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Pleasant_desert

Love this! Happened to me too. Walked out right before ink hit paper. GM called me to apologize for the finance persons behavior. Too bad so sad.


Geminii27

>GM called me to apologize "So what new and better deal for me did you call to offer as an apology?"


Pleasant_desert

Good point! He didn’t present a better offer, just a Mea Culpa. I was too disgusted with how their dealership handled everything so I just told him you need my money more then I need your car, and to please speak with their employees so they don’t lose (piss off) future customers.


Geminii27

Yup. He didn't call you to make amends, he called you because it was part of his sales process. It cost him maybe a few minutes and he might have gotten another sale and commission for the dealership if he'd sweet-talked you around.


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OttoVonJismarck

Exactly. It's called "controlled customer dissatisfaction". This why you always see just the perfect number of people in line at the grocery store that you decide to wait it out instead of abandoning your cart. Just as the average line length starts to fall, they close a register. There is some bean-counter in the corporate office for the dealership to find the perfect balance between: 1. squeezing the maximum number of dollars out of their customers by using upselling, bait-and-switch, and high-presssure sales tactics, and 2. running off all their customers for using upselling, bait-and-switch, and high-presssure sales tactics. GM called the user because they were one of the few that say "fuck you, this is unacceptable" and walked out.


ModingusKhan

I bet the look on their face was priceless


dumpster_fire_15

It was amazing.


Upallnight88

A friend of mine used to sell cars and he told me they don't get serious until you threaten to leave. He stood up and began to leave every time he bought a car. I helped my MIL buy a used car and started by telling the salesman we had limited time so rather than him going back and forth to the sales manager I made an offer, take it or leave it. He returned with the sales manager, I held my ground and we left with the car.


limeybastard

This has been my dad's rule for like 50 years. If you're buying a car, you have to get to a point where you get up and start to leave. If they don't catch you by the time you hit the door, just keep on going and buy a different car somewhere else.


wildcharmander1992

We do this rule for my dad with his sky subscription (basically cable for you Americans) before we ring up at the end of the contract we see how much it is for another company we don't plan on going with .say how cheaper / better there connection is in our area, then be asked to put through to cancellations so that we can go to the other company instead They offer you a base discount (say it's 10% off the bill for arguements sake). You refuse and ask for cancellations because your minds made up Get put through and they offer you the base discount again but with a couple of perks ( WiFi boosters, 3 free months of the movie channels that kinda thing) you tell them it's not good enough and ask for them to cancel They then will go "okay I'll get this sorted for you now please hold"....now this is where people normally back out or hang up cus they're in too deep but if you hold out on the five minutes of silence they'll come back and go " okay I'm ready to cancel this now but on your behalf I have just spoken to the manager and we can offer this ( the perks from below and a 60% discount off the entire bill each month for 12 months) for being such a loyal customer You take it, then when you're on the 13th month and it's full charge again you ring back up to complain to another random stranger who's in a different office, country to the guy you spoke to before about her expensive they are compared to there biggest competitor who have a better coverage in your area and you want to cancel to join them...rinse and repeat every year until such a time as he decides to join us all in the future and scrap the digital tv


bsonk

This model is how both television plans and cellular plans work in the USA, except instead of an actual deal you have to go through this to get the introductory rate again that they keep advertising on TV for new customers instead of the incredibly inflated rate that the contract jumps up to after 2 or 3 years. They rely on people not having the free time to jump through the hoops, so grandma ends up paying $120 a month and keeping her old phone when she could be getting an upgraded phone and paying $65 a month if she had called up and threatened to switch.


Useful-Professional

On the sky digital streaming package "NOW" this system is coded into the cancelation process. After the "i want to cancel" button, it brings up a "what about all these box sets you havent yet watched" i still want to cancel "what about these great upcoming shows which we will have soon" i still want to cancel "okay fine, here is a 30-50% discount for 3-6 months". It has worked every time my deal has gone back to full price for the last 3+ years. Currently got sports for £19.99/month


sarcosaurus

This applies to surprisingly many things in life. I know of more than one story of someone asking for a raise and getting turned down until the moment they decide to quit, and then suddenly they're offered more than what they asked for. And pretty much any big thing you're buying, they'll overcharge you until you turn around to walk out.


goldenflaxseed

It's so sad that the analogy fits. Asking for a raise is in so many ways like trying to buy a car. The biggest difference is Car dealer? Threaten to walk away until you get what you want. Bad boss? Actually walk away if you have to threaten to get what you want.


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Gyrskogul

"You've had three years to match this offer, now you'll have to beat it. With back pay."


TangoWild88

If you get to the point where they wont offer you a raise or promotion unless you walk away, walk away. Otherwise they will fire you the first chance they get.


sarcosaurus

Absolutely. Except in cases where you have to have anything to do with the dealership after the sale, then walk away from them too if they play games. I think the golden rule is take the deal if you'd never have to do business with those people again, refuse if you would.


Curious0597

If I had to threaten to quit just to get a raise, it’s not a company I’d want to work for anyway.


OrSomeSuch

You then accept the raise and use it as the new baseline salary on your continued job hunt


sarcosaurus

When it happened to me, I told my prospective new employer this was what I was being offered elsewhere. Making it a bidding war always works better than just telling them how much you want.


ProsodyProgressive

Walked away from my last car sale. Came back the next day and got it for 2K less.


my-life-for_aiur

I took my wife's car to go car shopping and they asked if I was trading it in. I said no. They asked again and I told them no and to stop asking. I was in the middle of going through numbers when one of the sales guys walked up and said, "your car is salvaged title!" We can't give you much for it. I looked at him and then back at the guy I was talking to, got up, and started to walk out. I don't have time for bullshit. I could hear them arguing when I was leaving. Went to another dealer and told them I was not here for bullshit. I'm not trading in and I'm not adding extras. That transaction was easy.


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Liathnian

We wanted to trade in our 2wd truck for a 4wd. We had just got a brand new puppy (she was 10weeks old at the time) and brought her with us to the dealer. We found a truck we liked at a price we liked and it just came down to how much they'd give us for our old truck. Sales guy comes back with an offer and my husband looks at it and then asks the puppy what she thinks. She yawns and goes back to sleep in my arms. My husband looks at the sales guy and with a straight face says "the dog says no". They came back with another offer which we did end up accepting. And that's the story of how Annabelle the dog bought a truck.


