[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

I have issues with the practices of car dealerships. They advertise prices on cars and then you find out that model is "sold". Bait and switch tactics are common. They try to wear down the buyer with the whole "let me go present this deal to my manager" schtick. That's not honest. The salesman will tell you with a straight face that he doesn't know the bottom line on the car or what the incentives are. That's not honest. He will tell you your trade isn't worth as much for reason X or Y knowing that your trade is well worth more. That's not honest.
Then to top it all off you get shuffled off to the "finance manager" who is basically just there to try and get you to buy all sorts of overpriced crap that you don't need so the dealership makes more profit there.

Bait and switch is dirty. Most prices ads show a base car. By law, they must also have a stock # if the deal is for that one car only. Simply call ahead and ask if that stock # is still available.
The "go ask my manager" deal is what we called a runner/closer system. It is not automatically dishonest but it is aggravating and a perfect setup for high pressure sales. In the high volume stores, the runner is really in the dark. The runner is a trained monkey with no sales skills. They are only allowed to quote what the manager gives them. They may not have any idea what costs are. I tried working in a place like that but decided I had more skill than they wanted. I've also tried to buy a car from those places. I simply tell them I want their best price first. If I like it I buy it. If not, I walk. I warn them up front that I don't want to meet the manager or make a counter offer. Most times, I can tell the salesman knows he's stuck but he can't make his boss mad so he follows the script. When they give me their "best" high price I say "no thanks, bye". I am the buyer and I can refuse to play the game.
F&I managers are just another layer of salesman. Again, aggravating but not crooked. Are you offended when your waiter at a restaurant tries to sell you "overpriced crap that you don't need" like desserts?