Thursday, November 15th, 2007...5:50 pm
The Car Salesman’s Nightmare
Buying or leasing a new car or buying used is traditionally not all that pleasant. If you don’t do every single bit of homework/show any sign of weakness, you will get taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous salespeople whom are often more worried about their commission check than helping a customer find the right car. The sales process they use is an arcane art, understood by few.
However, a few articles that have been widely circulated on the web in recent months give you a bit of insight into the “secrets” they use and can allow you to be a prepared/informed car shopper.
Resources:
Confessions Of A Car Salesman - Edmunds: Edmunds sends a journalist undercover to work at a few dealerships to get the inside scoop - very eye-opening stuff.
Four Square: Dealerships Rip You Off With The Four Square, Here’s How To Beat It - The Consumerist: Great article about the little sheet of paper known as the “four square”. It’s traditionally used to shift numbers around during negotiations and when used by a skilled salesman, can often hide hidden costs. A former used car salesman tells all on this blog entry.
I may be in the market for a used car soon, so I’ll be brushing up on my skills as well. Hopefully my new found haggling skills acquired by dealing with street merchants here in India can transcend geographical borders.
To the readers: Do you have any horror/success stories about buying a car? Post them in the comments for everyone to read!
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