How Not to Treat Women On A Car Lot

by: Tom Carey


The majority of cars one finds on used car lots were acquired at huge, dealer-only wholesale auctions. Most dealers bid on cars they wish to market, transport those they buy back to their lots, mark them up by 25% (or more), and then wait for someone looking for a used car to browse their lot in search of the “perfect” car for them. It is a tried-and-true method for many dealers, but it can be a harrowing process for potential buyers—they have no input to the “stocking process” and their “perfect” car may not be available—so they frequently have to “settle” for something far short of what they want, at a price considerably higher than they want to pay. If they don’t “settle” for something already in the inventory, they have to invest more time and energy searching other lots, and maybe eventually they find something that comes close to what they want—although, most likely, still for a lot more than they wanted to pay. This process clearly favors the dealer over the buyer.

Auction houses limit access to their sites to licensed/registered dealers, and do not permit “the public” to participate in the bidding process. Dealer-only auctions are part of a “closed re-marketing system,” operated by auction houses and dealers, designed to move the huge volume of “previously owned” vehicles which result from the American public’s almost insatiable desire for a new car every few years. There are millions of cars which enter the re-marketing system each year, and many of them are in great shape, with lots of options, and low mileage--and the vast majority are bought by dealers at wholesale prices. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had access to that inventory so you could look through the constant flow of vehicles to find the exact make, model, year, color and options you always wanted in a vehicle?

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone designed a program to provide prospective buyers with indirect access to dealer-only wholesale auctions, with direct input on inventory selection, and total control of the amount they wish to bid in an effort to acquire the “car of their dreams” at a reasonable price?

Wouldn’t it be nice to work with a dealer who would provide access by proxy to dealer-only auctions so you could purchase a quality used car not only well below typical retail prices, but at or near wholesale prices?

Wouldn’t it be nice to experience the excitement and cost savings of dealer-only auctions, but without the bother of actually having to enter the restricted-access sites where these huge events occur?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to various auction inventory bases to conduct searches for year-specific makes & models coming up for auction in the immediate future, and to peruse highly restricted dealer sales data about recent wholesale/retail pricing for those vehicles?

Of course it would, there are companies out there that do just that. You get to pick the year(s), make(s), model(s), mileage range, color(s) and options you are interested in. They let you know what is available at upcoming auctions within your specifications.


About The Author

Tom Carey is a co-owner of That's My New Car. The company that specializes in finding the perfect car for it's customers, way under the retail price. That's My New Car gives proxy access to exclusive dealer-only auctions. Tom can be reached at 610-272-1998 or http://www.ThatsMyNewCar.com.