Do Men Get Better Car Deals?

Do Men Get Better Car Deals?  Brent Halvorson of High Gear Media asked this question.  My wife sent it to me via Yahoo Autos.  So there's this question staring at me from my inbox.  Hmmm?  My initial thought was, I guess you need to look at who specifically is giving the car deal to know the answer to that.

Then I read the article.  You can too: 

http://real-us.autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1635/do-men-get-better-car-deals/ 

Interesting and thought provoking?  Well being in the business myself, I thought, what a great time to comment on it and how nice will it be for you to get it straight from the source!

Let me just say this.  First and foremost, a deal is a deal is a deal.  I really don't care how many "Y" chromosomes you have or don't have.  I'm more concerned with whether or not you like what I'm trying to sell you and if you like it enough to buy it.  Ironically, more women in this day and age can and do buy without their husbands being present.  The old, "I need to talk to my spouse" routine is far more prevalent with the fella's then the ladies.

Now this is just me.  I would assume that in my industry there will be a few ding-dongs who think they can still pull a fast one on a lady because she's female.  I can also assume that kind of ignorance still exists in most industries to some extent.  However, the Internet and Internet Car Shopping should eliminate any gender gap that may exist in the Car Business.

This article then goes on to cite a study from CarWoo where 65% of the dealers they looked at (shopped online) had a price quote difference of under $500.  Usually the gap in price between men and women was about $100.  20% of the group surveyed was over by $500.  20% means 1 in 5.  Same brand. 

Solution:  If you follow the standard protocol and secure quotes from at least 3 different dealers for the same make and model, your gender bias will virtually be eliminated.

Edmunds.com has also done a great deal of research in this area as well and found that there can be a different level of treatment and behavior towards women.

My advice for the ladies (which can also be applied to men shopping too) is to remove gender from the equation.  Before you are a man or a woman, you are a buyer and a potential client of this dealership.  Do your homework first.  Find the right car for you and your budget.  When you go test drive it, keep in mind you're also shopping for a dealership and a salesperson.  Don't reward bad or apathetic service by buying something.  You are entitled to take your business elsewhere should you choose.  When you negotiate your best deal, keep in mind that you too are selling something.  You're selling yourself and why you should get a better deal.  With as much as you expect friendly, courteous service, when you practice the Golden Rule, getting a better deal will be easy.  When you have rapport with your salesperson everything works better.  Especially the money. 

The article concludes with a lesson for salespeople and buyers alike.  They encourage us to realize that people in general are fundamentally good.  "If you walk into a negotiation with the belief the dealer [or customer, if your the dealer] is biased you'll find something (truthful or not) to substantiate that belief and that will poison a negotiation."

What do you think?  Share your thoughts and leave a comment below...

Keyes Woodland Hills Buick GMC Cadillac is your neighborhood dealer “Where It’s Fun To Buy A Car” We are located just northwest of Los Angeles in the heart of the San Fernando Valley in Woodland Hills California.  Make sure to see or talk with David Bradley for the best price and best service.  Call David Bradley 800-691-4920. http://www.keyeswhbpg.com/HomePage