Hi-
Car dealers are fucking scum. (99% / 1% are honest)
They are ALL out to fuck you.
There is not another way to say it.
The truth hurts, and I learned this lesson many times over.
Here are a few tips to follow to not get fucked (like me) -
If you are not mechanically inclined .. its ok. just look for basic clues as to the vehicle s condition ..
like rust, like did it start right away, does it look like its been sitting,
is there rust on the rotors (shiny disc in the wheel).
look at the spot where the car was parked .. is there a patch of oil stains, even a drip ? or any discolorations ?
Act flightly. I know that sounds crazy, and dont give up your keys unless they want them to evaluate your trade. Once they are done, GET YOUR KEYS BACK HOWEVER YOU HAVE TO. (more below #3)
1] Dont sign anything, other than a permit to run your credit. It isnt that big of a deal, and your not IN any trouble yet. But its getting close.
2 ] Assume the dealer is a heroin junkie. Do NOT under ANY curcumstances give them more money than you are willing to lose.
let me be clear on this - give them $100 . no more, no less.
There is not a minimum down payment % amount for the vehicle you want. its a dealer trick to keep your money.
If you get into an argument/disagreement later (YOU WILL!) , then you can walk away, and make them chase you! instead of the other way around.
*i would like to reiterate this point. only $100. if they arent willing to accept that as a down payment - WALK AWAY. i dont care if you like that car. there will be another, somewhere else. its not that rare, and can be bought elsewhere.
chances are your paying to much for it ANYWAY.
3 ] Your trade in - So this is the awful part of the game for you.
You paid X for the car. The dealer is going to offer you 1/3 of that.. or between 2 grand and 4 grand. nevermind if you have a payoff. Look at the bluebook in good condition for your model/year. Bluebook takes an avg of all purchases, sold @ auction/private and uses that to crush the numbers to give a semi acurate number of what you should expect back.
heres what i learned from my experience -
your getting the lower of all the values, and thats if your lucky.
So - heres what you are going to do instead of accept their offer -
-Go back to rule #1 dont sign. i dont want to hear about how nice the new car. dont care.
Then, see what they are willing to offer you, + what you have cash to put down on the car, what you will owe, and your rate. (depends on ur credit)
Now comes that part i learned this time around ... take what they are willing to offer you for the car .. and call another car dealer, in your area.
see if those numbers jive OR if he is offering you a better number on your car.
If the other dealer is offering a higher number sell it to him CASH, even if you were going to trade it in. their contracts will still allow you to do that, if you pay them cash INSTEAD of the car. a hidden little extra on the purchase contract.
again, sign nothing.
easiest way to do this, is call before you go to the dealer to ask about car XYZ with the fancy lights. ;)
Just assume all the vehicles on the lot are shitboxes, until you test drive it, and prove its a worthy of ownership car. take it on the highway ,.. does it shake at highspeed ?does it smell funny ? if yes, walk away .. oil burning, sweet smell, exhaust .. indications of major problems.
does it shift hard, do all the gears work ? most important, do you even like it ?
DO YOU ? really ? your going to have to live with it for the next X years .. 'you better fucking LOVE it.
ok, so now, yes, you want it. it goes vroom, and you feel alive. yay. oh boy.
In my experience, all car dealers arent going to negotiate with you at all on the price. they all same the same thing .. the price is the price, its already the first best offer ... etc.etc..
If you cant afford car X @ price Y,, dont even bother looking at it. they wont budge. and you need a car.
so now that you are ready to do this, and you are ready to sign shit... again .. RULE #1 .. dont yet.
heres a trick i wish i knew .. learned this one the hard way.
they are going to sit you down after a LONG day of car bullshit.
you are tired. and bored, and want to leave. if you have followed my guide so far .. you havent signed anything yet, and have more than 1 offer on your trade in car.
bring s up #4 - the contract .
4 ] Have them prepare you the paperwork (DONT SIGN). For your the car your interested in + your trade (if you choose to do so), and what you will pay/how much you will owe @ what rate.
