SnagMyCar is a consumer-paid new car buying service. For $499 we get written, itemized out the door quotes from every matching dealer in your radius, make them compete over two rounds, and show you the results side by side. You buy directly from the dealer you pick. The answers below cover the questions buyers ask most.
They are grouped by topic: how the process works, factory orders and luxury brands, what it costs, the guarantee, which states we serve and why, how we deal with dealers, and what happens with financing, trade-ins, delivery, add-ons and your personal information. Where an answer uses an outside figure, it links to the source. For the step by step version, read how SnagMyCar works. For the fee breakdown, see pricing. If you are comparing us with other services, start with best car buying services or SnagMyCar vs Delivrd.
A few facts sit behind almost every answer. We are paid only by you, never by dealers or lenders. We never take title to a car or handle the money for it. We serve new cars only, in eight states, for now. And we never call you about a car; dealers deal with us until you choose one.
How SnagMyCar works
How does SnagMyCar work?
You tell us the exact new car you want: make, model, trim, colors, must-haves, how far you will travel, and pickup or delivery. We email every matching in-stock car at franchised dealers in that radius for a written, itemized out the door price. We send the best number back to the others to beat, then give the top two a final call. You get the quotes side by side and pick one. The dealer sends a buyer's order at that number, we check it, and you buy directly from the dealer.
How long does it take to get quotes?
About 3 to 4 days from signup to quotes ready. Round one, where every matching dealer quotes, takes about 36 hours. Round two, where we ask the others to beat the best written number, takes about 24 hours. The final call to the top two takes about 12 hours. After you pick, timing depends on the dealer preparing the buyer's order and on whether you pick the car up or have it delivered.
Do you handle used cars or leases?
Not at launch. SnagMyCar handles new cars only right now. Used cars and leasing may come later, but we have no date to announce. If you need a used car or a lease today, a full-service concierge that covers those may suit you better. Our TrueCar alternatives page lists a few, including services that say they handle used cars and leases.
Can you get a deal on a Tesla, Rivian, Lucid or Polestar?
No. Those brands sell direct to buyers at fixed prices, with no franchised dealers competing for the sale. There is nothing for us to negotiate, so we don't take searches for them, and the same goes for similar direct-sale brands. We work with franchised dealers, where the same car is sold by several stores that can be asked to compete for your purchase.
Factory orders and luxury brands
Can you get quotes on a factory order or custom build?
Yes. Send us your build from the manufacturer's configurator. We ask franchised dealers in your radius to quote that exact build in writing: the selling price against the sticker, any market adjustment, the deposit and its refund terms, and the expected allocation and delivery timing. Dealers compete on those terms the same way they do on in-stock cars. You pick the best written offer, and the fee is the same $499.
What should a written factory order quote include?
Five things: the selling price compared with the sticker, any market adjustment or added dealer markup, the deposit amount, whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions, and the dealer's estimate of allocation and delivery timing. A low price paired with a nonrefundable deposit and no delivery estimate is weaker than it looks. We line those terms up side by side so you compare whole offers, not a single number.
What happens after the factory order is placed?
We stay on the dealer through order confirmation and delivery. That means checking that the confirmed order matches your build, that the written price and deposit terms carry through to the buyer's order, and following up on timing. You still buy and title the car directly from the dealer, and the $400 success fee is charged only after the dealer's buyer's order matches the price you picked.
Do you work with luxury and exotic brands?
Yes, when they are sold through US franchised dealers. That includes Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Aston Martin, Lotus and Maserati. The process is the same: written quotes from competing dealers on the same in-stock car or the same factory build, for the same $499 fee. It does not apply to brands that sell direct at fixed prices, such as Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Polestar.
Can you get a discount on an allocation-limited exotic?
Often not off the sticker, and we won't pretend otherwise. Allocation-limited exotics frequently sell at or above sticker. The realistic win is different: getting a market adjustment removed or reduced, deposit terms that are fair and refundable in writing, and a firm delivery slot instead of a vague promise. Several dealers competing for your order is what moves those terms in your favor.
Cost
How much does SnagMyCar cost?
$499 total. You pay a $99 deposit when you sign up. The remaining $400 is a success fee charged only after the winning dealer's buyer's order matches the price you picked. There is no percentage of the car price and no money from dealers or lenders. You pay the dealer for the car directly; we never handle the purchase money. Details are on our pricing page.
When is the $400 success fee charged?
Only after the dealer you chose sends a buyer's order that matches the out the door price you picked, and we have checked that it matches. If no dealer produces a matching buyer's order, the $400 is not charged. That ties the larger part of our fee to paperwork you can see, rather than to a verbal promise from a salesperson.
How do you make money if dealers don't pay you?
From you, and only you. The $499 fee is how we are paid. We never accept money from dealers or lenders, never take referral fees and never mark up a loan. That matters because many free car buying programs are funded by the dealers they send you to. Our only incentive is to get you a lower written out the door number than you could get on your own.
Is a $499 fee worth it?
It depends on how much lower the winning quote lands than what you could get yourself. On a hypothetical $40,000 car, $499 is about 1.2 percent of the price. If dealers competing in writing push the out the door total down by more than that, you come out ahead. If you already hold an excellent written quote and we can't beat it, the guarantee refunds your $99. Our guide on whether a car broker is worth it works through the math.
The guarantee
What is the SnagMyCar guarantee?
If we don't beat the best written out the door quote you already have, your $99 deposit is refunded and you pay nothing. The benchmark is a written, itemized out the door quote from a dealer for the same car. Because it is a number on paper, there is no debate about what counts as a good deal. Bring the quote with you when you sign up.
What counts as a written out the door quote?
