| Amazingly, no matter what car the customer wants, it | | | | the car you really want, even before you get the final |
| is always 'hot property', 'very sought after' and/or 'hard | | | | price. This is irksome and exasperating for customers, |
| to find'. Moreover, it isn't a secret; we have all known it | | | | but reasonable from a dealer's point of view. Now |
| for years. Nevertheless, some of us still continue to be | | | | your car dealer has two choices: To give you a quote |
| tricked into buying a motor vehicle we really don't want | | | | and watch you walk out the door, or entice you to |
| to buy, and at a higher price than we expected. So | | | | negotiate. Perhaps you may be lucky when negotiating |
| let's find out what some of the most favourite and | | | | with the dealer; however, you may never know |
| sneaky tactics they get up to and put them in our diary | | | | whether you have paid too much. If you feel |
| so that we can refer to them when next buying a | | | | uncomfortable about a car dealer, then go online at |
| new car. | | | | consumer.vic.gov.au where you can check that this |
| Almost every new car dealership will drop the initial | | | | trader of motor cars in Victoria is licensed and has |
| price they have listed on a car for sale. However, | | | | Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCT) number. |
| what you must be wary of are the scams, pressure | | | | Most auto classifieds online give a price, which you can |
| tactics, twists, and turns that motorcar salespeople | | | | work with, but a regular trick, which is frustrating and |
| have up their sleeves. It is in the showroom, when you | | | | time consuming for customers is this. A dealership will |
| are ready to finalise the deal, where you shall be worn | | | | identify one or two cars of a particular model. These |
| down by these machinations, if you don't have your | | | | will be the 'undesirable' cars. The problems are |
| wits about you. This is when a great online site like | | | | common and may be simple. For instance, 'the |
| comes in really handy. You can register, log in, search | | | | manufacture date is very old', 'the car has been in the |
| thousands of cars and refine your search by using the | | | | showroom for a very long time', perhaps they are 'the |
| vehicle 'keyword search'. | | | | least popular colour' and of course 'with no options'. |
| Car dealers will never give you a direct or exact quote | | | | Next, the dealer will run a large advertising campaign |
| because if they do, they know you will go to another | | | | based on these two cars, with the price ridiculously |
| dealer and have them better the price. And to check | | | | below cost. When the advertisement runs, the dealer |
| on prices and search for motor vehicles online is a | | | | waits for customers to flood through the doors. Of |
| great way to save a lot of footwork. I recently found | | | | course, when they do arrive to get the best deal, they |
| two sites, which had thousands of Australian cars for | | | | are usually told that the cars have been sold and are |
| sale. At au, you will find new and used cars for sale as | | | | now waiting to be 'delivered' to the clients. |
| well as dealer specials. | | | | Consequently, you will be invited to browse the |
| If you do leave the dealership and tell the dealer you | | | | showroom or customers are 'switched' to another car. |
| will 'look around for other prices', the dealer will most | | | | If you still insist on looking at the vehicle, if it is still on the |
| likely ask you to come back once the 'best price' has | | | | floor, the salesperson just points out why this particular |
| been obtained. Don't be fooled by this because the | | | | car is undesirable, and then persuades the customer to |
| dealer will then either match the price, or try to | | | | look at a better car, of course you will expect to pay |
| increase it slightly by taking advantage of the fact that | | | | more. To make sure you do not pay too much, log in |
| you have had enough of shopping and are now really | | | | to a site where you just register, log in, and search the |
| eager to buy the car. Smart and very familiar, this trick | | | | thousands of vehicles available Australia wide. Not only |
| works very well for most dealers. It relies mainly on | | | | can you search for a motor vehicle with a simple |
| getting you, the customer to feel obliged to buy, | | | | keyword search, but also when you are ready to sell |
| because you have put the dealer to 'so much trouble'. | | | | a car you can use the free classifieds to do so. |
| A smart salesperson will urge you to commit to buying | | | | |