9 Worst Mistakes People Make Buying a Car

8) Negotiating in Person

If you find negotiating in person intimidating, you’re not alone. Negotiating is especially tough at car dealerships, where you’ll have to deal with salespeople who are trained in negotiation tactics. Because of this, many people get talked into bad deals while they’re at the dealership. Luckily, today you don’t have to do your negotiating in person—you can do it over email. If you see a car you like online, email the dealership and tell them you’re interested and the price you want to pay. They may try to get you to come down to the dealership to discuss it further, but be forceful and say you’ll only discuss the price in an email. Only go to the dealership once you’ve agreed on the price and you have that price in writing. When you negotiate online, you’ll be able to control the negotiation much more than you would in person.