<p>$10,000+ for fur coat?</p>
<p>People do bargain to a degree in dept stores, especially on the high ticket items like a fur coat (if anyone is buying one of those these days). If a dress is missing a button or has a pull, they will almost immediately discount the price at least 10%. (Sorta like tire-kicking, I guess). This article tells about people bargaining in dept stores
<a href=“http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/358867/how_to_bargain_at_department_stores.html?cat=46[/url]”>http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/358867/how_to_bargain_at_department_stores.html?cat=46</a></p>
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I didn’t know anyone bought fur coats anymore but if they did, and if Macys carried them, I’d expect there could be a bit of negotiation on something that expensive. jym626 is right, people do sometimes negotiate in department stores on big ticket items and even some items that aren’t big ticket. I’ve done it.</p>
<p>ucdad–You apparently live in California. Walk down 5th Ave in NYC in January. You will see plenty of real fur coats.</p>
<p>^^ Haha - you’re right. I can’t remember ever seeing a fur coat around here but I thought they went out with my mother’s generation and I admit I’m no sartorial expert. My point was really that everyone who buys at a new car dealer end up spending a large amount of money on their single purchase whereas almost no one spends anywhere close to that amount of money on a single purchase at a department store. Even a lower cost used car is a much bigger purchase than what one would spend at a department store on a single item. The higher the cost, the more likely there’ll be some price negotiation.</p>
<p>^^ Theres a thought-- maybe people shopping for new cars should sell off the family’s fur coats since they arnt worn much anymore and put the $$ towards the car.
Ok… it was just a thought…</p>
<p>Ok, I want to know what’s up with the car, do we have a new car or what?</p>
<p>No more discussion about fur coat, which trumps a new car any day, by the way.</p>
<p>I agree…Dad II…did you get a new set of wheels (and if so…what did you finally get?) or are you using Mom II’s car to get to work tomorrow?</p>
<p>Yes, we did get a new car yesterday. Was at one dealership signing documents. With the check written but yet sign, got the call from another dealer. Drove to the second dealer 30 minutes after closing. They wanted to close their month so we were the next to last to sign a deal yesterday mpre than an hour past their closing time. </p>
<p>Please forgiving me for not disclosing what car did we get. It is a great car and we got a great deal. The only down side is the $300+ monthly payments.</p>
<p>Have I got this straight? You came to terms verbally with one dealer, had the paperwork underway, and while this was going on you got a phone call from another dealer? So you left the first dealer and made a deal and finalized it with the second dealer who called you?</p>
<p>Well…Dad II…did you use the $2000 for a down payment? If not…use it for the first 6 months’ payments.</p>
<p>That $300 a month car payment is why we will NOT be buying a new or newer used car until AFTER the last college tuition payment is made.</p>
<p>OK…I’ve thought about this for a while…Dad II…you brought a lot of us into your discussion about cars…new vs used…leasing vs buying etc. Now that you’ve made up your mind…how about sharing the experience with the rest of us. No one is going to stalk you in your new or used or whatever car. It would just be nice…if you shared your experience as it might…just might help someone else in the same boat…ah…car.</p>
<p>Fair enough. </p>
<p>Being it is October, my search target is leftover 2009 cars. I started out by sending a price quote request from Edmunds. Five local dealers sent me the best price - two of them did not have any more 09 model left. So, all the discussions were among the three dealers, each has only one left. We talked about OTD price only and sent in our loan applications to show we have good credit scores. </p>
<p>Basically, from there on, it was all about phone calls. It was the end of the month and end of year for 09 models. We found out while on their lots that this particular model did not sell well - car build on 01/09 has only 15 miles means not many people test drive it. </p>
<p>Since we want just a basic transportation and could care less about colors and wheels etc. So, basically, all three dealers want to unload their car. At the end, we got the deal about $600 below the first round “best price that can not go any lower”. (BTW, as you can see, we are not talking about an expensive car here). SO, we got a 09brand new car for $100 more than the “trading in price” per Edmunds for a used 09.</p>
<p>Yes, we know we will have problem selling it later. However, since our intention is to drive it until it dies, we don’t care much about reselling. I guess every car company has one of those model/trim/option version that does not sell well. We found that out and at right timing. We are happy. Don’t care if it is THE “worst” car in others’ eyes.</p>
<p>need a clarification. All 5 dealers have 09 models on their lots. However, just three of them have the trim level we were looking for. This particular trim is not selling well so only few were made. You figure in that each test drive is about 5 ~ 10 miles. A unit with only 15 miles should have less than 3 test drives.</p>
