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Buy a Car Online With These Email Templates (Copy & Paste)

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Last updated Dec 11, 2023

Buying a car shouldn’t be so damn hard. Since the pandemic, more and more car dealerships have started offering ways for you to buy a car online. That being said, negotiating a fair car deal is (in some ways) easier than ever before.

To buy a car online you need to be prepared to contact multiple car dealers via email. We wrote an entire guide on this process. The purpose of this page is not to talk strategy, but rather to be a repository of email templates you can copy and paste while you buy a car online.

Please comment below if you have an email template request and we’ll add it to this page. Our hope is that you can copy and paste these email templates so that your online car buying experience is easier, less stressful, and potentially even fun (we said potentially).

Email Requesting the Best out the Door Price Quote

Email For When the Dealer Says “The Price is The Price”

Email Asking If a Car Is Still Available

This email should be sent to the sales department as a general inquiry, or to the internet department if a dealership has one. You can typically find the email address for these departments on the dealership’s website.

Email Asking For a Lease Quote

Email To Factory Order a New Car

Email for the General Manager or Dealer Principal

Email Response for When The Dealer Doesn’t Provide the Info You Requested

More Free Car Buying Help

Car buying cheat sheet

Ready to outsmart the dealerships? Download your 100% free car buying cheat sheets today. From negotiating a deal to leasing a car the smart way, it’s all available for instant download. Get your cheat sheets today!

50 Comments

  1. Sean

    Thank you for creating these.

    Reply
    • Jarret O'Boyle

      Ray had said, purchasing the “purple” car should make for a really good deal. It just so happens that Vroom is offering me about 9k more for my purple Charger than the current buy out which is 5months earlier than my lease end. I’m going to take this deal and run. In this case, the color of the car didn’t impact how hot the used car market currently is. Thanks for all
      The useful information on your site and Chanel ?

      Reply
  2. Ken Porter

    Hello gents, came across your channel about 2 weeks ago, very informative with the right amount of humour. I’m in Canada, try living here with patio doors that are not working properly, lol. Is there a template for leasing or would this one work for leasing a car as well?

    Reply
  3. Mike Barr

    Thanks so much for these templates. I am looking at getting a car in the next 60 to 90 days. I am ESPECIALLY interested in using the tools your website shows such as the browser tools and information like length of time on the lot. My target vehicle is a 2020 Subaru, either the Forester or Outback depending on test drive (wife interest) and what the numbers are. I really want to use the tools you talk about before I walk in or send an e-mail.

    Reply
  4. Anthony

    These are great, and I used the first one but the most common response is – When can you come by or Let me call you. How do you respond to those?

    Reply
    • Terry Benedict

      This is what I get as well.
      Dealerships are not going to give you a price over an email because they want to lure you onto their turf and play the game per their rules.

      Reply
    • Kim

      I’m trying to purchase a car. I’m not confident enough to handle the deal.
      Is their people to go in and negotiate for you . If so is it expensive? Then I wouldn’t get a deal

      Reply
      • Zach Shefska

        Kim, there are “brokers” out there. We recommend google searching for someone in your area!

        Reply
      • Dustin

        My credit union offers both competetive interest rates and an auto buying service! Also check costco if you are a costco member, although dealers might tell you “this deal is better than costco”.

        Reply
  5. Glenn Shiplet

    Good Evening Zach and /or Ray, My name is Glenn Shiplet I live in the Washington area in southern Md. I have been watching you you tubes since February and enjoy it especially the bantor between you and your Dad. He is more my age 69 . I have always had a tough time handling the negotiating buyi8ng anything but especially vehicles. I have my eye on a 2015 Kia Soul at Koons in Va . because it is a manual transmission and thats what I need for a flat tow on a motor home. Just looking at the pricing I feel it is a great price $9500,24500miles i believe it is because of the manual trans. which no one wants to drive anymore. The price reflects internet pricing excluding fees taxes title fees and a destination fee? Heres what I am asking I would still like to get the best price I can out the door without the fees.should I use your dads already prepared reply , which is good or can I use you as my advocate to get the best price if so how do we do that thanks Glenn

    Reply
    • Zach Shefska

      Glenn, thank you for this. Unfortunately we do not provide any services to negotiate any transactions, instead we simply offer our free content. Please let us know how it goes!

      Reply
  6. Bill Bressler

    Good afternoon, I am looking to buy a 2020 Accord Sport, with the 2021 availability almost or already here already, what kind of discount should I look for on the 2020?

