How do you negotiate the price of a used car with an individual using Kelly Blue Book values?

I want to negotiate the price between what kelly blue book says is "good" and "excellent" ($800 difference). Do you think this is possible considering they seem to be saying the car is in excellent condition? (Right now they are asking for $200 more than KKB's excellent.) Should I start off saying I will pay KKB's "good" value, so they will say they will say they will take the "excellent" value and I will end up paying smack in the middle of the "good" and "excellent" value?



Also, should I do any negotating by email (Craigs list) before test driving the car, or wait and do it in person? Do I need to have a man to do the negotiating?How do you negotiate the price of a used car with an individual using Kelly Blue Book values?
first off keep in mind, that kelley blue book, and nada guide www.nada.com or national automobile dealers association are a guide, the key to a successful dealership, is buy cheap, and sell as high as possible. as far as used cars go, if you are financing a car the dealer makes money from beginning to end . on a used car, if you want to find out how much money a dealer has in a particular car, ask him what the down payment would be to drive it home right then. (as a general rule the down payment pays off the car for the dealer, everything after this is profit)

many dealers have like a black book, they try to buy everything at auction price.(cheap) and gouge as much money for it as they can later.

another thing people fail to realize, is the dealer job is selling cars all day long, this is his job, you are at a disadvantage, by nature of sheer time it takes to find and buy a good used car.

personally, I have only bought a few cars from a dealer, by far, I found way better deals looking for private party cars from private owners.Unfortunatelyy, this can take weeks, which can be tiring, and once again, the dealer has quantity on his side. the best time to look for a used car is anytime, the only time to buy is the last few days of the month, because some car lots that operate on commission, a salesman may need one more sale to change his paycheck, and be more likely to deal.

One way to try to keep your hard earned money in your pocket, is be prepared to take a car you are seriously interested in buying to your mechanic. The mechanic can keep you from buying a pile of broken down crap. and if the mechanic oks a car but finds minor but fixable problems, you can get an estimate for repairs, and try to negotiate the price down.

sometimes you have to walk away from a car you like, but remember, around the corner is always a better one just for you. www.samarins. com is a website that has good information on buying used cars, and also has used car reviews that may be helpful, cars like nissan honda and earlyToyota'ss, have good repair records, everyone else is behind these three good luck hope this helps
KBB values are too high. Use Edmunds instead and NEVER pay Retail value. You should be paying somewhere betwen trade in (wholesale) value and private party value if you expect to get a good deal.



As far as condition, you can argue condition all day long but all you have to do is point out a few flaws. How can they say that doesn't hurt the value. No car is in Excellent condition, that implies perfect and no used car is perfect unless it just came out of the recondition shop with a complete mechanical overhaul and the interior and exterior are free from defects.



Negotiating is really simple. It boils down to this. In your mind you have to determine what you feel the car is worth and what you are willing to pay for it. Regardless of what the books say. The books are nothing more than estimates and averages. That means half of all cars sell for less or more than the quotes in the book.



If they accept your offer the negotiating is done. If they don't, walk away and go elsewhere. This isn't the only car for sale in town and you need to let them know you are willing to walk if they don't accept your offer. Of course you can always give a little but don't give in. Sit firm and get the car you want at the price you are willing to pay.How do you negotiate the price of a used car with an individual using Kelly Blue Book values?
I would recommend starting at KKB's "fair" value price. That way you might get it for "good" value.

And wait to negotiate until you have test driven the car and know in what condition it is in.

Usually you should be able to get a car at the fair or good value unless it is in "very" good condition.

Good luck on buying the car!
used car values are more dependant on the locaation of where it is being sold. in general, prices are a bit higher in large cities than smaller ones.



unless the thing has been babied, which, from my experience, is about as likely as me winning the lottery this weekend (get the meaning....), you should simply state the true/accurate shape of the auto and bargain from there.



the economy is still in bad shape and, all things being equal, buyers have the upper hand in all types of business deals.How do you negotiate the price of a used car with an individual using Kelly Blue Book values?
you should also price the car using edmunds.com and nada.com for a more complete picture for what that make/model/year/mileage/condition/option鈥?is selling for in your area.



after all - the seller has probably done just that too.



No negotiating before test driving the car. Why negotiate before you are armed with the knowledge that comes from the test drive?



Armed with the knowledge of what a reasonable asking price is from multiple sources, I wouldn't say you need a man there unless it would make you more comfortable. You should feel as comfortable and confident as possible when entering a negotiation.



Oh - if the car is being sold 'as-is/no warranty' - a pre purchase inspection is a MUST.



Yeah - it's not as fun as just buying the car on the spot and taking it home, but you wouldn't believe how many people come here lamenting "JustboughtusedcardoesntruncanIsue?