ANSWERS TO TOP 10 DEVIOUS STATEMENTS MADE BY CAR SALESMEN

(1) “I’ll give you the price only if you’ll commit to buy today.”

Your answer: I’ll ask you once more for your best price. There are 3 car dealerships that sell this same make within a half-hour drive of here. If I don’t get your best price right now, I’ll walk out of your showroom and you’ll never see me again.

(2) “I’m sorry, but we just sold that car we advertised, but we have others just like it”.

Your answer: I know that Florida law now allows you to add your $899 dealer fee to the advertised price, because, technically, I’m not buying the advertised car. I also know that you can now legally add “dealer installed options” to the low ad price. However, if you do not sell me the car I came in to buy for the advertised price, I will walk out that door and you will never see me again.

(3) “This price is good for today only”.

Your answer: I don’t believe you and I won’t make my decision to buy today. I want to shop and compare your price with your competition and, if yours is the best price, I will call you to see if I can buy it for that price. If you tell me that I can’t, I’ll buy it from your competitor.

(4) “This price is so low that I’m willing to guarantee it or pay you $1,000 [or some other amount] if you can find a better one”.

Your answer: First of all, no retailer can always have the lowest prices. If they did, they could not make a profit and remain in business. I’ll bet you can’t give me the name of just one customer that you paid your $1,000 guarantee to. I also know that you ‘reserve the right to buy the exact car from the dealer that I say has the lower price.’ What makes you think that I would believe your competitor would sell you that car so that you could steal his customer?” You must think I’m really stupid and I don’t want to buy a car from somebody who thinks his customers are stupid.

(5) “I can give you this price only if you take a car from my present inventory. If I have to order a car or dealer-trade a car, the price will be higher.”

Your answer: My car is very important to me. I want the exact color and accessories that will satisfy me and not a compromise. I will buy the car from you only if you agree to get me the exact car I want at the price you just quoted me. If not, I’ll bet that your competitor will.

(6) “I can’t give you this price in writing unless you will give me a deposit”.

Your answer: I know that Florida law allows you to keep my deposit if I change my mind about buying. I also know that you do not want to commit to a price in writing because I might show your price to your competitor who may beat it. That’s the risk you have to take if you want my business. If you do, you have a chance at my buying a car from you. If you don’t, you have no chance because you will never see me again.

(7) “What will you pay for this car today? Or, make me an offer on this car and I’ll take it to my manager for approval”.

Your answer: This is not a game that we’re playing. I’m about to make the 2nd largest purchase of my life. If I was shopping for a TV set and the salesman said that to me, I would walk out without another word and buy from his competitor. And that’s exactly what I’m about to do to you unless you give me your best price in writing.

(8) “We cannot quote you a price over the phone”.

Your answer: It makes no sense to me that I should have to drive 10 miles and back to your dealership just so that you can tell me the price of the car I want to buy. I can get prices on the Internet so why can’t I get them on the telephone? I think the reason you want me to drive to your dealership is so that you can pressure me into buying today without competitive shopping. If you won’t give me your best price right this minute, you will never hear from me again because I will buy from your competitor.

(9) “I’m sorry but the owner isn’t available right now and we are not allowed to give out his cell phone number”.

Your answer: If the owner of this dealership is too busy to speak to his customers than I’m too busy to buy my next car from him.

(10) “The reason that this $749 item labeled dealer fee [or doc fee, dealer prep, handling fee, admin fee, pre-delivery fee, etc] was not included in the price that I quoted you is because it is ‘to cover our costs of inspecting, cleaning, and adjusting vehicles and preparing documents for sale’.”

Your answer: The price quoted to a customer for any product should include all of the costs of the seller. Furthermore, I know that the manufacturers of all cars reimburse their dealers for “inspecting, cleaning, and adjusting vehicles”. I also know that now you’re going to tell me that you must charge me your dealer fee because you charge all customers this same fee. But, I also know that you can deduct the amount of your fee from the price you quoted me and leave the dealer fee on the buyers’ order which will have the same net effect of removing it. If you do not agree, I will walk out of your dealership and never return.