Those who don't haggle pay a steep price

When shopping for cars, women don't haggle -- and it's costing them a bundle.

According to a new book, "Women Don't Ask," female car shoppers will pay as much as $1,353 to avoid negotiating the price of a car. And while that's an awful lot of money to part with, it's easy to understand the dread of going toe-to-toe with a car dealer.

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"You're negotiating with a seasoned professional whose been trained to get every dime out of you," says Jack Gillis, author of "The Car Book."

That's not exactly a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. And plenty of male car shoppers feel the same way. They dread negotiating enough to want to bypass it altogether.

"Anyone who doesn't like the negotiating process will do whatever it takes to get out of there quickly," Gillis says. "There are plenty of men who go in and who make really bad purchasing decisions and don't negotiate well."

Still, there's got to be a way to land a good deal on a car and avoid an agonizing price negotiation.

And there is: Let car dealers haggle with each other over your business.

"Pit two or three dealers against each other," Gillis says. "That's your best weapon."

E-mail, fax or phone several car dealers in your area. First, tell them exactly what kind of vehicle you're looking for. Next, make it clear that you're contacting several dealers and that you'll buy from the dealer that offers you the best deal.

Then wait for the offers to roll in.

"You're going to get all your good responses in the first 24 or 36 hours," says W. James Bragg, author of "The Car Buyer's and Leaser's Negotiating Bible."

Be sure to direct your offer to a sales manager or fleet manager. You want somebody with the authority to negotiate a deal to read your request.

It's best to make contact on a weekday near the end of the month when car dealers, looking to meet monthly sales quotas, are more likely to cut you a deal on price.

How many dealers you contact is up to you. But you can expect about half to get back to you with offers. Contact 10 dealers and you're likely to hear from five. Contact 15 dealers and you're likely to hear from seven or eight.

"Start with local dealers, and if you don't like the price you can expand," says Jeff Ostroff, a consumer advocate who runs carbuyingtips.com.

Dealers that are really interested in your business are going to respond to your request in a hurry. You could have a couple of offers to compare within the hour.

Don't be surprised at the range of offers you receive. It's not unusual to find a $1,000 difference between the lowest and highest offers you receive from dealers. And you could save a lot more.

Drive dealers to desperation
How long you extend the negotiation process is up to you. If you want, you can e-mail the lowest dealer offer to other dealers to see if they're willing to beat it to get your business.