Robin Gersbeck, founder of Australia’s Number 1 Car Broker spent much of his working life in the back end of car sales dealerships where customers are up-sold to insurance, finance and a whole range of add on products to increase margins. You will likely have been through the process where you get offered fabric protection, rust protection, alarms, window tinting and any number of products you feel the car should have had in the first place! It seems the industry has changed little over the decades and these practices still prevail.
Robin Gersbeck says: “It never ceases to amaze me that the methods we used back in those days of the 80’s are still being employed in dealerships today. It’s almost as though there is a time warp. The buildings have become more modern and the cars have gotten better but the sales tactics and methodologies are largely the same. The industry is still full of cut throat sharks”
These days there are few alternatives for the “would be” car buyer. They can do the rounds of dealership after dealership and face constant pressure to commit or they can use one of many online portals that provide an efficient yet impersonal mechanism for the savvy, persistent consumer to purchase a vehicle. Either way, the buyer needs to invest vast amounts of time and energy to the process and still never really knows if they are getting a good price.
US News and World agrees: “Problems with new-car dealers consistently rank near the top of the Better Business Bureau’s list of consumer complaints. Many dealerships are staffed with salespeople trained to tack on as many unnecessary costs as possible, such as extended warranties that offer minimal coverage and add-ons (such as a GPS) that are already installed. Worries about getting the right deal affect nearly all car shoppers.”
Although car brokers are common in the United States, it’s a new phenomenon in Australia. Car brokers offer many advantages to a buyer. It’s a personal service where the buyer can talk with someone interested in helping them get the best outcome. They can communicate their preferences and they don’t need to spend weekends looking or get away from work early to see another car for sale. A car broker will often tender out the buyers requirements and preferences ensuring an open bidding system that result in the buyer getting the best price possible. And car brokers don’t charge the consumer for their services as they get paid a small “spotter’s fee” by the winning seller.
As Gersbeck says: “We get up to 7 quotes, and so we are very confident we will get the best deal that is available in your city on the day you make the request. It’s quite amazing; the prices that sometimes come back.”
For the car buyer tired of industry games or just wanting someone else to do all the hard, time consuming work, and looking for a great deal, a car broker make an enormous amount of sense.
To find out more, visit: http://www.AustraliasNo1CarBroker.com.au