| Amazingly, no matter what car the customer | | | | buying the car you really want, even before you |
| wants, it is always 'hot property', 'very sought | | | | get the final price. This is irksome and |
| after' and/or 'hard to find'. Moreover, it isn't a | | | | exasperating for customers, but reasonable from |
| secret; we have all known it for years. | | | | a dealer's point of view. Now your car dealer has |
| Nevertheless, some of us still continue to be | | | | two choices: To give you a quote and watch you |
| tricked into buying a motor vehicle we really don't | | | | walk out the door, or entice you to negotiate. |
| want to buy, and at a higher price than we | | | | Perhaps you may be lucky when negotiating with |
| expected. So let's find out what some of the | | | | the dealer; however, you may never know |
| most favourite and sneaky tactics they get up to | | | | whether you have paid too much. If you feel |
| and put them in our diary so that we can refer to | | | | uncomfortable about a car dealer, then go online |
| them when next buying a new car. | | | | at consumer.vic.gov.au where you can check that |
| Almost every new car dealership will drop the | | | | this trader of motor cars in Victoria is licensed and |
| initial price they have listed on a car for sale. | | | | has Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCT) number. |
| However, what you must be wary of are the | | | | Most auto classifieds online give a price, which you |
| scams, pressure tactics, twists, and turns that | | | | can work with, but a regular trick, which is |
| motorcar salespeople have up their sleeves. It is | | | | frustrating and time consuming for customers is |
| in the showroom, when you are ready to finalise | | | | this. A dealership will identify one or two cars of a |
| the deal, where you shall be worn down by these | | | | particular model. These will be the 'undesirable' |
| machinations, if you don't have your wits about | | | | cars. The problems are common and may be |
| you. This is when a great online site like comes in | | | | simple. For instance, 'the manufacture date is very |
| really handy. You can register, log in, search | | | | old', 'the car has been in the showroom for a |
| thousands of cars and refine your search by using | | | | very long time', perhaps they are 'the least |
| the vehicle 'keyword search'. | | | | popular colour' and of course 'with no options'. |
| Car dealers will never give you a direct or exact | | | | Next, the dealer will run a large advertising |
| quote because if they do, they know you will go | | | | campaign based on these two cars, with the price |
| to another dealer and have them better the price. | | | | ridiculously below cost. When the advertisement |
| And to check on prices and search for motor | | | | runs, the dealer waits for customers to flood |
| vehicles online is a great way to save a lot of | | | | through the doors. Of course, when they do |
| footwork. I recently found two sites, which had | | | | arrive to get the best deal, they are usually told |
| thousands of Australian cars for sale. At au, you | | | | that the cars have been sold and are now waiting |
| will find new and used cars for sale as well as | | | | to be 'delivered' to the clients. Consequently, you |
| dealer specials. | | | | will be invited to browse the showroom or |
| If you do leave the dealership and tell the dealer | | | | customers are 'switched' to another car. |
| you will 'look around for other prices', the dealer | | | | If you still insist on looking at the vehicle, if it is still |
| will most likely ask you to come back once the | | | | on the floor, the salesperson just points out why |
| 'best price' has been obtained. Don't be fooled by | | | | this particular car is undesirable, and then |
| this because the dealer will then either match the | | | | persuades the customer to look at a better car, |
| price, or try to increase it slightly by taking | | | | of course you will expect to pay more. To make |
| advantage of the fact that you have had enough | | | | sure you do not pay too much, log in to a site |
| of shopping and are now really eager to buy the | | | | where you just register, log in, and search the |
| car. Smart and very familiar, this trick works very | | | | thousands of vehicles available Australia wide. Not |
| well for most dealers. It relies mainly on getting | | | | only can you search for a motor vehicle with a |
| you, the customer to feel obliged to buy, because | | | | simple keyword search, but also when you are |
| you have put the dealer to 'so much trouble'. | | | | ready to sell a car you can use the free |
| A smart salesperson will urge you to commit to | | | | classifieds to do so. |