# Car leasing scams

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 25, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255 "2003-11-25T21:20:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Thrillhouse15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@Thrillhouse15](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrillhouse15)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255/1 "2003-11-25T21:20:11Z")

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In their report on why buying a car is such an unpleasant experience ([http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcarbuy.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcarbuy.html)), SDSTAFF Lileth, Melis, Wolf, and Dogster include the following line: “Well, I could detail the scams involved in leasing, but that’s not the question on the table right now.”

So what are the scams involved in leasing?

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255/2 "2003-11-25T23:15:43Z")

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That report is … um… many years old. Some of those people are no longer on Staff at all, some others are only peripherally involved. So… I think that your question is unlikely to be answered officially.

Glad to have others contribute their thoughts or opinions, though.

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**Author:** ![5cents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/46a35a/32.png) [@5cents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5cents)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255/3 "2003-11-26T04:07:00Z")

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When comparing payments buy-vs-lease, you can’t compare directly, because at the end of a loan, you own the car, and at the end of a lease, you don’t. That doesn’t stop dealers from telling you “buy this car for $600 per month, lease for only $300!”.

That’s just the start. Then you are bombarded with a zillion numbers, so by the time you get through you don’t know how much you “paid” for the car. Mix in a trade and your head will spin.

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**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-leasing-scams/215255/4 "2003-12-01T17:30:45Z")

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One thought to always keep in mind when shopping for a car is that if the salesman is willing to sell you the car for the agreed upon price, you are not getting a good deal.

There is a great article online about a fellow that went undercover as a car salesman. It talks a little bit about leasing.

[http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.buying..4.\*](http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.buying..4.*)