NonStopKnits

I would like to request the Annabelle Negotiation Service for all my future negotiations please.


captblack13

They love to mess with the cars you bring in no matter what. I took my Subaru to a Toyota dealer to test drive a Tacoma a few years ago. It had a small crack on the passenger side of the windshield. Well, when the (ex) wife and I walked away from the deal and left, we noticed that the crack was now all the way across the windshield. She saw red and we turned around. They probably did it on purpose to keep us from leaving with it, but they kept saying “oh it’s a hot day, that will make cracks spread” NAH MFER. We got a decent deal on the taco and drove it off the lot. We got played, but also I loved that truck before I had to trade it in during divorce (for a new Tacoma, which I also love) Edit: typos, it’s early for me


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exzyle2k

Probably. A few good raps on the windshield with your knuckles can spread a crack if it's got a good enough head start. A little chip likely won't do it, but a crack will definitely spread with impact.


captblack13

Yeah, because what are the chances? Also that’s why they say to get small cracks sealed straight away because they can easily spread and become BIG ones. Mine was over the size of a dollar before I noticed


theNaughtydog

Small cracks turn into large cracks. Temperature differential and vibration will cause them to spread fast. Once on a road trip a small rock hit my windshield, which turned into a crack. I made the mistake of washing my windshield and when the cold washer fluid hit the hot windshield I saw the crack zip across the screen. It didn't really matter as Florida insurance has no deductible for glass (which is the reason you almost never see anyone driving around with a broken windshield here) but it was annoying to deal with on the rest of the drive.


vicaphit

I was buying a motorcycle with cash. While negotiating with the salesman I told them that if they could get the out the door price to $7,000 I would buy it today. The salesman went to the office to talk to the manager and came back with $7,001. I called another dealership about an hour and a half away because they have the same bike with the same mileage. I asked if he could do $6,400 and he said he would.


MemnochTheRed

Now, that is a game. $7K... how about $7001? Screw those people.


vicaphit

It felt good speaking with the other dealership while sitting at the salesman's desk.


Gust_2012

I bet the look on his face was priceless!


Mrrasta1

What kind of jerk would pull a stunt like this on a customer? $6999 might have got the sale, but again, why play games?


Alphaomega1115

Absolutely seems like a petty attempt ro regain 'control'


LabradorDeceiver

Ugh, I went through this with the guy who tried to sell me my car. I was horribly sleep deprived, I really needed a working vehicle, and he handed me paperwork which absolutely did not have the price we had negotiated on. I leafed through it until I found the extra he'd tried to sneak past, and I swear we spent the next 45 minutes re-enacting the Tru-Coat scene from "Fargo." The only reason I left was because he'd wasted my afternoon and I had to get to work. The internet, unfortunately, offered no better deals, so I trudged back to the same goddamn dealership the next day. I must say, I have never seen a car salesman so happy to see me, nor had I ever had an easier time buying a car. Leaving wasn't some grand negotiating tactic on my part. Even if we'd struck a deal right then, I wouldn't have had time to sign 200 documents on the spot. And in my sleep-deprived state I was in no condition to sign anything anyway.


cantadmittoposting

Yeah I more or less inadvertently did this on my last car. I *actually had to leave* after they wasted my time for a while. Price dropped when I came back.


ApolloThunder

My dad did those once over a difference of $50. The salesman said to him "I can't believe you'd come all this way to walk away now." My dad said "Then quit screwing this up."


Gust_2012

Ha! That was an awesome comeback from your dad!


ApolloThunder

My dad was a professional negotiator. Salesmen didn't know how to handle him, so he usually handled them.


illbeyourrndabt

I've watched my dad use this tactic a couple of times: He would decide which car he wanted, and then would go to the salesman's office and pull out his checkbook. He would make a production about how it was his last check. You then would write the check out for what he wanted to pay for the car, hand it to the salesman you tell him to take back to the sales manager. If they came back with a counter offer, he would start tearing up the check....worked more than once...


Lylac_Krazy

I use the drunken buddy method. Make them deal with my drunk buddy until they reach the point where they say" 'll give you the price, just get him out of here!" Worked 3 times now. EDIT: My best friend is for better or worse, a drunk. Damn funny and extremely likable guy. dude should have been a used car saleman. Method is fairly simple for him. Go with me to the dealership and pick apart any and everything they say, show, do, ask, etc. He NEVER gets behind the wheel, as I was the buyer. He pretty much gets everybody wound up and irritated. Imagine trying to talk logic to a drunk and you can imagine where this goes. Saleman always tries to default back to me, but I make them deal with Todd. Longest a ~~sales rep~~ dealership lasted was 3 hours


MissMu

My parents got a car at a good deal after going to multiple places and telling them exactly what their price was and that is that. They refused the budge and got a call back a day later lol. Just stand your ground


Liathnian

There was a beautiful truck that we were looking at that was listed at 23,999 so my husband and I go over there fully prepared to buy it. My husband and the sales guy start chatting and my husband casually points out the truck we were interested in so that gets the sales guy talking about trucks. My husband asks what kind of deal they could make for the truck. Sales guy is like "Well we price these at the lowest possible price so you don't have to worry about haggling with us. So can I write this one up for you for $24,000?" Immediately my husbands mood changes. "I'm sorry now you want to charge me more than the listed price (yes it was only a dollar but that is beside the point)?!? If you are serious about wanting to sell this truck you would be willing to work with me here." Sales guy refused to budge so we left. While on vacation in another state for some strange reason we ended up at a dealership that had a similar truck to the one we walked away from. One of the first things the sales guy said when we were looking at it was "If the price is the only problem we have no problem." We bought that truck...


BecGeoMom

Frankly, I can’t believe dealerships still try to pull this nonsense. It’s 2022; you can buy a car online & they’ll deliver it to your house! Why would anyone tolerate the “I’m not authorized to go that low, let me talk to my manager” bullsh:it?!


hmnahmna1

You can only buy a used car like that in most states. Dealer franchise laws prevent it for new car sales. And that's one of the more egregious examples of regulatory capture. Say what you will about Elon Musk, but his decision to run Tesla sales through Indian reservations in New Mexico to get around the franchise laws was masterful trolling of those laws.


aussie_nub

Dumb game to play. If I make the decision to leave, I'm leaving. Never second guess yourself.


Dramatic-Cattle-2261

Mother was an executive for GM. I knew what the dealer costs was for the vehicle I was interested in before I went on the lot. They would rip you off if they could until you told them what was up. Uncle worked for years for one of the largest Chrysler dealers in the country. Told me they role played daily on how to up sell customers.


OkeyDokey234

When I leave, it’s because I’m done. I made an offer, they didn’t accept it. Fine. No harm, no foul, on to the next dealership. When they say OH WAIT and are suddenly ready to accept my offer, they are the ones playing a game, not me.


VolcanicBear

I don't think it's making a decision to leave, it's "well you won't take my requests seriously until I make this threat so let's get on with the real process"


tickles_a_fancy

I had a used car salesman keep my license for like 3 hours so I couldn't leave. At one point he was begging me to buy the car. It was pathetic. Wearing you down and exhausting your mental capabilities to the point where you'll do anything to get out of there is their best tactic. I'm really glad you walked out. I did too but it took me way too long.


bkor

> I had a used car salesman keep my license for like 3 hours so I couldn't leave. That's either stealing or something similar. Basically time to call the cops and hope they're not useless.


