GasBuddy News Article

votes

Car Dealer Scams To Avoid

FORBES.COM -- By Hannah Elliott

Of the top 10 industries that received the most consumer complaints last year, three were auto related.

New-car dealers, used-car dealers and auto service and repair shops registered almost 54,000 complaints in North America, according to the Better Business Bureau. They were the No. 4, 7 and 10th-most complaint-ridden industries of 2009. It's enough to make anyone blanch at the thought of buying a new car.

"Difficult times lead to creativity," says Bill Gerhard, AAA's director of financial services. "People come up with sensational hooks to try and get you to the dealerships, and once they lure you in, the goal is to sell you something and generate as much profit for the dealership as they can."

It helps to know what you may face before hitting the showroom.

Read the Full Article

Submitted Mar 13, 2010 By: UncleCurt

Back To News

Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics	Add to favorite topics Post New Topic

Author	Topic: Car Dealer Scams To Avoid	Post a Reply Back to Topics

REPLIES (newest first)

First Prev

Next Last

stoihor All-Star Author San Bernardino Posts:789 Points:204,295 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:42:19 PM Ignore stoihor Report Abuse Not a surprise...
rjoeh Champion Author Michigan Posts:3,790 Points:1,582,765 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:39:06 PM Ignore rjoeh Report Abuse Buying a new car to me is an art, and I do not like to be pushed. If I see a bait and switch with salesmen and sales managers, I just get up and walk out the door. They need me... I don't need them.
tnsilvertip Champion Author Tennessee Posts:1,199 Points:444,890 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:38:32 PM Ignore tnsilvertip Report Abuse Nothing new but I guess it doesn't hurt to read a refresher every year or two.
nightworker998 All-Star Author Maryland Posts:719 Points:301,785 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:38:05 PM Ignore nightworker998 Report Abuse Caviat Emptor( let the buyer beware)
serrog Champion Author Nova Scotia Posts:1,933 Points:621,255 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:34:22 PM Ignore serrog Report Abuse Everybody is on the take.
SBlouch Champion Author San Antonio Posts:4,879 Points:1,049,310 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:23:06 PM Ignore SBlouch Report Abuse This isn't a surprising news. Put the lawyers right up there too.
1006 Veteran Author Birmingham Posts:300 Points:611,785 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:21:58 PM Ignore 1006 Report Abuse I have to agree with you there DrCash
DrCashFlow Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:2,444 Points:693,525 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:19:58 PM Ignore DrCashFlow Report Abuse presumably lawyers and politicians are numbers 1 and 2.
2907 Champion Author Kentucky Posts:1,429 Points:788,195 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:15:45 PM Ignore 2907 Report Abuse The biggest auto scam is to buy a Toyota!
tom426 Rookie Author Illinois Posts:54 Points:92,780 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:15:25 PM Ignore tom426 Report Abuse Not surprising to me.
jjjleblanc Champion Author Rochester Posts:2,206 Points:624,700 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:11:47 PM Ignore jjjleblanc Report Abuse Just like most things.
TomT2Lee Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:3,470 Points:1,091,790 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:03:33 PM Ignore TomT2Lee Report Abuse #1 scam is the US government.
beachbumCA Champion Author Riverside Posts:4,059 Points:765,550 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:59:21 PM Ignore beachbumCA Report Abuse Same story all my life.
toyrunner300 Champion Author Calgary Posts:2,123 Points:1,003,740 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:57:18 PM Ignore toyrunner300 Report Abuse Not a surprise....
k2kipp All-Star Author Minnesota Posts:800 Points:402,255 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:51:55 PM Ignore k2kipp Report Abuse Same with anything... due diligence
letmathe Champion Author Chicago Posts:10,017 Points:2,285,615 Joined:May 2001	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:50:38 PM Ignore letmathe Report Abuse sad news.
DEG Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:12,818 Points:2,546,230 Joined:Jul 2003	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:47:09 PM Ignore DEG Report Abuse New cars are way to expensive and don't get sufficiently good fuel economy.
divebomber Champion Author Nebraska Posts:1,229 Points:844,980 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:46:07 PM Ignore divebomber Report Abuse "Caveat Emptor" (Buyer Be Ware)
