A few times a month I'll have a discussion with a customer regarding used car prices. A customer will say something like, "I've seen the same car at another dealer for $2,000 less online". I rather enjoy this conversation because it not only gives me an opportunity to help educate someone, but it also shows that our buying process is not only simple and honest, but also transparent. Whether it's someone contacting us from another state or it's someone here in person, I ask where this comparable is so I can look it up online to see what the differences might be. Many times it'll be an equipment difference like comparing a Panamera S to a base Panamera or a Mercedes-Benz with $12k in options versus one with $4k. Most of the time the difference can be found in the fine print. I can share many examples from the 11 years we've been at this location, but I'll just give one example from a recent interaction.

A nice couple came in looking for a customized Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. We had a 2018 6-cylinder in excellent condition, garage-kept Florida car, clean Carfax, with over $25k in upgrades and options including things like a lift kit, aftermarket wheels, off-road tires, power running boards, aftermarket leather seats, Panasonic stereo, steel bumpers, winch, etc. and 59k miles. They loved the Jeep but said they wanted to drive to Miami to look at one other one they had saved on their phone. They told me it was "the same" and it was $5,000 less. Being in the car business for 26+ years, knowing that our cars have a very small gross margin (avg $1,400 gross margin), and having a very good understanding of the market, I knew when I heard "the same and $5k less" that there was no way it was possible. I asked where the Jeep was and they pulled it up on their phone to show me. The only thing that was "the same" was that it was a 2018. Just a few of the differences were: it was a 4-cylinder turbo (not a 6 cyl), 56,000 MORE miles, not nearly the modifications (probably around $5k instead of $25k), 3 owners including northeast states like MA, and 2 accidents on the Carfax. These things alone would justify the Jeep being $5,000 less and to be clear, it should have been at least $10,000 less. The icing on this cake? I scrolled down to the fine print in their listing and saw that their advertised price included "$6,000 trade equity" as well as a $995 dealer fee, a $1,295 reconditioning fee, and a $395 electronic filing fee. Trade equity means that they're telling you that the advertised price will be $6,000 more unless you are trading in a car that has $6,000 worth of equity in it. No trade or not enough equity in your trade? Add $6,000 to the advertised price. That's how a car listed for $19,999 online becomes $25,999 when you show up. In other words, the advertised price that they thought was "$5,000 less" would actually be $1,000 more than the one we had. That dealer was adding $8,685 in fine print fees to the price they were advertising online.

There are a lot of games and gimmicks most dealers like to use. The fine print fees are one of their favorites. Reconditing fees, electronic filing fees, trade equity, lojack, dealer fees that don't get you anything additional are all examples. A lot of dealers will also raise the price of the vehicle if you're not financing with them. Why? This is because the dealer will markup your interest rate so that they can make thousands of dollars more as a "kickback" from the lender. The lender quotes an 8% rate and the dealer tells you 9.5% so they can pocket $2,000 or more depending on the loan amount. If you come in and want to pay cash or finance through your credit union for example, the dealer can't control your rate or mark it up so they'll raise the price of the car to make the money they're not making from your financing.

At Right Choice Auto sales, we don't have a reconditioning fee, egregious dealer fee, electronic filing fee, a trade equity clause, or different pricing if you finance or pay cash. We actually encourage you to acquire financing through a 3rd party lender (bank or credit union) so that you get the rate right from the lender and save money. Tell us what your credit score is and we'll even tell you where you should apply. We price our inventory to be the best value in the country without gimmicks or games. The only fee we have is a $450 dealer fee which covers the cost of things like a temporary license plate, send paperwork via FedEx and sometimes 90-day coverage from a 3rd party warranty company. If you're looking for the right car at the right price and an easy, honest and transparent experience then Right Choice Auto Sales is your place. We're here to help, feel free to reach out anytime!