Kneel before her…
…for she is a goddess. From today she will be known as Dr. O’C, Goddess of Driving the Hard Bargain. Our Lady of the Haggle.
She’s a woman of many gifts, and in celebration of The Gratitude Project (thanks, Suzer), I thought I would spend today’s post singing the praises of my better half. In particular, her skills as a ruthless negotiator.
I wrote a while back about Dr. O’C’s bargaining skills, getting us a deal on a snazzy digital SLR. But she was not satisfied with small potatoes and when we started car shopping a couple of weeks ago had a chance to shine again.
Neither I nor Dr. O’C have ever had a new car. Dr. O’C had never had a car at all until we moved to Britain and she bought a 600 pound piece of shit Vauxhall (Opel, Holden). I’ve had a series of ridiculously cheap or hand-me-down cars since I was about 17. I typically drive them until they die and then frantically search for a new crap wagon to get me from place to place. As an example. I bought a urine yellow Datsun 210 for $300 while living in Seattle. I drove it for a year or so before the engine failed catastrophically down near my studio in Pioneer Square. I knew that it would cost me more to get rid of it than I had paid for the bloody car, so a friend and I pushed it into a towaway zone and moved on.
I’ve just never cared that much about cars, have treated them pretty much as a necessary evil. But, once Dr. O’C got knocked up, my paternal instincts kicked in and I realized that driving around in potentially dangerous cars was not really what a good father allowed his family to do. We picked up a dreadfully safe, sane and sensible used Toyota Corolla and drove that for the remainder of our time in the UK.
Since we arrived in Oz, we’ve been driving Arizaphale’s parents car - a wonderfully serviceable decade old Mazda and one that we’ve used gratefully. But with their imminent arrival in Oz for the summer, we had to act. Our intent was to buy a five year old Toyota Corolla, basically the same car we had in Britain. As we started to look around however, we realized that used cars Down Under are not cheap. The kind of thing we were looking for retails around $19,000. An equivalent car, brand new, costs about $24,000. (Note: The Australian dollar is worth about 65 U.S. cents or 3 British pence).
So we decided to take the jump and become new car owners for the first time ever. We picked out a lovey Mazda 3 hatchback in a rich “Stormy Blue” and then prepared to be reamed. That’s where Dr. O’C stepped up.
Watching Dr. O’C at work with the car dealers was an elegant lesson in the art of the haggle. She played them like fiddles. She worked with two local Mazda dealers, forcing them to outbid each other for our custom. We went from an ex demo to a brand new car. She whittled away at the price, built up extras, haggling all the way like a Moroccan rug merchant. Ultimately she got them down to about 75% of the sticker price with loads of extras thrown in - tinted windows, floor mats and, my favorite, an iPod adaptor.
We pick the new car up on Thursday and for the first time, I’m really excited about driving. I can’t wait until it comes time to buy a house.
Need a negotiator? The Goddess is now available as a haggler for hire. If you live in a place she would like to visit, pay her air fare (business class or better, of course) and room and board, she’ll come and sort out your big purchase.
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I couldn’t decide which of these goddess related tracks was most appropriate for today’s posts. I’m throwing caution to the wind and posting both. They kind of complement each other. Get music from both Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Mercury Rev from eMusic.
Mercury Rev - "Goddess On A Hiway" [1:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away" [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadPopularity: 40% [?]
That’s fantastic! Well done, Doctor!!
Nicholes last blog post..Getting Krafty with dinner
11 Nov 2008 at 12:28 pm
Hold on tight! You know she’s a little bit dangerous!!
In honour of Dr. O’C, here are a few of the tracks from the kick-ass goddess CD I made for two girlfriends of mine in our “Girl Power” stage:
Dangerous, Roxette
Simply Irresistible, Robert Palmer
She Walks Softly, but She Carries a Big Gun, Ice-T
La-Ti-Da, Marcia Ball
Cheers to you, Doc!
NATUIs last blog post..Our Daughters’ Daughters Will Adore Us
11 Nov 2008 at 12:31 pm
Wow. Where was she when I visited Egypt eight years ago. Dang. Now I need to go back and take The Goddess to the souk with me.
Congrats on the new car!
Coal Miner’s Granddaughters last blog post..Whew!
11 Nov 2008 at 1:16 pm
75% off? Are you for real? Damn!
sids last blog post..Just something I thought about
11 Nov 2008 at 7:29 pm
I wonder if I could have gotten an even better deal on my house with Dr. O’C around! Congrats on the new car!
