Amid rising car prices, Tomi Mikula, 33, of North Carolina, has leveraged his 10 years of experience in car dealerships into a lucrative car price negotiation service. For a 1,000 USD fee per successful negotiation, Mikula employs his insider knowledge and industry language to effectively challenge experienced salespeople, securing optimal prices.

Operating from his Charlotte office, Mikula avoids starting his workday at car showrooms. He contends that customers spending hours at dealerships make a mistake. "Buyers who linger in showrooms often succumb to the sunk cost fallacy," Mikula explains. "They feel they have invested too much time and effort to leave without a purchase."

Tomi Mikula, 33, in North Carolina, currently works as a car price negotiator. Photo: Angela Owens/WSJ

Mikula never inspects vehicles in person, conducting all negotiations over the phone. This method allows him to maintain focus on the numbers, free from the distractions of opulent showrooms. When a salesperson pressures him to visit, Mikula consistently responds, "I've already test-driven it and am ready to buy today. We just need to finalize the price."

A core strategy for Mikula involves scrutinizing the "out-the-door" price, encompassing all taxes, registration fees, and additional surcharges. He advises clients to avoid focusing on monthly payment discussions, a common dealer tactic used to conceal the vehicle's actual cost.

By the end of 2025, data projects that 20% of car buyers in the US will face monthly payments of 1,000 USD or more, a record high. Mikula therefore meticulously scrutinizes "add-ons" such as extended warranties, tire protection, and guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance. These often inflate a vehicle's final price by 30%.

To secure substantial price reductions, Mikula frequently instigates competition among dealerships. He contacts several locations simultaneously for the same car model. This direct competition forces dealers to reduce their profit margins to acquire a client, rather than offering only standard discounts.

One client, Payam Amiri, purchased a Mazda CX-50 for 4,000 USD below its listed price. Mikula achieved this by highlighting dozens of similar vehicles available within an 80 km radius.

Instead of visiting dealerships, Tomi Mikula gathers information via the internet and negotiates over the phone. Photo: Angela Owens/WSJ

This profession, however, is not without its challenges and hostility. Many dealerships recognize Mikula's voice, immediately hanging up. To circumvent this, he occasionally adopts local accents or uses virtual phone area codes to make contact.

Despite the challenges, this demanding work yields substantial income. His company, Delivrd, generates approximately 200,000 USD in revenue each month. This level of income, however, requires an exhausting pace. During peak periods at month-end, Mikula often works to the point of exhaustion, engaging in livestreams and frequently consuming cold meals.

Nevertheless, Mikula acknowledges he cannot always secure exceptionally low prices. For popular car models, success sometimes means simply purchasing at the sticker price without incurring additional markups.

*Minh Phuong (According to WSJ)*