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Dealers Use Black Book Pricing Information
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So you go into a dealership armed with the Kelley Blue Book value of a car thinking you have all the information? Wrong. Dealers use the prices listed in the Black Books published by the National Auto Research (NAR) Division of Hearst Business Media Corporation, located in Gainsville FL, and those prices are usually under those of the trusty KBB. These Black Books have weekly, monthly, bimonthly, and annual editions and they’re seen as the most accurate price guides in the entire auto industry. They contains the real information you need when you want to talk to a dealer on an even playing field.
Short of subscribing to the Black Book site itself (it’s meant for dealers, not shoppers…), I’m not sure where else you can get that sort of pricing information. Granted, it’s only one other price point but I think it’s important to know and understand that dealers are using a number other than the one you may think they are.
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If the Black Book were the “most accurate…” price guide, then the figures would be available to people outside the industry too. The fact that they are not available to consumers denotes that it is intended only to increase profit spread to the dealer, not assist consumers in accurate pricing. Kelly Blue Book tells you what you can reasonably expect for your trade, what you can sell it outright for, and what someone else would pay the dealer for it. It gives everyone an even playing field as far as dealer profit and consumer savings.
In response to Sean,
Actually, yes you can access black book via internet. Your just a typical consumer that doesn’t want to face the realilty that cars don’t hold their value that strong. KBB is an excellent “guideline” for consumers, but they aren’t at the auctions day in and day out buying and selling. If KBB is so great why don’t they have a “Print Check” icon on the top right of the screen? A car is only worth what people want to pay for it.
If the dealer uses the black book to value trade ins, then he should use the black book when pricing his cars. But no, they pull out the KKB when doing that. Thats why people do not like to do business with car dealers.
Anynymous,
If they buy cars at Black Book Pricing and sell them at the same price, do you see profit there? NO. Dealers are just like any other business, TO MAKE PROFIT you idiot
There IS a difference in the KBB trade in and dealer sales price, as well as in the black book. THERE is the profit they should expect to make….Look at the shape the dealers are in, big auto makers did NOTHING with the huge profits they were making except pay the big dogs of the co. I am sure that wealth was not spread among all the workers they laid off. All the corporate heads still have thier jobs, and thier exorbitant salaries and thier “titles”. I agree that all should be a level playing field especially during these times. Hell, we are all going to end up going back to a barter system before it is all over if it keeps going the way that it is. Jeesh.
Wow an idiot calling an idiot an idiot. Can’t even spell ANYNYMOUS…. WHAT A MORON……
WOW! Black Book is what DEALERS use to give them a market value of what your car could bring in a auction IF they can’t sell it on thier lot. The dealer will risk their money to take your junk as a trade in and try to sell it. If you really think your car is worth more, then you need to put the money into it and fix, advertise it, show it to the odd and strange people that show up at your home and then collect the money after buyer has jewed you down. Bunch of uneducated idiot’s!
I think the dealers should make a profit but not an outrageous one. I think that the black book should be available to the public so consumers have a guide to go by to insure that the dealer is being honest and fair as far as price is concerned. I am currently selling my car my self and it would be nice to have another guide to go by to insure my car is priced correctly. A side note. Barging is great but be judicious and reasonable when doing it. For example I am selling my car for $5000 and came down to $4500, I’m in no hurry to sell it so if you offer me $1000 there is not going to be a deal. Not only that but it’s RUDE! I am willing to bargain but not get ripped off.