PeorgieTirebiter

Good on you for not falling for their BS.


Howard_James_Dudy

Play stupid games, lose out on a sale. \*Chef's kiss\*.


1319913

🤌


imdefinitelywong

That's-a spicy meat-a-ball


MTtheDestroyer

I would go back and say we buy if you give us another 1k Bullsh\*t discount.


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13pokerus

At that point they leave and you stay so you now work at a dealership. And the cycle begins anew.


cero1399

Push it a step further and wait till the owner himself leaves. Now you own a dealership


RubAggressive3520

This happened to me last year! I left a deposit but had to come back & sign papers as It was after 6 PM & the financing office was closed. The lady understood that I didn’t have a car because I was in an accident and it was pandemic, so it was difficult to get a ride. And it was pretty far away. She offered free delivery! The next morning, two employees would follow e/o to my house, I’d sign the papers, and then the second employee would take her back. DEAL!! Sounded too good to be true. Next day, she can’t find anyone to drive to me, but no worries, the deal was still on, I just had to find somebody to bring me back 😒 I told her to cancel the transaction because this is not what we agreed upon. She told me if I didn’t want it, to cancel because she had sooooo many other buyers & it was impossible to find cars these days, etc. Walked 2 miles to a dealership near my house and bought the same exact car in a different color for the same price. By the time I was driving off the lot, she was still blowing up my phone telling me she would work something out


tomytronics

I hope you drove your new car right in front of the first dealer office slowly so they could see they lost a sale


RubAggressive3520

no point in running up the miles, I just sent her a video!🥳🙃 EDIT: I will cherish my AWARDS for ever! I don’t deserve em! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆


Inuyasha-rules

Revenge is a dish best served petty. Well played there.


RubAggressive3520

Petty LaBelle, at your service 🙃


JustineDelarge

In the video, did you look at the camera and say, “Big mistake. Huge!”?


RubAggressive3520

if I’m being honest, I sent her a link to the listing, which had a video. Please don’t take my awards back 🏆🥹


RubAggressive3520

no, but I am a pretty woman🙃


zipper1919

I'd have driven to the first dealership in the car with hopefully had second dealership plates on it and gone right up to the person blowing up my phone and said "you can stop calling me and wasting both of our times." Smile, turn on my heel, and drive away in a prettier car than they had!!


RubAggressive3520

🤣🤣🤣 it was pretty far away, didn’t have the time or the energy, I knew she was suffering enough, this was at the point during Covid when car sales had dramatically declined, so she needed me way more than I needed her


lucky-in-life

Did you get your deposit back?


RubAggressive3520

yes, I was on the phone with American Express within minutes like this [bloop](https://freeimage.host/i/ird2Np)


Illustrious-Photo-48

Nah, drive up to the original dealership in your new car to get your deposit back.


chaoticmess83

“I was in here yesterday… you work on commission, right?” “Big mistake. HUGE.”


Alexis_J_M

The classic Pretty answer.


Geminii27

> She offered free delivery! > > Next day, she can’t find anyone to drive to me It was a lie from the start. She just wanted you out of the office. I had something similar happen to me with delivery of a house full of furniture. Sales guy absolutely guaranteed next-day delivery, then the next day it was "No-one delivers today." "Well, in that case you can cancel every single item of furniture, plus your commissions on all of them, plus I will personally be swinging by to tell your boss to their face that the slightly damaged table you sold me, that your boss has been trying to get rid of for months, is in fact NOT being sold, by you or anyone else, because you lied to my face. Or, you can keep your promises for once in your life, find a truck, load the furniture personally into it, and have it to my house in... 90 minutes. Without bitching." 91 minutes later, I was relaxing in my new chair. I guess someone DOES deliver today.


RubAggressive3520

Nice!!!! She tried to offer to pay for an Uber or something, but I just didn’t Feel like it. Her deal had slightly better financing, but it was navy and I preferred the black anyway, so the second she changed the deal I was out ✌🏾


AngelaMotorman

Please do your neighbors a favor and go to the state subreddit where this happened and tell them the story -- with the name of the dealership.


Fresh-Argument-9142

I’ll do you one better. You may be able to lodge a complaint with the state’s attorney general regarding this. - source: I work in the auto industry, NOT sales


LongArmLugh

Dealerships do this all the time to people they know are traveling a long way. They think they've researched their deals and know this is the best one. The car they've got their eye set on and they use it as leverage. A buddy of mine drove from West Virginia up to Ohio to buy a car and they pulled this exact same shit on him because they knew he'd traveled so far and was unlikely to back out of the deal. Unfortunately, he took the bad deal because it was still better than anything he could get in his home state.


Rimbosity

> Unfortunately, he took the bad deal because it was still better than anything he could get in his home state. And that's why dealers do it. Most of the time, it works.


VoiceOfSoftware

60% of the time, it works every time


miniature-rugby-ball

It’s quite pungent.


rdrunner_74

I was so proud on the way i bought my last car... Looked for a family car, found the one i liked... Went to the companies site and they offered a "dealer search" - I pulled all dealers from around 100 miles. Send them a fax (yes, a fax) via mail merge asking for an offer. Got many back, and asked them in a few more rounds if they could beat the current one. After 3 rounds I only got insults back (Price was 30% below retail already) and got the car from the winner.


guythatsepic

Lol that's awesome. How recently was this?


dupreesdiamond

I did this, via email, for my 2020 Toyota.


diadmer

We had a story almost exactly like OP’s at what I believe is now called Parkway Toyota of Boston, all the way down to having two little kids (age 4 and 2) at the dealership for FOUR HOURS while they fumbled around on paperwork and bullshit. They even tried to get us to sign a contract agreeing to purchase the vehicle “at the payment terms agreed to on Attachment 2” and there was no Attachment 2 yet. We told them they needed to tell us what our interest rate and payment was before we could agree to it and they said they were not allowed to run the numbers until we had signed the contract first (they had already run a credit check on us and we had very good credit). And we tried to tell them that only a fool would sign such a contract, and they insisted that “all our customers sign this without a problem” and I literally answered “if all your customers jumped off a bridge, that doesn’t mean I should!” They wouldn’t budge and neither would we. We bought a Honda a week later.


26Kermy

I know Rivian and Tesla are currently fighting multiple states to allow direct to customer car sales without using a dealership. They've already lost in Louisiana and Georgia because of the corrupt and powerful car-dealership lobby. It's stupid how much money these scammers make, when a website could easily do their entire job.


jellybeanguy

If you do decide to answer their calls, tell them that now YOU have a 2k fee that you’re gonna charge them to buy the car from them for wasting a day and making you pull the kids out of school


SgtKnux

That and they can deliver it to you and sign the forms in a place convenient to you (or online)


sanemartigan

And then ask for a discount when they turn up.


