Bound to Happen!

The time has come! We finally caved and joined the minivan nation. Murray's been wanting a 2nd vehicle for awhile now but I'd been resisting since it's only a handful of times per year that it's ever a real problem having just 1 vehicle. We also liked not having a car loan and have been saving up, knowing we'd need be getting a van eventually.

Then a few weeks ago, I had to take the Subaruba in for service and they dropped the girls & I off to do some shopping in their 8 seater shuttle van. There was soooo much space! The kids were not piled on top of each other and could reach their seatbelt buckles without having to take turns!

Murray had been searching the ads, keeping an eye on prices but we didn't want to buy anything too old and he felt that the Honda Odyssey had the best safety rating. However, one of those brand new in cash would take us well beyond the time the girls move out! He started looking at used vans instead and those seemed to be more in our price range but not quite yet. After driving in one, I didn't want to wait til mid winter to pick one up. If we were buying one soon anyway, why not get it now during the height of our travel time aka Summer right? He wasn't so sure but I eventually convinced him that a small loan wouldn't be too hard to pay off with the income from his part time programming job (easy for me to say eh?)

We went around to a few dealerships with Murray's dad, Rick, to see what they had on the lot. I checked online listings and found a 2008 with less than 100 000 km on it and only $18M. That was the first one we actually went to see and Murray was ready to buy it. I hoped to talk them down to $18M on the road but the salesperson wouldn't take 10 cents off the price! We walked. No way was I paying the sticker price!

I kept checking around and found another one in another city, not as new but low mileage but much higher price..... then another one locally, same year, higher mileage but lower price.... dilemma!!!!

The higher mileage one had many more dings & scrapes than the lower mileage so I was torn but the lower price was more appealing IF I could get some extras :)))

So I took the girls with me to check out the local dealership and he let me take the van home for the night. The whole time the girls were beyond themselves with excitement and did NOTHING whatsoever for my bargaining position. "Can we KEEP it?!?!??! Are we getting this one Mumma?!?!?!??!? Are you going to BUY IT?????"

The next morning I phoned the lower mileage dealership and worked out what his best offer was. He could reduce the price a little but wasn't willing to negotiate in any winter tires, cross bar roofracks, which were essentials for us.

After that, I phoned the local guy and explained I was torn between the lower mileage, better condition vehicle and the one he had. He said he'd talk to his manager about tires etc and see what he could do but he wasn't optimistic as they'd just lowered the price recently and done all the work for the 100,000 km service, put on new all seasons, new wiper blades, new battery and a bunch of other stuff that needed doing at that stage of the game.

Around noon, we took the van back and dropped it off and my hard nosed negotiating team and I went in to talk to the guy.

G: so what did you think?

K: great vehicle and very smooth to drive, but we already knew we liked the Odyssey. I'm just not sure about the condition and the mileage. For only a bit more we might be better off getting the lower mileage..... (flip pages from my notebook where I've jotted down the details of all the vehicles we're considering)

G: well how much is he selling that for?

K: on the road, $XX, 000 so I'm finding you price a bit high

G: hmmmm, well if it's that much and he's got the admin fees and licensing in there, his price is blah blah blah.... ok, well does that give you any winter tires?

K: no.

G: ok, well I talked to my manager, D, and he's willing to split the cost of the new tires with you so we could have the fan on the road for $XX, 400

K: well that's $400 higher than what you quoted this morning.

G: yes, the new tires would be $800!

K: I can get them, studded and installed, taxes in for $771 myself!

G: that's $800!

K: but that's not at cost, that's what I would pay.

G: *sigh* let me talk to D, have him come in, it's his money

K: ok then.

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G/D/K (pleasantries)

G: so D, here's where we are (swings computer screen so manager can view the state of affairs). Do you think you can live with that?

D: (pained but resigned look on his face) well G, if that's what it's gonna take to do this, well, then... I can live with it.

G: ok then! so that sounds good Kelly?

K: well, where are you at now?

G: $XX, 400

K: Are you still THERE?!?!?!? I thought we'd made some progress here! :) (go back to my notebook, hemming and hawing, obviously torn and very tempted by the other van....)

D: Ok. How about.... I throw in.... some.... Floor mats!
G: D! you're killing me here!

K: (stunned silence and blank look)

K: uhhhh, "floor mats" ?????

D: (shocked at my lack of appreciation for this fine offer) They're really GOOD floor mats!

K: yeah, but.... floor mats?

D: but they're Honda FLOOR MATS!

K: (still incredulous at this negotiating deviation)

D: they cost $250!!! they're specially made and molded for the Odyssey.

K: ummm, are they rubberized or something????

D: they ARE rubber!

K: ok D, I'm having a hard time getting excited about floor mats here.

D: well what are you thinking?
K: would you consider an even $XX,000 ($400 less)

D: well. I'd hate to seem stingy but for that, I'd have to take back the floor mats....

K: unh unh, too late. They're already in.

D: how about this, we're at what? $XX,400 and you're saying $XX,000? Let's split the difference and call it $XX,200!

G: D!!!! Man!!!! I'm going to buy this van soon!!!

K: I don't know..... I'll have to talk to my husband and let you know.....

D: ok well just to be fair, we need to let you know, another couple wants to come look at this afternoon. If you put a $500 deposit then we have your commitment that you're not going to continue shopping and you have our commitment that we're not going to continue trying to sell it.

K: you've had the van for 6 months and suddenly you've got 2 families wanting it now?

D: oh they've been in before and coming for another look.

K: I'll be in touch this afternoon and let you know.

Then I stopped in at Murray's office, gave him the scoop, but he wasn't too hung up on the last $200 difference. We went home, had lunch, then I cleaned up and then phoned the dealership.

K: you still have a van there?
G: well, so far but the other sales guy is on the phone trying to get a hold of that other family right now!!

K: well, I talked to my husband and he says I'm over budget.

G: oh. really???
K: yeah. he really didn't want to borrow any money at all but I managed to talk him into a few thousand and now at $XX,000, I've had to talk him into borrowing twice as much as he'd originally agreed to. He says we can go ahead at $XX,000 so see what D says.

G: oh. well..... how were you going to talk him into that other more expensive one if you went with that then????

K: I was going to have to work a lot harder. You don't even want to KNOW what I was going to have to do to get that one!

G: *chuckle* ok, well, I'll have to wait for D to get back from lunch and talk to him. I'll call you back when he's in.

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*ring*ring*

K:Hello?

G:(anxious/out of breath) isthisKelly????

K: yes

G: youbettergetinherebeforehechangeshismind!!!!!!!!!

K: *laugh* Ok, I'll be back this afternoon with a deposit.

That afternoon as I was opening the door to the dealership and saw another sales guy in G's doorway saying "is that lady coming in to put a deposit on that van this afternoon???" so I hollered "you mean ME????"

*insert happy dance here* I managed to get my studded winter tires incl installation, my crossbars for the roof racks and did I mention the lovely floor mats????

Here's the happy crew with our new van!!!!