Easton’s Longest Family Owned and Operated Dealership, Fred Frederick Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep- Ram

“Saving you time, money, and hassle… no games or gimmicks approach to car buying”

The Frederick family has been operating their dealerships on a day-to-day basis with the same philosophy that started over 50 years ago… treat people the way you would like to be treated. You will not see tricky advertising or sales gimmicks, just friendly car buying made easy. They rely on the loyalty of their customers and their repeat business and referrals.

Fred Frederick would like to pass on 3 tips to help you buy your next car!

Car Buying Tip #1:
When shopping online for vehicles always read the fine print when it comes to pricing. Most dealers include all manufacturer rebates that may be available and remove the destination charge to show a lower price. When you arrive at the dealership, they add back in the destination charge and any rebates you aren’t qualified to receive. Most also charge a processing fee. So the price you saw initially in all likelihood will not be the price you see when you arrive. Many manufacturer incentives have requirements to qualify such as military service, business ownership or lease loyalty. Though these programs are available, they are not available to everyone. The destination/freight charge cannot be removed; it is a charge from the manufacturer and not the dealer so the cost is passed on and typically runs almost one thousand dollars. Processing fees are a charge from the dealer just for processing your paperwork. These are not required by law and typically are just a way to show a lower price and recover profit by adding on this charge. Processing fees can range as high as $400 in some states.

Fred Frederick never includes rebates in his advertisements that every customer cannot qualify for, nor does he remove the destination/freight charges, and he never charges processing fees. This may lead to higher perceived prices online, but will be the same price when you arrive to his dealership. Additional incentives are gladly passed on to the customer, but only after verifying eligibility. They often say, “Would you rather see low prices online, or low prices when you sign?”

Car Buying Tip #2:
Nothing is free! When trading in your car don’t be deceived by the “guaranteed trade.” Every car has a value, and this value is determined by the wholesale market based on what vehicles are selling for at auction. If a dealer is offering you more than the vehicle’s value, you’ve paid for it somewhere else. Usually the price of the vehicle you are buying has been increased or a lesser discount has been offered.

Though there are many websites everyone is familiar with such as Kelly Blue Book and NADA, these sites have very little impact on the values of cars and are used by very few dealers to determine value. This is simply because their pricing isn’t based on the wholesale market. Most dealers use black book and auction reports to determine value because they are the most current information and ultimately the potential source for a dealer to sell your trade. A good rule of thumb for comparing how the consumer value sites translate to the real market is to look at the Fair to Good value ranges in the Kelly Blue Book. These are probably the closest starting point for a value on your car. From that price, deduct any damages, high mileage, etc.

Car Buying Tip #3:
Nearly everything is negotiable… except the payment. It is well known that most dealers will offer a reduction in price to earn your business or pay a couple hundred dollars extra for your trade vehicle, but the payments are just math.

Amount Financed + Interest / Term = Payment. A good rule of thumb to get an idea of what your payment will be is to use $20/month per each $1,000 you are financing. This will vary slightly by the term you select to finance or the interest rate that is approved based on your credit, but it’s a good starting point when figuring out how much of a car you can afford.

Now put your new buying tips to use! A Special Offer for Update readers – Fred Frederick Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Easton offers to all Update readers “Dealer Employee Pricing” on any new, in-stock 2013 model vehicle. To receive this special pricing simply mention you saw it in The Update.

If you are looking for a full service dealership that offers courteous and honest service and value for what you pay, the Fred Frederick organization has it. The experience will make you a believer. Also for more car buying information go online to www.fredfrederickchryslereaston.com.

Fred Frederick Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram offers a large selection of cars, trucks, SUV’s, crossovers and quality pre-owned vehicles to residents of Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester and Queen Anne’s counties. They are located on Route 50 in Easton Maryland, two miles south of the airport and a short ride from Annapolis and Salisbury, MD with easy access from Dover, DE.