Before you pay the booking amount
The booking amount is the moment the negotiation actually closes. Once it's paid, your leverage drops sharply — dealers know you've emotionally and financially committed. Confirm everything below in writing on WhatsApp before you transfer anything.
Get the full on-road breakup, in writing
- Ex-showroom price for your exact variant and colour
- RTO / registration charges
- TCS
- Insurance (zero-dep vs comprehensive — which one, with which add-ons)
- Handling / logistics / yard charges
- Fastag, number plate, statutory charges
- Accessories (itemised — no "kit" bundles without contents)
- Extended warranty
- Roadside assistance
- All discounts: cash, exchange, corporate, loyalty
- On-road total
If a dealer refuses to break this down before booking, treat that as a red flag. You can't challenge a single bundled number.
Confirm the booking amount's refund policy
Ask explicitly: "If I cancel within 7 days, do I get a 100% refund?" Get the answer in writing on WhatsApp from the salesperson's number — not verbally. Some dealers will deduct a "processing fee" on cancellation; you want to know that number now.
Confirm delivery timeline and colour availability
"When will my exact variant and colour be delivered?" Get a calendar date or week, not "soon" or "in stock." If the dealer says the car is in stock, ask for the chassis number or stock list — and confirm it's available at this dealership, not at a transfer location.
Reject forced insurance and forced accessories
You are not legally required to buy insurance from the dealer. The on-road price quote should clearly separate insurance from the rest. If a dealer says insurance is mandatory through them, that's false — and reason to compare a competitor. Accessories are negotiable; a "mandatory essential pack" is a sales tactic.
Confirm the quote validity
Ask: "Is this on-road quote valid for the next 7 days?" Quotes drift between month-end and month-start. Lock the validity period in writing so the dealer can't quote you a number, take your booking, and then revise charges on delivery.
If anything feels off, walk
You have time. Booking is the moment of maximum dealer pressure — "this stock is going," "this offer ends today," "I'll lose my margin." Almost all of it is theatre. The car will still be available next week, often at the same or a lower price. Walking away costs you nothing; the dealer is far more incentivised to call you back than you are to call them.