FastAndy Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:4,216 Points:1,114,420 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:43:49 PM Ignore FastAndy Report Abuse It is a shame that during todays times we still have to by a car this way.
MRHONEST Veteran Author Illinois Posts:307 Points:789,720 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:43:34 PM Ignore MRHONEST Report Abuse Old news
egd Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:4,055 Points:1,332,660 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:38:14 PM Ignore egd Report Abuse weak article
Pete12 Champion Author Albany Posts:1,925 Points:795,140 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:37:55 PM Ignore Pete12 Report Abuse Buyer Beware.
ladyeagle57 Champion Author Maine Posts:3,992 Points:573,765 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:37:45 PM Ignore ladyeagle57 Report Abuse I think it helps to know what you want before you go and shop around and do not get pushed into signing the same day without thinking about it.
jarrjazz1 Champion Author British Columbia Posts:2,189 Points:446,240 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:34:22 PM Ignore jarrjazz1 Report Abuse due diligence is the only way to go!
muchdutch Veteran Author Wisconsin Posts:369 Points:608,565 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:31:15 PM Ignore muchdutch Report Abuse I still believe that "word of mouth" is the way to find the best businesses.
BlackHorse Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:2,454 Points:618,785 Joined:Dec 2002	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:27:44 PM Ignore BlackHorse Report Abuse as the lady in the song said. shop around
jimgraham Champion Author Akron Posts:5,326 Points:1,004,855 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:22:17 PM Ignore jimgraham Report Abuse Avoid stealerships.
FuelOilOH Champion Author Cleveland Posts:1,106 Points:571,815 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:22:01 PM Ignore FuelOilOH Report Abuse I remember a car salesman wanting $25 from me just to take to the sales manager as good faith money for my offer! You should have see how fast I got out of that dealership.
Bagtag All-Star Author Georgia Posts:926 Points:966,625 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:21:40 PM Ignore Bagtag Report Abuse Car salesmen are the lowest form of life on earth!
niceguytx Champion Author Houston Posts:8,953 Points:1,747,775 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:20:42 PM Ignore niceguytx Report Abuse Car dealers historically have been very lucrative.
esorsd Champion Author St. Louis Posts:1,077 Points:690,000 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:14:44 PM Ignore esorsd Report Abuse Too many car dealers are shady and crooked.
camel1 Champion Author Minnesota Posts:3,790 Points:1,328,575 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:13:10 PM Ignore camel1 Report Abuse We all were scammed by the 2 divisions of the new government motors the former GM and Chrysler companies. One run by foreigners the other incompetents from its predecessor.
barbs24 All-Star Author Virginia Beach Posts:587 Points:1,120,375 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:11:32 PM Ignore barbs24 Report Abuse It used to be just worrying about not paying for "racing stripes" you didn't want or ask for. Things are more complicated now.
cutter1330 Champion Author Oklahoma Posts:3,126 Points:719,160 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:11:20 PM Ignore cutter1330 Report Abuse To many scammers.
OHMS Champion Author Orange County Posts:8,074 Points:911,570 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:52:58 PM Ignore OHMS Report Abuse now that more and more dealerships are thinning their ranks; we'll see if they culll the unethical or the .profitable
subnuke Champion Author Atlanta Posts:2,788 Points:563,900 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:38:19 PM Ignore subnuke Report Abuse Do your own homework before you talk to a saleman.
brus282 Champion Author North Carolina Posts:4,626 Points:943,225 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:24:30 PM Ignore brus282 Report Abuse the bigger question is: why does it take hours and hours to purchase a car (sometimes all day!), it should take less than 30 minutes to select, pay and leave with your new vehicle!
LoneGuy Champion Author Lansing Posts:3,628 Points:1,358,200 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:18:34 PM Ignore LoneGuy Report Abuse Something else some do is not tell about incentives and then they keep them for themselves. Terry Hanks a guy who sells cars in Mid Michigan lost his job at a ford dealer years ago and I expect he still does because the aforementioned tactics are his stock in trade also.
ModelWarships Champion Author Missouri Posts:1,886 Points:455,215 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:13:38 PM Ignore ModelWarships Report Abuse many are, and they give a bad name for all. But there are some good guys out there.
