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March 09, 1999

Confessions of a Car Salesman

Your Trade-In

When you trade a car in to the dealership, the car salesman will probably tell you that he wants to drive it in order to evaluate its value. This is a big opportunity to manipulate the customer. Car salesman are trained to walk around your car, touch every nick and scratch, raise eyebrows and frown at just the right moments, and subliminally inform you that you're driving a hunk of junk.

The car salesman will turn the ignition, and listen to the engine. He'll say things like, "Do you hear that? It sounds like a rough patch." He'll do his level best to find some paint damage, however minute. The aim is to spend about thirty minutes with you and your trade, consistently and subtly wearing down your opinion of your own vehicle and your expectations for its trade in value.

After the evaluation, the car salesman will probably hold onto your keys and toss them in a back room somewhere. He does this on purpose. If you get disgusted and wish to leave, he can send someone to find the keys while he gets additional time to coax you back into the negotiation.

Don't put up with this. The trade value is determined by the sales manager who does not ever see your car. The trade value is arrived at by looking at the year and the mileage. The salesman may relay certain information such as significant body damage or bald tires, but these are exceptions.

If the salesman demands to test drive your trade, you should reply, "Any car salesperson worth their salt should be able to determine the fair value of my car by looking at the odometer and the VIN number." Say it with a straight face, and mean it.

Wasting your valuable time by making you feel bad about the car you are trading in is a time honored form of manipulation. Studies show it is effective in lowering your expected trade price and making you want a shiny new car even worse. Don't fall for it, Fool.

-- Mike Cavendish

Tip # 6 -- How to Negotiate Like a Fool

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