A dealer's written price, by email or on a buyer's order or worksheet, that shows the full amount to buy a specific car: selling price, doc fee, any add-ons, taxes, title and registration. A monthly payment or a discount off MSRP doesn't count, because neither tells you the total. If you don't have one yet, our guide to negotiating an out the door price by email shows how to ask for it.
Legality and states
Which states does SnagMyCar serve?
Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Delaware, Vermont, Wyoming and Idaho. Buyers in other states can join the waitlist. We keep the list short on purpose: many states regulate car buying agents or restrict paid brokering, and we only take searches where our model fits. Each of the eight has a state page, such as Florida and Ohio, covering local details like doc fees.
Are car buying services legal?
It depends on the state. Some states license car brokers or buyer's agents, some fold them into dealer licensing, and some restrict or ban paid brokering. That is why we serve a limited set of states rather than the whole country. Our model is deliberately simple: we are paid only by you, never take title, never handle purchase money and never take dealer or lender money. We don't claim that any regulator has approved us.
Can I buy from a dealer outside my state?
Your search radius is up to you, so the best quote may come from a dealer in a neighboring state we serve. We only contact dealers located in states we currently operate in. Buying out of state changes how tax, title and registration are handled, and those costs belong in the out the door number. Our guide to buying a car out of state explains what to check. If you choose delivery, the estimated cost is added to each quote so you compare totals.
Dealers
Will dealers call me?
No. Dealers deal with us until you choose one. We send the requests, collect the quotes and run the rounds by email. Once you pick a dealer, that dealer needs your details to prepare the buyer's order and complete the sale, so from that point you deal with them directly for paperwork, pickup or delivery.
Which dealers do you contact?
Franchised dealers for the brand you want, inside the radius you choose, that have a matching car in stock or, for a factory order, can order your build. We contact every one we find rather than a preselected partner list, because we have no dealer partners. Dealers don't pay to be included, and none gets a guaranteed slot on your list.
Why would a dealer give a good price to a buying service?
Because it knows it is competing. Each dealer gets a request for a written, itemized out the door price on a car it has in stock, from a buyer who has already chosen the exact car. In round two, it learns there is a lower written number to beat. A dealer that wants the sale has to compete on the total, not on a monthly payment or a trade-in figure.
Financing
Do you arrange financing?
No. We don't arrange or sell loans, and we take no referral fees from lenders. Before you start, get a pre-approval from a credit union or bank, then make the dealer beat that rate. Experian reported an average new-car loan APR of 6.35 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to Auto Remarketing, so a pre-approval tells you quickly whether a dealer offer is any good.
Can I still use dealer financing?
Yes. You buy directly from the dealer, so you can finance however you like, and a manufacturer promotional rate may beat your pre-approval. Compare the out the door total first, then the loan terms. Lenders commonly let dealers add about 2 to 2.5 percentage points over the rate the lender offers, per Auto Finance News, so check the APR against your pre-approval before you sign.
Trade-ins
Do you handle trade-ins?
No. Our quotes cover the new car only. Keeping the trade-in separate makes the car price easier to compare, because a dealer can't hide a high price behind a generous trade figure. Get written offers for your current car on their own, then decide whether to sell it outright or trade it in at the dealer you choose. If you want someone to negotiate the trade-in for you, a full-service concierge does that.
What if I owe more on my car than it is worth?
You are not alone. Edmunds data presented at the Chicago Fed showed 29 percent of trade-ins toward new vehicles had negative equity in the fourth quarter of 2025. Know your payoff amount before you shop. If negative equity rolls into a new loan, make sure it appears as its own line on the buyer's order and is never buried in the car price.
Delivery and pickup
Can the car be delivered to my home?
Yes, if the dealer delivers. When you sign up, tell us whether you want pickup or delivery. Each quote on your list includes an estimated pickup or delivery cost, so you compare the total to your driveway rather than the price at a dealer two hours away. Delivery terms are set by the dealer you choose, so get them written into the deal.
Do I have to visit the dealership?
Only if you choose pickup. Either way, you buy directly from the dealer and sign its paperwork. If you choose delivery, the dealer handles it and the cost estimate is already in your comparison. If you choose pickup, you arrive with the price, the specific car and the buyer's order already settled, so the visit is about signing, not negotiating.
Add-ons and fees
How do you handle dealer add-ons and doc fees?
We ask every dealer for an itemized out the door price, so add-ons and doc fees show up as separate lines and count against that dealer's total. A quote padded with extras loses on the side by side list. Doc fees vary by state: CarEdge reports an average of $973 in Florida and a $398 cap in Ohio in its dealer fee report. State rules change, so check your state's current rule. See our dealer add-ons guide.
If the dealer changes the price
What happens if the dealer changes the price?
The $400 success fee is charged only after the dealer's buyer's order matches the price you picked, and we check it against the written quote. If the buyer's order comes back higher, or with new add-ons, we raise it with the dealer before you sign anything. If the dealer won't honor its written quote, you don't pay the $400, and you still have the rest of your side by side list to choose from.
Privacy
What do you share with dealers?
Before you choose, dealers get the details of the car you want, not your phone number, and they deal with us. After you pick a dealer, that dealer receives the information it needs to write your buyer's order and complete the sale. We don't sell leads to dealers; we take no dealer money at all. Our privacy policy explains what we collect and why.
Will SnagMyCar check my credit?
No. We don't arrange loans, so we never run a credit check or submit a credit application for you. If you get a pre-approval from a credit union or bank, or apply for dealer financing when you buy, that lender may check your credit under its own terms. Nothing about getting quotes through us requires your credit information.
Still deciding
If your question isn't here, the guides go deeper: what an out the door price includes, dealer doc fees by state and the new car buying checklist. When you know the exact car, start your search.