Handa Law

New car dealers buy their vehicles from the manufacturers, paying the new car invoice price, which is essentially the wholesale price on a new car. The dealers then sell their vehicles to the public at higher retail prices, usually close to the sticker price. So car buyers who want a great deal must first learn the new car invoice prices before they start negotiating. Although it may seem like a mystical figure to most, it could be uncovered. When a client does some comparison shopping they will see that there is a often a big difference between dealerships’ asking and selling prices. Because this difference exists, one must search for the wholesale cost in order to save money. The wholesale cost the dealer pays to the manufacturer is the same across the board, meaning that Dealer A pays the same price as Dealer B for the same vehicle. However, there are further costs added to the new car invoice price that the dealer must pay, such as the transportation and delivery fee. No matter where the dealership is located with regards to distance from the manufacturer, each one pays the same amount for delivery. These fees are simply added on at the retail level. An interesting fact is that most dealers will order vehicles from the manufacturer with borrowed funds whereby they are responsible to pay interest on those loans.
It is quite easy to do the math, meaning if a car sells quickly then there are minimal interest charges. However, if the car sits on the lot for an extended time, its costs add up. These loans are known as floorplans and in addition to these, there are also other fees known as holdback. After the vehicle is sold, the holdback fees are rebated back to the dealer by the manufacturer. In addition to the above charges, there could be advertising fees added onto the invoice price. These fees can come directly from the dealership or from a regional dealer group. After having pointed out all these various added charges and fees, the consumer has to figure out a way to purchase a brand new vehicle below the wholesale cost. One way to do that is through taking advantage of slow car sales where there is a buildup of inventory on a lot. It certainly is not the ideal situation, for both the dealers and the automobile manufacturing company. If there is an abundance of inventory on a lot, the dealer simply won’t order more vehicles. Therefore, in order to be profitable and move their inventory along, the manufacturers provide incentives to both dealers and consumers. We have all heard of the various incentives they offer, like zero percent financing, low lease rates, rebates, etc. The smart consumer will jump at the opportunity when it arises, but they must be prepared to do so when these special programs are available because they may not last long. They are created and offered only to entice buyers when new car sales are slow, and when these programs are not available, buyers are usually unable to purchase below the invoice price.