Get a copy of it and walk out with it. IM SERIOUS.
dont sign anything. if you want the car, put the $100 down, and get the paperwork, and leave with it. tell them you want to go eat or something .. and need a chance to review it. dont sign it there on the spot, it would be FUCKING STUPID to sign it right then .
if they want to sell you the car, they will let you leave with the paperwork.
if not, get back you deposit and WALK AWAY. you could always get the car from a private seller - cheaper in most cases, from a possibly honest person. at least you have a chance.
5] extra crap they want to sell you -
2 in particular -
Enviornmental protection/Scotch Guarding/ New car protection
and
Extended service contract (mechanical)
So- we will address this first -
Enviornmental protection/Scotch Guarding/ New car protection
They are going to give you horror stories on how the elements are going to ruin your paint, destroy your car , spills on the interior ... etc..
Its all bullshit. In my case , a good looking woman (finance mgr) will tell you its included as part of your purchase.
I get a itemized list of items for my car purchase (bill of sale) .. and see theres a
$1550 extra charge for "dealers installed options" - and a breakdown of that is -
1- Env protection/Scotchguard - $999.00
2- Remote starter - $550
Both of which were told to me, as were installed free due to my service contract i bought. it was a scam. it is PURE PROFIT and THEM FUCKING YOU.
I consider myself somewhat mildly inteligent, and this made me angry. I went back to the dealer 2 days in a row @ 9am. (i hate getting up, and barely slept due to this issue) Its not the money , its the prinicipal ,, and for me it was both.
money doesnt grow on trees, and we all work hard.
Dont let them take your hard earned money, in these scams.
**If you must get your car to have that level of protection -
go pay the $250 to have a professional company do it on the side, once you own the car OR do it yourself for $50 of supplies.
Also, a remote car stater is $150 installed at local car shops, unless you go to the dealer, and feel like paying 3 times as much for the same thing.
The next point is the service contract.
I would consider this up to your preference. I dont trust the dealer AT ALL, and think all the cars are POS' and would like to make sure I get a new engine/trans IF mine blows.
I think its worth it .. but not everyone else will. they will just want the cost of the car, and then call it a day,and take their chances ..
But, if you have an existing service contract on your old trade in car .. heres a few caviats i learned in this experience.,,,
It is transferable to a private party.
You CAN CANCEL IT, and get some of your money back.
*you will pay a penalty, but will get some $ back in your pocket. not a bad deal.
6 ] Final ACT
Call the dealer a day or two after ward, (you have had a chance to review that paperwork) see if that car is still available (IF you didnt put the $100 down) and get the financing done at the time of purchase, OR get a banks check to pay for it AT THE TIME OF PICK UP.
Make sure there are no hidden fees, etc and take your chances.
hopefully it will work out for you.
7 ] PICK UP TIME
if you are going to trade in your car, leave it on almost empty - gas-wise.
they are going to do that exact same thing to you, when they give you your new car. do that same thing right back to them. the first trip I take no matter what car ive bought was to the gas station. EVERY TIME.
So I hope this helps SOMEONE out there.
I hate feeling stupid, taken advantage of, slighted, burned, or niave.
just because your not an expert in car repair (nor am I), doesnt mean you shouldnt be able to leave feeling free of mind, with your money, and leaving the car in the brinks is fine.
Please never think that you cant leave and find that same car elsewhere in 95% of situations.
-Again, i hope this helps someone . I will refer to this the next time i buy anything major. If you heed my warning, you may have better results than i .
Im sorry that some of this maybe seen as harsh, but i would rather speak what i consider the truth, rather than lie, and mis-represent the truth I have found.
My last tip- never fall in love with a car .. unless its a project car.
your daily driver, (if you need 2 cars like me) should be your work beater, the other you can fall in love with, but will cheat on you with anyone that throws money at it. Consider a corvette or something like that like a stripper.
she will take your money, and break YOU down until she discards you to get her new master ,, that she will do that exact some thing to. Its an evil thing.
*the truth is the most important thing I think you can offer someone, please share this to whomever you think would benefit from it.
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