Maybe I'm just skeptical but I think this whole thing is a scam and probably run by a dealer's association or something.Something that caught my ear on a recent radio ad is they are bragging about buyers saving an average of $3000 off of the MSRP. For anyone shopping for a vehicle, 3K off of MSRP is TERRIBLE!!!I just bought my Ram truck at about $9500 off of MSRP or, on a % basis, about 81% of MSRP.Something about their ads have just bugged me from the start and with the amount of $$ they are throwing at advertising it has to be backed by someone with an interest (dealers). There's no way some independent website is pulling enough visitors/revenue to pay for all the ads they are running. Like the saying goes..... follow the money.

When it first appeared, it was an independent company and they had inside info that the dealers felt hurt their profit margin. NOW, it is owned by the dealers and it is, IMO, a completely useless scam. There was a complete history about them just a week or two ago on TV.

I'm skeptical also, I looked up their website. I wasn't impressed.

Trucks are heavily discounted. Cars and SUV are not anymore. True car or others like USAA, might be terrible for trucks, but they are kinda close on cars and SUVs. Though I just bought a SUV that I was able to get a good amount cheaper than Truecar or USAA was pricing at. But don't expect to pay only 81% on any of the current SUV's. Maybe get close after a new design change over on the leftovers.

Look at "fightingchance.com". I've used it twice, my son-in-law used it, and I'd use it again.He explains dealer holdbacks, bonuses, and how and when to make an offer.Have the dealers bid against each-other for your business. Never talk to a salesman.Not a employee of them, but a satisfied customer.

Truecar is not owned by any dealers. Autonation and Sonic would not be developing their own ways to do this if so. Truecar is lucky to still be in business after some early legal troubles. The president of the company is a very sharp human, and has adapted quickly to stay alive without alienating the dealers he needs to survive. Source Automotive News for the last year or so. It's $150 a year to subscribe, but worth it.

"Truecar" Pricing Rant | Good Sam Community

GoPackGo
Explorer
Jun 03, 2014
Before I bought my new truck last year, I played all the games. I decided early on that I wasn't going to go from dealer to dealer and deal with all the salesman. So I sent email to all the local dealerships' 'internet salesmen' with my make, model, and options requirements and asked for quotes. Some replied, some didn't. I then used my credit union's program to get quotes, then also got a quote from a buyer's broker that I had used in the past. And then I gave Costco a try. Bingo ! They were the cheapest. I had a conversation with the salesman when I went to pick up the truck and he said that he has to price 'very aggressively' when putting together quotes under the Costco program. And in case you are wondering, there is no cost to the buyer for buying a vehicle thru Costco.

I also get upset at these companies such as TrueCar. They advertise savings of xx dollars but that's nonsense. What's important is the PERCENTAGE off MSRP that you save.

Tim
Tystevens
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Well, you have to keep in mind that for many people, buying a car and dealing with salesmen & dealerships is not something they want to do. I think my wife would probably pay extra to just get a price, decide yes or know and not have the "well, let me go talk to the guys in that room ..." back and forth. So, scam or no, these services work for people.

And discounts on trucks are nothing like on cars. It has been about 8 years, but last time I was pricing new cars, I was only getting $300-500 off msrp, and that was working on multiple dealers. Of course, these were $15k Corollas and Civics, but nothing like the discounts you can get on a $40k truck, to be sure.
2012Coleman
Explorer II
May 30, 2014
Someone already mentioned fightingchance.com Here is a direct link to their Testimonials Page Read it and weep.

Info from them:

TrueCar.com considers itself a buying site, not a shopping site. It costs nothing to use. But once a user prices a vehicle on the site, he or she is encouraged to submit information to the local dealer listed at the end of the pricing exercise for follow-up sales calls.

The site provides a price curve of prices being paid for a specific vehicle, showing the midpoint price, and stretching out to show the best and worst prices.

The site makes money from car ads, and auto dealers pay TrueCar.com $299 for every referral that leads to a sale.

Consumer Reports charges $14 for a pricing report on one vehicle, $12 for each additional report ordered at the same time.

CR provides what it calls a "bottom line price" from which to start negotiating. No advertising is involved, but pricing information is provided by TrueCar.com.

