Car negotiation tips

Don't Let Them Snowball You!

How to negotiate the best car deal!
May 03, 2021•5 min read

"Negotiating for a car is the adult version of asking your parents for a toy—except now the toy comes with monthly payments."

- Chase | Dad joke style quote enthusiast | Not very good at it...

Title: Week 3 – Trade-In Tactics: Don’t Let Them Lowball You

Hey friend! Welcome back. This week we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood—and most costly—parts of buying a car: your trade-in.

Here’s the deal. Most people walk into a dealership totally unprepared when it comes to trading in their current ride. And guess what? That’s where dealers make a ton of profit... off of you.

So let’s fix that. This week, I’ll show you how to flip the script and turn your trade-in into a weapon instead of a weakness.

Tactic #3: Nail the Trade-In BEFORE You Even Step Foot in the Dealership

Why This Matters

Dealerships love to play a shell game. They’ll overcharge for the new car and offer you what sounds like a great trade-in. Or, they’ll give you a discount on the new car but rob you on your old one.

When you separate the two deals—the trade and the purchase—you keep control.

Let’s break this thing down, step-by-step.

Step-by-Step: Get Top Dollar for Your Trade-In

Step 1: Know What Your Car Is Worth

Use these tools:

You’re looking for the trade-in value and what your car would sell for to a private buyer. That way, you know your floor (what you should accept) and ceiling (what’s ideal).

Write these numbers down. Take screenshots. This is your trade-in ammo.

Step 2: Clean It Up Like You’re Selling It Yourself

Even though you’re trading it in, treat it like you’re posting it online:

  • Wash and vacuum it

  • Remove junk from trunk & glove box

  • Fix cheap stuff (like a burned-out bulb or empty washer fluid)

  • Get a cheap detail if it’s really dirty

First impressions count. You don’t want them thinking, “this is a beater.”

Step 3: Get Real Offers First (Don’t Go to the Dealer Yet)

Before you even talk to a dealer, go get quotes from:

  • CarMax

  • Carvana

  • Vroom

  • Your bank’s used car division (yes, some offer trade-in estimates)

If possible, get those quotes in writing. That’s leverage.

Example:

"CarMax offered me $14,200 for my trade. Can you beat that or match it?"

Dealers HATE to lose a trade to a competitor. Now YOU have the upper hand.

Step 4: Don’t Mention the Trade-In at First

This part is big. When you’re negotiating the new car deal, pretend the trade-in doesn’t exist yet.

Say:

"Let’s just focus on the sale price of the car for now."

Why? Because if they know you’ve got a trade, they’ll use it to hide numbers. Get the best price on the new car FIRST.

Step 5: Drop the Trade-In Bomb Last

After you’ve got the final price on the new car locked in:

"Alright, now let’s talk about my trade. Here’s what I’ve been offered elsewhere."

Now they can’t play the shell game. You control the flow.

Step 6: Don’t Let Them Mix the Deals

If the salesperson keeps saying stuff like:

"We can give you $3,000 off your new car, plus $12,000 for your trade."

Say:

"Nope. Let’s keep those numbers separate. What’s the trade value on its own? And what’s the final price of the new car—before any trade-in?"

This keeps them honest. They can’t hide BS in the math.

Power Tip: Sell It Yourself (If You Can Wait)

Want max cash? Sell your car yourself on:

  • Facebook Marketplace

  • Craigslist

  • Autotrader

It takes more work, but you could make $1,000–$3,000 more.

If that’s not worth the hassle, at least bring in competing offers from CarMax or Carvana to make the dealership sweat.

Concierge Tip: We Handle This For You

Trade-ins are where a lot of deals fall apart. Our car deal concierge service makes it easy:

  • We’ll appraise your car for you

  • We’ll shop it to multiple buyers

  • We’ll handle all the paperwork

  • And we’ll make sure the dealer doesn’t pull any funny business

You just show up and sign the dotted line. Boom.

What to Avoid

  • Don’t tell them you have a trade right away

  • Don’t clean the car after you’ve already shown it

  • Don’t let them bury your trade-in in the new car price

  • Don’t walk in without quotes from other places

Recap

Here’s your trade-in checklist:

  1. Look up your trade-in value (KBB, Edmunds, Carvana)

  2. Clean it like you’re selling it

  3. Get real offers from places like CarMax or Vroom

  4. Negotiate the new car deal first—trade-in second

  5. Use written offers to negotiate or match

  6. Keep the deals separate: trade vs. purchase

Follow this, and you’ll walk into the dealership with a plan—and leave with more money in your pocket.

Next week, we’ll talk about dealer fees. You’ll be shocked what they try to sneak in at the last minute.

—

Tired of getting lowballed?
Let us protect your trade-in and negotiate the full deal. We’re your personal car deal bodyguard. Time, money, peace of mind—we help you keep it all.

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See you then!

Chase Jordan

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Want help setting up test drives and negotiating like a boss?
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

#carnegotiationtips #cardealconcierge #cardealhelp #testdrivechecklist #carbuyingstrategy #week2

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