11 Nov 2008 at 7:56 pm
Er Sid…come join my Year 10 maths class. They have similar problems with reading the question
I bow at your feet D O’C!!!!! You are the bizness!!! I have limited haggling skills, once managing to get $3000 off the price of a flat in Sydney. (big deal!!!)
Can’t wait to inspect the new purchase. Seriously though AFM, an ipod adaptor? Even my 2001 Corolla has one of those. It’s a kind of a tape thing you put into the CD player and then plug the earphone jack into your ipod. What? What? It works perfectly well!!!!
arizaphales last blog post..NaBloPoMo 6: Overdue
11 Nov 2008 at 10:12 pm
way to go.. smacking down the gender stereotype! she should star in her own comic book.
11 Nov 2008 at 11:12 pm
dude that is totally CLASS! Dr O’c you totally, totally rock. I love saving money, many a mickle makes a muckle and all that…
Quality. I wish I could haggle but I’d probably cave in and just say, oh, alright then. Man, total goddess I agree, you are one lucky free man!
12 Nov 2008 at 12:20 am
Way to go Dr. OC and congrats to all three of you on the new wheels. I bought my first new car a few years ago after years of driving crappy maintenence nightmares. I too am all about function with cars but I have to tell you, just the time saved on rides to pick up car after service calls and missed hours is worth the price of a new car.
In our house, I am definately the negotiator, hubs isn’t allowed to answer the door or we end up with all manner of candy bars, magazines, girl scout cookies, because he can’t say no. The car he bought before we met? He paid sticker price, ugh, never again.
I’ll add to the girlie bargaining soundtrack-
She works hard for her money-Donna Summer
Chriss last blog post..My Client the Pornstar, No Really
12 Nov 2008 at 12:31 am
Does haggler for hire actually exist as a job description, outside of agents for athletes and actors? It should. I could see where Dr. O’C’s services would be more than worth the plane fare. Well played.
mickeys last blog post..I have a raging semi
12 Nov 2008 at 1:54 am
I love it. She is dangerous!
flutters last blog post..Helicopters make him cry
12 Nov 2008 at 2:06 am
Impressive, Dr. O’C! I’m far too nonconfrontational to be any good at haggling. I admire your mad skillz.
12 Nov 2008 at 2:48 am
We have a Mazda3, not a hatchback and it has no bells and whistles, but since we drive it maybe once a week, we really like it.
We had a bad experience buying the car, it took so damn long that both Matthew and I got worn down and it became too hard to argue (we were at the dealership more than two hours), we ended up with an alarm and back-up sensor we didn’t need (I hate the back-up sensor by the way, too damn loud). Next time, I’m doing the negotiating over the phone, and I’m not going to buy a car when we absolutely are set on buying one, we’ll do it in a more leisurely fashion so if they don’t give us what we want we can walk (we took a train and then a bus to get to the car dealership which was an hour and a half trip, we were too tired not to buy a car just to make sure we didn’t have to make that damn trip again).
Aprils last blog post..Book Review: The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
12 Nov 2008 at 3:24 am
I bow down before the goddess! Seriously, we bought our first new car about 5 years ago - a 2003 Toyota Corolla - and paid the full 16,000.00 for it, because we’re both terrible hagglers. As much as we learned from that experience I am still in awe that your dear Dr. O’C was able to haggle down 75% of the price. Was it the playing of two dealers against each other that did it? Inquiring minds with a seriously decrepit Grandma Mobile (the 2nd car, which is dying from old age) want to know!!!
12 Nov 2008 at 3:25 am
All hail the goddess. I can only aspire to some day be considered Our Lady Of Haggle!
Just be careful while playing with the ipod while driving!
12 Nov 2008 at 3:49 am
How good is she at selling things? Is that another skillset she possesses?
12 Nov 2008 at 4:07 am
Not jealous, not jealous at all.
Much.
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Anyone got a cigarette?
12 Nov 2008 at 5:03 am
That’s awesome. Our car dealers around here have gotten the bright idea of “no haggle pricing”. They SAY the price on the sticker is bottom dollar, noone pays less or more. Which basically means you shop for the best interest rate rather than the best price. Either way it sucks for people like me and Jeff who don’t have the guts to haggle anyway. We are now the proud owners of TWO new cars, both bought at sticker price. (I’m hanging my head in shame).
Congratulations on the new car and the great price!
