I am in the process of getting quotes from dealers through the internet. They are not user friendly and not responsive. One just gave me the MSR; another took off almost $1000 then added doc fees of $399. Is there a good internet source for quotes? Has anyone had this problem?

 

I don't think these Internet quotes are worth bothering with. You are essentially anonymous. You have to show up in the showroom (when they are not busy) then they will take you seriously. Preferably, show up a second time to talk price.

 

The internet can be useful though. I think on Edmunds, you can find out what invoice should be on the model/options you want. This isn't "true" invoice though becuase it does not include the "holdback" I never knew this existed until I joined here.

This thread helped me out greatly when I bought our second HHR.
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...light=haggling

 

Go through the fleet manager if you want the best deal. Do not just walk on the lot and expect to get any kind of a deal unless you work it out beforehand. Also, $399 for a doc fee is obscene. Those people aren't lawyers and you shouldn't be paying lawyer-prices for them to plug the numbers into a computer and hit the print button. If they really want to sell the car, they can find a way to either waive or reduce that fee.

Consider joining a credit union and compare the financing. The factory or dealer-sourced financing on an '08 may not be very good compared to the CU rates right now.

 

The main reason that smart shoppers go online is to save money. We have additional discounts available to you when purchasing through the internet sales department that are not available to “front door” customers. And more importantly the discounts are up-front and don’t require hours of negotiation to achieve your savings! The dealer simply added another $399 in profit to that sale. So-called dealer fees are simply a way to disguise added profit that should be negotiable as part of the sales process. While it's becoming commonplace for dealers in a city or region to try to charge these fees, you're definitely within your rights to demand that the fee be eliminated or you're walking away from the deal.

 

That's right. I got a $600 discount for shopping online and applying for GMAC financing online. I had an answer on whether I qualified for the 0% financing in a couple of hours. I brought home the HHR that same night.

 

get supplier discount, add in rebates, buy cash, and negotiate...i got my auto basically for free because they were lost in the money sitting on the table. it was too late the next day when the sales manager tried to get me for the other $1.2K they lost on the deal.

 

Not all salespeople are the same.

I work for Showcase Chevrolet and I am a Fleet/Internet Sales Manager. I do not take walk-ins. I offer the best customer service and excellent everyday low prices.

You're going to find crappy service as well as excellent service.

Do your homework and get a feel for what others are paying. Check out Edmunds.com. The numbers on edmunds.com ARE NOT always correct, but they are in the ballpark.

I suggest that you get several quotes. Go with the dealership you like best and make an appointment to see them. It's much faster to work out a deal in person than by email.

The hold back is used to pay for the cost of doing business (overhead). So in a way, this is part of the cost of the vehicle. Don't expect them to let go much if any of the holdback. Holdback will vary among vehicles and makes and is dependent on the MSRP of each vehicle. Higher MSRP = more holdback cash.

$399 for a doc fee is high; our doc fee is $55. I believe the doc fee is set by the state and will vary.

Finding the best price is important to everyone. Keep in mind that the best price is the number you where able to find with a dealership that you can work with. I see many customers try to find " the lowest price". This is bad because the search never ends. They end up spending too much time, effort and sometimes money to the point that they missed the opportunity to purchase the vehicle they wanted because it was sold to someone else.

Salespeople work hard for their money and earn it just like everyone else. The stigma of us being crooks is so outdated. In fact, if you are a felon, you are not permitted to sell cars. If you want great service, I suggest you don't nickle and dime the salesperson to death. Be, upfront, honest, and work with them.

 

or plop down cash and set it on the table and let them sweat it out, mumble, and make nervous decisions. we walked out of there with two new cars paid in full. 2007 HHR LS and 2007 Impala LT with no trades.

 

Thats what i did. I took a single check out and wrote the number I would pay on it made out to the dealership. I had no more checks and told them if they did not take it I would have to go home and get another check, Needless to say They took it, ONLY because I did my homework and was more than confidant what was a FAIR deal. AND I DID have a trade so I had to really have my number's in order. We all were happy at the end of the day (except the F&I guy who sold me nothing and had to do the numbers in reverse to include the taxes and doc fee,LOL)