How to Negotiate with Multiple Dealerships at Once (Without Losing Your Mind)
"Can you quote me a price that’ll make me think this is a prank show?"
- Chase | Dad Car Deal Joke Writer | Not very good at it...
How to Negotiate with Multiple Dealerships at Once (Without Losing Your Mind)
🧠 Want a Better Car Deal? Don’t Talk to One Dealer—Talk to Five.
Here’s the truth most dealerships don’t want you to know:
The best deals go to the people who talk to more than one dealership.
But let’s be real—it’s also a huge pain.
Calling, emailing, texting, waiting on responses, playing phone tag with salespeople…
It’s enough to make anyone want to just “get it over with”—which is exactly what some dealerships count on.
That’s why in this post, we’re showing you how to negotiate with multiple car dealerships at once, step by step.
You’ll stay in control, save hours, and get the strongest deal (without losing your sanity).
✅ Step 1: Narrow Down the Exact Car You Want
Before you start emailing or calling dealerships, get crystal clear on:
Make, model, trim
Year range (if used or CPO)
Must-have features (e.g., AWD, backup camera)
Color preferences
Whether you’re financing, paying cash, or leasing
🎯 Why this matters: If you contact 5 dealers with 5 slightly different car requests, you’re creating confusion—and they’ll stop taking you seriously.
✅ Step 2: Build a Dealer Contact List
Use tools like:
Visor is best
AutoTrader
CarGurus
Manufacturer websites (for local dealer networks)
Search within a 50–100 km radius, and grab contact info for 4–6 dealerships that have the car you want (or something close).
🧠 Pro Tip: Smaller dealers often respond faster—and may be more flexible on price.
✅ Step 3: Send This Exact Email if you don't want to call (Copy & Paste Friendly)
Subject: Looking for Out-the-Door Price on [Year Make Model Trim & Stock Number or VIN]
If you want to send emails to all dealers all at once simply remove stock number and VIN, obviously. At Deal Guard we go a little deeper and build a list of 3 cars we like using VISOR. Then we call when we have the Stock number and VIN of each car.
Another way is just email dealers and let them do the work. Both can work well depending on a few factors.
Example email.
Hi [Dealer Name],
I’m currently comparing offers from a few local dealerships. I’m interested in a [Year Make Model Trim] with [any must-have options].
Here is the stock number or VIN
Could you please send me your best out-the-door price including all fees, taxes, and charges?
I’m ready to move forward as soon as I find the right deal.
Email works best—thanks!
– [Your First Name]
📩 Send it to all your dealers at once. Keep it simple and noncommittal.
This word track can be used to call as well. At Deal Guard we always call. We believe there is power in a call.
✅ Step 4: Wait for the Quotes to Roll In (and Keep Score)
As replies come in:
Log each quote into a spreadsheet or a simple piece of paper or "note" app on your phone or tablet. (price, dealer, contact person)
Highlight the lowest total OTD (out-the-door) price
Flag dealers who are responsive, honest, and easy to work with
Some may call instead of email—don’t take the bait just yet.
Stick to written quotes for clarity and leverage. This is less overwhelming for non professional buyers.
If they ask if you have a trade in, just tell them you do not for now even if you have one. Get the out the door price before starting a different conversation.
✅ Step 5: Leverage One Dealer Against the Others
Once you have 2–3 solid offers, it’s time to negotiate:
Reply to Dealer A:
“Thanks for the quote! I have another offer at [$XXX OTD] for the same vehicle. Can you match or beat that?”
Repeat with Dealer B, C, etc.
🎯 This isn’t being pushy—it’s smart shopping.
Dealers expect it.
And if they want your business, they’ll sharpen their pencils.
✅ Step 6: Watch for Tricky Add-Ons or Price Shuffling
Some dealers “beat” offers by:
Adding unnecessary dealer-installed accessories
Burying fees in fine print
Get everything that is included in the OTD price
📄 Always ask:
“Can you confirm this is the full out-the-door price? Nothing added at signing?”
If they dance around, ask them clearly to remove them, if they say no, cross them off your list.
✅ Step 7: Lock It In (In Writing)
Once you have the deal you like:
Ask for a written breakdown of price, fees, taxes, and terms
Get double confirmation of car availability
Schedule a test drive or final visit
💬 Bonus: If they try to “re-talk the numbers” when you show up, you’ve got their email to back you up. Print it or have it handy and hold the to it.
😓 Overwhelmed Already?
We hear this a lot.
Negotiating with multiple dealers takes:
Time
Patience
A good spreadsheet
Confidence to say no and walk away
Or… it takes us.
🤝 Let Deal Guard Do the Dealer Dance for You
We’re Deal Guard—a done-for-you car buying concierge that shops across multiple dealerships on your behalf.
We:
Reach out to local and regional dealers
Compare quotes
Negotiate pricing, trade-ins, and incentives
Help you choose the best deal
Save you hours of email, pressure, and follow-ups
All you have to do is say yes to the best one—and we’ll even schedule your pickup or delivery.
👉 See how Deal Guard gets you the right car—without the stress.
🧾 Recap: How to Negotiate with Multiple Dealerships at Once
Know exactly what car you want
Build a shortlist of 4–6 dealerships
Send a clear, simple price request
Track responses in a spreadsheet
Use quotes as leverage
Watch for add-ons or games
Lock in the best deal in writing
Hate dealer games? Let us fight for you.
Our concierge service at Deal Guard doesn’t just find you the car—we crush hidden fees, bad rates, and sales tricks so you don’t have to.
Go to FUNNEWCAR.COM to learn how we can help you!
We cannot wait to help you!
Chase Jordan | Founder | Deal Guard
Want help negotiating your deal from start to finish?
Let us do the heavy lifting.
Our concierge car buying service saves you hours of stress and thousands in bad deals.
Your time is valuable—let’s protect it together.
Go to GETDEALGUARD.COM TO LEARN MORE!