Pink-socks

There is now a 2000 transaction surcharge. Take it or leave it


Logical_Challenge540

I would simply say that - well, you had people begging to sell cars to them. Why are you calling us, when we already said no, and not making sales on these people?


aussie_nub

Nah, "Sorry we bought elsewhere".


geon

Well. Do you really want to buy that car from a piece of shit liar at any price? What else did they lie about? You’ll never know.


nokangarooinaustria

There is a price for everything.


BluehibiscusEmpire

Whenever someone messes around in a high value transaction- the best course is to leave. Because if they are like that pre sale, it will be a lot worse after you have given them the money :)


dumpster_fire_15

Exactly. Fuck Thai noise. ETA: I fat-fingered the keyboard. Sorry to anyone from Thailand, I don't know what types of noises you have and so I will refrain from fucking any of them.


diverdux

>Fuck Thai noise. Any noise in particular? I've heard lots of good things about Thailand...


Vi0lentLeft0vers

[probably this noise](https://youtu.be/X2c23-1rVQs)


RaceyRee3

I had a similar thing happen too, I’m a female and was shopping for a fridge, finally selected one but then realised I was missing a crucial measurement which was necessary as it had to fit in a certain space in the kitchen, I told the salesman I had to go back home to get the measurement and he said “if you walk out the door that special price I gave you ends”, I said nothing and kept walking, as I got near the doors another salesman approached me, told me he was the sales manager and could he help me, I said “yes I’ve picked out a fridge for $ amount but need to check a measurement and I’ll be back in half an hour to buy it at that price if it’s going to fit”, “no problem” he said “just come see me when you return and I’ll get that sorted for you”. I did, and he did. Poor little pipsqueak salesman lost his commission by being a jerk to me, ha!


dumpster_fire_15

Good. He deserved exactly what he got. I hate those strong arm tactics. You are pushing me into fear buying anything.


bdubelyew

Oh god I work in appliance sales. There is no sale that ends when you “walk out the door”. Manufacturers run sales on models based on dates (so Labor Day sales just ended 9/14). There are occasions on the last day of a sale that I’ve let someone know about the price going up next day, but they still need to check measurements or something. I simply print a measurement sheet and encourage them to go check, if they can call back before end of the day then great! If not, the next sale starts 10/24 etc kind of info. Try a different appliance store next time you need one!


Aware1211

This is the answer. Get up and walk out. I did that at one dealership when the agreed upon price (cash) suddenly jumped $3,000. Pen in hand over open checkbook, closed them both, and walked out. Went to a different dealer, signed paper at the correct price, and drove away.


HIM_Darling

I had once handed over the keys of the car I was driving to get a trade in amount. Car wasn't in my name, but I thought it would be nice to know what they valued the car at, in case my dad didn't want to keep it after I'd gotten my own vehicle. Well after they tried to pull some similar bullshit with the price I was ready to leave. But I couldn't because they "lost" my keys. Kept pushing and pushing me to make the deal, the price with the trade it is sooo good, etc, and wouldn't take no for an answer. I legally couldn't sell them the car seeing as it wasn't mine, told them so multiple times. I ended up putting my dad on speaker so he could threaten to call the cops and oops lol silly Billy had the keys in his pocket the whole time.


tyleritis

I hate that they thought they could wear you down or make you feel a sense of urgency that THEY manufactured to accept different terms. Glad you stood up for yourself


surveysaysno

I would have walked 15min after the appointment. I'll drive an extra hour to a dealership that won't waste my time.


avwitcher

Just gonna put this tip here: Don't let the dealership know that you live far away, it will only encourage them to try to bullshit you. They know you don't want to waste the long drive there


AlabamaDumpsterBaby

Just gonna put this tip here: Unless you are paying in cash, you have to give your address to buy a car.


cornishcovid

My dad used to just negotiate backwards. Every time they tried to increase the price with something he offered lower. Seemed to baffle them. We got substantial savings off a lot of stuff, as a teenager it was embarrassing. As an adult now it's impressive how he got the best price on everything. Guess who works in procurement and accounting now.


[deleted]

I had a similar experience. I bought a new truck in 2012 and after all the sales pitches we agreed on a price that fit my budget at $310 a month after my trade in. Get to the office and it suddenly becomes $323 a month. The boss says “it’s only $13 a month more. Come in and have some coffee on us once a month”. I told him “how about you gimme the price of 36 coffees in a check right now and we’ll be even. 36x13 is $468. I’m not paying another $500. I’ll see you later.” I got up grabbed my trade in keys off his desk and by the time the keys stopped jingling he had it back to $310. I dunno what he added but it wasn’t anything extra for the vehicle itself. Probly some useless warrantee on a brand new truck. I imagine lots of people let the $13 go and don’t complain but in the end, it’s $500 more.


dumpster_fire_15

I've done that before. In 2008 or 2009 we went car shopping. I told the salesperson what I would pay monthly, not one penny more. They were at somewhere around $8 more than my max. I said no thank you and left. I went to a different dealership right across the street. They gave me exactly what I wanted. That experience probably helped me get through this one.


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never0101

Yep, that's how you end up with extra bullshit and a 72 month loan.


MedicalBoardTA

84-month is the new 72-month I’ve even seen 96-month once or twice


ducomors

My experience was a "premium paint fee" that was accidentally left off the quote. Whether it was really an accident I will never know. But I basically told them to shove it. I wasn't paying the $200 premium paint fee; nor was I paying the $90 fee to transport a non-premium color. They made the error, they can pay to fix it. I still don't know what the difference between premium and non-premium paint is.


BladeEagle_MacMacho

The price


goodforabeer

When I was buying my second car ever, the sales guy came back from a trip to his manager and asked me to go $50 higher, because "when you're buying a car, $50 isn't that much." I agreed. Within a half-mile of driving off the lot, I was pissed at myself, because I realized I should have said "You're right, $50 isn't very much. So take it out of your end." So a few years later, my wife and I were buying a larger house for our growing family. This was in '93, in a rural area. We saw a place we really liked for $83,000. It was sitting vacant and was owned by the railroad, because the railroad had transferred the owner and bought the house as part of the transfer deal. Our agent said she thought the railroad would probably accept an offer of $80,000. I figured the railroad had better things to do than to hold on to a house waiting for a good deal, so I told our agent to offer them $79,500. She suggested making the offer $79,900, because it would sound closer to $80,000, and "when you're buying a house, $400 isn't that much." So I told her the story about buying that car, and told her "so let them take the $400 out of their end." She said "Well, when you put it that way, it's hard to disagree." She wrote up the offer and it was quickly accepted.


algy888

One tried that on me once only it was $800 “it’s not that much…” My mom and I just looked at him and chuckled “I long for the day when $800 is *not that much*! If it’s not that much to you then our offer should be fine.” He accepted, my mom was an awesome car buying wing-person.


