ASK THESE QUESTIONS Before Buying A Car! The Homework Guy Kevin Hunter

Dealers always say no, but you should ask these questions anyway. Hey everybody, Kevin Hunter here, the homework guy. Welcome back to the show where we expose the tricks, traps, and hidden profit machines the car industry hopes you'll never discover. Today, we're tackling a dealer habit that is so predictable it should almost be funny. They always say no. It doesn't matter what you ask. Can you drop that fee? Nope. Is that the real buy rate? No. Can I see the OTD price in writing? No. Can you remove this add-on? No. But here's the truth. The first no is not really a no. It's actually a reflex response. And if you understand why they do it and what the law actually requires, suddenly that no turns into leverage for you, not the dealer. Before we jump in, make sure you're following us on TikTok at the homergua. We drop short daily buyer power tips that can save you thousands on your next car deal. Now, let's bring in my amazing co-host, the one and only Amazing Elizabeth. >> Hey, Kevin. It kind of reminds me of the eeny meeny miny no. >> Okay. >> Tim Hawkins. >> Yeah. Tim Hawkins. One of our favorites. This is a big topic here because the dealer no is one of the most misunderstood parts of the car buying process. Most buyers hear no and assume the dealer has the authority, the legal standing or the market conditions to back it up. Buyers think they must know what they're talking about, right? But in reality, dealers say no first because it protects their profit streams. That's it. has nothing to do with whether the request is legitimate, legal, or even required. And today, we're going to show you exactly why you should always ask anyway. >> Why dealers say no? The business reason. Let's start with the most basic fact. Dealers make more money when buyers don't ask questions. So, they don't want you to ask questions. They want you to feel like every number is fixed and nothing is negotiable. Every fee is mandatory. Every add-on is included. Every interest rate is non-negotiable. So, when you ask a question, the response is instantly, "No, we can't do that." Why? Because the dealership is trained to number one, protect the price, protect the finance reserve, number four, protect the dock fee, and number five, protect the trade-in margin. Every no you hear is actually them saying, "We'd rather keep that profit in our pockets." >> And here's what most buyers don't realize. A huge portion of dealer revenue is built on compliance with your silence. If you don't ask, they get paid. If you do ask, suddenly things change. Want some examples? That mandatory nitrogen fee slides right off. The required paint protection suddenly becomes optional. The interest rate drops one to three points when you ask, "Is that the buy rate or the sell rate?" The we can't discount the car magically turns into, "Well, let me see what I can do." The truth is brutally simple. Most nos are strategic, not factual. >> The legal reality, what dealers must do when you ask. Now, let's talk law because this is where buyers get their real power. Even though dealers say no, several consumer protection laws require them to comply when you ask specific things. Here are the big ones. Number one, the right to see the full OTD price. Federal and state deceptive trade practice laws protect your right to receive the total all-in cost before you sign. If you ask for the total OTD price, all dealer fees in writing, every add-on listed and itemized breakdown, they cannot legally refuse that, but they still try to say no because they want the negotiation muddy. Number two, the right to buy rate. Under federal lending regulations, you are legally entitled to know the lender's base interest rate, that's the buy rate, the dealer interest rate markup, that's the sell rate, and the finance reserve compensation. When you ask, is that the buy rate or sell rate? They must answer truthfully, but again, they start with no, we can't disclose that except yes, they can and they must legally. Number three, the right to remove every add-on. Under federal tying regulations, all add-ons must be optional, clearly disclosed, removable, separate from the purchase price. If a dealer says, "Sorry, that package can't be removed. It's already on the car." They've crossed over into deceptive territory. And number four, the right to see any verbal claim in writing. Verbal promises, rebates, rates, discounts, repairs, warranties are meaningless until written. If you ask, "Can you put that in writing before I sign anything?" They may try, "No, we'll finalize that in finance." But legally, they must provide it before you sign the contract. >> So, in summary, dealers want to say no, but legally, they often must say yes. And this is exactly why smart buyers always ask. >> Why asking works, you trigger accountability. Now, let's dig into the psychology on this one because that's where this becomes most powerful. When you ask a question that forces accountability, you change the dynamic in the room. Suddenly, the salesperson has to walk back their bluff. They have to be accurate. They have to disclose things they'd rather hide. And they have to reveal what's negotiable and can no longer control the narrative. That's why your question is the dealer's worst nightmare. A few examples. Can I see the OTD in writing? You remove