<p>One of my colleagues got a very desireable model/trim, he paid $1500 over the sticker price. So, if you want a Hot car, you will pay a higher price. We just want a piece that we could get to work and back home. </p>
<p>I guess it is the same as college. Everyone wants HYP. If one just pick a college that offers just as good an education, they will beg you to go.</p>
<p>Also, be very concerned about the MPG of the car. Assume 20,000 miles a year @ $3/gallon, the difference between a 25 MPG and 28MPG in 10 years is about $2600 fuel cost.</p>
<p>We walked into a Mini dealer, they had one car custom fitted with all the extras for a guy’s wife as a 50th birthday present. The wife loved it, except it was a stick. The wife went a bit nuts - what was he thinking of getting a stick when she’s never driven a stick in her life, at the age of 50 she wasn’t about to start. </p>
<p>D1 loved the car at first sight (yellow with black stripes), especially since it was a stick, with sun roof, top of the line audio, GPS, leather seats. It was end of the month, the dealer sold it to us at cost, no markup for the extras.</p>
<p>Another dealer told us a story of a special color order - a shade of purple (again, a present from a husband to wife). The dealer said it looked fine on a small swatch, but when the car showed up all you could see is a big purple object. The wife wouldn’t take delivery, and the car sat in the parking lot for a long time.</p>
<p>so, let’s change the subject a little. How much does a car cost you per year? Let’s leave the gas, the insurance, the regular maintanence etc out of it, just the cost of the car plus major repairs. </p>
<p>For example, a $20000 car and you drive it for 10 years w/o major repairs will cost you $2000 a year. Or do you calculate it per miles driven? Some may only drive 5000 miles or less a year and some will drive 25000 miles or more a year. </p>
<p>What will be the number you consider a good use of money? $500/year, $1000, or $2000? The person who purchased my old Ford with $2000. If he could fix it with less than $500 parts and drive that car for three more years. He would have about $800/year. So, I think $1000 a year is a very good number.</p>
<p>An extreme will be a $80K whatever. Even if you drive it for 20 years, it will still cost you $4k/year.</p>
<p>No, lets not change the subject just yet. With all due respect, DadII, posters have continuously been extremely generous with their time, their suggestions, their information, their recommendations, their resources, their input, their strategy, etc, and you have continuoulsy benifitted greatly from the kindness of strangers. When you ask, many answer. Yet when posters ask you a simple direct question like “what car did you get?” you respond with vague resposes and an unwillingness to be forthright and honest. I think you owe the posters who have spent time answering your many, many, many questions and pleas for help the courtesy of a direct answer. Can you not see why this is incredibly irksome and unkind to those who have been so generous to you? The least you can do is be equally direct and responsive in return. Otherwise it comes across as incredibly selfish. </p>
<p>As for your other question, you absolutely CANNOT ignore the cost of insurance, resale value, maintenance, etc when estimating the cost of operating a car. There are several websites that will calculate the cost to own/maintain a car (you can find these resources yourself with a little bit of searching on the web). These all factor into determining the value of a car/purchase. </p>
<p>So DadII we ask again, what car did you get, and with what trim package? Why are you so unwilling to share? As others said, no one is going to stalk you or your car. Hopefully you are proud of, not embarassed by your great deal. Please do the posters who have helped your the courtesy of a response.</p>
<p>I think Jym is right in post 96, that since the question was brought here, and so very many have given real, sensible responses to the question, I can’t see the point of hiding the model bought. I drive a Dodge pickup truck, need a truck for my rental house business. If I didn’t need a truck, I sure like the 300C and the new Challenger. </p>
<p>There is a “buy American” and “keep Americans working” movement going on now, too. Some say that’s good, some don’t(no comment from me here), but the mood does exist for many. Perhaps Dad bought a foreign car and doesn’t want to risk hurting feelings here of Americans here who may be struggling because of domestic car sales trouble?</p>
<p>But I am still waiting for your clarification, Dad2 of your post 89. My request for an explanation(post 90) has gone unanswered…</p>
<p>Wow, younghoss… its so empty in here you can practically hear an echo…
The same pattern repeats itself…</p>
<p>I think DadII is very wise not to tell us the make of the car. I recall he did get slammed once when complaining about money issues and then explaining some issues with a carribean vacation. </p>
<p>On this thread, when he brought up how a new car might look on a financial aid application, I made a snarky remark.</p>
<p>He did not likely get the least expensive car…because something like a Corolla (which is not the least expensive car one could buy/lease…but is at the lower price range of most of the cars availabe) has a monthly payment of under $300 (with no money down) unless someone has really horrible credit.</p>
<p>But, I promise not to post if and when he tells us what car he purchased.</p>