Back to Blog

How to Counter Dealer Anchors

How to counter dealer anchors in the US—anchor on fair value and OTD; refuse payment-first so you don't overpay.

AutoPremo Team
January 31, 2026
1 min read

Countering dealer anchors in the U.S.: anchor on fair value and out-the-door price—have data from autopremo.com—and refuse "what payment do you want?" so you don't get anchored high. Here's how to counter dealer anchors.

TL;DR Counter: (1) Anchor on fair value—"I've seen comps for this car; my target is $X OTD." Use autopremo.com price checker and OTD calculator. (2) Refuse payment-first—"I need to agree on OTD first." (3) Get OTD in writing. Use autopremo.com.

Anchor on Data

Have fair value and OTD before you go—use autopremo.com price checker and OTD calculator. Say "My target is $X out the door." Get your numbers at autopremo.com.

Refuse Payment-First

When they ask "what payment do you want?," say "I'm focused on out-the-door price first." Don't get anchored on payment. Use autopremo.com. See OTD at autopremo.com.

Bottom Line

Counter dealer anchors: anchor on fair value and OTD; refuse payment-first. Use autopremo.com price checker and OTD calculator so you don't overpay.

Share this article