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We went car shopping this weekend. We were looking to purchase a new car for one of our daughters. What attracted me to this dealership was a TV advertisement that we saw prior to leaving the house. They were advertising 2008 cars for under $10K. I knew it was too hard to believe because when looking at the value of those cars, they were listed for twice that price. When I got to the dealership, I told them that I wanted to buy one of those cars they had advertised for under $10K. They told me that it was a lease car for 3 years–because that’s when the $10K is up on the car. Not necessarily a lie but certainly very misleading, but I guess that’s how they get you to come to them.

My daughter and I went to several dealerships. I think that the sales people thought, as they see two females approaching that we would be an easy sell and that they can push us around. They tried all the tricks that they must teach them in sales school to try to get you to take the car home that day. I was shopping for a car, but I told them several times that I was not going to take a car home with me that day. First of all, I didn’t have my husband with me. I told him that I needed to go home and discuss it with my husband. Second of all, I did not want to rush into buying a car. I wanted to shop around and see what my best offer would be. So I said to them, if you want me to come back, you better make me the best deal possible to make me return.

At one of the dealership, the sales person comes back and brings back a piece of paper and offers me a payment schedule scenario. I asked him, what the payment scenario was based on. So he tries to explain, and I said to him that I don’t want you to show me the payment scenarios, that will get worked out when it’s time, but I wanted to see the bottom line number on the price of the car. Basically what they do is they try to show you the payments based on the deposits that you are going to make, but they don’t knock down the price of the car at all. We went on rounds and rounds of discussion saying the same thing. Finally, when I talked to the manager, about 2 1/2 hours later, I reiterated what I had told the sales person–I want to see the bottom line and then I would decide whether I want to come back or not. When he came back, I was shown a pretty good number, and I will most likely go back and purchase a car.

For the record, I hate car shopping, because it certainly kills your entire day, but if you have nothing else to do, well then it’s certainly entertaining.