Giving Consumers the Advantage in the Auto Industry

I love technology.

Social media.

Shopping.

Cute handbags.

What I don’t love is orthodontic bills, 10% off being called a sale, and shopping for big-ticket items. The pressure is on when you’re shopping for items that are a significant part of your household budget. You want to ensure that you’re getting the best value, and the best product. In fact, that’s at the very core of Feisty Frugal and Fabulous, “Being frugal is not about being cheap, it’s about getting the best deal for your dollar.”

Last fall, we had the unfortunate circumstance to write-off our vehicle and have to buy a new vehicle as soon as possible. Thankfully, we were all OK after the accident but as a family of five there was no way we could go longer than a weekend without a vehicle. So, my husband and I hesitantly spent a weekend visiting several dealerships in the city, having a basic idea of which vehicle we wanted and what we wanted to pay. The entire process was stressful, and I’ll preempt this by saying I don’t deal well with aggressive salespeople and probably got more feisty as the day wore on.

At the end of our two-day search we had visited five dealerships, test drove about 8 vehicles, and finally purchased our new 2015 Ford Explorer Sport. Do I think I got the best deal possible? Probably not. Do I think the salesperson enjoyed dealing with me? Probably not. Would I do it again this fall if I had to? Probably not!

When it comes to purchasing a car, 62% of buyers worry they might not be able to negotiate the best deal, with significantly more women concerned than men (69% versus 54%). The part of the process that buyers find the most stressful is negotiating with salespeople to get the best price (59%). This was followed by the pressure to buy additional services (50%), having to buy the car on the spot and having to visit multiple dealers (both at 47%).

The current car buying process can be so agonizing for buyers that 74% say it makes them want to delay or put off shopping for a car. It is also very time-consuming, with 43% spending 10 hours or more researching and negotiating the price.

This is why, upon learning about Carmigo, I had to share this new website with my readers. Carmigo is a game-changer, putting Canadian consumers in control of their entire car-buying experience. You don’t have to visit a dealership and engage with a salesperson until you’re good and ready to, darn it! You’re going to shop entirely online, choose which dealerships are worth your focus, and narrow down your choices to the car you want at the price you want before you set foot into the dealership and are handed a donut and coffee. Here’s how:

First, visit Carmigo and select your perfect vehicle, right down to the color and other unimportant details like engine (I kid, but seriously, color is important amiright?)

Next, select the dealerships in your area you’d be interested in dealing with.

You can then start a conversation with a salesperson from that dealership without them having any other contact info for you (no email, no phone)

When, and only when, you are ready to hand over contact info or arrange to go into the dealership does the Carmigo experience go offline.

If you’re looking for a new vehicle, second vehicle, or perhaps just curious on what the vehicle you’ve been eying will really cost locally, take a spin at Carmigo.com soon.