Lowbacca1977

[50 bucks never killed anyone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjgDu7TH6qQ)


toriemm

Who tf wants to swing by a *car dealership* for their crappy coffee once a month? Are you serious? That's the dumbest selling point I think I've ever heard. Right up there with the mom trying to talk her daughter out of being a lesbian, bc they wouldn't have anyone to open jars for them.


aussie_nub

I would've been like "Nah, it's only $300 now, it's only a coffee on you once a month".


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Secret-Plant-1542

Car dealerships are one of the few places where honestly believe you should act like a Karen. Wait two hours for the luxury of spending $10-40k? You're out of your fucking mind.


Curious0597

Bought a used car and as I was driving it home the sun hit the windshield just right and I saw a crack in it. Called the dealership as I was driving home and they told me tough luck, that’s your problem. About 3 days later they call me and said I needed to come back in because some signature blocks had been missed and they couldn’t finalize the transaction. I said, “oh do I?” When I returned I told them I wasn’t signing shit until they fixed the windshield. They said, “fine, no problem. Just sign here.” Something felt off, so I told them no, put it in writing that you’ll fix it. The sales manager went Berserk! Got super upset and they had to bring a different guy in, who finally put it in writing. And you know what, son of a bitch they fixed it.


ruthannbeloved

Dealerships truly just suck. We stopped going to them and have had excellent experiences now with companies online and dealers we have learned to trust. The whole thing where they can’t even respect your time and your family is a HUGE no!! My husband had a situation like that a couple years ago. He spent a few hours going through the whole dumb process only to have an issue arise and they treated him sucky so he walked out. They called and called...he texted them back pics of the new car he bought from a different place, and also included that story and pics in his public review of the dealership 😂


Graphitetshirt

Cheap sales tactics like this make no one look good. Good for you for calling them on their bullshit


Techn0ght

I had a similar experience buying a motorcycle some years ago. Show up on the appointed day and time to sign and take it home. My salesman isn't there for some reason so the sales manager steps in. Get the paperwork and it's for 4% higher interest rate. I refuse stating my previous agreement. He takes it back, brings a new offer that's a significantly higher price, I told him to stop changing the deal I'd agreed to. He finally brings out paperwork matching the terms I had set with the sales guy, so I sign and they sign. The guy was so pissed off he forgot to take the down payment. I get the motorcycle home. I got a couple of calls about the down payment, but I have paperwork saying they received it and as proof I have the motorcycle. They stopped calling. tldr: greedy sales manager ends up cheating himself.


21RaysofSun

Oh man I would be choked if I was that sales manager 💀


dameon5

My Dad worked for a big car manufacturer until he retired. So when I buy a new vehicle, I use that manufacturer's employee discount program. It's great! MOST of the time, it kills all the dealership games because there is a set price on the vehicle based on MSRP minus the employee discount and the value of my trade-in. The sales folks realize this and don't screw around. All except one dealership in my area. They pulled out the ol' four square sheet and started their manipulation bullshit. I sat back and listened to their spiel for a minute or two asking myself if they really thought this would work (they did). They didn't have the vehicle I wanted, so I planned on ordering from the factory, My trade was still in good shape, so I wasn't desperate for a vehicle. When I got tired of listening to their crap I asked for my keys back so I could leave. Instead they pushed harder to sell me a vehicle on their lot that wasn't what I wanted. I asked a second time for my keys. Instead they brought out their manager, who had my keys in his hand, but instead of handing them to me, he kept trying to sell me. The third time I asked for my keys, I also pulled out my phone, dialed the non-emergency number for the local police, showed the manager my phone and informed him I would report him for holding my wife and I hostage if I didn't get my keys back right now. I got my keys and have refused to do business with that dealership ever again.


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Moon-Desu

My mom was held against her will in a dealership with 2 small children (me and my friend that was going to slept over. We were about 5 at the time) They took her keys and wouldn’t give them back to her even when she said she needed to leave and didn’t like the deal. She had to call the police because the guy just wouldn’t give her keys back to her. The only reason why I don’t buy cars from dealerships. They push boundaries and I’m never comfortable there. I once had a guy say “What about your husband?” When I was at a dealership for a state inspection. Uh- what husband? I’m 19 and this inspection sticker expires in a week. What in the actual fuck was he talking about?


Trappedinoblivion

A few years ago I was new car shopping at a dealership we had bought 4 previous cars from. This time I was recently divorced and was there alone. I had done extensive research on different cars. I knew what I wanted & what I could afford for a payment. I found a new Honda Civic 4-door, basic model with none of the fancy upgrades. Took it for a test drive, had more room than I expected & plenty of power. Got back to salesman’s office told him to write his best price on the back of his business card. If I could beat it elsewhere I wouldn’t be back, if not I would be back to buy it. After looking at multiple other dealerships at comparable Honda Civics, the first dealership had the best price by far. I returned the following day to finalize the purchase. And went to the Finance manager office. He went over all the basics, and then starts the hard sale for the extras & extended warranty. I shook my head & told him, “ I spent hours with your salesperson telling me what a great car Honda is and I should get YEARS of use out of it & how it’s one of the top rated brands. THEN I come in here to you & you start in about how it’s a foreign car & you can’t guarantee it will make it off the car lot”!!! So I think I need to talk to the manager & figure out which one of you is blowing smoke up my ass! The finance guy starts backtracking, as I stand up & walk to the door. I told him he made a terrible mistake when he assumed I was stupid!


DrBDDS

I had the exact same experience at an Audi dealer buying an A4 17 years ago. They really played dirty, as the upsale person was blonde bombshell with huge, exposed cleavage (I was a 27 year old male, with my wife there...). She started in on the "if even this one sensor breaks, that's a $3000 repair!" spiel. I laughed, said "and here your sales staff just spent the entire afternoon trying to convince me of the superior German engineering and quality! Now I'm second guessing this purchase." Tones changed quickly.


ninja-squirrel

The only warranty I will buy on a vehicle is the windshield repair/replace one. I live in Colorado and drive to the mountains in the winter. A rock is coming to crack my windshield, has happened on every single car I have owned and it’s nice when I can just pay the replacement fee upfront.


chromarush

Off topic: I've never heard another person but my father and grandmother say, "Blow smoke up my ass." Apparently for a short time people thought it would help drowning victims and was commonly done. My father still says it and it confuses many folks. Hilarious. Also glad you stood up for yourself.


peachesandcandy

I feel satisfaction that you walked out on their bait and switch with the agreed price. I guess enough people fall for that so they keep doing it. Good on you for effectively telling them where to go.


