
When shopping for a new car a lot of people decide to trade in their vehicles to offset the price of the car. Most people know that dealers will almost never give you Kelley Blue Book value.
The reason for this is because KBB pricing is only for the retail value of used cars, and not the wholesale value. In other words, car dealerships can’t offer you the price your car sells on the open market because they won’t be able to resell it for a profit.
But there are ways to increase the value of your trade-in such as knowing what your car is really worth according to car guides and website information.
Research Your CarIn order to get a good trade-in value for your car you need to know what it is really worth. You can use resources such as Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, and newspaper ads to see what the going price for your car is.
But remember, once you know this number use this as a starting point in negotiating a trade-in price. It will always be lower than the going price for the car, but you now have an idea how much the car dealer stands to make on it when it is resold.
If the trade-in price is several thousand dollars below KBB value for instance, you know the dealer can give you a better trade-in price. If it is only several hundred dollars below the going price, you’re probably getting a deal.
Try Alternative FinancingCar dealers will be happy to finance your car for you because they will earn interest over the life of the loan of the car. But this could also mean trouble for you regarding your trade-in.
If a dealer claims that he’ll give you KBB price for your car, run for the hills because the dealer may be juggling the deal to make up for his loss on the trade-in.
They can sign you up for a lengthy payment schedule that will cost you more in interest, or raise the APR on your loan to make up for the trade-in loss.
One way to get around this is to get a pre-approved loan from your bank or credit union. Since you already have the cash in hand to buy a car, the car dealer won’t be able to manipulate the numbers on the car loan.
If you do go with dealership financing, pay extra close attention to the annual percentage rate, length of the car loan, or extra “hidden” charges in the final documents to make sure your great trade-in deal hasn’t disappeared due to trumped up charges and fees.
Go to Different DealersTry different car dealerships to see what the going rate for your trade-in is. This amount will vary because some dealers may have many models of your car already sitting on the used car lot, while others may need your particular model.
If you do find a good trade-in deal, and you are comfortable with the salespeople and dealership, it’s time to make a deal!
Source:
Bankrate