Negotiation Toolkit
Everything you need at the dealership
Decode a VIN, scan a quote sheet, check fees against your state, stay under your walk-away, and hand the sales rep a clean offer.
Paste a 17-character VIN. We'll auto-fill from the free NHTSA vPIC database.
Snap a photo of the quote sheet — we'll pull out MSRP, selling price, doc fee, add-ons, taxes, and OTD.
California baseline
Legal max $85 · avg $85
Capped by state law.
Dealer add-ons on your quote
Toggle each item that appears on your paperwork. We'll flag it and give you a one-line ask.
VIN Etching
$200 – $400Nitrogen Tire Fill
$100 – $300Market Adjustment / ADM
$500 – $10,000+Protection Package (Paint / Fabric / Undercoat)
$500 – $2,000GAP Insurance (Dealer Markup)
$700 – $1,200Extended Warranty (F&I)
$1,500 – $4,000Anti-Theft / Tracker Package
$300 – $999Dealer Prep Fee
$200 – $700Caps and averages reflect commonly cited 2024–2025 figures. This is buyer-side guidance, not legal advice.
Ready-to-read phrases for the four plays dealers use most often.
The dealer play
The salesperson keeps asking, 'What monthly payment are you comfortable with?' — a distraction that hides the real price, term, and interest.
Redirect to out-the-door price
"I appreciate the question, but I'm not shopping by monthly payment. Please give me the full out-the-door price in writing — vehicle price, all fees, taxes, and any add-ons — and we can talk from there."
If they push back
"The monthly payment can be stretched to look like anything. I only care about the total cost of this car. Let's start with the numbers, not the payment."
Written request
"Please email or hand me a printed worksheet showing the selling price, every fee itemized, sales tax, and the out-the-door total. I'll compare that to the other dealer I'm working with."
Set your numbers before you sit down. Update the current offer as you negotiate.
Status
Enter target, offer, and walk-away.
Formatted card you can show the sales rep or email. Add-ons default to $0 — you decline them.