.9k). So after trying to wear you down with a bunch of bogus back and forth, they will finally act like you broke them, and they'll sell it for $15k, and practically put on a ticker tape parade for you for being their best negotiating customer of the year. But on the back end, they added $5k in the financing details, but it's still only $500/month, which was the number that you "agreed" to when you came in and started talking with them. Oh, and you'll find out during signing that it's not even really $15k, because that price didn't include title and license fees, and whatever other fees they can manufacture that weren't part of the "purchase price" which inches it closer to the $19.9k they wanted anyways, but it's still only $500/month and what's another year's worth of payments for such a fine, clean, vehicle? Don't worry about the headlight... they just overfilled the headlight fluid a little bit. It's not water. Vroom Vroom!
Maybe the Kona side is better. It has a drier climate and a more affluent population. It stands to reason that the cars on that side might have lower miles, or be better maintained, or have fewer headlights full of water. Pro-tip: If you are really interested in a particular vehicle, a salesperson will bring it to you, you don't have to go to the lot. Even from Kona. Or at least, that was the case 12 years ago.
I wound up buying my first few cars off of Craigslist. FB marketplace wasn't such a thing then yet. The online folks are full of their own scams, and I'm pretty sure I've ran into every one of them. If you want to try that route I can clue you in on some of the less obvious ones.
I've also bought 3 vehicles from GSA auctions in Honolulu (federal government owned vehicles). You can get low mileage vehicles at a good price, there is a bit of a learning curve depending on what you are looking for because the dealers also get a lot of their cars from there so you're competing against them. But it's a good way to buy from the source and avoid their markups. It takes patience though because the auction houses usually don't do onesies and twosies, when they have an online vehicle auction going they usually have several or dozens, sometimes close to a 100. Usually the vehicles are on Oahu, so you have to be willing to get it shipped, which is something else I could give insight on if one is interested.
Whichever route you go, the best of luck, and let us know how it worked out.
I understand they need to make a profit but all the prices were so far over bluebook (dealer) it was crazy. And this was back when there were a lot more used cars available. On one lot I found a car I wanted to drive and it wouldn't start. The sales guy was trying to arrange a jump start and I was like, forget it. That whole thing about one chance to make a good impression. At another lot I was looking at a car, I wasn't really that interested in it, but couldn't help but notice one of the headlights was full of water. I asked the guy, if I buy this car, are they going to fix the headlight? He said he'd check. I continued looking at their offerings while he did his checking. He came back and said that, "They were already losing so much money on the car that at this price, they couldn't fix the headlight." You have to be kidding me.
Finally at the last lot we went to, found a vehicle we could live with, but it was way too overpriced for the number of miles it had on it. I tried to get them down to a fairer value and (which was still way above blue book (dealer) for a vehicle with lower mileage)) and they wouldn't budge. Just kept pushing the financing. I found out later that was my problem, they negotiate in terms of "monthly payments" and not vehicle price. It was like we didn't speak the same language. They have a markup they know (or think) they can get, and 99% of people come in thinking that they can afford, say, $500/month. So then they show cars that fit that budget. They want to screw the customer, but gently, so they don't know they are getting screwed. Most people think they know how to negotiate with them, so they'll be like, "I won't pay more than $15k for this vehicle" (lets pretend it was priced at $19.9k). So after trying to wear you down with a bunch of bogus back and forth, they will finally act like you broke them, and they'll sell it for $15k, and practically put on a ticker tape parade for you for being their best negotiating customer of the year. But on the back end, they added $5k in the financing details, but it's still only $500/month, which was the number that you "agreed" to when you came in and started talking with them. Oh, and you'll find out during signing that it's not even really $15k, because that price didn't include title and license fees, and whatever other fees they can manufacture that weren't part of the "purchase price" which inches it closer to the $19.9k they wanted anyways, but it's still only $500/month and what's another year's worth of payments for such a fine, clean, vehicle? Don't worry about the headlight... they just overfilled the headlight fluid a little bit. It's not water. Vroom Vroom!
Maybe the Kona side is better. It has a drier climate and a more affluent population. It stands to reason that the cars on that side might have lower miles, or be better maintained, or have fewer headlights full of water. Pro-tip: If you are really interested in a particular vehicle, a salesperson will bring it to you, you don't have to go to the lot. Even from Kona. Or at least, that was the case 12 years ago.
I wound up buying my first few cars off of Craigslist. FB marketplace wasn't such a thing then yet. The online folks are full of their own scams, and I'm pretty sure I've ran into every one of them. If you want to try that route I can clue you in on some of the less obvious ones.
I've also bought 3 vehicles from GSA auctions in Honolulu (federal government owned vehicles). You can get low mileage vehicles at a good price, there is a bit of a learning curve depending on what you are looking for because the dealers also get a lot of their cars from there so you're competing against them. But it's a good way to buy from the source and avoid their markups. It takes patience though because the auction houses usually don't do onesies and twosies, when they have an online vehicle auction going they usually have several or dozens, sometimes close to a 100. Usually the vehicles are on Oahu, so you have to be willing to get it shipped, which is something else I could give insight on if one is interested.
Whichever route you go, the best of luck, and let us know how it worked out.