The image some people have of a car salesman is that of a sleazy conman that wears corduroy suits and has oily slicked back hair. That might not be how all car salesmen look but it’s a stereotype that will probably not be going away anytime soon.
The reason why some consumers consider car salesmen to be untrustworthy is because they always seem to have tricks up their sleeves in order to convince you to buy a car. What matters most is that they make a sale. In order to avoid becoming a victim, watch out for some of these tricks that might be played on you.
Don’t Play the Waiting Game
Buying your ideal car can be difficult. All the research you did to find the car of your dreams can sometimes be done in vain if you can’t find any local dealerships with this car in stock. One trick that car salesmen will play on you is that they’ll tell you they can get the car you want. All they have to do is put in a factory order.
You’re ecstatic at the news, even if the dealership tells you it’ll be a few months until the car arrives. You can handle such a waiting period because you really want the car. A few months go by and then you get a phone call from the dealership telling you that the shipment has been delayed. You can get your deposit back, but then the wait starts all over again. Watch out for this car salesman trick, as you’ll have to wait longer than promised for the car you want.
Watch Out For Your Own Interests
Car dealerships will have banners all over their lot advertising a special interest rate. It might even be what lures you onto the lot, but be wary of such advertisements. Dealerships can only offer very low, too-good-to-be-true interest rates if they can offset their loss somehow. Car salesmen will gladly offer you a low interest rate, but only on cars with a high purchase price. It’s the only way for them to make money and for you to take advantage of their low, low offer. Your best bet is to avoid the low interest rate advertisement and not get stuck buy a car that’s out of your price range.
Avoid Bargain Basement Shopping
Salesmen always have cars on their lot that they are more than willing to let go for a good price. These cars are usually demo cars. However, don’t only buy a demo car only for its affordable price tag because these demo cars have a lot of mileage on them from test drivers. Car salesmen will be selling you a car for a fraction of the cost, but it’s also a fraction of a car!
If you do your best not to fall for these three car salesmen tricks listed above you’ll be just fine as you continue along your car buying journey.
John is a writer for http://www.hertzcarsales.com/ his typical day at the office includes duties such as test driver, and editor. John can be found at any number of car shows across the US as he travels and writes.