Buying a Range Rover through a Buyer's Broker


2007 RR modelsWhy Use a Buyer's Broker?
When NOT to Use A Broker
Common Questions about Brokers
Carsmith Motors (US)
Best in Fleet (US)
Old Town Garage (US)
New-Car-Deals / Land-Rover-Deals (UK & Europe)
Other Brokers
More Information

Photo at right: New 2007 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport (Official Press Picture)
 

Why Use a Buyer's Broker?

JD Power recently reported that the average car purchase through a dealership (after you have decided to buy) takes 6.5 hours at the dealer. During this time you are engaged in a frustrating, high-stress, adversarial game with the sales people in which the odds are stacked heavily against you. Aside from whatever 6 hours of your time is worth, you are also paying the salaries and overhead of the  salesman, sales manager, and finance manager while they play the "good cop, bad cop" game and each try to outwit you to maximize their commissions. They practice this game all day every day, whereas you do it (at best) once a year. Guess who is more likely to win!!

Car buyers are getting sick of this process, and an alternative being used by more and more of them (at least 10% as of 2006) is to hire a buyer's broker -- a professional buyer who works for YOU to get you the best deal available. He shops the entire state or country, using fleet buying power and established relationships with dealership management, to find the exact vehicle you choose. After negotiating the best possible price, he gets back to you to describe the vehicle, the negotiated price, and the best financing. If you say “Go”, he has the vehicle transported to you, prepares the paperwork, arranges to dispose of your old car (if you so wish), and gets the loan or lease approved and prepared. Delivery to you is either at his office or your home or business. The paperwork takes around 15 minutes, and you have your new vehicle!!

Once people discover that they never need to haggle with a car salesman again, they rarely go back. Using a good broker saves hours of your time, while using his buying power to pay less without haggling. More and more buyers are realizing they can bypass the whole dealer experience -- about 10% of new car transactions are now done this way, and the trend is rapidly extanding into used car buying (where the savings are usually even greater due to the traditionally high markups in the used market). 


Who Should Not use a Broker

If you enjoy making deals -- or relish fighting with the dealer sales people to get your best price, read no further -- the buyer's broker is not for you. Go ahead and "enjoy" the dealer experience! You will certainly pay more, but you may get a sense of satisfaction out of the process.

You should not really use a broker as just another part of your "shopping around" -- the whole idea is that they do the shopping around for you. If they go to all the trouble of locating the ideal vehicle for you, then you locate the same one at the same dealer, guess who the dealer will sell it to -- you nor the broker? YOU of course, at the higher price you will have negotiated!! Compared with the thousands of dollars of dealer sales commissions and hidden profits, brokers' fees are so small that it is unethical to put them to all that trouble if you are just using them as a tool to get a cheap quote to use to pressure your dealer. Even if your conscience doesn't bother you, and in the unlikely event that your dealer agrees to meet the price, he will seldom have the exact car you wanted, so you will get a compromise.

(Exception -- see the info on Carsmith Motors below -- they are so good they don't care if you also try your own shopping!).

 
Common Questions about Buying through a Broker

1. What about after sales service and warranties?
All vehicles bought through a broker come with full factory warranty, and can be serviced at any Land Rover dealer. If you are worried that your local dealer may have misgivings servicing a Range Rover bought elsewhere or through a broker, dismiss those worries! Dealers make most of their money from their service departments, through the virtual monopoly they have during the new car warranty period. This is especially true of Land Rover dealers, since statistically, your Rover will spend more time in the shop than any other brand of vehicle. (If you have bought a car from a dealer, you will have noticed how rapidly they forget that you loyally bought from them).

2. What incentive does a broker have to help me?
Remember, the dealer and their commissioned sales staff have the strongest possible incentive to charge you the maximum price they can. In contrast, buyers' brokers work for YOU. They know they will only get your business if they save you money and time. They are not paid on commission so they have no incentive to get a high price. They have every incentive to get you the best deal and service so you will return next time you buy a car. 

3. Aren't I just paying the broker the commission the dealer would otherwise get?
No. You pay the broker a fee for his time and services -- usually only a fraction of what you save on the deal compared with doing your own bargaining. Brokers get far lower prices than you can, not just because of purchase volume but because the dealer does not have to pay its usual sales expenses like commissions to salesmen and finance employees. 

4. What about the online quoting and car buying services?
Carsmith Motors (US)

Carsmith Motors is the established premier auto broker in the Western US. They are unique as an auto broker in providing car-buying services for people in the market for both New and Late-Model 2003 & up Pre-Owned Vehicles in the Western US. Carsmith has such high volume buying power that they can get you true wholesale prices on both new and late model used Rovers, passing the savings along to you. Let them know what you are looking for in your next Range Rover or other Land Rover vehicle -- whether new or used. They will literally “shop” your new car request around to hundreds of dealers across the United States to find you the best possible price, and get back to you within 24 hours. Every new vehicle purchased through Carsmith Motors includes all manufacturer's warranties, rebates, incentives and special financing, 100% intact. They don't even mind if you violate the above rules and try to do your own shopping first -- they are confident their prices will easily beat any you might be able to get from your local dealers!

If you are looking for a late model USED Rover (anywhere in the Western US), savings are usually even more than on new ones, due to traditional high used car markups. Carsmith have access to a nationwide wholesale database of lease returns and dealer demos, as well as having their own representatives attending the dealer auctions.
•They run a CarFax Report
•They preview and inspect the vehicle
•They buy the car on your behalf, cutting the dealer out of the loop
•They provide a 128-Point Safety check, Maintenance and Smog inspection
To top it all off, they will also have the car professionally detailed, fill the tank with gas and hand you the keys…even take care of all the DMV paperwork so you don't have to!