their ability to add junk later. Is that the real buy rate or sell rate? You expose their markup instantly with that question. Can I remove this add-on? You reveal whether it's actually optional. Can you honor this written quote from another dealer? You corner them into competing. This is why dealers are trained to say no. You're asking questions they would rather not answer. >> And remember, the moment you ask, the dealer knows that you're not an easy target. You're not falling for pressure tactics. You're not buying the dealership's version of the truth. We've seen hundreds of deals where the buyer simply asked one question and the dealer folded instantly because a dealer isn't prepared for a buyer who knows the rules. >> The 10 most important questions to ask anyway. Let's give you the homework guy power list. Here are the questions you must ask no matter how many times the dealer says no. Number one, can I see the OTD price in writing? They'll push back. Ask anyway. Is that the buy rate or sell rate? They'll deflect or try to ask anyway. Can you remove this add-on? They'll claim it's mandatory or it's already on the vehicle. Ask anyway. Can you break out every fee separately? They'll say it's all included or try to divert to something else. Ask it anyway. Can you show me the itemized trade in evaluation? They'll hide the numbers if they can, but ask anyway. Can you match this competing written quote? They'll say other dealers are lying, but ask them anyway. Can you show me the factory incentives? They'll claim you don't qualify, but ask them anyway. Can you put that verbal promise in writing? They'll try to move you to finance, but ask it anyway. Is this fee required by the state or is it dealer profit? They'll definitely try to blur the line, but ask them anyway. Can you show the exact terms before I sign anything? They'll say everything is finalized later, but ask them anyway. >> I think it's important to note that these questions aren't rude. They're not aggressive. They're not confrontational. They are your legal rights. If a dealer gets uncomfortable, angry, defensive, or starts acting like you're the problem, that tells you everything you need to know about whether you should buy from these people. >> So, here's some real examples when no turns into yes. Let's walk through some Real Homework Guy viewer stories without the names that show how this works in the wild. Example number one, the $2,700 add-on removal. A viewer from Texas texted us. The dealer said, "No, the protection package is required." Buyer asked again. Dealer said no again. Then the buyer said, "Please put in writing that the package is non removable and mandatory." That was shrewd. Suddenly, it disappeared from the contract. Example number two, the 3% rate drop. A buyer in Michigan asked, "Is that the buy rate or the sell rate?" The finance manager said, "No, we don't disclose that." Buyer pressed again. Manager side. And the rate fell from 8.9% to 5.9%. That's awesome. Example number three, the competing match quote. A buyer in North Dakota had a quote from Minnesota. The dealer said, "No, we don't match that." Buyer ignored the no and emailed the written quote anyway. The dealer changed their tune. Okay, bring it in and we'll take care of you. >> The pattern is always the same. The first no is a bluff. The second no is resistance. And that third ask is the negotiation. A fourth ask brings honesty. And sometimes that fifth ask brings your victory. >> So keep asking. And here's why you must ask. Silence equals profit. Here's the final truth before our closing. If you don't ask, you're paying for silence. They expect silence. They depend on silence. They profit from your silence. Asking questions is the entire homework guy philosophy because laws protect the buyer. Documents protect the buyer. Written offers protect the buyer and transparency protects the buyer. And informed questions protect the buyer. >> And we'll say it again, the first no is a fake. It's not real. It's a strategy. Once you know that, you'll never fear asking again. And remember, no matter what vehicle you want, the secret to winning is the same. Get the allin out the door price from home in riding before you step foot on the lot. >> If you'd rather skip the games entirely, our homework guy car buying service can do all of this for you. We source real quotes across multiple regions, handle the negotiation, and make sure that you never overpay. >> We handle both new and used deals, leases, tradeins, even lease buyouts, and the total service is around $1,000. Most buyers save at least four times that amount on their car deal. If you found this video helpful, give us a big thumbs up, share it with your friends, and drop a comment down below. We love hearing your car buying success stories. They inspire and protect the entire Homework Guy community. >> And as always, if you haven't yet, follow us on Tik Tok for short daily buyer tips that will save you thousands. >> To all of our longtime subscribers out there, you guys rock. God bless you all. I'm Kevin Hunter, the Homework Guy, signing off on behalf of Alex Stevens, our auto expert, the amazing Elizabeth, our master negotiator, and the entire Homework Guy car buying team. Stick around for a few seconds as we scroll through some of our recent fivestar Google reviews. 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