The last time I checked, our economy was capitalist rather than socialist. A "businessman" who is struggling is probably in the wrong business.


OK, back to topic...

It sounds like those who are purchasing cars with a lot of haggle room need to weigh the benefits of the CC points vs. the car's extra options or bottom-line price. If, however, you are buying a car that rarely dips below MSRP (e.g., a MINI or a Lotus), or a special-order car, then the dealer is basically forced to decide between a sale or no sale. I think they will always take a sale.

I have a suggestion: Since AMEX is known for charging higher merchant fees, why not come armed with an AMEX and a MC/Visa? Offer to charge on the AMEX first, and if the dealer is really staunch about not accepting it, then pull out the Visa and offer to "save" him a few bucks on merchant fees. If he still holds out, walk away or report him for a violation of merchant agreement.

deleted

Sounds like a win-win; or, in the game of Bridge, a good Finesse!

DD

For what it's worth....
I recently bought a KIA and wanted to put it on credit card (that's all I had with me at time of purchase - no checks! They wanted to only take $3000 and said I could get a cash advance for the balance. After some discussion the finance manager indicated they might be able to take $3000 on several credit cards but wanted to check with the owner. I gave them 4 credit cards and authorization for charges up to $3000 on each. I left with the car. Called in the next few days and said cash advance would cost me too much - want to pay with credit card. Anyway - they hemmed and hawed and I had to keep calling but they eventually put it all on the various credit cards we had given them. Unfortunately - not all were mileage cards. But, to the good - $6848 got charged to a Citi cash returns card which was under the 5% back promo period , 3000 to AmEx, 3000 to AA miles, and, this one made my husband happy - 3000 to Harley Davidson Visa. I kick myself that I didn't put all my Citibank AAdvantage cards in my wallet that day but....something is better than nothing!

I thought it was Found On Road Dead

I was able to put $11,500 on my credit card to purchase a Honda Accord this weekend. When the salesman said he didn't think they could accept that much, I tried to hand him back the keys. After further checking, he said they would do it just this one time. Yeah, right.

I was looking at this one:
https://www.citicards.com/cards/wv/c...?screenID=1381
Surely must be better than any mileage card?
What are your thoughts?
The ideal card would be a 5% cash back with 0% APR for 12 months or so. Only decent alternative is the SPG AMEX intro offer 15,000 bonus for first 15,000 spent. (I.e. 2 SPG points for the first 15,000)

There's a card which gives close to 5% not only for 12 months, but 24 months. That is the citi amex platinum card which gives 3 to 5 points per dollar. 1 point is close to 1.5 cents and given that, this card gives 4 to 5% easily.

Wow, I'm just amazed how they can get offer one incredible deal after another. The way things are, I get the CCs through my GF who is US citizen, and she exhausted Citi, so have to wait 60 days now.
So I guess that a $35,000 would be 105,000 TY points then.

My dealer's limit was $1k. I tried to pay for my $2k desposit with a CC at the closing, and the merchant balked ("do you have a checkbook, debit card, etc?"). My response was this limit wasn't on the front door, the salesman never mentioned this during 3 weeks of closing the deal, and I could just as easily walk away, as I hadn't signed anything. They had to go "visit the sales manager"... next office... and he approved it. I figured the $60 in merchant fess was worth it to them, to close. Also, I was leasing a unique vehicle combo, the next choice was over 400 miles away ("take this one, or enjoy the flight"), so I figure I didn't strike the absolute best deal, so they had the room.

Steve B.

In response to the question about price to pay over invoice:

Go to edmunds.com and read about incentives etc that lower the vehicles actual cost to the dealer below invoice.

To all the posts on this thread of I payed $2000 etc:
After reading this post why do you continue to bow to demands that the merchant is not authorized to make, and then humiliate yourselves by showing you were outwitted here? A few people have commented that they did as good as they could (no viable alternatives so walking away wasn't an option) but many of you have given no indication. Why aren't you just walking away?

I am wondering about this myself.
I'd like some advice, how do I contact AMEX or MC/Visa to talk sense into them?
I tried telling the salesman that his "policy" is a breach of contract, but he just kept evading it.
I have cut communication with this dealership.

For me, I only planned on paying the deposit with the CC, and using lease payments. If I had wanted to buy the car with a CC, it would have been different, I would have gotten what I wanted. And I also was leasing a unique combination... I was told "if you would go with this combo, we have 4 of the 6 colors on the lot, and can get the other 2 colors by the afternoon".

When purchasing something unique, the seller has the advantage. When purchasing a "commodity", the buyer has the advantage. This advantage would include the option of the use of CCs.

Steve B.

So maybe we need a thread: Which car dealers will accept CC payment when buying a car?

For the record: Global Motorsports in Nashville, TN, won't accept CC because of the 30-day return policy imposed by many CC companies...neither will Crown Ford, also in Nashville (bought my Hybrid Escape there, love the car, but they simply said NO, end of discussion)...

Also looking for a 2008 Hybrid Escape.
They are $7000 less in USA than Canada, and that's MSRP.
divemistress did you pay MSRP?
I am looking for a Ford dealer in WA or OR that would let me pay with CC, PM me if you have this information.
Will use gf's Citi Platinum Amex, I think.