FAQs
Looking for information on how our car buying service can save you time, money, and frustration on the purchase or lease of your next new vehicle? Our new car buying service FAQs cover many of the most common questions our customers ask about car buying companies and their services.
Our auto brokers understand the importance of transparency and full disclosure. If you do not find the answers you are seeking below, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Contact Us, or message us via live chat. Our dedicated team is here to ensure you receive the assistance you need.
Why should I use your car buying concierge service?
- We are not salespeople. In your research, you more than likely compared Auto Bandits with some of our competitors. You may have noticed that the majority of them are former salespeople. Since one major benefit of using a new car buying service is to avoid interactions with dealership salespersons, why would you hire them as your car consultant? Experience as a former salesperson is not necessary to negotiate a new car purchase or lease.Auto Bandits is not run by salespeople. Unlike traditional salespersons, our Bandits come from diverse backgrounds in finance, economics, accounting, and even include professionals with advanced academic degrees and a seasoned attorney proficient in negotiation skills. Our Bandit team undergoes rigorous training, enabling them to navigate the complexities of purchasing a new vehicle with ease.
- We do not accept compensation, kickbacks, or incentives from ANY third party, including dealerships. Auto Bandits does not have a dealer network and will give every dealership the opportunity to win your business, if the price is right. We represent you and only you. Our sole job is to find you the best price on a new vehicle purchase or lease. Period.
- We stand by our Save with a Car Concierge Guarantee. For standard new vehicle purchases and leases, your commitment deposit is credited toward your final Bandit Commission if you move forward with a Bandit-negotiated deal. If Auto Bandits is unable to present a qualifying offer that materially matches your confirmed vehicle, location, and deal parameters with documented savings of at least $1,000 below MSRP, your commitment deposit will be refunded in whole or in part as provided in our Terms of Service.
- We stand by our Beat Your Offer Guarantee. Auto Bandits will try to beat your verified offer. If Auto Bandits is unable to improve your verified offer by at least $715, your commitment deposit will be refunded in whole or in part as provided in our Terms of Service.
- We stand by our Best Price Guarantee. If you are not happy with the price we negotiate for you, you may take our offer to another comparable new car buying service. If that service beats any portion of the lowest offer Auto Bandits negotiated for your vehicle and Auto Bandits cannot beat that lower offer, applicable refunds will be handled as provided in our Terms of Service, upon valid and verifiable proof of the lower offer.
Do you negotiate used cars or certified pre-owned vehicles?
No. Auto Bandits specializes in negotiating new vehicle purchases and leases only. We can help clients evaluate trade-ins and compare options related to a new vehicle transaction, but our negotiation service is focused on new cars rather than used, CPO, or private-party purchases.
Will I need to visit a dealership to sign paperwork and pick up my vehicle?
In most cases, you will not have to visit a dealership. Your new vehicle and the paperwork will be delivered to your home or office for you to sign and drive.
Our goal is to have every vehicle delivered to our clients. There are the rare occasions where a dealership refuses to deliver a vehicle. In those instances, the paperwork will be signed and the vehicle picked up from the dealership. In this case, your auto consultant will be available by email, phone, or text should any questions arise while you are at the dealership.
Can you guarantee I will receive the best possible offer on my new vehicle?
With our Save with a Car Concierge Guarantee, Auto Bandits works to secure a qualifying offer that materially matches your confirmed vehicle, location, and deal parameters and includes documented savings of at least $1,000 below MSRP.
With our Best Price Guarantee, if you are not happy with the price we negotiate for you, you may take our offer to another comparable new car buying service. If that service beats any portion of the lowest offer Auto Bandits negotiated for your vehicle and Auto Bandits cannot beat that lower offer, applicable refunds will be handled as provided in our Terms of Service, upon valid and verifiable proof of the lower offer.
For example, if a competitor is able to beat our lowest purchase or lease price, we will fully refund the Bandit Commission for that service. If a competitor is only able to beat our lowest warranty value, we will fully refund the fee associated with that Bandit Extra.
Under our Beat Your Offer Guarantee, Auto Bandits will try to beat your verified offer. If Auto Bandits improves your verified offer, the Bandit Commission is 35% of the additional net savings, with you keeping the greater share.
See The Bandits Guarantees for complete information.
Is your car negotiation service for me?
If any of the below resonate with you, our best car buying service can help:
- You would rather spend your time doing other more important or interesting things than negotiating with car dealers.
- You are a busy professional, business owner, or just generally busy and do not have the time to effectively engage in car price negotiation.
- You do not have the desire to negotiate a new car deal.
- You are not sure how to effectively negotiate a car price.
- You do not want to deal with the hassle of the car buying or leasing process and would rather pay a nominal fee for someone to find you deals on new cars.
- You want to save as much money as possible on a new car purchase or lease and do not want to leave your house or deal with car negotiation.
- You are intimidated by car dealerships and/or salespersons and want help buying a car.
- You want to make sure you understand all the factors of your car purchase or lease and feel confident that you received the top car deals possible.
How long will the process take?
Fully vetting dealerships to find the best price on your vehicle usually takes about one week after your application is submitted, your vehicle and deal parameters are confirmed, and any applicable commitment deposit, flat fee, or other service fee is paid.
Please keep in mind, if negotiations are rushed there may be a risk of not fully vetting all possible dealerships within that time.
What's the advantage of using a car concierge service?
A new car buying service — also known as a car concierge service, car negotiation service, or car buying agent — represents the buyer in the purchase or lease of a vehicle.