    Reply
  7. Kari H

    Hey guys! I came across your YouTube videos while researching buying a van. You have such a fun relationship and offer really helpful information. Keep doing what you’re doing! Thank you!

    I hope you can help me. I found a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country Touring with 115,000 miles for $8000 (MN). Last week I took it for a test drive, then a couple of days later I brought the van to my mechanic to have it inspected (no big issues found). The dealership’s mechanics had already disclosed that the Rear Blind Spot Detection was inoperative and would cost approximately $2700 to fix prior to my bringing it to my mechanic.

    I decided that I would buy the van – did the research on what similar vans in the area were selling for, etc. and decided on what I would offer them for the van. This van has been on their lot for 70 plus days at this point. When I brought the van back from the inspection, I told them that I was interested in buying the van that day, if they would throw in the tabs (due in 2 weeks) and could bring the price down to $7000 (I also had 3 friends in the car industry tell me that is what the van is worth). The salesman and the manager told me that the dealership has a “Best Price” policy and the the price is the price, but “if they do a price drop, they will be sure to let me know”, at which point I walked out the door.

    I was actually stunned that 1) they didn’t negotiate with me at all, and 2) that they let me walk out the door. I haven’t heard from them at all since then (5 days ago – I know, not a long time…but…) I would think that they would want to move this vehicle. It is still listed online.

    I’m still interested in the vehicle, but do NOT want to go in with my tail between my legs saying, “Please, can I pay full price??” UGH. Should I walk away completely and start my search AGAIN, or is there something else I can try? Advice please?

    Reply
  8. Mark L

    Guys,

    What’s the best way to get a usable email address to use to send these OTD requests. New car dealers in my area don’t show email addy’s for folks at the store. Also, who’s the best target here internet guy, salesman, new car sales mgr, etc?

    Thanks for what you are doing!

    Thanks!

    Reply
  9. GW

    Your template for placing a factory order on a new car. Do dealers take orders like this in this day and age. What type of deposit is usually required? Is the deposit refundable if the timeframe is not met or the color combination and equipment was not on the automobile?

    Reply
    • Tim

      GW

      Most dealers will do a search of other dealers to see if they have the car you want instead of an order out and dealer trade for it if you reach a deal with them. You might consider that option.

      Reply
    • GW

      I have a 2017 that will be discontinued in 2021. Does this lower the value of my 2017 if I want to trade it in on a 2021?

      Reply
  10. Nick L.

    I did your series on the Deal School and found it very informative. I’m presently working on leasing a vehicle and found your breakdown on How to figure a lease extremely helpful . A few dealers when I asked to explain how a lease is figured said they just put information into their computer and it gives them the monthly payment. It’s great to know how to figure it out for yourself to see if their computer is in the ball park or way out of it. Your email templates are great. Enjoy all your videos, keep it up.

    Reply
  11. Rich Shaffer

    Sharing your experience is priceless Ray! Thank you for your helping us better understand how the car buying process actually works Zach.

    Reply
  12. Dwayne

    Thank you for sharing all this information

    Reply
  13. magali

    How awesome are those templates! Thank you for making them! I will be purchasing a Honda Passport at the end of the year ( if car prices are still going down) and dread going into the dealership , i will definitely use those letters to negotiate the price and hope that the only thing i have to do is go into the dealership and sign papers. Kind Regards

    Reply
  14. Richard Zeller

    REALLY appreciate sites like yours. I watch your videos all the time. I’ve been working with an area volume dealership on a lease for a 2020 Jeep Renegade. I have imperfect credit, but I also know all my credit scores (including auto-enhanced scores). I know that’s hardly definitive but I got a loan with a lower credit score last year on a used car and paid it off VERY early; considering my debt to income is well below 20% I didn’t think it would be too hard to get a lease deal done.

    It’s now been over a week of back and forth with the finance manager (the dealership is an hour away); she said the banks have me in a very low credit tier and therefore they cannot get me the advertised rates and offer. But she ‘worked hard’ and got me approved for $3,000 down and $330 / month for 39 months (10k miles/year). I thought this was a lot considering their advertised rate of $3,000 down and $69/month for 24 months. ( I knew that was a pipe-dream but I had expected to still keep the payment under $200/month).

    I asked for a breakdown of the payment and purchase price as well as what the residual would be. She told me I didn’t need that information because all that matters to me is what I’m actually paying and at the end of the lease nobody ever keeps their car anyway. Well… I DO. I did it with a 2014 Odyssey I still own to this day. If I like the car, I’ll keep it. If I don’t…the shorter 2-year lease was appealing so I wasn’t overcommitted if I found I hated the thing. The residual matters.

