Buying a new vehicle can be an intimidating experience, and high-pressure salespeople are one of the main reasons for this. Doing one’s homework on the amenities and safety features of a certain model is important, but it is also essential to know how to handle aggressive salespeople who are trained and practiced at making deals for their own profit. While many of these auto dealer tactics are not illegal, they can manipulate a customer into making a purchase they do not want or cannot afford.
Sometimes walking away is the easiest way for a customer to impress upon a pushy salesperson that his or her tactics are not going to work. Another strategy is for customers to simply let the salesperson know that they are not going to fall for the tricks or get distracted from their goal. Some tricks to be alert for include the following:
- Dragging out the sales process until the customer is weary or hungry and less likely to make a smart decision
- Asking personal questions to learn the customer’s vulnerabilities
- Trying to get the customer to disclose right away how much they want to spend
- Rushing the customer into a decision by suggesting the deal will not last
- Boxing the customer into a choice that does not include not buying the vehicle today
Once customers make the decision to buy, they should not think the hard work is over. Finance managers are smooth at adding extras to the price tag, such as stain protection, rust proofing, and other expensive and unnecessary add-ons. By not letting one’s guard down and understanding the rights of the consumer, car buyers can get what they want without falling victim to an auto dealer’s tactics.