Jessica Ks last blog post..Thankful Hearts, Day 2
12 Nov 2008 at 6:06 am
Nichole - Doctor Discount
NATUI - Good tracks - like the Ice T.
CMGD - She does better over the phone, I think Egyptian markets might be a bit much.
SID - 75% of the list price, i.e. a 25% discount.
Angel - We’ll tell you in a few months.
Ariza - Take we be toys as well, see below. I’m pretty sure the iPod adaptor is slightly more advanced than the tape adaptor. But, haven’t seen it yet.
Heza - We’ve pretty effectively thrown gender roles out the window around A Free household.
SSG - I suck at haggling. I often end up paying more than the list price.
Chris - I’m like your guy. Just incapable of saying no or risking offending someone by asking for a discount.
Mickey - It does if someone hires her.
Flutter - Only if you’re a salesman.
Evil One - She’s got the skillz to pay the billz.
April - Us too. We were there all afternoon. I think they try to wear you down. Right as we were leaving they tried to sell us the INVISIBLE SHIELD PROTECTION PACKAGE for $2000. I’m pretty sure they were hoping we were tired enough just to say yes. We did not.
We Be Toys - Yep, playing the two off each other was the key.
Vixen - I know, that will be a major temptation.
Nathan - What do you need to sell?
Xbox - Liar
12 Nov 2008 at 6:51 am
That is great haggling. I have to do all the negotiating in my house and I just hate buying cars. Take the Goddess to the Silk Market in Beijing. Lots of great bargains for a good haggler.
yellojkts last blog post..Carolina Cookie Mission
12 Nov 2008 at 9:12 am
congrats on the car sis
12 Nov 2008 at 11:32 pm
when are we getting guest posts by the infamous Dr O’C? Maybe an introduction to haggling?
Or life back down under- changed since she was a child?
Or being a mum and working?
Or the price of cheese in Africa?
Hmmm? hmm hmm hmm?
SSGs last blog post..Alba, tha gaol agam ort
13 Nov 2008 at 12:57 am
That’s so admirable. I think I lack the necessary DNA for quibbling and negotiating.
Gypsys last blog post..Even wireless lines get crossed
13 Nov 2008 at 2:27 am
Yello - I’m not sure she’d do so well among the Chinese.
Aish - Really, I did the hard work, just trying to make her feel good
SSG - I keep asking her.
Gypsy - Me too!
13 Nov 2008 at 7:29 am
Go goddess! My hubs is a fantastic bargainer as well. Glad you found the gratitude project interesting as well.
Suzer
suzers last blog post..The Job Hunt
13 Nov 2008 at 4:46 pm
Kudos to Dr O’C! I wear the bargaining pants in my family, too, and I can be, well, difficult to move. My hubby is thankful for all the deals we get and is improving.
Thanks for joining in the Gratitude Project! It’s fun and exciting. We’ve had our first kiss!
Dina
Dinas last blog post..First Kiss Exchanged in the Gratitude Project
14 Nov 2008 at 1:33 am
Suzer & Dina - The Gratitude Project is a great idea. I’d encourage everyone to head over and have a look.
14 Nov 2008 at 7:11 am
Hey! I had a urine-colored Datsun 210 for a long time! Ralph bought it used at the end of college*, so we had it well into the whole graduate school penny-pinching days. We drove that thing past the point when the floor of the passenger front seat had rusted through so you could watch the road fly by at your feet. The speedometer, the gas gauge, the AC and the temperature gauge no longer worked (but the radio still bleated tinny tunes!) and at the end, to start the car you had to stick your finger into the carberator to get it started. We squeezed every last mile out of that old rustbucket and then managed to sell the thing for $200 to a couple of teenage brothers…
Anyway, congrats on the new car thing! We’ve only gone the brand new route once and it sure did smell good!
*The guy who sold it to him never cashed the check, so the car ended up being free… there’s a story I should share one of these days…
alices last blog post..Joe for Mayor!
14 Nov 2008 at 2:42 pm
I would like to trade in a car a buy a new-ish, family friendly vehicle… I would love her assistance, as I am a SUCKER.
Joes last blog post..Goodbye, My Friend.
16 Nov 2008 at 1:47 pm
I´ve always had similar feelings about cars. They´re just functional to me. But now I don´t need one, and it feels great.
Always great to have a bargainer in the family. I´m the opposite. How much? Ok.
Bluestreaks last blog post..Warning
16 Nov 2008 at 9:29 pm