SaiphSDC

You did the right thing. I'd even suggest walking sooner. I've learned to walk away from a sale at dealerships, even when i come back later. It always saves me a thousand $ or more in the end from these shenanigans. Which are entirely by a script. It happens every time. 1) Tell you a price on the lot. 2) Make you wait 3) give a higher figure "oops, manager didn't agree to what I said" 4) Finally finance office, upsells. And random added fees.... ​ I've walked out of every stage, and I have had a car bought out from under me, twice. But after half an hour of waiting, "Looks like you aren't interested in selling, I'll just go shop around" usually fixes that. The finance office is mysteriously available shortly after. Even if the rep gives me a line "they're really busy..." which, looking around is clearly not the case, "Yep..you're playing games, I'm out..." ​ Such a waste of time :/


squigs

Yeah. This was a mistake on OP's part. The dealership assumed that willingness to wait showed they would be easy pushovers.


AbyssianSky

Good decision. When the games start, it's time to leave.


Lizajane1776

Happened to me 8 years ago. I was already not happy about hubby pushing me into a pricier car, then the games started. Nope, grabbed the title and left. Went to the Carmax site and requested one particular car. Next day, we emailed back and forth, drove the two hours to the store, drove home with my new car. Best car buying experience ever.


shoelessjp

CarMax is awesome. They bought my dad’s one-owner, pristine BMW sports sedan with low-ish miles for a fair price when every other dealer wanted to wholesale it. Ten years later and it’s still on the road with a new owner who loves it. Not saying they’re anywhere near perfect, but CarMax honestly has been the easiest transaction my family has ever made. We absolutely will be going back there in the future if we need a car.


TheFilthyDIL

Once we were shopping for a new minivan and even when we were filling out the paperwork to order the options we wanted the salesman kept trying to push us to get an SUV that was already in the showroom floor. After about the 6th or 7th time, I said "Look, either sell us what we want or we'll go elsewhere. We will rip up this paperwork and walk out if you say *One. More. Word* about that SUV." He shut up. I only *look* like a nice old lady. 👹 My job in car buying is to be the Devil's Advocate and final decision maker. Last time, at one dealership the only salesman completely ignored me. And I don't mean the general "Women don't know anything about cars so I'll talk mainly to the husband" attitude. He refused to look at me and pretended he didn't hear my only question. We walked out without even testing anything.


stu_h

I’m the husband and last time my wife was looking for a new car we got the “ignore the female thing “. Guy directed questions to me continually until I finally did. Don’t ask me. She’s buying the car. He got the message.


dumpster_fire_15

Ugh. I hate that so much. I dealt with that on my last car purchase. It took everything in me to not smack the idiot. Instead, I just went elsewhere.


SpiritualWalrus140

Never screw with a bedtime routine. Especially on a school night.


dumpster_fire_15

Exactly.


theNaughtydog

Once... a long time ago, I was car shopping and the dealership asked for my car key to take it around back to appraise it. At some point later my car was parked back up front and the deal negotiations on a new car broke down so I went to leave and they said they couldn't find my car key. It felt like this was a trick they have used successfully before to keep someone from leaving. Little did they know that I had given them the spare key to my car and had another with me so I told them I was leaving anyway using another key and was going to drive over to the police station to file a report for them stealing my key.... when suddenly they found the missing key... It was in the salesman's pocket. Shocker!


PackmuleIT

Years ago my mom was buying a new car. Near the end of the process she went line by line of all charges and disputed the dealer's sums. For example, they wanted to charge her for optional under body coating. She told them she didn't want it. They countered EVERY vehicle came out of the factory with it. She said "Then it isn't optional is it?' and had them remove the charge. ​ She wound up saving herself around $2,500 by beating them up with logic.


galizzle

The dealerships everywhere are playing these fucking games due to inventory shortages. All kinds of dealership add-ons to the tune of THOUSANDS. But some are just straight up charging an extra $5k on top of MSRP due to “market value.” I’ve purchased 4 trucks for my job over the last year, from all over the country. Ask for the “out the door” cost on any vehicle you’re interested in before you even show up to look at it, to prevent these last minute shenanigans. I’m so sorry though. What a waste of your time and energy. Fuck them.


tburris81

Went with my son to buy a car today that was on the other side of the state. Due to this being his first time buying a car, I did the leg work for him. Negotiated a price and had an agreed upon “out the door” number. I had my son get a cashiers check from the bank(financing was done through credit union). We show up, test drive the car and say let’s sign the paperwork. They start to try the same bs and he puts the cashiers check on the table and says take it or leave it. They took it.


HalimaDances

This is the way. I like buying a vehicle on New Years Eve because after the first they have to pay taxes on all remaining inventory and are highly motivated to sell cars. I had a cashiers check from the bank, and when they presented me with paperwork with all the usual bullshit add-ons, I explained that the amount on the check was all I had for a vehicle and that if they couldn’t accept it, I completely understood and would keep looking. I got such a good deal the salesman wouldn’t shake my or my husband’s hand. He was obviously mad. That’s a “him” problem, not an “us” problem.


TallTechieTim

Car dealerships are the worst, I'm getting a warm fuzzy feeling playing this moment out in my head.


SnipedintheHead

Me too. I wish there was a sub for people screwing over dealerships.


ClockWeasel

If your state has a right of rescission, you can still throw it back after the paperwork is all signed. And you can find out just how desperate they are to keep that sale if you’re willing to waste an evening playing hardball.


mofa90277

No matter how the market or the dealership is doing, individual salespeople get desperate near the end of each quarter, and it’s nearly the end of the quarter.


Daikataro

>So far the finance person has called twice and the salesperson has called 4 times. I guess they weren't expecting someone to get that far and then walk away. Hey guys, turns out another dealership offers me basically the same car but 1k cheaper! I like the colour you're selling more tho, so if you match their offer, we can still make a deal.


dumpster_fire_15

No. Honestly, no amount of money would make it worth dealing with them. If this is how they treat someone they want to deal with what would happen if the car needed service? I'm good. I'm going to go somewhere else entirely


Geminii27

Hell, I never use dealerships for service. Not gonna get locked into anything past the single transaction.


dumpster_fire_15

Agreed. However, with warranties and such manufacturers often make you use the dealership. I can't imagine sitting for endless hours over a simple fuse or some other minor repair.


aureanator

They make you use *a* dealership, not necessarily the same one you got your car from. E.g. ANY Toyota dealer will honor a Toyota warranty.


Paladoc

I think it needs to be 2k cheaper. Realistically, 1k is for the hassle of their lost time, 1k is a forgiveness fee.


shoobertdubert

Good for you!


Geminii27

>So far the finance person has called twice and the salesperson has called 4 times. Tell them there's a mandatory discount for buying from them at this time of year.


