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Using a Broker
A former car dealership employee, Linda Yazell has owned a small Bay Area
brokerage for 30 years. She estimates that 95 percent of her business is repeat
or from referrals, and she rarely works with people she doesn't know. For a fee
of $500 or $350 (for cars above and below $25,000) she will find the best deal
she can through a network of friendly local dealers.
One of her most loyal customers, Ben C. has bought six vehicles from Yazell in
20 years and he considers her "a good, good friend." He "absolutely despises"
buying from car dealerships and enduring the often tortuous negotiations with a
car dealer sales team. Ben says, "God love him, he's gotta make a living, but it
drives me outta my mind." He says Yazell has saved him about $3,000 on average
off sticker price on six models, including on his latest buy, a Honda Accord for
his son.
Yazell tracked the Accord to a car dealership in Fairfield, negotiated all the
fees and options and then had it delivered to him. Yazell says some new models
are hard to find at a discount, like a Honda Fit or a Scion. The last four
models she sold were hybrids. She charges $500 for hybrids, as they're harder to
get. She estimates she closes deals for "80 percent of the customers I deal
with."
Before approaching a broker, research previous customer experience and, with
luck, you might find someone like Yazell.
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