Most people buy a car every few years. The salesperson across the desk negotiates car deals every day. A car buying service, sometimes called an auto broker or car buying consultant, evens that out by putting an experienced negotiator on your side.
What a car buying service does
Services vary, but a full-service car buyer typically:
- Learns what you need: your budget, must-have features, and how you'll use the vehicle
- Recommends vehicles that fit, and helps you narrow down make, model, and trim
- Shops dealerships to find the right car and gets competing offers
- Negotiates the price and pushes back on unnecessary fees and add-ons
- Helps with financing and your trade-in so a good price isn't undone elsewhere in the deal
- Supports you through delivery, so all that's left for you is to sign and pick up the car
Some services, including ours, also offer coaching for people who want to handle the negotiation themselves but want an expert strategy first.
How car buying services charge
Pricing models differ from company to company. Common ones include:
- A flat fee paid by you, which is what we charge
- A percentage of the price or of the savings
- Payment from the dealer, where the service is free to you but compensated by the selling dealership
Whichever service you consider, ask directly how they're paid. It tells you whose interests they're working for.
When it's worth it
A car buying service tends to be a good fit if:
- You don't enjoy negotiating, or you feel pressured at dealerships
- Your time is valuable and you'd rather not spend days shopping dealers
- You're buying in a category where prices and fees vary widely between dealers
- You also have a trade-in or financing to sort out, which adds places for a deal to go wrong
- You want someone to double-check the paperwork before you sign
When you might not need one
If you genuinely enjoy the process, have time to collect and compare written out-the-door quotes from several dealers, and are comfortable saying no in the finance office, you may be well equipped to do it yourself. Even then, a single coaching session can be a low-cost way to sharpen your plan.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- How are you paid, and by whom?
- What exactly is included, and what isn't?
- Do I still need to go to the dealership, and when?
- Will you help with financing and my trade-in?
- What happens after I take delivery?
How Expert Car Deals works
We charge one flat fee: $729 for Full-Service Car Buying (recommendations, dealer negotiation, financing and trade-in help, support through delivery, and follow-up), or $279 for a 1-hour coaching session. You show up to sign and drive away.