Not The Dealer But The Manufacturer
Many people mistakenly believe that dealer rebates come from the new car dealership they actually come from the car manufacturer. A rebate is actually free money from the manufacturer to motivate you to buy a particular make or model of a new vehicle.
In fact, new-car rebates aren’t discounts at all, and in many states, rebates are considered part of your down payment. Also, many dealerships use language like “well, that car is only $15,000 after a $3000 rebate.” This makes it appear that the dealership is giving you a $3000 discount when they are not. If you don’t have a lot of cash available for a down payment, you can often use the rebate as your down payment.
How Car Rebates Work
Rebates are offered by the manufacturer to consumers in order to get them to purchase a particular type of vehicle. Regardless of what the dealership may tell you, dealer rebates have nothing to do with the negotiated selling price of a new vehicle. The rebate is simply applied as a down payment in most cases.
However, if you have a sufficient down payment or trade-in, you can actually request that the rebate be sent to you by check from the manufacturer. Most people simply choose to use the cash rebate as part of the down payment to help reduce the amount of the car loan that is taken out.
In a few states, the rebate may be subtracted from the selling price of the vehicle before taxes are added in. In this case, the rebate has the added benefit of reducing the amount of sales tax you may be required to pay on a vehicle. Therefore, you should always be aware of the laws regarding rebates in your state before you start shopping for a new car.
How To Find Rebates
When you’ve decided on the make and model you’d like to purchase, there are a few ways you can find the best rebates on your purchase.
You may get lucky and see a TV ad with an excellent cash rebate.
You can also read through your local newspaper and see what rebates local dealers are advertising. Sometimes these rebates will be on previous year’s models to keep cars moving off the lot.
The internet is another powerful tool in the search for the best rebates. You can take your time and sift through all current rebates using a search engine or going directly to a manufacturer’s website. You’ll also be able to read the fine print and know whether or not you qualify before buying.
Speaking of the internet, you can buy any of Shift’s used cars from the comfort of your home on their easy-to-use website. Not only that, Shift delivers your vehicle directly to you for a streamlined buying experience.
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Car Rebates: Understanding Car Dealer Rebates And Incentives
The CarsDirect editorial team is dedicated to providing our readers with the latest on new and used cars, expert opinions on which vehicles make the grade, and all the fun stuff in between.
When shopping for a new car or truck, car dealer rebates can save you a lot of money. Car dealer or manufacturer rebates and incentives are provided by the manufacturer in order to stimulate sales of a particular make and model new car or truck. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about what car rebates actually are and how they are used.
Auto Rebates Vs Incentives
Heres a rundown of common questions and answers about auto discounts and deals. Knowing whats what might help you know if a salesperson is pulling your leg by telling you that you can only get that deal from them.
What is an auto rebate? In the auto world, a rebate is new car discount for customers who meet qualifications set by the car manufacturer. Its a type of incentive, but its not dealership specific. You dont have to go to a certain dealer to get the rebate because a rebate can only come from the manufacturer. So if you qualify for a rebate at one Ford dealership, you can go across town in the same day and get the same rebate on the same car at another Ford dealership.
What is an auto incentive? An auto incentive is anything any seller does to incentivise consumers to buy. This can include rebates, low-APR financing, free oil changes, lifetime powertrain warranties, 90 days delayed payment and more. If its an incentive offered by a dealership, that means you probably cant go across town to a different dealership and get the same incentive. If youre unsure whether something is a rebate or an incentive, check the manufacturers website or call another dealership of the same car brand.
Are there rebates on used cars? There are never rebates on used cars. The manufacturers dont own used cars. If a dealership buys a used car and tries to sell it, the dealer may discount the cars price, but this is not counted as a rebate.
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Engine Disablement And Scrappage Criteria
To ensure that vehicles traded-in under “cash for clunkers” will not be resold by dealers, the program outlines a procedure for destructively disabling the engine : the motor oil is drained and replaced with a sodium silicate solution, then the engine is started and run until the solution, becoming glass-like when heated, causes engine internal bearings to abrade and ultimately seize. In addition, the salvage or scrap facility which acquires the vehicle cannot sell the engine, cylinder heads or a “rolling chassis” from the scrap vehicle. The salvage or scrap facility can sell any other component from the scrap vehicle separately and may dismantle and warehouse the parts. The “hull” of the vehicle must be crushed within 180 days. Cut off or unbolted front-end assemblies may be saved and sold at a later date, as well as the “top and back” of pickup cabs.
