Many people detest visiting a car dealership and the main reason is because they think they will be harassed by sales people the minute they arrive on the lot.

The fact is that is the truth. I worked at a car dealership for two weeks and if a potential customer actually walked through the door into the showroom without first being "greeted" in the parking lot, "Someone is going to get fired," announced the General Manager.

The main thing you should know about buying a car is the dealership is not going to give you their "best" price unless you demand it. They are in the business to make as much money as possible, and will not give you the best price unless you threaten to walk away from the deal. It's a bit unpleasant but if you are buying a car it saves you money!

Some car dealerships place large price banners on the windshields of automobiles parked at the front of the lot. These are sometimes referred to as "Stoppers." The question most people have is can they buy the automobile for that low price.

The answer is in 99% of cases no, you cannot buy the automobile for that low price. That low price can only be achieved if you meet a series of requirements that might include military service, loyalty vehicle, signed to a specific insurance company, financing through a credit union or through the dealership and so forth.

Compounding your confusion as a potential buyer is all the price stickers on the vehicle. Some dealerships leave the manufacturer's price label on the car and also place their own price sticker with their "added-value" notations. This is likely designed to further confuse you and the fact is you are not going to get a price until the salesman runs you through the deal procedure. This means you usually have to test drive the automobile, and then provide financial and other information to the salesman who then relays this information to the sales managers. If you run through this procedure you will usually obtain a price. Many people immediately walk upon hearing the price, and one of the reasons is this is not their first visit to a dealership. They are likely shopping for the best price.

So, you should absolutely say no thank you to the first offered price. The salesman is trained to overcome any objections you have in order to sell you the vehicle. At this point state any and all objections, including accessories you may want added or removed.

Oddly enough, a car dealership usually does not get very excited about a customer who says they will be paying cash. The obvious reason is the dealership prefers that you finance the vehicle through them so they may offer you a nice interest rate.

If you do allow the dealership to finance your purchase, you should say no to the first interest rate offered. You should also ask about zero interest rate, but you may have to have stellar credit and meet other criteria for zero interest rate.

In conclusion you should first find the automobile you want to purchase, and then negotiate hard the price and the financing.