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PRESS: AUTOBRAG IN THE NEWS |
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Did you know that women traditionally pay more than men when buying the same type of new car? Danny Chan, consumer watchdog and CEO of car pricing search engine AutoBrag.com, offers 10 tips to us gals on how to get the most for our money and have the least stressful car buying experience. Break out this list when you’re ready to splurge on a new set of wheels and you can drive off the lot with style and cash in pocket.—Erika Lenkert
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 Auto analysts report that 2008 will be a down year for the domestic market, so dealers are eager to sell. That gives you the edge when it comes to haggling over content and price.
There are no car-buying secrets you can't discover yourself. Guides such as Consumer Reports, Strategies for Smart Car Buyers and Buying a Car for Dummies are chock-full of information, as are user-friendly websites such as autobrag.com, which offers advice about deals and dealer scams. With due diligence, research and auto financing facts at hand, you can enter the lion’s den with impunity.
Strapped for time, one savvy entrepreneur handled her entire minivan purchase by e-mail. She found a local dealer online that offered a great price on the model and features she wanted, and she e-mailed her order. Since it was the end of the month, when dealers close the books, he was eager for the sale. He e-mailed back saying that if she came in that day to sign the papers, he’d give her the deal. Although he tried to renege when she showed up, she had copies of the e-mails to prove her price.
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 In the market for a new car this year? You may be able to get a great deal.
With car sales expected to remain down, many dealerships will be desperate for any sale they can get, said Danny Chan, CEO of AutoBrag.com, a car-shopping comparison Web site that compiles price data from no-haggle dealerships.
"Dealerships are hungry," Chan said.
J.D. Power and Associates is predicting that fewer than 15 million new cars will be sold this year, said Bob Schnorbus, the firm's chief economist. More than 16 million were sold in 2007. Economic conditions and low consumer confidence have caused many Americans to put car purchases on hold.
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Asa Aarons has dedicated his career to helping people solve the problems of everyday life. A leader and innovator in the field of consumer journalism for more than two decades, his Ask Asa reports are known for their depth, range and personality.
Asa offers a unique approach to consumer news. He gives it a characteristic personal touch and transforms even complex issues to informative, entertaining and usable information. In short, he takes consumerism out of the domain of lab coats and litigators and into the real world.
Asa is widely regarded for his expertise as a problem solver, or, as he describes it, "media with a purpose." Through his intervention, consumers have collected thousands of dollars in refunds from manufacturers, retailers and service providers. He's also resolved consumer misunderstandings with everyone from contractors and car dealers to government officials.
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With the summer driving season right around the corner, San Antonio Express-News gives Consumers the Edge providing them
with AutoBrag's top 10 list explaining how to get rock-bottom prices.
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1. Know exactly what car you want. That means picking out the make and model of your next new car before going into the dealership to buy.
2. Don’t buy the car right after a test drive. The dealer will try to turn this new car purchase into an emotional event. Use a cool head and negotiate with a financial frame of mind. The more emotional you get the more money you lose.
3. Make sure to check what manufacturer incentives and rebates are available on the new car you want to buy.
4. If there are incentives and rebates they are coming direct from the manufacturer. This means the dealership didn’t do anything for you so don’t let them convince you that they gave you a deal.
5. Think about the total price of the car and not monthly payments. Dealers will ask you what you can afford to pay on a monthly basis. Tell them that the price of the car is all that matters.
6. When you are ready to buy, make sure to know exactly how much you should pay before you go to the dealership.
7. Visit your local credit union or other source of new car financing to see what rates you are eligible for.
8. No one says you have to buy the car today. This is a big financial decision and if you don’t feel 100% comfortable than wait until the time is right.
9. Watch out for the extras that the dealership will try to sell you. They may include fabric protection, paint protectant, and an extended warranty. Pass on these items.
10. Always be in control. Don’t be afraid to say No and walk away. There are bad dealerships but also many great dealerships. Spend your hard earned money with people you enjoy doing business with.
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Consumer Advocate Daniel Vasquez has been a journalist for more than 15 years, covering crime, courts and gangs for much of that time. He has worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, San Jose Mercury News and Boston Globe. Before coming to the Sun-Sentinel as a consumer columnist, Daniel tackled city government corruption as an editorial writer for the San Jose Mercury News, and along with Editor David Yarnold, produced a year-long series on ethics in city government called "Money and Influence." The series won national, state and local awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors also honored Daniel's Sun-Sentinel consumer column with a first place award this year.
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Translated From Spanish
Bloomberg: This is Bloomberg Business.
 Are you considering buying a new car? Do you want to pay the lowest price? One internet site in particular can help you find the most reasonably priced vehicle in the country. How? Through an extensive database search that allows the buyer to find the best offer.
AutoBrag: "This service gathers all of the dealerships in the country that are offering the best price for the specific car you want to buy."
Bloomberg: That’s how it is explained by Romina Cohen from the internet site AutoBrag.com. In addition, the service is free and simplifies the process while maximizing your search.
AutoBrag: Generally, women and minorities are the ones that pay the highest prices, either because they don’t negotiate or perhaps they are intimidated.
Bloomberg: Would you like to point anything else out?
AutoBrag: The price difference from dealer to dealer is pretty substantial.
Bloomberg: For more information, visit the webpage AutoBrag.com. Again, that's AutoBrag.com.
With Bloomberg Business, this is Norberto Bogart.
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Web Site Makes Pricing Cars Easier
By Andrew Turner
Used Car News Staff Writer
 A new Web site makes the
"no-haggle" approach more
attractive by allowing visitors
to find out a dealer’s
bottom offer before arriving
at the dealership.
Autobrag.com provides no
leads for dealers.
The only way for a dealer
and customer to come in
contact is by the customer
making contact with the
dealer.
CEO Danny Chan started
the company after becoming
frustrated with the car-buying
process.
'Almost everything you
buy has price-comparisons
online," Chan said.
"We want people to come
to our site and get a sense of
pricing before going to the
dealership."
When Chan first started
Autobrag.com earlier this
year, he had 140 "no-haggle"
dealerships signed up
for the service.
Now the site boasts more
than 350 participating dealers
throughout the entire
nation.
A dealer’s inventory is
listed for free, and customers
see the best price available.
If a dealer is offering competitive
pricing, his inventory
is more than likely to be
noticed by consumers, Chan
said.
The site currently draws
35,000 unique visitors per
month, he said, but the company
is aiming for the
250,000 visitor mark.
"At the end of the day,
customers save time and
money, and dealers save
advertising costs," Chan
said.
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Our CEO sits down with Fox's Peter Barnes to discuss the problems facing the auto industry, the future of
car shopping and Autobrag's impact on the Consumer and the Dealership.
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Rich DeMuro, formerly host for the technology website
CNET TV, featured AutoBrag on his CBS Technology Segement
along with the Apple MacBook Air. His show, "The Queue"
was a fast and fun way to keep up with everything digital.
Rich also served as a regular tech expert for various
networks and shows, including CNBC, NBC Today Show, ABC
News Tech Bytes, Fox News Channel, the BBC and more.
http://cbs2.com/video/?id=57408@kcbs.dayport.com
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