Zamrznutitonovi/Getty Images Most people dread the process of buying a new car. Whether it's because of pushy salespeople, confusing price scheduling or sneaky add-ons, costs can quickly ballon out of seemingly nowhere. It's not uncommon for customers to spend hours at a dealership only to drive home and wonder if they actually got a fair price. While online only automotive retailers like Tesla, Rivian, and Polestar make buying a car as easy as a few online clicks, most new vehicle transactions have to happen via a dealership. But there are still ways to score a deal in this topys-turvy world, buyers are utilizing two main avenues: Online shopping tools like TrueCar and Costco or hiring a professional broker or concierge to find the deal. Hiring someone else to go through the hassle of car buying sound too good to be true? Well, with like everything in life, there are pros and cons to each of those services. Online Services Like Costco and TrueCar Services like TrueCar and Costco can streamline your search process and connect you with cooperating dealers that may be more willing to offer a competitive price. TrueCar and Costco provide a upfront bid out of the gate, which potentially saves you all the back-and-forth negotiating. How it works is you log in to those respective websites (TrueCar is available for anyone, while Costco requires that you have a paid membership to their stores) and input the make, model, and trim that you are shopping for and the site provides you with what is essentially a "price coupon." While these online pricing services are likely to get you a "fair price" you may not be getting the "best price." I spoke with a few dealers who participate in either the TrueCar or Costco programs. A sales manager from a Subaru dealer in NJ said: "Truecar doesn't make me guarantee any discount, you can price whatever you want in there, but the pricing is on a slider that tells you how your price ranks relative to other dealers so the incentive is to lower the price into "great" or "excellent" range. But technically I could go over sticker on TrueCar. I will say that customers contacting the dealer directly will often do better than the TrueCar price" A sales manager from an Audi/Volvo dealer in the DC metro who gets a lot of Costco leads echoed what the Subaru manager said, that it's essentially just a lead generation service. And while the Costco price is usually a bit lower than their advertised internet numbers, in almost every instance, a customer would get a better price by just contacting the dealer directly. The downsides to those free pricing tools What consumers need to keep in mind is that the dealerships are the ones funding these services, so while the advertising might be centered around the consumer, the actual "customer" for Costco and TrueCar are the dealerships. As the dealer are the ones paying a subscription for the leads. Therefore, those online services are going to structure a business model that keeps their customers happy. The one big limitation with the online pricing services is that they don't always provide you with a total out-the-door number that is inclusive of taxes, fees, and other charges. This is where dealers can play more games with their pricing. For example, a dealer may offer an upfront discount of $4,000 but have a bunch of junk fees or accessories in the total price. Which is I why I suggest using these tools as a starting point but still requesting complete and total out–the-door numbers in writing before you go to the dealership. Brokers Constantinis/Getty Images Even with online tools at your disposal, car shopping an be a major hassle. Naturally there are services out there that will do the work for you. These hands-on offerings are generally broken down into two categories: brokers and concierge-style car buying services. While both operations contact dealers and negotiate on behalf of the customer, how they operate can vary. Brokers facilitate the car deal with the dealer on the buyer's behalf. Some of them even handle the paperwork and the delivery of the vehicle for the buyer. Most brokers don't charge a fee to the car buyer, but they get a referral fee from the dealership for facilitating the deal. Naturally, the dealer is going to factor this cost into the price in some way so the customer still pays it, albeit indirectly. However, if the consumer gets the deal they are happy with having someone else handle all the back and forth without any upfront cost is low risk approach to out-sourcing this task. Most brokers tend to be regional to specific areas or metros, and many of them only specialize in new cars and/or leases. Also, some brokers may only have select dealers that they are work with, and those stores may or may not have the desired inventory for the client. Concierge-style services Anastasiia Havrysh/Getty Images Similar to brokers, concierge-style car buying services do the sourcing and negotiation for the customer but they will usually charge a fee to do so. Cost for these services vary depending on the business from anywhere from a few hundred dollars for regular cars upwards to thousands of dollars for speciality vehicles. Concierge services, like brokers, do all the negotiating with the dealerships for the customer. Some of these services can allow the buyer to avoid the dealer entirely, while others handle the majority of the deal up until the customer just needs to finalize the paperwork. Concierge car buying services often aren't limited to just new cars or leases and can often shop pre-owned vehicles. And because their fees are paid by the client, they don't have any specific loyalty to certain dealers or regions. Often these services can source cars and deals beyond the customers area and even help facilitate shipping. For example, the NYC metro seems to be a hotbed of slimy dealers who often play games and are uncooperative when online shoppers request detailed pricing, but the Philadelphia and DC/Baltimore metros are usually more competitive with stores that tend to be more professional. By working with the more upfront dealers, brokers can ensure a good price and ease of process. Which one is right for you? Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock The downside to using either services is that the level of savings can vary depending on the car. The used car market doesn't usually have a ton of margin for negotiation, and you are really shopping the best value over the biggest discount. In the new car market some vehicles are in high demand and even a professional car shopper can't wave a magic wand to summon a dealer discount on a waitlisted car. Even if a car buying service doesn't result in significant savings, often they have connections with a dealer network that can streamline the process. Some shoppers find that the cost of these service for the time and expertise is worth it. Online pricing tools like TrueCar and Costco can be helpful for buyers who want to do the work themselves and have some kind of benchmark as to what they can expect in terms of discounts. On the other hand, brokers and concierge services take most of the hassle out of the car buying process, but like any service, there is a cost associated with having someone else do the negotiating. Tom McParland is a contributing writer for Jalopnik and runs AutomatchConsulting.com. He takes the hassle out of buying or leasing a car. Got a car buying question? Send it to Tom@AutomatchConsulting.com