    I know i can buy a car outright, I already have approval from my bank, so why the run-around now?

    Is it all dealerships or just these volume dealers? They simply never listen to me and never give me what I ask in terms of information.

    So after 20 minutes of trying to simply ask for where my $330/month would be going and how much the car would have for residual in 39 months and getting nowhere, I hung up. Am I missing something here? Is it unreasonable to request a dealer give me real numbers to review before I drive an hour out of my way for a car? I think they think I’m desperate for a car; they’re wrong. I think they forget many of us are WFH now and the urgency of replacing a dead vehicle is not what it used to be….

    SO taht’s my experience. WHY DON’T CAR DEALERS LISTEN TO THEIR CUSTOMERS and ANSWER THIER QUESTIONS???

    Reply
  15. Mo Chen

    What if I have a trade in? How do I change the template to reflect this, or should I not bring this up until after I got the best price?

    Reply
    • Lee

      Mo Chen, I added the following to my email;

      I am replacing a Year/Make/Model with xxxx miles and have an offer in hand to sell it, but would consider trade-in offers and can provide further details on the vehicle if you are interested.

      Reply
  16. Pete Ortega

    Zach and Ray Shefska, what a great website this is (CarEdge). In doing some research prior to purchasing a new car for my wife I’ve found out that I do not have to pay the MSRP, but rather am entitled to ask for the invoice price in order to save $$. I’ve also found out that there is a specific time to ask for certain fees that I do should not pay for to be removed from the purchase contract before I sign. What is the best time to ask to see the invoice price once I decide on a vehicle of my choice? Do you have an email template for that? Thank you again for all this valuable
    and free information that your site provides. I really appreciate both of you for doing this.
    Gratefully,

    Pete Ortega

    Reply
  17. Casey Jones

    Greetings Gentlemen! I’m a fan and have been following since the first quarter of 2020. The templates are exceptionally helpful. QUESTION: Should I get the out the door price FIRST and then let them know I’ve decided to lease as opposed to stating right off that I am leasing? A response would be greatly appreciated, soon. Thank you very much for all that you provide to us average-guys-who-are-not-experts. 🙂

    Reply
    • Zach Shefska

      OTD first, then how you determine to buy/lease! Thank you for your continued support.

      Reply
  18. DAVE KNOTT

    Love this template here. I posted via youtube the other day and have not heard back which is fine. These templates are good, as I’m running into dealerships that are not wanting to negotiate. Makes me almost want to buy from carmax etc. I’ll give this a shot, and for the love of everyone I hope someone comes to grips and wants to actually sell a car versus find a way not to sell me one at the listed price.

    Reply
    • Zach Shefska

      Glad we can help in some small way, Dave!

      Reply
    • Ebony

      I’m really nervous about going into a dealership to purchase a new vehicle. I have watched your videos and have learned so much…. but actually applying what i’ve learned is another. Any suggestions?

      Reply
  19. Eugene Boyle

    Hi Zach and Ray!

    Your videos have been extremely helpful and educational. I have a question about the email template to ask for the OTD price. Why should I mention that I’ve secured my own financing? You say on your other videos to feign interest in the dealer financing (which makes sense to me). Wouldn’t mentioning that I have secured my own financing work against me in negotiating the price of the vehicle?
    Thanks,
    Gene

    Reply
    • Zach Shefska

      Gene, great question! You can still feign interest in their options even after you’ve let them know you have something secured outside of the dealership! -Zach

      Reply
  20. Tunisia Price

    Hello My name is Tunisia and I’m trying to obtain a lease deal on either a 2021 nissan rouge or and 2021 subaru and I have a couple quotes but after listening to you and your father for a while it doesn’t seem like all the info required to make a sound decision is listed. Please help I want to buy a car in next couple days if the numbers seem right

    Reply
  21. Harold Shannon

    In using the template – Email to Factory Order a New Car – , should you include the exact vehicle specifications i.e. exterior color, interior fabric color, model, packages, and accessories, every detail. Also have them itemize all fees to have an out the door price.

    Reply
  22. Dennis Boushie Jr.

    I appreciate your Youtube content. I am looking at pre owned 2020 Cx-9, great price then they want to charge $1590 prep and reconditioning fee. I have not yet visited the dealer. Your dad has said that this is a dealership expense not a customer expense. I have been emailing the internet manager, hopefully I can get her to move on this. Thanks for the great service ya’ll provide! Strava Rocks!

