...and this is why we call it the "Stealership."

[Tele-Bob]

Leased a new car yesterday. Got through all the negotiations and arrived at a good price.

I go over to the finance office to sign everything, and they whack me with an additional $1500 on top of the down payment, they wanted at signing.

As we negotiated the deal, they simply took out the Doc Fee, then the bloated Reg Fee, then one of the tax charges, to get the monthly payment down, and then added them back to the front end of the deal, and tried to collect it in advance!

Weeee Doggy! That's not nice. I refused to pay the $1500 and they whined that they'd have to eat it themselves if I didn't pay it. You can imagine how sympathetic I was.

I refused to sign. We had a deal, and they tried screw me on it.

1 1/2 hours later, they ate the $1500 and I drove away in my new car. Farging iceholes. Rotten bastages.

[phantomman]

Ya done good, Bob.

I'm picturing some clown like the Bill Paxton character in "True Lies" coming home to his double-wide tornado magnet and whining to his domineering wife that they won't be able to afford the new toaster oven this month because he lost his sales commission to a customer who had more on the ball than he.

[OldStrummer]

I hate car shopping. And you went through this for a lease, no less? I'll say this about brand loyalty: When I go car shopping, I go to the same dealer, the same salesperson (it helps that I know her personally) and know what to expect.

[Tele-Bob]

I hate car shopping. And you went through this for a lease, no less? I'll say this about brand loyalty: When I go car shopping, I go to the same dealer, the same salesperson (it helps that I know her personally) and know what to expect.

I have been a loyal Mazda customer for my last 3 cars. I know these guys, and still, they try to play these games. You'd think they'd know by now. It has gotten to the point where it's almost amusing.

[OldStrummer]

I have been a loyal Mazda customer for my last 3 cars. I know these guys, and still, they try to play these games. You'd think they'd know by now. It has gotten to the point where it's almost amusing.

Some folks just get so used to following a script. For example, I had an online meeting Thursday of about 60 people who are all part of something our new management calls "sales enablement." There is a growing list of "titles" under this new management and I spent an hour listening to a lot of rah-rah and buzzwords meant to motivate the team.

I keep getting reminders that I've become old. I've seen this movie before. A number of times, even though the new crowd salivates like Pavlov's dog as if this were something entirely new and shiny.

[gibsonjunkie]

I love car shopping! I wish they weren't the second most expensive purchase we make in our lives... I'd buy them all the time! Like OldStrummer, I frequent the same dealerships and work with the same salesperson when I can and it has tended to help. I also like smaller, family owned dealerships (although they keep getting bought up by the bigger conglomerates). I know (and hate) the "Final Gauntlet" of the finance person and their quest to get you to pay for all the needless cr@p and fees, and am always prepared to walk away at the last minute.

Good on ya' Tele-Bob!!! Now... DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!

[Tele-Bob]

I know (and hate) the "Final Gauntlet" of the finance person and their quest to get you to pay for all the needless cr@p and fees, and am always prepared to walk away at the last minute.

They tried to charge me for "etched glass" with the vin # on it in case the car gets stolen. I'm like, "hey it's your car. I don't own it. That's what insurance is for, and I'm not paying for glass etching."

I have dealt with the same dealership for many years, but it has been bought and sold several times. Can't be loyal these days, even if you try.

[Qckslvr]

I hate car shopping as well, and I work for a dealership!

Well we are a commercial dealership, we don't get your average car shopper. Pretty much no haggling here.

One of the best bits of advice one of my truck salesmen gave me is, "don't be afraid to get up and walk away." He said if they want that sale they'll stop you before you make it out of the driveway.

Also don't be afraid to put the "screws" to them so to speak. My father saw a used Audi A6 quattro on the lot of the local Audi dealer. It was to be my mom's first ever luxury car. The car was stupid cheap compared to other A6s. He and my mom drove it, loved it, and haggled the price a little. When he went to finance the finance manager said congrats on your Audi A4.... My father said no, we were buying an A6 quattro. Come to find out the dealership put the wrong window sticker on the A6. The sticker was for a strip model A4. Oh to say the least the dealer ship was not happy. Told my father they would NOT sell him the A6 for the negotiated price that was on paper, which had their signatures and such on it. We threatened the BBB and to call the CA state consumer affairs board. In the end we got an Audi A6 quattro for the price of an A4. And to top it off we paid cash for it (we had our own financing). That will ALWAYS tick off a dealer, because we get kick backs when we sell your loan.

Also one bit of advice.... your best deal is always on the car that has sat on the lot the longest. As dealerships don't want to keep paying the flooring cost.