Has anyone ever used AAA car buying services?

I just noticed that my AAA service includes a so called "car buying service."

AAA Northern New England’s Car Buying Service is a new way to shop for a new or used car. AAA has developed a network of dealers throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont who have prearranged special member pricing on new and used vehicles. Whether you plan to buy or lease, all it takes is one toll-free call and you’ll be directed to the nearest participating dealer ready to offer you AAA member pricing. The service is free; it’s another advantage of your AAA membership. Just call 1-877-AAA-4CAR (222-4227) or you can access information on our website. Be sure to have your AAA membership card handy. You will be asked for the make, model, and year of the vehicle you want, and you will be directed to call a participating dealer in your area to schedule an appointment.

I'm looking for an XJ, and it seems like all the decent ones are at dealers listing on Craigslist. I've never bought from a dealer. Just wondering if anyone has tried this and what their thoughts are vs just calling up dealers.

My problem with it after reading you description is that they seem to send you to a single dealer. This means you still have to do the leg work and shop pricing against other's. IT would be better if they would take your information and send it to the dealers in there network and let them come back with there price with a basic description of what they have. Bidding in reverse if you will. Instead of the purchaser bidding you have the sellers bidding for your business.

I don't know about AAA but other buying services the dealers still try to screw you with extra fees and the like.

Just be careful.

Don't.

They have a predetermined price that is some dollar amount above their cost, so there's no negotiation. If you walk in the door without mentioning AAA, you can easily negotiate a better deal on your own.

Makes sense. Thanks gents.

It's the same deal with "credit union sales" and any other special deal that whatever organization that you belong to advertises. They end up being a comfortable, no hassle transaction for the dealer.

In reply to Woody:

Yep.

I couldn't get a better deal than AAA on my GTI(this was 2005), so I had them make the deal. It also helped that they shipped the car about 200 miles for me as well for free. The transaction couldn't be easier and it was a better price than I got on my own.

I suppose that if you're looking for a car that's in high demand and if it happens to be eligible for the program (not all cars are) you might be able to beat the system.

I used to work at a Honda dealership and the salesmen used to do backflips when someone walked in with AAA paperwork in hand. They were referred to as "Laydowns".