How AI Is Quietly Taking Over Car Deal Negotiations Behind the Scenes

You’re unlikely to find anyone who genuinely enjoys shopping for a car, and there is a reason for that. The truth about the car-buying process is that it is designed to wear the buyer down in the hopes that they will accept an offer that’s advantageous to the dealer but not to them.

But what if artificial intelligence were the solution that helps both buyers and sellers have a better experience buying a car?

Why the traditional car-buying process is broken

Some of the things that people tend to hate most about the traditional car buying process include:

• Visiting multiple dealerships: Buying a car in-person is a time-consuming process. Although doing your research online is a great starting point, you often have to visit multiple dealerships to really get ahead in the negotiation process — sometimes over the course of days or even weeks, regardless of whether you know exactly what you want.

• Sketchy salespeople: The car sales industry isn’t exactly known for its transparency, starting with the sketchy salespeople who are selling you cars. Every salesperson has an agenda. They may push a certain model on you because they have an incentive to sell that particular vehicle, or they may try to tack on extra optional features without telling you they are optional, hoping to earn that extra commission.

• Inconsistent pricing and hidden fees: Car dealerships are notorious for tacking on extra fees to vehicle prices, meaning that you often don’t know how much you’re actually going to pay until you sit down in the finance department. For example, dealerships often mark up add-ons like window tinting or VIN etching to inflate their margins, and buyers don’t know how to talk their way out of these tactics.

• Hours of back-and-forth negotiation: One of the most frustrating things about buying a car is that getting a good deal often requires hours of back-and-forth negotiation. Even if you are well-researched in making your counteroffer, salespeople have to get approval from their managers. You might repeat this process several times and sometimes even have to walk out the door and come back days later to get the deal you want.

How DriversHub uses AI to get buyers better deals

Thankfully, some innovators are disrupting the status quo of car buying using technology. One of these disruptors is DriversHub, an AI-powered marketplace platform that makes the car-buying process easier for both buyers and dealers by matching dealers with inventory to buyers ready to get a great deal on their next vehicle.

Part of what makes DriversHub stand out is its “inverted marketplace” structure. Rather than choosing several vehicles and calling on each, drivers pick one vehicle, and dealer offers are presented to them for matching vehicles with competitive pricing.

“The process is designed to make sure buyers walk away with their dream car, confident they got a great deal without all the hassle and time waste,” says Nick Mintzias, CEO and founder of DriversHub.

After users filter their vehicle preferences in the DriversHub interface, the AI scans the platform’s inventory for matches. Once they choose a vehicle, the negotiation process begins, with users often receiving competing offers from multiple dealers. This freedom of choice helps ensure you get the best deal on the right vehicle for you.

“It’s about more than budget; it’s also about saving countless hours haggling with salespeople,” Mintzias explains.

DriversHub helps customers get better deals on their vehicles by recognizing that local markets don’t always yield the best results, which is why it negotiates vehicle prices across multiple markets. Another way the company helps is by finding discounts that customers can leverage to get the best price.

“Many vehicles come with manufacturer incentives or rebates, discount programs (such as military/veteran, student, or senior discounts), and tax credits (especially for electric vehicles) that can bring the price of a new car down by hundreds or even thousands of dollars,” says Mintzias. “But in the real world, many buyers don’t know to ask for these discounts, which effectively leaves money on the table.”

However, it is important to note that DriversHub’s platform was built on one key guiding principle: the user stays in control. Although DriversHub’s AI does all the legwork of negotiation on your behalf, it doesn’t make any decisions. You are presented with all available offers and get to choose which one (if any) is best for you, and you can even make counter-offers. You only accept a deal when you are happy with both the car and the price you are getting. Indeed, AI is ushering in a new era of car buying that is more convenient for buyers and dealers alike, allowing both parties to walk away from the deal feeling satisfied. Whether you are looking to buy your dream car or are a dealer looking to get matched with eager buyers, find out more about what DriversHub can do for you.