This site give you information on how to get bids from multiple dealerships and teaches you how to pit one against the other. You never have to step foot inside a dealership or talk to a pushy salesman.

I have no affiliation with them - thought I'd mention that.
mtofell1
Explorer
May 30, 2014
To answer a couple questions - I hadn't really heard of Truecar a couple months back when I was shopping. I suppose the ads were out there but just hadn't caught my eye/ear. It seems they've really ramped up in the last couple months - radio/TV/billboards.

I went through the Costco auto program which is IMO the best way to go by far. The dealership I was working with was a "no haggle" pricing type. Prices posted on the windshield are the absolute lowest you'll ever get. The salesmen told me it's the same price he'd pay for the truck as an employee (yeah, right).

Anyway, this lowest possible price for my truck was 41,400 - with the Costco program I got it for 39,700. No haggling, no problems.

If I were shopping today of course I'd check out the price on Truecar while comparing. I also now realize my experience with MSRP vs actual price might be different with an American truck vs some other types/brands of vehicles.

For those of you flame throwers check out Truecar vs. Costco and let me know how it works out.
Dog_Folks
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Huntindog wrote:
Dog Folks wrote:
I rather go to the dealership and negotiate with a salesman. The less product knowledge they have the better.

As person that spent his life in sales,I can hold my own.

But then again, I'm old.

I have an older friend who has also spent his life in sales... And done very well. What is funny is that he often buys things that he has no use for, just because he was totally impressed with the job the salesperson did. It's as if he feels like rewarding them for a job well done.
He can easily afford it, and if it makes him feel good... Why not. It beats drinking and gambling it away.

Agreed. Sometimes salesman are the easiest to sell!! You have to be careful.
Huntindog
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Dog Folks wrote:
I rather go to the dealership and negotiate with a salesman. The less product knowledge they have the better.

As person that spent his life in sales,I can hold my own.

But then again, I'm old.

I have an older friend who has also spent his life in sales... And done very well. What is funny is that he often buys things that he has no use for, just because he was totally impressed with the job the salesperson did. It's as if he feels like rewarding them for a job well done.
He can easily afford it, and if it makes him feel good... Why not. It beats drinking and gambling it away.
Dog_Folks
Explorer
May 30, 2014
I rather go to the dealership and negotiate with a salesman. The less product knowledge they have the better.

As person that spent his life in sales,I can hold my own.

But then again, I'm old.
W_E_BGood
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Motortrend.com has had a series of interesting, informative articles by Mark MacDonald called Car Salesman Confidential that seem to be spot-on. They're worth reading for the education.
gmcsmoke
Explorer
May 30, 2014
mtofell1 wrote:
Maybe I'm just skeptical but I think this whole thing is a scam and probably run by a dealer's association or something.

Something that caught my ear on a recent radio ad is they are bragging about buyers saving an average of $3000 off of the MSRP. For anyone shopping for a vehicle, 3K off of MSRP is TERRIBLE!!!

I just bought my Ram truck at about $9500 off of MSRP or, on a % basis, about 81% of MSRP.

Something about their ads have just bugged me from the start and with the amount of $$ they are throwing at advertising it has to be backed by someone with an interest (dealers). There's no way some independent website is pulling enough visitors/revenue to pay for all the ads they are running.

Like the saying goes..... follow the money.

in the time it took you to write this "rant" you could have and should have educated yourself on truecar. It's nothing more than a broker that acts as a go between from dealer to buyer. They take a commission on the sale. 99.9% of the time the truecar price can be beat by actually showing up at the dealer starting there and working down.

I guess you have a hard time figuring out how google makes money too since people just use them as a search engine.
Tvov
Explorer II
May 30, 2014
I don't know about "True Car", but the dealers use "Edmunds", "Kelly Blue Book", "NADA" and any other "pricing" websites. Those car pricing websites get their price numbers FROM the dealers. The dealers know the numbers you, an "educated consumer", will walk in with.

Yes, peruse the internet, get all the price numbers you can to help negotiate a price you are comfortable with when buying a vehicle. But you are fooling yourself if you think there is some internet pricing website out there that the dealers don't know about - and use, in their own negotiating tactics.

Once you buy the vehicle, STOP looking at prices, and enjoy it!

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