I have been in the market to lease a vehicle, and I've encountered a few situations where the online advertised price suddenly gets higher at the dealership for one reason or another. I recently found the vehicle and deal I'd like to move forward with so I scheduled a test drive and went to the dealership to discuss the details.
I brought a printout of the deal advertised on the manufacturers website, and had all my own information in order before going. I foolishly offered a trade in and was surprised when they said they could give me an offer well over the value of the trade in, so I asked to see the final numbers. The monthly price and downpayment were exactly what was advertised and I was ready to seal the deal...then they told me that the pricing I saw included the ~$2,600 positive equity in my trade in.
I asked for a more detailed breakdown and they had to get the manager. He came and tried to confuse me with other printouts and explained away the additional charges as being "tax, license, registration ,etc.". I asked him for a detailed breakdown of the exact cost for the tax, title, license, etc., he went back to his office again, and suddenly the deal dropped down to about $80/mo over what was advertised but this time without any trade in. I told the manager that he was closer, but I still wanted to get the exact deal specified online. He went back to his office a second time, and didn't come back again.
I told the salesperson that I appreciated their time but I was not willing to settle for a deal that was anything above the advertisement. She called the manager and suddenly, like magic, the offer on the table was exactly what was advertised online, no trade-in, nothing extra. I signed the paperwork, and the salesperson later said to me "Wow, you're very smart. Maybe you should sell cars here, you really knew your stuff and got a great deal."
That was my first time standing my ground, asking to see all the numbers and getting an actual good deal at a dealership. I'm sure all situations and dealerships will vary, but do your research, know exactly what is advertised and don't be afraid to stand your ground and even threaten to leave if they won't give you a deal that you approve of. Remind them that you have other options and won't be manipulated into a bad deal.
Submitted February 14, 2021 at 08:44PM by BraveTransportation2 https://ift.tt/3b5gK3B