The outlined procedure says that running the engine at 2,000 RPM “should disable the engine within a few minutes” if not, then allow the engine to cool off before repeating the procedure. Hazards associated with the intentional overheating and destruction of the engine include rupturing radiator and hot water/steam, motor oil ejection, toxic fumes, and fire.
Clean Vehicle Rebate Program
Get up to $7,000 to purchase or lease a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle , battery electric vehicle , or a fuel cell electric vehicle . CVRP offers vehicle rebates on a first-come, first-served basis and helps get the cleanest vehicles on the road in California by providing consumer rebates to reduce the initial cost of advanced technologies. Rebates are available to California residents that meet income requirements and purchase or lease an eligible vehicle.
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Conquest And Loyalty Rebates
Who may qualify. A loyalty rebate is a reward for customers choosing to buy from the same car brand again. A conquest rebate is an enticement for customers to switch car brands. To qualify, you or someone in your household should currently own either the same brand or a competitive brand of vehicle that is usually 10-model-years old or younger.
But not all manufacturers offer this type of rebate, and some might specify that you have to own not just a competing brand, but a competing vehicle model for example, a Chevy Silverado or a Nissan Titan if youre looking at a Ford F-150.
What to bring. Bring the car registration for the qualifying vehicle. If the car is registered to a household member, you may have to prove that you live at the same address. As for proof of address, the easiest thing might be to show your drivers license or an utility bill.
How much are they worth? Both rebates are usually worth $500 and act as a discount on the vehicles price. You generally cannot use both a loyalty and a conquest rebate to buy the same vehicle, but you can usually combine either a loyalty or a conquest rebate with other offers.
When to get it. Car brands are most competitive during the busiest months for auto sales, in the summer. June and July is when youre most likely to find the best deals for the conquest and loyalty rebates.
Is An Auto Rebate A Good Idea
Auto loan rebates are worth looking into if theyre available. The main benefit is that rebates will be applied to your down payment, your closing costs or your total loan amount. All of these options will lower the total cost of your loan. In some cases, your total cost to own could be lowered by several thousand dollars.
However, you shouldnt purchase a vehicle simply because a rebate is offered. In most cases, the selection of vehicles available for a rebate will be limited, and most rebates are restricted to brand-new vehicles. The draw of a rebate could tempt you to overspend on a new car thats outside of your needs or budget.
If youve spotted a rebate, do your due diligence. Look for rebates on car models that you were already considering and understand how that rebate will be applied. You can use a car financing calculator to compare how much youll save over time with different financing options.
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What Is A Rebate On A Car And How Do Rebates Work
A vehicle rebate is an incentive offered by a manufacturer that can be used to reduce the amount of money one pays for a specified model or set of models in its lineup. Often available for only a limited time, these incentives are available through most of the manufacturers dealerships to encourage in-market shoppers to make a purchase sooner than they might have originally planned.
For those of you who are actively looking for a new car, rebates can be quite valuable, so you should certainly take that into consideration if a model youre interested in has an active rebate offer.
Prerequisites To Using Your Rebates
To use your rebate, you must meet the following prerequisites:
- Clear all outstanding payments or matters on the vehicle with LTA
- Clear any outstanding loans for your vehicle with your finance company
- Dispose of the deregistered vehicle by one of the following methods:
- Exporting the vehicle and submitting export documents approved by LTA
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Tracking Vins To Avoid Fraud
After Hurricane Katrina, vehicles that were declared total losses in one state were transferred to other states and resold to unsuspecting consumers with clean titles, a process known as title washing. The federal government used a few strategies to avoid a similar situation occurring with vehicles from the CARS program, where âclunkersâ would be illegally retitled and resold to consumers.
One involved the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System , a federal program originally set up in 1992 to help deter vehicle theft. The CARS program required recyclers to report the Vehicle Identification Numbers and the status of âclunkerâ to the NMVTIS. The searchable database would then provide that information to consumers, for a fee.
The federal government also partnered with providers of VIN-based vehicle history reports, such as CARFAX. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration submitted the VINs from the 700,000+ âclunkersâ to CARFAX and other vehicle history providers. NHTSA and CARFAX also used the information to create a free âclunker check service,â which allowed a user to submit a VIN and determine immediately if it had been reported as a salvage vehicle.
