Frequently Asked Questions

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What is BuySide Auto?

BuySide Auto is a hassle-free car buying service where we act as an auto broker for your new car purchase or lease. We are a licensed California Auto Broker. Similar to when buying or selling a house, a broker will help you through all aspects of the transaction. We work with dealers on your behalf so you can avoid many hours typically spent negotiating or sitting in the Finance office at the dealership.

Why should I use BuySide Auto rather than negotiate on my own?

People should use BuySide Auto because our brokers have a pulse on the market and are privy to proprietary manufacturer information on various finance, lease, and purchase programs only made available to dealerships. It comes down to how much time you are willing to spend to find the right car and negotiate a deal. Even if you contact multiple dealers and play them off one another, you still may not have received the best overall deal. Furthermore, you may end up with a second-choice color or options that you didn't really want.

How do I set up a Test Drive?

We recommend that you test drive a few models before you make a decision and start the buying process. We work with every brand and dealer.

Remember you are under no obligation to buy a car from the dealer where you test drive — we can usually get you a better deal by negotiating across multiple dealers.

What is the process and how do I work with BuySide Auto?
  1. After you have a specific car(s) in mind, utilize BuySide Auto's powerful search technology to find it in the color and with the options you prefer. If you are not sure what you want and need to compare numbers, just select specific cars and review the terms that are clearly displayed for cash, lease and finance. All numbers include taxes, fees and registration.
  2. Once you have decided, select the car, deal structure and "Find Me This Car". Don't worry, you are not committed you have completed a credit application and we have sent back a final deal sheet.
  3. If the exact car you select is not available, then we will find a "twin" or close match to what you selected. No surprises.
  4. We send you an updated deal sheet with the price, lease, and/or finance terms and will secure the car with your approval.
  5. The car is brought to our offices prepared with a full tank of gas and all the paperwork ready to be signed.
  6. We schedule a convenient time for your car to be picked-up at the BuySide Auto office in San Francisco. If you live in San Francisco, we offer complimentary home delivery. If you want home or office delivery and location is within 40 miles of our office, we charge $150. If BuySide Auto is purchasing your trade-in, then our delivery fee is only $50.
  7. Your new car will be ready and you sign paperwork in 15 minutes or less. Also, if you are interested, your BuySide Auto Delivery Specialist will set-up your Bluetooth phone and show you the key features.
  8. You are on your way!
How do you get cars at better deals than a savvy buyer?

There is more to a car deal than price. An industry practice when financing or leasing is to mark up the borrowing (APR) or the lease rate (money factor). BuySide Auto will always get clients the "buy rate," which is the lowest possible rate offered by the manufacturer for a given credit tier. The prices we obtain for our customers are always at the low end of the price spectrum.

Why? Because dealers that engage with BuySide Auto are dealers that "get it" and elect to focus on incremental units sold rather than always achieving a target gross profit per vehicle.

Do I pick-up my new car at a dealership?

No. We have 3 different ways for you to get your new car.

  1. You pick up at our office conveniently located in San Francisco. We offer free home delivery in San Francisco.
  2. We deliver it to your home or office (located within 50 miles of San Francisco). We charge $150 and if you have a trade-in, then $50.
  3. Dealership delivers car directly to your home. Most often, this is only for our clients' located in Southern California.

Am I buying the car from BuySide Auto or the dealer?

We facilitate the purchase transaction between you and the dealer. Every new car comes directly from a dealership. The cars are sold as new and carry the manufacturer's warranty, and qualify for any and all rebates and incentives offered by the manufacturer on new cars. The contracts you sign are prepared by the respective dealership that we work with for your car purchase.

What if I just moved to the USA and have not established credit?

If paying cash, then it will be extremely easy to help. You must have a driver's license and insurance issued by carrier in the USA. The insurance can be arranged after the exact car is identified. If you want to lease or finance, then we can help with BMW, VW, Audi, Porsche and Honda. These brands have formal programs for Foreign Business Professionals (FBP). There are quite a few requirements that you can discuss with your client manage. Also, the BuySide Auto fee on FBP deals is $795 (lease/finance) due to extra time involved in handling the transaction.

Are you able to match advertised lease specials?

Yes. We can always work with our dealer partners to beat advertised lease specials for a given make/model. The advertised lease special is often confusing to buyers. We can walk you through the numbers and help you make a good decision on finding the properly equipped car for your needs, along with a lease program most advantageous to you. For many people, leasing makes great sense.

What if I have a car to trade in?

Our team can help you get you a great price for your trade-in. Complete our short survey using your smartphone or computer and we'll get multiple bids on your existing car. By creating a market for your vehicle, BuySide Auto will typically get you a much better price than you would get from the dealer where you are buying a new car. At the time of your new car delivery, we will do a quick walk-around inspection of your car (confirm mileage, no major damage or mechanical issues) and pay you for the trade-in. BuySide Auto also handles all of the DMV paperwork so you don't have to worry about anything. It's that simple — we do the heavy lifting and you get paid.

Can you help me buy a used or "pre-owned" car?

Sorry. Our service is for new car (and truck) purchases because we are extremely confident of the product quality. We can negotiate and secure cars across hundreds of dealers knowing that you are getting a brand new vehicle regardless of source. With used cars and trucks, mileage and condition is a much bigger factor, so it is much harder to broker a transaction without the customer test driving that specific vehicle.

Do you receive any compensation from dealers in the process of brokering my car deal?

