attn: guys who are car salesman or guys who know them

[shaferz]

Specifically for GM.

Fiance and I test drove a vehicle at a Chevy dealership up in the suburbs of Chicago. Price is decent (and we did get them to come down a little bit,) unfortunately what they were willing to offer for her trade-in was $3500 lower than a local Chevy dealership. We would prefer to stay local anyway. The vehicle we test drove is difficult to find with the options it has as well as in the color that it is.

Our local dealer told my fiance that they dont do it often, but that our dealer buying from the dealer in the suburbs was a possibility.

We are at the point where even if our local dealership can buy at the full asking price of the other dealership then sell to us with a $1K markup, we will still come out $2500 better than what the dealership up north was going to do for us.

Exactly how possible is this? Does one Chevy dealership sell a vehicle to another Chevy dealership at a discounted rate? Do they HAVE to sell to another dealership if the other dealership can make the sale? Do dealerships discount for each other or does the dealership in question still have to buy at full asking price?

I'm going to give our local guy a ring first thing tomorrow, but I dont want to sound like a total fool with wrong information on how the 'dealer to dealer' stuff works. These are both 'GM Certified' dealers if that matters.

Thanks!

 

[Reptile]

They call it a dealer trade. Basically, they "trade" another vehicle that is close to the same options as the vehicle you want to buy, + cash if that's the way it works out. Dealers don't make any markup on them, because if it were to come down to it, that other dealer might have to do it the other way around. Basically they do their best to balance out the books at dealer invoice cost. It's kind of like a you scratch my back thing. It all works out in the end, and usually everyone ends up happy.

Hope that helps.

 

[archemedes]

good dealers do it quite often, and work it out so both do well, realize most dealership owners know each other, and many go to auctions together

 

[GTPluv]

When I was looking for a GTO, It HAD to be an 05-06,blk on blk 6spd manuel. The car lot I went to, didn't have the exact one, but found one for me and was gonna trade the other lot for a Solstice. No mark up because the other lot really wanted a Solstice. Where I went was a small town and had 2 Solstices and couldnt really sell them. The bigger lot with the GTO said the Solstice was a HOT item. I know they told me that they only trade new cars and not used.

 

[shaferz]

The dealership in the suburbs would not do any type of 'dealer trade.' They told our local guy that the TBSS was thier 'specialty' vehicle, and I'd assume since they are selling like hotcakes up there, they would not do a dealer trade.