Car sales can happen any time of year, but like other products, shoppers may get a great deal on Black Friday. The discounts may vary, but dealerships have slashed prices on cars and car accessories on Black Friday, including on luxury cars. Here’s a look at seven tips car shoppers should follow when shopping on Black Friday.

1. Understand why car lots have those incentives

According to Auto Cheat Sheet, car shoppers must understand why dealerships slash prices on Black Friday. Department stores slash prices because their inventory isn’t selling fast enough, which is the same story for dealerships. This doesn’t mean the cars are bad, but they aren’t in high demand.

Usually, this is because the car is in an older model year, and car shoppers prefer the latest model year. It could also just come down to car segments. Sedans aren’t very popular right now, and they sell slower than SUVs. As such, car shoppers looking for a sedan may get some nice savings on Black Friday.

2. Always read the fine print of the advertisement 

Like shopping at a department store, car shoppers should also be aware of any tricks that dealerships try to pull. That’s why folks should read the fine print of any advertisement they’re interested in. Sometimes, a dealership will only slash prices for a certain car configuration, or the deal is only available for specific shoppers. 

3. Brace for crowds

Crowds are another similarity that dealerships have with department stores on Black Friday. A lot of people will have the day off, and they’re likely aware of the deals that the dealership has been advertising. As such, Black Friday car shoppers should mentally prepare for the crowds beforehand.

4. Do your homework

At the end of the day, buying a car on Black Friday is not that different from buying on any other day. Shoppers should do their homework beforehand to know what car they want and not waste too much time at the car lot. This also means that car shoppers should check the dealership’s inventory that they’re interested in before Black Friday. 

5. Arrange for financing before you go

And just like car shopping on a regular day, it’s a good idea to arrange financing with a bank before going to the dealership. This will allow car shoppers to speed up the process and save a significant amount of money compared to getting a car loan from a dealership.

6. Don’t expect to spend hours haggling

Since Black Friday tends to be a busy day for dealerships, the dealership is unlikely to haggle with shoppers. This is because the dealership wants to get as many sales as possible throughout the day, and haggling will slow down sales. As such, shoppers shouldn’t expect to haggle, and if they aren’t happy with the dealership’s offer, it may be a good idea to leave.

7. Be ready to commit to the buy

As Auto Cheat Sheet wrote, dealerships will try to whip up a frenzy about the incentives car shoppers can take advantage of on Black Friday. It’s easy to get sucked up in that frenzy, but ultimately, it’s still a car that shoppers will be paying a lot of money for. As such, it’s important that shoppers commit to the car that they purchase. That makes it extra important for car shoppers to find the right car for them in the first place.