Automotive Scams
Let’s deal with E - Mail scams first since that’s the one that upsets me the most as for consumers being led up a garden path.
We all get spam or junk mail and much is about automotive...New car Quotes -Car Loans - Bad credit - Warranty's – etc, etc… but note that its never direct mail from a dealer or Mfg, always a third party. It could be anybody, such as a stay at home mom, that has started an e- mail spam business on the internet and become an affiliate that will make a dollar or two should you pursue the link.
You must not follow up on any advertiser through e-mail, every single one is buyers beware.
I laugh every time I watch a one minute eye catching commercial, last 3 seconds on your screen, from $ 299 a mth in huge print and added fine print which even a speed reader cannot read, along with audio...see your local dealer for details.
With fine print added, let's make that about $ 499 a mth.
Now you can finally read some of the fine print that you missed in those 3 second flash TV commercials. Listed at the bottom of newspaper ads you will find the fine print, which the dealer doesn't really want to include, but the law says they must. The Dealer has no choice so they make the print as tiny as allowed by law.
Cleverly designed catchy advertising draws the crowd, But understanding the fine print brings a wise shopper that stands out from the crowd getting valid value.
ONLINE Dealer WEBSITES
A very high percentage of shoppers will find a vehicle of interest on a dealer’s website within driving distance. Most of these buyers will phone the dealer for more details before starting the journey. Wanting answers to questions such as Miles, Accident, history, best price, options, what's my trade worth.
HIDDEN FACTORS BUYERS BEWARE
The Sales Call
... A highly trained, successful, salesperson will tell you what you want to hear in order to get you to dealership because he knows that he can't sell you a car over the phone.Where Is The Car ...Ouch you're now at dealership and the car in question is nowhere to be seen...The salesman will tell you any excuse; The vehicle has just been sold, a staff member just took car as a demo without my knowledge and wont be back till___?
The scam works- you're looking for the missing car while the salesperson now has an opportunity to sell you something that is available...It's double traffic bonus for the dealers who advertise a sticker price on a car way below market value.
The # 1 Scam ... You enter a dealers inventory through dealers website, or Auto trader. There may be 100 vehicles listed for sale when in fact there may be only about 50 to 60. The missing cars in question may have been sold weeks ago, but the scam works because you are looking for the missing car, while the salesperson now has an opportunity again to sell you something that is available...
TRADE-IN
I came across an ad in bold letters...
DRIVE- DRAG OR PULL YOUR TRADE $ 1000. GUARANTEEDI showed the ad to two friends and asked "If you were in the market for a new car right now and had a trade worth less than $ 1000, would this ad be of interest to you?" One comment was "I would sure look into it." and the other comment "Wow, how can dealer afford to do that?".
I really was stunned with both answers, I had no idea the average consumer could be that gullible, falling for a scam like that! From that day on I have never questioned the intelligence of dealer ads, only the intelligence of consumers reading them...
HERE IS HOW I READ THE AD
... If you arrive at the dealership with an old clunker that is totally worthless, you will get $ 1000 in a trade on another car, " It's going to cost the dealer to have it shipped to the wreckers "That tells me to arrive at dealership with or without a Trade - in, knowing a $ 1000. discount is in place before I even start to negotiate.
Now if I had a trade worth about $ 500, I then know $1500 discount is where I am at before negotiations starts