    Reply
  23. Jake

    Can we please have a template asking for dealer fees to be removed? Why are some dealers charging upwards of $700 in “documentation/administrative” fees…? Horrible! This is 2021. Isn’t everything done electronically anyway? Thank you for all of your help and support.

    Reply
  24. amac24

    “Email Asking If They Can Match Another Dealer’s Quote” (For Lease)

    Reply
  25. Jorge

    I emailed 6 Dealers and most of them replied with a quote that didn’t include DMV fees, Doc Fee, or Taxes. Here is what one said:

    Price quoted includes Destination Charge; It excludes Sales Tax, DMV Fees, Registration Fee’s and any Dealer Installed Options.

    What are my next steps? Keep asking for the OTD? I did get 1 quote but they added after market accessories for firm edge and some other item I have no clue what it is, so I guess it’s time to negotiate also on the listed items ?

    Thanks,
    Jorge

    Reply
  26. Britt

    Hey guys! Long time viewer.

    Like Jorge mentions above, how about a template for negotiating the price once the dealer comes back with their price structure.

    Having the knowledge of what fees are negotiable or fluff would help greatly.

    Zach – I agree with you. Ray is a treasure!

    Reply
  27. Frank Cataldi

    These are great thank you. I just wish the background didn’t copy with the text as it looks like a copy and paste in the email.

    Reply
    • TK

      Copy the text to an editor app like Windows notepad then re-copy and paste that into your email. All the formatting (color etc…) will be removed.

      Reply
  28. LeAnn Standridge

    Can my “Specifics” be broad in my initial email as in 2008-2012 range as what I really am absolutely “requiring” is a 3rd row seat on any trim under 175,000 miles? Or will this not get me the information/deal I want?

    Reply
  29. William Tickner

    I am trying to buy a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. I am offering invoice price and told them I’d simply walk in, write a check, take a look at their warranties, sign the paperwork and drive home. I emailed 10 (yes 10) and two got back to me. One guy simply said, “We respectfully decline your offer”. No counter offer. Just simple as that. The other said they have some incoming and would get back to me. Nothing since, been over a week.

    Any thoughts?

    Reply
  30. Joshua Clar

    I came across your YouTube channel, and it led me here. You guys didn’t disappoint! I just started shopping around for a newer vehicle and I feel more comfortable now that I have a grasp of their tactics and what mine should be. Thanks so much for this priceless information!

    Reply
  31. KC

    Thanks for the templates!

    Question – I am intentionally purchasing from outside my area since dealers in my area will not deal. If I identify my zip code to be out of the area I am shopping, will that impact whether the dealer responds? If so, should I replace that sentence with “I will be registering and titling the new vehicle in ?

    Reply
  32. Scott

    Getting ready to send out several emails to dealerships targeting a Jeep Cherokee using your email templates.
    How do you respond to dealers when they say I “need to come into the dealership or let them call me?”

    Thank you for the all the information.

    Reply
  33. Scott Puma

    Hi Zach and Ray,

    I used your e-mail templates to attempt to purchase a Motorcycle. 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic. If you don’t know much about motorcycles and purchasing them new, most Japanese dealerships will always add Freight and Prep to their advertised price. The list price on the bike was 7999.00 I sent out 6 e-mails and received 3 responses. One Dealer wanted list plus full freight and Prep, Another dealer offered a decent deal, but not the best, and another offered me 6999, plus 300 each for freight and prep. I looked up the invoice on this motorcycle on a website that I found for recreational vehicles and it is 7272.00. So they were offering it below Dealer invoice and making it up with Freight and prep. At 7599 plus tax I feel I feel I got a good deal on the bike.

    I then priced out Warrantees for the bike as most bikes only come with a 1 year unlimited mileage warranty. I was able to extend the Kawasaki warranty at the dealer for less than the discount ESP I was offered and it included Tire and wheel, which on a motorcycle in the northeast can get expensive. I was able to get it for $998.00 for both 5 year warranties.

    So with your help I was able to buy a bike at about $300 over cost and get the 5 year warranty with unlimited mileage for close to cost.

    Thanks for the videos and keep up the good work. Yes your ideas work in the powersports market as well as the Automobile market.

    Scott

    Reply
  34. Colby Kowalski

    How would you respond to an email with the out the door price and this is a fee?

    PREDELIVERY SERVICE CHARGE* $ 699.00

    Reply

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