Got a question for Car Talk’s car sales informant, “Deep Plaid?” (Also known as “Frank,” since, well, that’s his real name.) Post it here, and Deep Plaid will get back to you. Also, if you’ve heard of other tricks of the trade, or you’ve personally experienced coy tactics on the part of your …

How Tom and Ray dress is usually beside the point, way, way beside the point. Dunkin has no dress code. Maybe they do. No shoes, no shirt, no service. That’s three things they warn us about. Car sales people are told that a buyer is a liar and you can therefore subject him to constant telephone hara…

Heck No,I never ever dressed like that. Dress shirts, Dockers slacks, & always very comfortable footwear. Texas summers would “fry” you down here. I was on my feet a lot. Comfortable shoes were always a top priority of my “sales attire” & wardrobe.

That’s why I wanted & tried very hard to obtain all the referels I could get. You have a “head start” on their histroy. it’s much harder for them to lie to you. You know their family and their freinds and they are not there to waste your time! they are there to buy! When your new, to survive, yo…

The two most recent ones I have seen are the “We need a deposit before we can even give you a price” and if you don’t have the car they want, tell them you will get it, call them up in a week and tell them they have it, then when they show up give them the keys to their new car which of course is on…

Yeh, stuff like that has always gone on. Mostly in bigger cities, at larger new car stores.By sales people who are just passing thru, & don’t intend to make a career of car selling. All of the new car dealers that I worked for were very honorable men. They didn’t let us “hook & crook” and if anyone…

Deep Plaid: thanks for sharing from ‘the other side’ i am sure we all want to know how to get the best deal possible on buying a car. of course everyone has to make a living. so how do we (as buyers) tell how/when we are getting the best price? so many times we hear "rock bottom’, ‘dealer i…

All very true. There as some honest and honorable dealers. And yes all but the real jerks will return the deposit, but I have never given any one a deposit, until I have picked a specific car (in my case that has usually meant that they are ordering it.)

My pet peeve is being manipulated. After appearing to be close to a decision on a particular car, a typical scenario is being asked for your drivers license, “to enable us to get a jump start on confirming your loan eligibility” while we complete the deal, then letting you stew alone in the pen (sa…

Dancing around what the costs are and the added dealer costs. Thier liking confrontation and simply winning the sales game with them knowing most sheep do not.

Secret Tricks of Car Salesmen

Maintenance/Repairs

jtsanders April 10, 2008, 2:43am 2

“…when confronted with plaid, toupees and sans-a-belt slacks”

Isn’t that how youse guys dress?

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Secret Tricks of Car Salesmen

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