Provincial And Municipal Incentives For A Level 2 Home Charger In Canada
We also suggest that you get familiar with the incentives available for the purchase and installation of a level 2 home charging station. These chargers allow you to charge your fully electric car up to 5 times faster, and your PHEV up to 3 times faster. Find out now how much you could save with the incentives for EV charging at home.
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How Do New Car Rebates Work
Customer cash rebates from manufacturers are provided directly to the car buyer to reduce the price of a new vehicle at the point of sale. Commonly a customer will elect to use the cash rebate as a down payment towards the purchase price of the new car.
1.9% OR $2,500 Customer Rebate on a New Charger!
Some new vehicles have both a low-interest finance incentive and a cash rebate offer. Most of the time, unless otherwise specified, you have to pick one of the two. Before you pick, do a little research to find out which offer will save you the most money.
2.9% AND $750 Customer Rebate on a New Sentra!
There may be new car programs available from the manufacturer that offer a combination of low-interest financing, and a customer rebate that can be used in conjunction. These types of programs are far and few between, but you can find them out there sometimes.
Factory to customer programs will vary by manufacturer. You MUST always read the fine print on any special offers from a vehicle manufacturer or car dealer. Low-interest financing offers advertising a low annual percentage rate , and low payments are normally based on top credit tier customers with approved credit combined with large down payments or very short finance terms.
2.9%* Available on a New Ford F150*W.A.C. 24 month term
Lease a new Lexus for $329/MO****$3,744 due at signing + first payment + $600 acquisition fee + fee + fee + fee
Charities And Scrap Value
Charitable organizations bemoaned the program, noting the lack of repairable cars for charity purposes, and a source of revenue to fund programs. A collection of charities, under the umbrella of Pete Palmer‘s Vehicle Donation Processing Center, reported a 7.5% decline in car donations in the month the Car Allowance Rebate System debuted.
Part of the Car Allowance Rebate System bill made buyers eligible for the scrap value of the car along with the rebate, with the dealers taking in $50 of the value and to share the rest of the value to the buyer. While some dealers and Car Dealer Associations have argued that buyers were not entitled to the scrap value of the car, advocacy groups and states’ Attorneys General argued that the law made it clear that buyers were entitled to the scrap value of the car. Some dealers have claimed that they did pass on the scrap value of the car to buyers.
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The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
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Legal notes
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or Shift Technologies, Inc. Shift does not endorse or evaluate the accuracy of any claims made or data provided by third party sources referenced herein.âThis article is for informational and educational purposes only and may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our effort to advance auto education. We believe this constitutes “fair use” of any such copyrighted materials as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. The material in this is distributed without profit and only to those who have demonstrated an interest in receiving the included information for research or educational purposes.
All prices are based on vehicle availability and pricing as of
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Allow Us To Explain Car Rebates: What They Are And How They Work
When you’re shopping for a vehicle, you want to get the best deal. Buying a car, truck, or SUV is a significant investment that usually runs into tens of thousands of dollars. Finding incentives to lower the price and decrease your monthly payments can benefit you financially in the long haul.
You’ve probably seen car ads on TV with time-sensitive promotions that offer cash-back or bonus cash. These manufacturer rebates usually knock off a healthy portion of the purchase price â hundreds or even thousands of dollars â and may seem like a good idea.
While rebates are an excellent way to save money on a new car, buying a used car can conserve even more of your hard-earned dollars. Whether you’re after a car, truck, or SUV, Shift has a wide selection of vehicles on its easy-to-use website, all thoroughly inspected and with free vehicle history reports. When you choose Shift, it’s a good deal all around.
So, how do car manufacturer rebates work? What about dealer rebates? Here’s some more information on the subject so you can make the best decision when buying a car.
Are The Tax Rebates For Electric And Hybrid Cars Worth It
Home \ Auto \ Are The Tax Rebates For Electric and Hybrid Cars Worth it?
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Note: Program is currently not offered in Quebec.
Over the last few years, many drivers have started to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing more environmentally friendly vehicles, namely electric and hybrid cars. After all, not only does it reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions in the air, there are a number of financial benefits involved, such as federal and provincial tax rebates.
The only problem is that a lot of zero-emission vehicles can be pricey compared to ordinary gas guzzlers, which might have you wondering whether those tax rebates are actually worth the extra money you would be investing. Keep reading to find out.
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