Update May 2007: Carsmith now offers Rangerovers.net readers exclusive access to the Rover inventory of lease returns and late model trade-ins at the monthly Southern California dealer auction -- see this link. They also now have their own late model used Range Rover Inventory -- see this link.

Carsmith Motors have kindly offered to make special discount available to Rangerovers.net readers, so when you call them or fill in their brief online form, please tell them you were referred by Rangerovers.net!  Contact their Co-Owner and Rover specialist  Mike Velasco at (408) 594-5111.

Testimonial: A Rangerovers.net reader reports "I followed the link [on your website] and had the pleasure of working with Mike Velasco, one of the owners.  I gave Mike my model, year, color, and mileage preferences and he went to work.   Mike located a near perfect match and personally inspected the vehicle, then had his crew inspect/prep it at their facility.  The whole purchasing process from first contact to delivery was very short and painless. Mike asked me to shop around a little for comparison while he was locating my vehicle.  An almost identical vehicle at a Range Rover dealership was selling for many, many thousands more than Mike was able to arrange.  Serious savings."


Best In Fleet (Western US)

Best in Fleet has some of the most experienced staff in the auto broker business. Just from talking to them you can tell they love what they do, and care about the people they do it for. They can get you any make or model of vehicle at dramatic savings, but they specialize in Land Rovers and Range Rovers. They do all in their power to give you "The Best Way to Buy A New Car”. 

Best in Fleet's huge fleet buying power and statewide buying connections get you the exact vehicle you decide on for a true fleet price. Then, they set up the financing or lease for you, sell your old car for you if you like, and deliver your new one by flatbed trailer or professional driver, anywhere in California! The paperwork takes about 7 minutes, and you’re ready to go! And, they can handle all the details over the phone. You need never leave your home or office! They can also instal aftermarket options -- winches, racks, or other expedition equipment -- before delivery.

Due to their specialization in Range Rovers, they usually have over a dozen 2003/2004 Range Rover lease returns in stock at excellent bargains.

Johnny Oler is our guy at Best in Fleet, and has gone out of his way to cultivate contacts with California Rover dealers. So if you email him or call him directly at (559) 237-0752, he will be waiting to help you find the exact Range Rover or Range Rover Sport you want, at the lowest possible price.  You can also visit their website at www.bestinfleet.com.  Best in Fleet has kindly offered to help sponsor this site, so please tell them you were referred by Rangerovers.net! 


Old Town Garage (US Pacific Northwest)

Old Town Garage is the only Range Rover service facility in the Central Washington area -- there is not even an official Land Rover dealer there. Accordingly, the owner of this facility, Scott Williams, now offers auto brokerage services as well. Although he can get you any make of vehicle, as a Range Rover enthusiast and ex-dealer tech, he specializes in Land Rovers.  His technical experience in the brand means he can match you to the Land Rover or Range Rover model that is right for you, regardless of model year, new or used. His buying power and experience enable him to get you much better pricing than you can possibly obtain by yourself, while avoiding the whole unpleasant and time wasting dealer hassle experience. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and are looking for a new or used Rover, give Scott a call at 509-453-1682 or email him at oldtowngarage@gmail.com. Don't forget to tell him you were referred by Rangerovers.net!


New-Car-Deals.co.uk (UK & Europe)

New-Car-Deals.co.uk is now one of the leading UK and European suppliers of new vehicles, with over 2,500 models and discounts up to 35%. Their expertise and buying power mean you not only save thousands of £££ but get an earlier delivery date compared to the local dealer. Range Rovers are one of their specialties -- they now have a special page entitled Land-Rover-Deals.com). Last time I looked, their 2007 Sport price was £4,000 below list. With a 5 year track record, New-Car-Deals is in for the long haul, and pride themselves on service, price, lead time and personal communication. They are acutely aware of stories about internet companies that tell you a price and delivery date, take a deposit, then add other costs or inform you the date has slipped a few weeks. So, they go out of their way to ensure the price and date they quote can be relied on. 

If you live in the UK, New-Car-Deals.co.uk will save you thousands on both UK supplied vehicles and European imports. All Land Rovers they supply are new UK spec RHD vehicles, with UK manuals and service/warranty books. Imported vehicles come with a Certificate of Conformity issued by Land Rover UK, and are identical in every respect to those from your local Land Rover dealership in the UK or Ireland. The only difference is the amount of money you are saving! If you live in Europe, similar savings are available to you through their network of continental dealers.

Reasons to choose New-Car-Deals for your next Range Rover (or other vehicle) include:
New-Car-Deals.co.uk is also a distributor for alloy wheels and body styling by Vemiri, so they can customise your new Rover as well! Visit their website at New-Car-Deals.co.uk (or their Land Rover specialty page at Land-Rover-Deals.com), or give them a call on 0870 360 5907. You will be glad you did! New-Car-Deals.co.uk has kindly offered to help sponsor Rangerovers.net, so please tell them you were referred by Rangerovers.net!
Return to top
Other Brokers

If you have had a good experience with another auto broker, please email me so we can connect other Range Rover buyers with them.

Links to Related Information

Buyer's Research on new and used Range Rovers
Detailed Model Year Specs/FAQ with Illustations
Range Rover III Page
Range Rover Sport Page
Technical Specifications
One Owner's Experiences
Ownership Experiences of Others
Range Rover Extended Warranty Information Page
Range Rover Financing Page
Range Rover Insurance Page


Return to Top
Return to RangeRovers.net Main Page
For comments or questions, email John Brabyn