Ray Shefska spent more than 43 years as a car salesman. He says, “After many years as a taker, I am now finding a great deal of satisfaction in being a giver.” He admits that most folks hate buying a car, so he founded Car Edge “to help people buy or lease their next car, all while making it a remarkably pleasant and pain-free experience.” This is why he’s also on TikTok, revealing the perfect answers to the most common questions you’ll get at a dealership. You might notice a theme in his car-buying advice.

So, are you paying cash for this vehicle?

“You know, I haven’t decided if I’m paying cash or financing. I’m just concerned about the out-the-door price at the moment.”

Now, you must have a monthly budget in mind, don’t you?

“My monthly budget is irrelevant at this point until we figure out what the out-the-door price is for the car.”

How much cash do you plan on putting down on this vehicle?

“I don’t know. I might pay for the whole thing. I haven’t decided yet, and I can’t decide until we come up with what the out-the-door price is.”

That car that you drove into the dealership today, you’re going to trade that in, correct?

“I haven’t decided if I’m trading it in, selling it privately, or donating it to a charity. At this point, all I’m concerned with is what the out-the-door price is for the car that I’m possibly going to be buying.”

We’re a negotiation-free dealership. The price is the price.

“I understand that, but the price is the price also includes the sales tax, title, license fees, and any other fees that you charge. So I need to know what all those fees add up to. I need to know that out-the-door price.”

Unfortunately, we don’t share pricing over the phone or email.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be doing business with you. The only opportunity you have to possibly, possibly sell me a car is to provide me with the information that I’m requesting. And if you don’t, then you’ve lost this opportunity.”

The ultimate car-buying dealership hacks

Shefska may sound like a bit of a broken record here. But he has a clear strategy. You see, a less-than-ethical car salesperson would love to never tell you the out-the-door price or APR you’ll pay for your car. They would love to even distract you from the length of your loan with a shiny, exciting vehicle and a monthly payment you can afford. Why? Overcharging for the car, with the added bonus of a huge loan and a ton of interest in their pocket.

You should focus on two things. First and foremost—as Shefska hammered home—get the out-the-door price for any vehicle you’re considering. This includes the sales tax, title, license fees, and any other fees the dealership charges.

I’ll add that, secondly, you want to know the APR you’ll be paying. Likely, the out-the-door price will be lower if you go with dealership financing. But your interest rate will be higher. Before you even go to the dealership, visit your local credit union and see what sort of auto loan you can get pre-approved for. You may choose to go with the credit union or dealership financing, if they can beat the APR, but at least you now have options.

MotorBiscuit has reached out to @CarEdge on TikTok for comment. You can see the rest of Ray Shefska’s car-buying tips in the video embedded below:

@caredge Today pops shows you how to respond to common questions #cardealers will ask you when you #buyacar #caredge #cardealership #carbuying #carbuyingtips #cardealershiptiktok #carbuying101 #carbuyingguide #carbuyinghelp #carbuyer #carbuyingadvice #carbuyinghacks #carbuyingsecrets #carbuyingservice #carbuyingmadeeasy ♬ original sound – caredge