A car consultant or car concierge negotiates on behalf of the buyer to find the best car deal on his or her desired vehicle. A new car broker may also negotiate additional items for the buyer, like lease terms, features, financing, trade-in value, warranty, add-ons, etc.
Can new car programs get me a good deal on a new car?
Conflicts of interest exist between these new car programs and the dealerships in their networks. Essentially, these programs sell your information to the dealerships. Dealerships pay a fee on a monthly, per-sale, or per-lead basis to be part of a new car program’s dealer network. If these programs were not profitable for the dealership, then they would not pay a fee to participate.
Auto Bandits does not maintain a dealer network and will give every dealership the opportunity to win your business, if the price is right. Our car brokers vow to never accept any compensation, kickbacks, or incentives from ANY third party, including dealerships. We represent you and only you. Our sole job is to find you the best car deal on a new vehicle purchase or lease.
Another limitation of using a new car program to purchase a new car is that the price of the vehicle is only the first part of the car deal. Money can also be saved in other aspects of the sale — including lease terms, trade-in value, features, lease/buy rate, warranty, add-ons, etc.
A new car program cannot negotiate these additional items for you. Our exclusive auto brokers can negotiate all sources of revenue the dealership receives from a car purchase or lease on your behalf.
What is the difference between the services provided by a typical car broker and your car buying service?
Generally, the largest difference between the services provided by a typical car broker and our new car buying service is loyalty. To facilitate a vehicle purchase or lease, an auto broker will accept commissions from both their client and the dealership, creating an obvious conflict of interest. These undisclosed commissions can range from a few hundred dollars for a lower-priced vehicle to several thousand dollars for a high-end vehicle. Prices also vary depending on how much the autobroker decides they want to make on that car, that day. Autobrokers take money from the dealership, which the dealership should instead be offering you off the price of your new vehicle.
The best car buying services represent the client exclusively, and only receive payment from the client, not from any third party. Although, there are a few car consultants out there that also invite dealerships to join their “network,” which should be a red flag to car buyers.
Our car concierge represents you exclusively, with honesty and integrity. Our car negotiation service does not maintain a dealer network and we vow to never accept any compensation, kickbacks, or incentives from ANY third party, including dealerships. Our car buying concierge represents you and only you.
Our car-buying experts work with all dealerships and will give every dealership the opportunity to win your business, if the price is right.
When is the best time of year to buy a new car?
Some would say the best time to buy a new car is the end of the year, quarter, month, or model year, but our car consultants have never experienced a “bad” day to buy a new car. Our car concierge pros are able to get you the best car deal on a new car purchase or lease 365 days a year. The cost of each vehicle is the same for the dealership on the first or 31st of the month or on the first or last day of the year. Each dealership has its own breaking point.
Some dealerships have quotas that require selling a lot of cars at a decent profit and others sell a few cars at a large profit. It is our job to find the former and to match you with one of those dealerships to find you the best car deal on your vehicle, no matter the day of the year.
Are your services available throughout the U.S.?
Our car buying concierge service is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Our auto advocates have regular and repeat customers throughout the United States. Our car negotiation service is not limited to any geographic location. Our car buying agents work with all dealerships and will give every dealership the opportunity to win your business, if the price is right.
Do I have to pay before Auto Bandits contacts dealers?
Yes. Auto Bandits requires a commitment deposit before dealer outreach begins. For standard new vehicle purchases and leases, the commitment deposit is credited toward your final Bandit Commission if you move forward with a Bandit-negotiated deal.
Is the commitment deposit refundable?
The commitment deposit is refundable if Auto Bandits is unable to present at least one qualifying offer that materially matches the vehicle, location, and deal parameters confirmed before dealer outreach begins and produces savings sufficient to cover the commitment deposit. For Save with a Car Concierge, this means documented savings of at least $1,000 below MSRP. For Beat Your Offer, this means documented additional savings of at least $715 beyond the client’s verified offer.
A “qualifying offer” means a written or otherwise verifiable dealer offer for a new vehicle that materially matches the vehicle, location, and deal parameters confirmed by the client before dealer outreach begins.
These parameters may include make, model, trim, drivetrain, exterior and interior color flexibility, required features, purchase or lease structure, mileage allowance, amount due at signing, geographic search radius, trade-in assumptions, financing assumptions, and any other must-have requirements confirmed in writing.
A client’s later change of preference, decision to wait, decision not to purchase or lease, family disagreement, preference for a different vehicle, or desire to use Auto Bandits’ offer as leverage with another dealer does not make an otherwise qualifying offer non-qualifying.
Why do you require a commitment deposit?
Auto Bandits spends significant time contacting dealers, verifying inventory, negotiating pricing, reviewing offers, and helping clients avoid unnecessary dealership pressure. The commitment deposit keeps the process focused on serious buyers while still allowing us to credit the deposit toward your final fee.
What vehicles are considered hard-to-find, luxury, or high-demand?
This may include luxury vehicles, limited-production vehicles, newly released models, rare trims, rare color or package combinations, high-demand SUVs or trucks, performance vehicles, specialty powertrains, or vehicles where dealers commonly require market adjustments or mandatory add-ons. Auto Bandits will let you know before dealer outreach begins if your requested vehicle falls into this category.
How does the $1,500 flat fee work?
For hard-to-find, luxury, or high-demand vehicles, Auto Bandits may charge a $1,500 flat fee instead of a percentage-based Bandit Commission. The flat fee is due before dealer outreach begins and becomes non-refundable once outreach begins.