If you’ve bought a car at a dealership, then you know that you will be subjected to a lengthy negotiation, offers of add-ons, and hours of waiting once the paperwork is filed. Even asking for the out-the-door price can end up taking half a day.
Luckily, Billy (@billythecarkid), a TikToker who specializes in car deals, showed viewers how to get the “out-the-door price” with a simple phone call. The video was viewed over 476,000 times as of publication.
How to get the out-the-door price
Billy’s trick is fairly straightforward. He starts with research and then makes the phone call. Once the dealership answered, he asked to be “directed to the very top salesman” so he could discuss a Toyota Tacoma he’d seen online.
After being connected with the salesperson, Billy told him, “Me and my business partner are looking for some trucks, and I found one on your website that’s very enticing, and I just want to confirm its availability.”
Once the salesperson confirmed the availability, Billy asked the salesperson to send a photo from his phone to make sure he actually “liked the color.”
The salesperson was very helpful and went a step further by also offering to send him a video. Then, Billy moved on to the meat of the issue, getting the real price for the Tacoma. He asked the salesperson to send the details to his email so they could move forward with the deal, and without even asking for it, the salesperson not only gave him the total suggested retail price but also how much he would pay in taxes.
Without breaking a sweat, Billy was able to get the out-the-door price. Amazingly, his tactic seems beyond simple: Do research, ask for a motivated salesperson, a photo, and the suggested retail price via email.
Other useful negotiating tips
Since Billy is a master at negotiation when it comes to car deals, he made the entire process look easy. But, for a novice trying to get information on a car, there are some other tips that may come in handy.
U.S. News suggests keeping emotions out of the process by remembering that “buying a car is a business transaction.” No matter how nice a car salesperson is, they are out to get as much out of the deal as possible. Secondly, the news site warns that people should never focus on the monthly payment price. This is because the dealership may offer a great monthly payment while adding extra costs somewhere else.
Edmunds, an online dealership, explains that research is key. According to the site, car shoppers should “determine the market value,” get price quotes, and prepare their strategy before going to a dealership.
The car sales site also reminds shoppers to remain calm and not try to hurry the process along. The site also suggests car shoppers get preapproved for a loan before heading to the dealership and be ready to negotiate different aspects of the deal, such as the interest rate, the price on a trade-in, and other add-ons that may get tacked on, like undercoating.
What do viewers think?
Many viewers agreed with Billy’s tactic and advised people to call in before heading to a dealership.
“Always get the OTD price via email before going,” one said.
“Asking for this on the phone is a good way. Recently searched for a specific car and when I asked for the OTD, a bunch said they ‘made a mistake’ and didn’t have the car. They were gonna bait & switch,” another shared.
“Can’t stand going to a lot to buy a vehicle. They play so many games and then want to hold your keys and stall you out. I do it by phone now too,” a third remarked.
Others claimed the tactic doesn’t always work.
“I tried this with a toyota stealership they want me to come in. I hung up,” a viewer said.
“Every time I try this, they always say ‘yes the car is in stock. When would you like to come in?’” a viewer added.
“They will not do this over the phone and waste their time,” another said.
Some salespersons said that asking for the out-the-door price over the phone is a red flag.
“As a salesman, I’m more than happy to answer questions but it’s to the point where I have to jump thru hoops for someone that can’t even invest any time to come in personally. No thanks, I’m good,” the salesman said.
“Call my dealership like that and your # will magically end up signed up for scientology,” another agreed.
The Daily Dot reached out to Billy via TikTok Comments.
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