GatorGuy Veteran Author Columbia Posts:283 Points:414,685 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:13:32 PM Ignore GatorGuy Report Abuse Car dealers are like any other business-they have pressure to perform, which puts pressure on the salesmen. Some choose to do the right thing, and some don't. It's a matter of personal integrity.
Bonanza Champion Author Boston Posts:6,235 Points:1,575,665 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:05:57 PM Ignore Bonanza Report Abuse Car dealers are notoriously shameless and crooked.
heysailor Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:4,655 Points:1,356,145 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:58:42 PM Ignore heysailor Report Abuse Those guys are descended from the horse traders of old.
NakedDriver Champion Author Des Moines Posts:10,112 Points:1,486,815 Joined:Oct 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:58:17 PM Ignore NakedDriver Report Abuse ə same scams, different decade (more or less). when i took driver's ed, part of our book talked about car dealerships and their improper sales tactics. the bait-and-switch (luring the customer in with a good deal and then saying that the particular model in the deal is sold out but there is another, higher-priced model is available right away; many consumers don't have the guts to say “no thanks” and walk away) one has been around forever, but there was one that probably can't be pulled off any more. it works like this: the dealer gets the buyer to sign a big stack of papers when purchasing the car, without showing him/her the full page of each document. the buyer signs all of them—and a week later finds out that his or her house has been sold to the dealer! or else payments are a lot higher. (the “copy” of the contract is mailed of course, so as to get by any cancellation time.) one i personally witnessed went like this: my dad and i were in the dealership office and the seller had to leave for a few minutes. while he was gone, we discussed how high we should go. i have no doubt that the office was bugged! it was odd that when the seller returned, he quoted a price a little over our limit! then he got a phone call and was describing the very car we were trying to buy! this was doubtlessly from inside the dealership in order to force us to decide quickly. we did buy it, but i think we paid far too much. (and after that, i learned that if i want to discuss prices, to whisper or use paper.) so, remember, as the story says, to be very cautious about making any large purchases, as these ripoffs still abound. ə
AtascaderoHound All-Star Author California Posts:557 Points:588,690 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:57:47 PM Ignore AtascaderoHound Report Abuse Caveat Emptor!! Let the buyer beware!
scrounger Champion Author Vancouver Posts:8,429 Points:2,240,640 Joined:Mar 2003	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:52:35 PM Ignore scrounger Report Abuse read before you sign
stadlgi Champion Author Akron Posts:1,792 Points:1,191,480 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:48:45 PM Ignore stadlgi Report Abuse The products look pretty but the sales part of the industry is as shady as Congress.
RockCity Champion Author Denver Posts:2,717 Points:484,845 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:43:10 PM Ignore RockCity Report Abuse I forget, did the article basically say, don't pay too much for your wheels?
Yonkers111 Champion Author Scranton Posts:6,328 Points:536,820 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:41:16 PM Ignore Yonkers111 Report Abuse Nothing new in the auto business. Just when you feel comfortable, they get you.
dollarwatcher Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:2,997 Points:562,550 Joined:Mar 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:35:58 PM Ignore dollarwatcher Report Abuse Do you have to a car dealer before being a lawyer or visa-versa?
bbud69 Sophomore Author Albany Posts:113 Points:453,965 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:32:48 PM Ignore bbud69 Report Abuse every body wants to scam
danreino Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:3,791 Points:676,170 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:31:37 PM Ignore danreino Report Abuse I don't want that stinkin' Tru Coat, but I will buy an extended warranty on MY terms.
TAT36 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,805 Points:344,510 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:30:21 PM Ignore TAT36 Report Abuse I retired from the auto business several years ago. We didn't have the add on dealer fees or advertise prices with a disclaimer in the fine print that says all prices are with $2,000 - $2,500 trade allowance or cash to get that price. I would have a hard time buying from most dealerships today.