As is common industry-wide, we typically receive a fee from dealers. However, BuySide Auto will never charge the dealer more than 1.4% of the purchase price — much less than other brokers and car buying services. The logic behind this practice is as follows: Our brokers do most of the actual work compared with what the dealer does. Most dealers want to work with BuySide Auto because we bring them in-market buyers who have paid to have a professional auto broker drive the process. We collect credit information, verify client identity, run numbers to ensure the contracts are done correctly, and, finally, we walk customers through signing paperwork and car delivery. Dealers understand that the effort involved is substantial and will pay us to help them sell incremental cars so they can increase volume and earn additional manufacturer bonuses.

How much money will I save using BuySide Auto?

The actual dollar amount will vary based on supply and demand for the specific make/model you desire. An easy way to save money is to find and buy a car that is equipped with the features and options you really want. There are situations where we can save thousands of dollars because we will work with dealers who focus more on volume and less on gross profit per vehicle. That said, if, for example, you are buying a car in extremely short supply, you may save only a few hundred dollars, but the benefit beyond the monetary savings will be satisfaction gained by getting the car in the color you like and with the features you prefer.

Can I custom order a car using BuySide Auto?

If you can't find the exact car you a looking for, we can work with one of our dealer partners to custom order a vehicle for you. You'll get all the convenience of our hassle free broker service. We can still negotiate a great price for custom orders and we'll always make sure you receive all available incentives and finance/lease programs. Once the car is received from the manufacturer, we'll schedule delivery to your home or office.

What is the BuySide Auto Service fee?

Our $395 service covers all aspects of using BuySide Auto. It specifically includes price negotiation, contract processing, and delivery For customers outside of the major metros, we will work with our dealer partners either to have them deliver the car or arrange for you to pick it up from their dealership.

We offer a 100% money back guarantee for the deposit, if for any reason you end up deciding not to acquire your new vehicle through BuySide Auto. No questions asked!

In rare cases, we may ship a vehicle across the state in order to take advantage of large regional price differences or in order to provide you with a rare car that is only available hundreds of miles away. In these cases, we may charge an additional transport fee that typically ranges between $250-$400. This will be fully disclosed to you prior to any commitment on your part.

Do you help car buyers throughout the U.S.?

BuySide Auto is only available to car shoppers in the state of California.

What forms of payment do you accept?

For payment of the $395 BuySide Auto Service and Delivery fee we accept Personal Checks, Visa, Mastercard and AMEX.

For the amount due to the dealership for your new car purchase, BuySide Auto will accept either a personal check or in some cases, a credit card payment. The amount due at delivery is based on how you decided to purchase the car (cash, finance or lease). Payment is typically in the form of a personal check, though most dealers will take credit cards for an amount between $2,000 to $5,000.

If you would prefer to pay your down payment or drive-off by credit card, please let your client manager know so he/she can check the dealer's credit card payment limit as well as which credit cards are accepted.

How long does it take to get a new car using BuySide Auto?

Once you order a car online, we can get the car to you in as short as 48 hours, depending on the availability and location of your desired car.

How much money does BuySide Auto make on my trade-in?

Our process is designed to be efficient and help you sell your car with minimal effort — no inspection, no DMV paperwork, no phone calls at all hours of the day, and no dealing with potentially flaky or dangerous buyers.

Of course, there is a cost associated with offering this service. BuySide Auto incurs substantial risk that a vehicle is not in the condition described, especially since we don't require a 2-3 hour inspection of your vehicle. To cover that risk and the effort we put into getting the best possible offer for your car, we target a profit for each trade-in of $300 to $500.

For trade-ins, our service includes:
  • Competitive Bidding — Secure bids from a network of wholesale partners
  • DMV Paperwork — Complete and submit all required DMV paperwork (Title Transfer/Release of Ownership, Odometer Certification, Notice of Transfer & Release of Liability)
  • Pickup of vehicle — pickup service at your home, office or location of your choice

If I find a better lease deal, will BuySide Auto match the price?

It is important to look at all terms associated with a lease to determine if one deal is better than another. BuySide Auto lease specials feature no-markup money factors and an aggressively negotiated, up-front, vehicle sale price. Our BuySide Auto team is happy to review any lease deal our customers have been offered. Your Client Manager will compare terms, evaluate options, and determine if BuySide Auto can provide a more appealing overall deal, including your trade-in value, if relevant. BuySide Auto can also customize lease terms, including term length, drive off amounts, and mileage allowance, to meet your needs.

Can I still do a trade-in if I take advantage of a lease from BuySide Auto?

Certainly. BuySide Auto is happy to help you sell your vehicle whether you buy or lease, or even if you are not acquiring a new car. Just fill out our trade-in form and a BuySide Auto representative will be in touch with you.

What if I want to get out of lease early?
you sign a lease you are contractually obligated to the terms of the lease and the resulting payments. If you need to return the car prior to lease-end, you are responsible for the difference between the current buyout (lender would provide) and what you can sell it for private party or what we can get for it through the BuySide Auto trade process. Early into a lease, you can expect it to cost thousands. As you get towards the end of your lease, the amount you are responsible for becomes less. The "negative" is never more than remaining payments and lease disposition fee. Of course, you responsible for any physical damage to car as well.
What if the specific car I'm interested in is not a BuySide Auto Lease Special?

BuySide Auto can offer very attractive lease deals on most cars, so don't hesitate to request a custom lease on the specific vehicle you are interested in.

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