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An old saying comes to mind when it comes to buying cars and other expensive items: A fool and his money are soon parted.
Just make sure that you are not one of the fools who will pay for over-priced, low-quality, poorly-installed, "accessories", and your problem will be resolved.
OMG, I didn't think they were pulling that c rap anymore. Back in the 80's, remember it was commonplace for dealers to add undercoating/pinstriping to the car?
I wouldn't pay extra, and actually not sure I would trust a dealer who would jack the price up for that stuff anyway.
Exactly. I think this is what I was trying to say "I would not trust the dealer" that would do this.
An old saying comes to mind when it comes to buying cars and other expensive items: A fool and his money are soon parted.
Just make sure that you are not one of the fools who will pay for over-priced, low-quality, poorly-installed, "accessories", and your problem will be resolved.
Don't worry Retriever, I don't spend foolishly when it comes to buying a vehicle. I shop carefully and when I buy one I maintain it. I usually keep a vehicle 8 to 10 years.
i sold Mazdas and Mitsus in the late 80's-early 90's, 1st year Miatas in Wi were $5k over sticker (and we were lower on that then some other dealers), and as it was THE car to get and was order-only it was accepted. We had a $10k markup on the 1st year 3000gt vr-4's, and as that was a limited run car same thing what we got in we sold, no one questioned it. But seeing markups on standard cars/trucks seems out of whack.
We've noticed near every dealer we've shopped at here in SC, all add on near the same "package" (cargo mats, mudguards, etc) and all have that dang process fee.
As others have noted, just get to the price you are willing to pay. If the dealer accepts it and you leave with mats in the car, good for you. And with the internet, shopping around is just a click away (geez i sound like an ad now lol)
Don't worry Retriever, I don't spend foolishly when it comes to buying a vehicle. I shop carefully and when I buy one I maintain it. I usually keep a vehicle 8 to 10 years.
Then we have similar approaches to buying vehicles!
My personal approach is as follows:
I will not pay for added "accessories" that I did not order.
I do careful price comparisons among dealerships that are known for being less sleazy.
I usually order my car, so that it is built to my own specifications.
I pay cash.
I maintain the vehicle better than the mfr specifies.
I wash & wax it regularly, and garage it when it is not being used.
I drive the car for 8-10 years, at which point I get a very good price for it, as a result of its excellent appearance and excellent mechanical condition.
And, by that time, I have saved the $30k or so that I need to buy the next car.
Then we have similar approaches to buying vehicles!
My personal approach is as follows:
I will not pay for added "accessories" that I did not order.
I do careful price comparisons among dealerships that are known for being less sleazy.
I usually order my car, so that it is built to my own specifications.
I pay cash.
I maintain the vehicle better than the mfr specifies.
I wash & wax it regularly, and garage it when it is not being used.
I drive the car for 8-10 years, at which point I get a very good price for it, as a result of its excellent appearance and excellent mechanical condition.
And, by that time, I have saved the $30k or so that I need to buy the next car.
Sir, there is $750 in ADM( addtl dealer markup) on this car.
"ha, nice try, not paying it"
(stand up and begin to walk out)
Repeat this exact response until you get everything you want. You will leave empty handed the first time. After one or two times, youll know when to sign up.
The key to buying a car is to make the salesman uncomfortable. Thats what they try to do to you. Flip it on them, and play their game. Remind your self that they NEED you. You want what they have, but they NEED you.
This happened to me when I bought my wife's Mini Countryman. The dealer (which is a joint BMW Mini dealership in MSP) installed protective film on the hood to prevent rock chips but didn't disclose this until we were negotiating price. Wasn't even listed on the window sticker. Its a sneaky way to increase their margins on sales, especially with cars that have very small differences between MSRP and invoice pricing. I'd never deal with them again.
When we bought our latest car, the protective film was a dealer option that was brought up in the financing phase, which is a more respectable way to deal with it (right to refuse, like the extended warranty, tire coverage, etc).
I can recall, many years ago, looking at cars in a showroom, and noticing that every one of them (as well as the ones sitting in front of the dealership) had an extra sticker affixed to it, listing essentially useless (and sometimes impossible to verify) things that had been added by the dealership.
So, I asked a salesman, "Does every one of your cars come with a Dealer Pack?".
He responded in the affirmative, so I simply said, "Well, then I guess that I am not buying a car from you".
As he followed me to the door, he then added, "Well--okay--it is possible to buy one w/o a Dealer Pack".
As I exited, my parting comment was, "Well, at the very least, now I know that I can't rely on what I am told at this dealership. First it is impossible, then it is possible. Goodbye".
In reality, I knew that this place had a really sleazy reputation, but I wanted to see for myself, and the chance of buying a car from them was a very remote possibility right from the beginning.
I dont care about that kind of thing. With my way of buying cars, I get that stuff for free by refusing to pay for it. Trust me, theyd rather eat the cost for each person who fights it. Most wont, and they make a ton on those people.
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