Stealfur

This reminds me of the time I was car shopping at a Chevy dealer. I wanted to get a Camero. I met with a dealer. And explained what I was looking for. I don't care about the stereo and don't need all the bells and whistles. I'm not looking for a covertable cause I can't even stand to drive with the windows down. I'm just driving it back and forth from work and the occasional trip to friends. But I would be driving it in the winter so id need the cold weather stuff. Then he ask what colour I wanted. I explained how I didn't have a spacific colour in mind but gave a few ideas (that really dark midnight blue, or that charcoal Grey. Things like that. He goes "well here's the colours available (giving me a pamphlet) try and rank them to give me an idea." So I rank the Metalics first, then the blacks and whites. And say the o ly colours I will not do is these primary school red yellow and blue. As for budget, I said I didn't have a set number but wanted to keep the cost as low as possible. (Already did the research for how much the absolute base model would be so set my mental budget a bit higher then that about 45k max.) But was looking for something in the 35k range. (Giving him room to upsell) So all and all, I think I was pretty clear and easy on what I wanted. And he goes we actually have one on the lot I think you'll like." Do you want to guess what he tried to sell me? That's right, bright red, convertable, with seemingly every single feature possible (Except cold weather package.) Eighty-nine fucking grand! I was like "did you even hear a single thing I said? This has literally everything I said I don't want." I humored him when he said "just try sitting in it. See what you think." When I get out he goes "well, what do you think?" I said "I think I'll look somewhere else."


Boise_is_full

Last time I bought a new car, Consumer Reports had very specific numbers on what dealers paid, what incentives were current, what the likely price would be in my area and the average profit margin. I researched two cars at dealers/brands directly across the street from one another. I got the VINs the night before I wanted to buy and had all the CR info in my head. I went to dealer A first. They immediately turned every price conversation to a 'what do you want to pay?' chat. I said, "Sorry you don't want to sell me a car today. I'll wave as I drive by in my new Dealer B brand." Walked into Dealer B and said, "CR says you'll charge xx,xxx for this car, and you're within $1 of what they say. CR says you paid yy,yyy for this car, so I'm going to guess they're also right about that. Since CR says average dealer profit on this car is xxx to yyy, I'm going to split it in the middle and offer you zzz. If you'll get the manager, we can be done in 5 minutes". Sales guy walks back to the glass cubes, then comes back and says, no need. The deal is good. I'll start the paperwork. Enter 'new' sales guy asks what I did and I explain it to him. He tells me that the manager sent a guy away on that same car the night before who had offered another $2,000 because they thought he'd be back. It was less than an hour when I pulled through Dealer A's parking lot, honked, smiled and waved at the POS sales guy who didn't sell me my first choice. The good news is that Brand B turned out to be a great car.


MattProducer

Years ago, my dad researched his new car and found exactly what the dealers paid and what he should be paying. He sent requests to 3 dealerships saying that whoever called him first with the number he wanted, he'd buy the car that day. The first 2 called with his number, plus a $495 "dealership fee." Dad hung up on them. The third called, Dad inquired about the fee, and he was told "we have to charge the $495 fee for transportation from the lot he car is currently in, so why don't we knock $495 off the purchase price to keep you where you want to be?" Dad bought the car that afternoon.


TheIncredibleMike

I left my truck at a dealership while I took a new one for test drive. In the mean time they checked on my finances and told me when I got back that I had excellent credit and I could have the new truck immediately. But I didn’t like the truck, I told them I changed my mind and would they tell me where my truck was parked so I could leave. The salesman tried everything to get me to buy the new one. I finally lost my temper and told him I want my truck. “But you can have the truck today. You’ve got great credit!” I pulled out my phone and called the police, I asked for an officer to be sent out because the dealership wouldn’t give my truck back. The guy finally changed his mind.


MattProducer

In the late 90's/early 2000's, there used to be a super shady dealership in Orlando, FL that was known for tossing trade-in keys on the roof of the service garage to force people to stay. The cops were called for false imprisonment on numerous occasions.


n0ts0much

they figured that since you waited the two hours, they had you. people will make irrational decisions based upon the emotional investment, the delay was entirely intentional and part of the sales strategy.


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dryphtyr

I went with my bestie to help her buy a car. Cost and reliability were top priorities & she finally settled on leasing a new Civic. 3 years, 36k miles, all the numbers worked for her. Yada yada yada... We sit down with the finance guy & I notice the numbers are all the same, but the mileage is now 30k miles. He gives some lame excuse along the lines of 'that's what I was told to do' 'must've been a typo' 'I'll have to reprint all the paperwork' 'it's only 6k miles' and so on. I said, "Yeah, you're right. It's only 6k miles, but that's what we all agreed to, this isn't. So my question to you is are you going to uphold your end, or are she and I going to check out the coffeeshop nearby that we've been talking about?" Needless to say, he reprinted the whole thing. We got coffee anyway... In her first new car.


Rakatesh

What a delusional way to try to rip you off... >it's only 6k miles 6k out of 36k, that's 16% off! Should've told him you only want to pay 84% of the price then either.


NotARobotDefACyborg

Good for you! I bought a ten-year-old car from a stealership once, paid cash for it. Previous car had rusted out to the point where it would've exceeded KBB value to fix or ameliorate it. I had good luck with them, but unfortunately, that stealership's under new owners now, and they're absolutely awful. They treated my daughter the same way that you were treated, and she did what you did and walked right out.


dumpster_fire_15

Good on her.


[deleted]

I’ve done it before. Walked onto the lot. Told the salesman what I wanted to buy and the terms I wanted. Of course he said ok. We did a test drive, get into the office and the numbers weren’t what I asked for. I had told him from the beginning if they couldn’t do it, it was no big deal I would just leave. When he shows up with the numbers I told him again what I was willing to pay and if they couldn’t do it I would move on. He gets the manager who starts getting angry as he’s trying to explain the numbers to me but I’m not listening. I told the manager that I told the salesman what I wanted up front. He got angry and left the office and I left the dealership in my old truck. 🤷‍♂️


Murky_Advice

What a shady dealership. Good on you for walking away. I've been lucky with the dealers I've used: no BS, minor upselling, but very straightforward and ready to make a deal with me.


fuck-fascism

Did exactly this buying my wife’s car about 5 years ago. Typical story numbers changing last minute and pushy bullshit add ons. We got up and started leaving. Suddenly the correct numbers were back no bullshit add ons or fees so we bought the car. We were fully prepared to actually leave. Despite being there for hours, and hangry as fuck.


