Let’s Make a Deal

The Mars and Venus hooplah has thankfully died down, but one difference between the sexes is certain: women, more often than men, get a raw deal at car dealerships.

No matter how skilled we are at the art of negotiation (and skilled we are, thanks to daily practice with our children), females often so dread the dealership dollar discussion, they end up paying more for a new car. That’s why we’re over the moon about Unhaggle, an online service that has local dealers competing for our new-car buying power.

For less than the cost of a full tank of gas ($47), Unhaggle contacts dealers on your behalf who then bid for your business. What’s your role in all of this? Select the make, model and year, options and colour, and terms of payment (cash, lease or finance), along with which reputable dealers in your area you want to have bid on your potential car purchase.

Both you and the dealers remain anonymous throughout the process. Once you receive an offer you find agreeable, you have 48 hours to choose your best bid and make a small deposit (no more than $250) in order to secure the offer. At this stage in the process, there is no obligation to buy. If you decide to go ahead, you then visit the dealership to sign the final paperwork. No negotiations, no games, no visiting multiple dealerships trying to find the best price.

If you run into problems, like the dealer not honouring their offer in some way or the colour you asked for not being available, you can walk away. Unhaggle will refund their fee and help you find new bids from other dealerships. You get the fun of new car shopping (test drives, option selection), without the overpricing.

These days it’s moms who are in the driver’s-seat when it comes to buying a car and that’s why we think shopping for one should be a smooth ride, not a haggle.

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