Lesson Learned: Never Walk into a Dealership Alone

[andyaycw]

It has been almost 3 months since this happened, but I still have a terrible taste in my mouth. All this from a very reputable dealership touting awards for honesty and integrity.

Last December, I get a mailer from the dealership where I purchased my car. It says they're interested in buying back my car and giving me a great deal and that their motivation is for year-end tax benefit purposes. While I had no intention of trading in my car, I wanted to see what they'd offer for my trade-in. I also wanted to talk to them about the SkyActiv engine on the new models (alas, when I first purchased my car, I drove no more than 15 miles a day to and from work, so gas mileage was less of a concern back then. Now, however, I drive close to 100 miles a day to and from work.)

I drive up in my 2010 Mazda 3 S and am greeted by a salesman as I step inside. I show him the letter I received, and he insists that we go for a quick test drive in the car I'm somewhat interested in. Keep in mind my primary reason was to first see what they'd offer for my current car.

Long story short, all is well until we sit down to discuss numbers. Strike one: the salesman does not discuss anything about the car I just test drove. I have no idea about what options I'm getting/not getting. Moonroof? Sound system? Do I get the mirror with the homelink? Nothing - just cuts right to the numbers that will make him a nice big fat commission. Now from what I can gather on the Mazda website, the car I would have bought had no options and had an MSRP of $20,345. I do not recall what the dealer invoice was.

• The salesman offered me the car at $21,500. $1,200 above not the invoice, but the MSRP. Are you kidding me!?
•  The salesman offered me $12,800 for my current vehicle, $1,700 below Edmunds KBB expected value for trade-in (and conveniently, pretty much the amount needed to pay off my current loan)
• The salesman tells me we can't negotiate the two prices separately - that they can only be "flexible" on one of the items. Um, give me a terrible deal like this and you're gonna have to meet me at both ends..
• Loan term to be extended from 48 months remaining to 60 months, with payments increasing by $80/month (I estimated I'd be saving roughly $80/month with the better gas mileage on the new car, but with the loan payments increasing by the same amount, I wouldn't be seeing any savings for 5 years until the loan was paid off)
• To be fair, I did say I did not want to put any money down
• Interest rate on the new loan to be 2.9% versus 0% on my current loan (I will say I got a kick out of telling the salesman that 'the 2.9% rate is 2.9% higher than what I'm paying right  now')
• My car keys mysteriously disappeared after they took it for a test drive, only to reappear after I asked for a price close to what I originally paid for the car about a year ago (I felt pressured and needed an OUT, so I just asked for what I knew would be an unreasonable price)

If they wanted to give me this bad of a deal with the benefit of their year-end tax bonus, I don't even want to know what they'd offer during the regular year without any incentives.

[poops]

Those mailers are just to get you into the dealership. Nothing else.

I once had the disappearing car keys pulled on me. As soon as I threatened to call the police, my keys miraculously appeared. Good thing cell phones are now ubiquitous...

[pizzadude]

Yeah it's amazing how many keys and DLs get "misplaced" at car dealers during negotiations.

[Watchmann]

"While I had no intention of trading in my car, I wanted to see what they'd offer for my trade-in."

There is your mistake.......a completely contradictory reason for going to the dealer.  Why would you waste their time, and yours, just to find out what your car is worth if you have no intention of doing a deal?  Never, ever, visit a dealer just to 'look around', once you are on their territory you are a target to get sold a car.  The lesson is not to never go to a dealership alone, the lesson is to NEVER VISIT A DEALER UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW VEHICLE.

[wayne6372]

Never go by Kelly blue book.always use nada for your true trade in value.I find the listing higher then Kelly.

[laz98]

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@Watchmann wrote:

"While I had no intention of trading in my car, I wanted to see what they'd offer for my trade-in."

There is your mistake.......a completely contradictory reason for going to the dealer.  Why would you waste their time, and yours, just to find out what your car is worth if you have no intention of doing a deal?  Never, ever, visit a dealer just to 'look around', once you are on their territory you are a target to get sold a car.  The lesson is not to never go to a dealership alone, the lesson is to NEVER VISIT A DEALER UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW VEHICLE.

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We did this before we bought our current SUV, & the dealership wouldn't even talk to us.  So we skipped on down the street & bought a vehicle there.  Much better service.  They tried calling us a few days later to see if we would come back in, & we were like NO WAY!!!

[FrugalRican]

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@Watchmann wrote:

the lesson is to NEVER VISIT A DEALER UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW VEHICLE.

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That's what my uncle has always told me and he is a car salesman.

[Cloudlb]

Letter bait and disappearing keys are typical dealer scams.  Not sure why you're surprised, but at least you know not to do biz with that dealer.