Joey_P, I’m sorry and angry that you were treated so poorly. However, when you didn’t leave the minute you saw all the added items, they knew they could trot out all their other tricks, and you’d stick around until they had a deal. I obviously don’t know the details of the deal you got, but I’m confident that you got screwed, at least a little. It’s years later, and you still say you “had” to buy their gift card, and their winter protection package. Trust me, you didn’t.
When I bought my last car (2011 Dodge Caliber) there was a fashion hereabouts for newspaper ads which started with a ridiculous initial price, then a list of “discounts,” some of which were mutually exclusive (I don’t believe there’s a way to get both a trade-in bonus and a lease return discount), ending with a price that was somewhere within shouting distance of reality. This car caught my eye, so I folded up the ad and went in. I located the car — the VIN was part of the ad — hunted down a salesbeing and told him this was the car I wanted. For some reason I had to test drive it first, but that was just a formality; it was when we sat down that the fun began.
First, he had to go to a shadowy back room hobnob with the “sales manager” and get a purchase order written up. What he came back with didn’t even resemble the price listed, which I more than halfway anticipated; what I didn’t expect was the rationale.
“You know, the car you drove isn’t the one in the ad. The one in the ad is a base model, which doesn’t have air conditioning and power windows and locks. The one you want is a higher end model, which costs a lot more.”
I refrained from asking him if he thought I had the intellect of a brain-damaged planarian; instead, I asked him for a Caliber brochure, which clearly stated that a/c and power windows/locks were standard on all models. Then I compared the VIN on the key tag with the VIN in the ad to show that it was indeed the same car. To give him credit, he didn’t flinch (I half expected him to pull the “it’s a misprint” ploy, but maybe he sensed that I would have walked out and left him with nothing for his time).
Short story long, while I didn’t get the price quoted in the ad — and didn’t expect to — I did get what I considered a reasonable deal. I financed it through my credit union, and the only after-sale option I took was a five-year oil change package. I don’t anticipate buying another car before I quit driving completely; if I do, it will be a semi-junker and I’ll pay cash.
I went to a motorcycle shop that sold Yamaha generators. The salesman was about 22 years old, and brought out the four-square. I had the same reaction.
Full list price was $900. Poor kid thought that I would be financing it. But it got better. He brought out his pricing book and showed me that the price was $1150. He also thought that I couldn’t read, as the price book showed the list price as $900, and also the line that said “additional profit” at $250.
I left and went directly to the Honda shop, where they had similar Honda generators on the shelf with tags at $950 (again the list price). I asked the guy there if that was the out the door price. He said “well, that plus sales tax”. As I was paying for it I told him about the Yamaha guy. He just said “Yeah, those guys are idiots”.
I’ve had mixed results and I think I’ve posted about them here before. Twice the dealership has gotten me a better interest rate from a different credit union that the financing I had prepared when I walked in. About a quarter percent. I did triple check that I was financing the same amount.
One of those was balanced out by trying to add back in all the add-ons I had previously refused. So they got to redo that paperwork.
Is scammy car sales a global issue or is it limited to a few countries? Don’t need answer fast, just making notes for when I’m appointed dictator life. That’s going to be one of the first year issues addressed.
It’s hard. Fact is, most folks buy a car (new or used) once every 5 years or so - at best. The salesman might sell 5-10 a week, and he works with others who sell 5-10 a week, and they talk shop about it.
Whatever happens - if there is any ‘tricky’ negotiation, and someone ‘wins’ - he’s going to win. If push comes to shove, and you finally get down to a deal that you think is fair, if it’s not a loss for him, he won’t sell (same as you won’t buy if you think the deal is bad). And he knows more about the potential wins/losses than you. I’m not saying he’s necessarily evil (I’m sure there are some), but he is good at what he does.
Do your homework, shop around, do your best - but don’t ever think he won’t be making as much profit as he can on every car. Despite all the smiles, coffees and joking asides - he knows what the car owes him, he knows the minimum he needs, and he’s going to get it. And if it’s not you, there’ll be another through the door in half-an hour.
I assumed that would be how they would do it.
Are there any tricks that are used with leases? I’m thinking of leasing for the first time, as this forces me to get a new car every 3 years. I know this is ultimately more expensive, but I’m still not trying to pay more than I need to.
The first new car I ever bought was a lease. When I returned it, the dealer tried to charge me because the car didn’t have the original stereo. I had bought a better stereo and was throwing it in because I didn’t want to go to the hassle of removing it. But when he said he was going to charge me I told him I would drive the car to a stereo shop and have them remove the better stereo that was in there (which I was willing to give the dealer for free) and install a cheaper stereo like the one the car originally had. I said I would do this as a matter of principle even if it cost me more than what he wanted to charge me. He backed down and didn’t charge me.
Pretty much global I think bu some countries have stiffer rules than others. For example, in the UK, if you buy a used car from a dealer and find it has a fault. you have the right to return it within 30 days and get your money back. When you buy a new car they have to set out in writing, the total cost, including interest etc, and you can go away and think about it.
Of course in practice, back-streel sales lots will do their best to avoid refunding money on the death trap they sold you, and new car salesmen will try to pressure you into making a quick decision. They will also try to sell extras like an extended warranty and paint protection insurance.
My current car is an ex-manager’s car. They sell these on at around six months old at a considerable discount to the price new. It cost me £21k and the full price would have been £30k. It also came with a lot of optional extras.
My current vehicle (2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk) is a lease (my fourth one). Never had a problem with my leases and because I put on so few miles I end up with decent equity.