LESS PAINFUL THAN GOING TO THE DENTIST

Grand Mitsubishi Spyder






There are a number of things that I fear-- anything to do technology, going to the dentist and haggling over the price of something. Luckily, I have Kevin the Computer Gigolo and Novocain for the dentist, but what do I do if I need to buy a car? I just freeze and the salesman senses my fear and takes advantage of me.


With the exception of Grand Mitsubishi of Bensenville/Elmhurst,  (which is owned by Keith Schumann who is a HUGE cash sponsor of Wing Madness 2011! and is donating a summer lease on the red Eclipse Spyder pictured here for the main raffle prize,) the thought of going to a car dealership makes me physically ill. I can just picture the staff going to the back room and laughing at me because they can tell I am clueless. I have paid FULL PRICE for every car I have ever bought or leased rather than have to deal with a negotiation process, which I view as demeaning.

Now people won’t have to deal with that trauma personally anymore thanks to Carsala,  a company who will do the negotiating for you. Because they accept no advertising from car dealerships like other car shopping web sites do, they have no conflict of interest. And since they are paid by charging 20% of the amount you save (up to a $399 fee,) they want to save you as much as possible because they will profit more. A New York Times story said, “The pricing may seem high to consumers used to searching online free, but Carsala’s chief executive, Tyler Elliston, offered a reason. ‘Though we charge for our service, it’s only because we never take kickbacks from dealers,” he said. ‘We help navigate the car-buying process with only the customer’s best interest in mind.’”


The process is really quit simple. I know because I tested it myself. I went to their web site and followed a few simple steps of my contact info, what kind of car I was interested in and how far I would travel to get the best deal. I did not hit the button to compete the transaction because I really was not looking for a car, but I wanted to see if un-techno savvy me could figure out the program.

For the mathematically challenged, the following is an example of how the savings works.

Example:


Dealer's Asking Price: $19,675


Carsala Price: $18,400


Your Savings: $1,275


Carsala Fee: $255


For those who find negotiating fun, this web site is not for you, but for people like me it is a godsend. Of course since my next new car will be bought at Grand Mitsubishi, I won’t have to haggle, but for people who aren’t smart enough to shop there, this procedure might be the Novocain they need.