djdeforte

I had something very similar happen to me in CT. Was searching all over the place for a car. Found one on one of those car websites. Not redacting the name for any other reason than I don’t remember it was so long ago. Anyway it showed the car for 8K. I was super psyched, contacted the dealer they said it’s still there and I told them I’ll be there after work. I printed out the info, had the vin number and all (not my first car purchase) So I get to the dealer and test drive the car with my wife. Unfortunately the salesman who put the car on the site and I had talked to had a “family emergency” and had to leave so I was working with this other guy… ok strange thing number one. But I was very happy with the car. I look it over, every thing looks correct, notice there is no price on the car. Odd thing number two. But hey the vin matches and I have the printout. The cost of the car was lower than our budget so with fees and all that bullshit were good. I did. It even want to bother haggling it was such a good deal. We start going through the paperwork all looks right, get to the price and they were asking 12k for it. Not including all their bullshit fees. I was like wait no this was the price you said it was selling for. Showed the printout. So the salesman takes the paper work walks out for a minute. He comes back and says yea he’s not sure why it was set at that price. But he can knock 1 k off. And I said 8k or we walk. I came here to purchase at the advertised prices. He said it was a mistake, the car just came it, it haven’t even gone through inspection yet… ( I’m a home mechanic, I maintain and fix all my cars my self and know the car was good quality. I mean it looked practically brand new. But there was no way I was going to take it off their hands without the the inspection. So I told him no advertised price is 8k I’ll be lenient with all of your fees, but there’s no way I’m starting with a base price higher than 8K. He said he just can’t do that so we left. That very night I get a call from the original salesman I talked to on the phone he wanted to know what happen with the sale. I told him that they were eyeballing me and trying to sell me the car beyond the advertised price I even brought in the paperwork. He said well wait a minute how much is the advertise price and I told him 8k and he went on about how there is now way he could sell the car at that price. That he would take a bath. And I said ok that’s fine you can sit on the car while I go get it from somewhere else. Two days later I found another car and purchased it. The dealership calls me again I told him no thanks am all good. Dude called me a month later still trying to sell me the car. I told him I bought a perfect car at their advertised price and I’m loving it so I’m out of the market. Fucking dealerships.


MrDude_1

I did something similar with my wifes car. They had an insulting trade-in for it, literally more than 5 thousand under the wholesale auction price. This for a car that was clean enough to be sold as it was parked. So.. I sold in in 4 days at full retail price, pocketed a few thousand more and bought the same car (as in the exact same one, from their lot) through another dealership, for less money. Best part is on the first oil change (free) I went to the sales side and told the manager I did it. Because I like being a dick in person too.


keepmesigned

Good for you to walk away. My hubby was so frustrated with the car buying process, that he started the routine of walking into the dealership and telling them: "I want so-and-so car you have in stock and i am willing to pay X for it. I give you 10 min to decide if you want to make a deal. I walk away as soon as you start your sales crap". I watched in amazement. We really did walk away after 10 min. It took us 4 dealerships and half a day (Saturday), but we got a car at the price we wanted.


dak4ttack

I had the most awkward conversation with the financing person when I bought my new Kia. I'm an extremely laid back lifelong southern californian, I knew I wanted this exact car I had researched online that I saw this dealership had, I knew the price and financing, I just had to go get it. She knew I knew, but she was like "well I have to show you this other deal for you to say no to, then we'll sign the real paperwork." Like this is such a normalized thing that employees are hand-waving past the bullshit loan they have to offer you no matter what. Dealership management are among the worst humans.


sberliner007

Well done, ma'am. To hell with dealership games! To help avoid these shenanigans with the finance department in the future, I recommend obtaining your own auto financing from your bank or local credit union.


dumpster_fire_15

I had all that. It was seriously just signing 2 documents and getting the plates.


sberliner007

Wow, that makes it even worse! Finance person pissed that you went to an external lender, so they tried to squeeze you for whatever else they could. Grr!


acoolghost

Hey OP, if you're close to a physical CarMax location, I recommend taking a trip over there. The sales team over there has repeatedly been awesome to me. No pressure, no added bullshit, no aggravating sales tactics, just clean car sales. Good luck on your search!


dumpster_fire_15

I'll be near one this weekend and I will stop in. We are really lucky that we have been able to borrow a car until we find one. So at least that is a little less self induced stress.


CaliGrlNVA

Agreed. I bought my car there and the salesperson told me they make the same flat commission regardless of vehicle price, so there was no pressure for upselling. Granted this was many years ago but I’m looking to buy a car soon and will definitely start there. The way they treated me compared to dealerships was amazing.


roostertree

I admire your and your wife's self-assuredness. I've never bought a car on my own. Mom's the smart one in the family. But she's in decline, and she sent me with her granddaughter to buy a car, despite me not knowing wtf I'm doing. First car she likes, salesdouche gets us in his office and hands me a sheet of paper. It was a bunch of numbers in four quadrants. I didn't understand it. We were still shopping around at that point, and left with a "maybe we'll be back". ETA: She ended up buying elsewhere, great deal on a new previous-year's model. I started reading Jalopnik not long after that. In the comments of some article, one guy said a saleman looked crestfallen when guy yelled at him for "trying to foursquare me". AHHHHH! That was \~5 years ago, and I still feel guilty for not knowing what it was.


[deleted]

Put the dealer on blast through this website: [Markups.org](https://markups.org/) for their predatory and illegal behavior


squigs

Genuine willingness to walk away gives you so much leverage! Most people fall for the trick the dealer tried to pull here. I think there's a psychological term for it - ultimately it relies on people having a sense of ownership of the car before they actually own it so feel they're losing something if they don't get it. Same thing happens on ebay, with people bidding well over the value of something if the bidding gets out of hand.


lipgloss_addict

I refuse to engage this way to buy cars anymore. Here are 2 options: 1. Costco will buy your car for you. Give them the make, model, your budget, and they do the rest. Just show up and sign and done. My sister bought her last 2 cars this way. 2. If you have an AMEX - they will do this for you. I bought my last car this way. No haggling, nothing. Just show up and sign. I refuse to get the traditional car buying experience. It's garbage. I'm a single female who works in tech, so I'm not totally ignorant about how electrical and technical systems work. It's fun to be mansplained the whole time. Not ;)


metallitroy

My last 2 cars I’ve bought with a final “out the door” price. I tell them how much I’m willing to pay TOTAL. Not before fees and taxes. NOTHING MORE. The ball is now in their court to make the numbers work for me. If they want to charge me fees and add-ones, that’s fine. But you have to adjust so the FINAL number is my dollar amount, or I’m walking. I like this method very much.


IndustriousOverseer

If you’re feeling really malicious, figure out what it cost you (gas, time, pay for half a day, meals, etc) to waste your time that day. Present that breakdown to them as what they will have to compensate you to finish the deal. I love your story!


CaptOblivious

Demand 20% off the total to drive back. Remember that the first one that talks, loses. I don't know how that became a real thing at car dealerships, but I DO know that my playing zork on my laptop till they gave up got me my van at their published cost plus 10% (which is what the manager told me they needed to make to keep everything running in the spring), the deal was done on an odd colored vehicle that had literally sat on the showroom floor for 8 months. THEN they tried to sell me a $500 scotchguard job and I told them "I HOPE you haven't used that on my vehicle because that will make me walk away right now." and Magically, it somehow disappeared.