I have gotten half way decent trade in values on my vehicles. I have just detail cleaned them myself. I find it easier and more convienant for me to trade the damned thing than sell it myself. It all depends on the make/model/condition of the vehicle, etc...
With a dealer, you have to let them know you are serious and that YOU are the boss. DO NOT put up with their bullshit! Dont sign anything until you have read it in full and are completly satisfied, and have a sales contract. If they make you any promises, get them in writing. If they start haselling you, just walk! Their are a gazillion other dealers hungry for your business!
Do your reasearch or you WILL get RAPED. I cannot stress this enough...
Recently traded in a truck that I had advertised in the paper, and the auto trader for a MONTH! I could not get rid of this thing. It was in exellent condition with 30,000 miles. But it was a bare bones truck... power nothing... NOBODY wanted it...
Took it to the stealership... Looked at new cars, then talked trade...
Car stickered at $17K from my research... market value seemed to be $14K
I was willing to accept 14K cash for my truck... dealer said trade in value was 10K sight unseen...
Told the dealer I wanted an even trade... He said "sign this peice of paper that you will buy if I meet your price" I told the dealer I would not sign anything until I had a sales contract! Dealer starts going off on how he would "lose his job" I said "tough shit"
Some flunky comes back and offers me 50 bucks off the price... Told him that he had just insulted me...and I walked out.... "HOLD IT, I CAN MAKE YOU A DEAL!!!!" I said..."you have 10 minutes"
Comes back and says "well, we took another look at your truck and it is really clean, you took good care of it.... we can make your deal"
Well... I drove out of the stealership two hours later with a new car, traded evenly. No rust proofing, blah blah blah... just an F150 XL traded evenly for a new Ford Focus...
Which I thought was fair... I am sure the dealer made money... and he has every right to...
But he does not have the right to assrape me!
An even trade was quite a contrast to my trade +$4K!