When you walk into a car dealership, the salesperson probably acts as if they just want to help you make the right decision. However, what they really want to do is get you to make a sale — no matter what it takes.
For one thing, car salespeople are typically paid on commission. It’s not like a grocery store worker, who makes the same amount of money no matter what a customer buys. If the salesperson can’t make the sale, they earn less — or nothing at all.
Beyond that, these individuals often have quotas that they need to meet. They may be told to sell a dozen cars every month, for instance, or told that they need to move three cars every week. When the end of the month gets close, a salesperson who has only sold six vehicles may start to feel a lot of pressure to double their sales in half the time.
Why are commission sales and quotas a problem?
This is a problem because the salesperson has a fundamentally different goal than you, the consumer. They don’t care if you buy the right car for you or if you make a wise decision. They have financial incentives to get you to buy anything. They act like they’re helping you, but that’s not really their mindset at all.
What if a car was damaged on the way to the dealership? Will they try to hide it or make it so you don’t notice? What if a vehicle is defective, but it will drive off of the lot? Will they still try to sell it to you, even knowing what issues it has? If you have been taken advantage of in this way, know what legal options you have to set things right.