What about the automobile sites that offer you a big savings and hook you up with a dealer? Are they the best way? 

There are lots of internet sites that offer help landing a good price but the question is, do they really help?  These sites lead you to believe they have bargained for special prices in advance, prices that are truly better than you might find on your own, and in exchange for a little information, they will pass those prices on to you.  I just sneezed while writing that because I am allergic to bullshit.

Websites like the latest advertised on TV  “True car dot-com” or an older site called cars direct dot-com.  Let’s take a closer look.

These sites ask you for information like the car and model, where you live, your name and your phone number. After you turn over that information they give you some prices and certificates to use at the dealers they recommend in your area.  All of this for free…..Ya right.

These sites have made an arrangement with a local dealer. They send customers to the dealership in exchange for a commission.  I’m sure you didn’t expect the sites to give all this information without earning some money at the same time.

The question for you, is the price a great price?  It’s a price but like I asked before, is it a great price?  I don’t think so.  If the dealer is paying for the lead, the payment must be coming from somewhere.  Regardless of how the dealer pays, it is still an expense. The prices given by the service do represent a discount from the window sticker, but the prices I have seen are about the same as the dealerships are currently advertising in the local media. They certainly aren’t the best price you could get with a little extra work.  

In most cases, they are the same dealers you see and hear in the local advertising. using any method they can, to get people in the door of their dealership.  This is just another type of advertising.  The fact you have involved a third-party might place a small road block in the highway to a great deal. The dealer has to take that extra sales cost into consideration somewhere.

Can the information obtained help you? Possibly in a preliminary sense but it’s not that important. If you get a price from those services for a reference or starting point, don’t give them your name and other information.  Avoid the road block they can cause by keeping your name out of it.  My opinion is that you should avoid any of these and go to work on your own, gathering prices and shopping between a few dealers. Make sure the dealerships aren’t part of the same Auto group.  In my town many of the stores are owned by the same person or corporation.  You want to shop between competitors so they become competitive.  It just takes a little time.