SnagMyCar is a new-car buying service paid only by the buyer. You tell us the exact car you want, we email every matching franchised dealer in your radius for a written, itemized out the door price, ask them to beat the best one, and show you the results side by side. You pick the dealer and buy directly from them.
What we do
We run a written bidding process on your behalf. Dealers compete by email, not on a showroom floor, and every quote is an itemized out the door number: selling price, add-ons, doc fee, taxes and government fees. We add an estimated pickup or delivery cost so you can compare the total to your driveway.
The process takes about three to four days from signup to finished quotes. Round one gathers first offers. In round two, we send the best written number back to the other dealers and ask them to beat it. Then we give the top two a final call. When you choose, the winning dealer sends a buyer's order at that exact number and we check that it matches. The full sequence is on how it works.
Why we built it
Getting a good price on a new car has always come down to one thing: several dealers competing for the same sale, in writing. Most people do not have the time to email a dozen stores, chase the replies and compare fee lines. Most popular buying programs do not do it either. Many quote a price relative to sticker from a single matched dealer, and the dealer pays to be part of the program. Jalopnik describes how that works for programs like Costco's in its comparison of car buying options.
A nonprofit service that had dealers bid against each other, CarBargains from Consumers' Checkbook, stopped operating in September 2023, according to Checkbook. We think the model was right. We built SnagMyCar to run it again, with written, itemized out the door quotes as the standard.
How we are paid, and who does not pay us
The fee is $499 in total. You pay a $99 deposit when you sign up, and the $400 balance only after the winning dealer's buyer's order matches the price you picked. If we cannot beat the best written out the door quote you already have, we refund the $99 and you pay nothing. The details are on pricing.
We do not take money from dealers or lenders. No referral fees, no per-sale commissions, no paid placement. That is the point: the only person paying us is the person buying the car. We also never take title to a car and never handle the purchase money. You sign with the dealer and title the car in your name.
We do not arrange or sell loans. We suggest getting a pre-approval from a credit union or bank before you shop, then asking the dealer to beat that rate. That advice is free and we earn nothing from it.
What we cover right now
We handle new cars at launch. Used cars and leasing may come later, but we are not promising a date.
Some brands sell direct at fixed prices, including Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Polestar. There are no competing dealers to bid on those cars, so our service does not apply to them.
We operate state by state
Many states regulate or restrict car buying agents and brokers, and the rules differ widely. Rather than launch everywhere and sort it out later, we serve buyers in states where we are ready to operate. Today that is Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Delaware, Vermont, Wyoming and Idaho. If you live elsewhere, you can join the waitlist through the signup form.
What we will not do
- We will not give dealers your phone number. Dealers deal with us until you choose one.
- We will not publish reviews, customer counts or savings averages we cannot back up. We just launched, and we would rather show you the mechanism and the guarantee.
- We will not tell you a quote is good when it is not. If the best number we find is not better than yours, you get your deposit back.
If you would rather negotiate yourself, our guides are free to use. Start with how to negotiate an out the door price by email, the new car buying checklist and our guide on whether a car broker is worth it.
How to reach us
The fastest way to get started is the signup form: start your search. For questions, email hello@snagmycar.com. We work by email and do not have a phone line, which keeps every answer in writing, the same way we handle dealers.
Questions
Who pays SnagMyCar?
Only the buyer. The fee is $499: a $99 deposit at signup and a $400 success fee charged only after the dealer's buyer's order matches the price you picked. We do not accept money from dealers or lenders, and we do not take referral fees. If we cannot beat the best written out the door quote you already have, the $99 is refunded.
Does SnagMyCar sell the car to me?
No. We never take title to a car and never handle the purchase money. You buy directly from the dealer you choose, sign their paperwork and title the car in your own name. Our role is to collect and compare written, itemized out the door quotes, run the bidding rounds and check that the final buyer's order matches.
Which states does SnagMyCar serve?
We currently serve buyers in Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Delaware, Vermont, Wyoming and Idaho. Many states regulate or restrict car buying agents, so we add states one at a time. If you live somewhere else, you can join the waitlist through the signup form.
Can I call SnagMyCar?
We do not have a phone line. We work by email so every answer is in writing, the same way we handle dealers. Email hello@snagmycar.com with questions, or use the signup form at /start to begin a search. Dealers also do not get your phone number; they deal with us until you choose one.
Does SnagMyCar handle used cars or leases?
Not yet. We handle new cars only at launch. Used cars and leasing may be added later, but we have not set a date. We also cannot help with brands that sell direct at fixed prices, such as Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Polestar, because there are no competing dealers to bid.