I did the online Autobytel application and it seems Beiner Audi on Long Island is the Autobytel Representative. Tom(x108), who is the salesman who deals with Autobytel at Beiner called me 2 days later and wants to talk prices and options. Has anyone done this to purchase their A4 and did you get the 'best' deal? I bought my Jeep Wrangler through Autobytel, and it was the best deal I could find back in 1996. Any input is greatly appreciated.

I tried Autobytel since I had bought my previous car through them. The dealer they referred me to refused to order the car I wanted. I then went to carpoint.msn.com. They referred me to another dealer that was much more responsive and I ended up buying. Another possibility is AAA if you are a member.<p>I complained to autobytel about the dealer refusing to order but got no answer.

That's who I bought my car from.. I used Autobytel and they gave me Biener and Tom was my salesman.. He was very nice and profesional, definitely recommend going to him..<p>I don't know if I get the "best Deal", but I got a good deal for 4.5% over invoice.. I bought the car from him also, because they were the only one's who were taking order on the '99 when the prices weren't out yet... Good Luck!<p>Dmak 1.8TQMS

I did a lot of reading here and elsewhere and then decided what price I *wanted* to pay for a factory ordered 1.8T (actually, it'll be a '99.5). I then called a few dealers in the area and told each exactly how I wanted the car equipped and that if they'd agree to my price (so many $$ over factory invoice), I was ready to place my order immediately. To my delight, one of the dealers agreed, and then another one did when I told them that the first (unnamed) dealer was ready to accept my offer.<p>Interestingly, I had already paid CarBargains to solicit quotes for me. When I received the CarBargains writeup, I found that their best quote had a 50% higher markup (relative to invoice) than I'd been able to get on my own! (CarBargains will refund the fee once the car is delivered.)<p>The lesson is that an educated buyer with some conviction can have some leverage in this game. Of course, I admit that it helps to live in an area with about half a dozen dealers within an hour's drive.

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I'm in White Plains, NY, and Autobytel pointed me to Danbury Audi in Danbury, CT. For a '99 1.8TQ, moonroof, sport package, all-weather package (MSRP $28320), I paid $26000 even, or about $850 over invoice. I was so thrilled at the price that I did not exert much pressure to go even lower. I got the impression, however, that they would have been willing.<p>By the way, the whole deal was extremely low pressure, with no attempt to sell me any "extras" that I didn't need.

I tried Autobytel in the SF Bay Area and the price they quoted me for a '99 QMS was about the same as the initial quote you'd get from the greeter at the dealership. Add 4 or 5% to the dealer invoice and that's what you should pay.<br>Forget the buying services.....they're for people who can't negotiate on their own. Inform yourself and cut your own deal.<br>

FYI, the Audi dealership near me would not sell an A4 for less than MSRP... PERIOD. My options were: Drive to the various alternate dealerships (all of which were a pain in the ass distance away) or try one of the online services. Autobytel cut right to the chase and offered $1,500 over dealer invoice. We negotiated for less on a factory order in about 15 minutes on the phone.<p>The fact is you would be hard pressed to negotiate a deal of 4% to 5% in the L.A. area, particularly on a factory order (unless you have a family member or friend in the business). Demand is high and stocks are low. Dealerships are few and far between.<p>My time is valuable. I doubt if I could have negotiated a price for much more than $200 better than what I got. When you factor in the time element ($200 is about what I earn in 2 hrs.); i.e., the time I saved driving from one dealership to the next and haggling with various salespeople, I think the online service was an efficient bargain.<p>Perhaps you're not as informed as you think you are?<br>

maybe you can work the two services against one another ( use two different names ??)

It seems that the authorized Autobytel dealer may be the variable here. Different stores may offer different deals. There are 6 Audi dealers within a 90 mile radius of my home and they all were willing to better the Autobytel price on a '99 by a substantial margin. This was when the '99s first hit the showrooms (mid Sept '98). Was your deal made at the same store that wouldn't do less than MSRP to you as an individual? If so, it seems that he was willing to kiss off half of his intended profit pretty easily. I would think that someone who can plug themself into a $100/hr job might be a more skillful negotiator. <br>

We've tried them twice, both times had no trouble beating their prices (Audi, $500, VW, $2000). <p>I think they're a waste of time, other than as a point of reference. Take their number and use it as a starting point, maybe.<p>FWIW, we'll not even bother with them in the future.<p>--Greg<p>P.S. I *SHUDDER* to think how heavily we would have been screwed on the Bug, had we gone with them - Autobytel was 2K over. Buyer beware; I think it's a scam.<p>

My experience has been that despite your best knowledge and research, walking cold into a dealership is pretty much a "hit or miss" affair. Is the salesperson who singles you out prepared to bargain on this day or not? Is his sales manager in a mood to deal or shut you down? Are they both going to waste your time trying to persuade you to buy the "almost what you wanted" model on the showroom floor rather than the exact model you're <br>looking for?<p>In addition, there's the "feeling out" process whereby just getting to the "reasonable" range is a time-consuming and torturous ordeal as they try to <br>measure you up. In my case, the local dealer wouldn't bargain at all. (And no this dealer was NOT the Autobytel dealer as well.)<p>What I found is that services like Autobytel cut more quickly to the chase. You've already specified the exact model you're looking for and they know <br>you've done your homework because Autobytel (or CarPoint for that matter) provides you with much of that information themselves.<p>Even if you choose NOT to buy from an online service they generally supply you with a reasonable starting price that you can use for leverage at other dealerships to advance the bargaining process more quickly... or, ummm, should I say more skillfully?<p>In my case, the Autobytel dealership started at a range that was far more reasonable than my local dealership and cut through a LOT of the typical car <br>sales bull****.<p>I also believe that the Autobytel reps are usually the fleet salesmen who are generally in a position to offer better deals than the typical floor salesperson.<p>Perhaps, my experience was an anomaly? But all I know is that my experience walking into a dealership armed to the teeth with research SUCKED and my experience with Autobytel was more in keeping with my original expectation: A calm, reasonable negotiation in the exact range that my research had indicated represented a very good deal. In the end, the final price was know more than perhaps $200 above what I believe would have been the best possible price (short of a miracle). Perhaps I could have gone to another dealership and haggled them down the additional $200 but the effort vs. savings calculation didn't seem worth it.

l agree that any of the buying services will get you closer to a realistic purchase price for the car of your choice. Each dealership is a unique experience.....some good.....others, not so good. If you want to get the best possible price on a new or used car, doing some homework and visiting more than one store is a MUST. If, for whatever reason, you can't do this, then using a service can be beneficial. Let me finish by saying that knowledgeable, courteous salespeople do exist out there and they can make the buying experience a real pleasure instead of the nightmare most of us have heard about.<p>