Survey: If you had a good friend in the car business...

Is the car salesmen's low reputation ( on the same level as lawyers and politicians ) for truth justified? What are the biggest tricks of the trade of a car salesman?

Landen, welcome back. I don't know any car salesmen but I, too, will be doing NaNoWriMo so I wish us both luck.

P.S. I did post two humorous articles involving cars thaat might trigger some thoughst:

Time for a new car?
and

Trade in Your Car Day

Yes. I have a very good friend in the car business. He is a finance director. The one interesting thing that I have observed it that they develop a huge network within the business. He can obtain deals on all sorts of services because of the contacts he has developed in the business. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours", is very relevant.

I never knew a carsalesman, so I cant ask any questions but your idea sounds great. Am looking forward to this.

The truth behind the suggested manufacturers price. The actual profits made. Where the profit margin is (extras). The actual value of the extras and the vehicle versus what the sucker, um, constomer pays. The real objective of companies carrying their own paper. Why a good fico score makes no difference in financing a vehicle. How the car companies really rip off customers. Why car salespeople are as sleazy as real estate agents. (Have yet to meet one in LA with any ethics.) Do they really record or listen in on husband/wife conversations during the loan qualification/paper process? Are car dealerships as sleazy and shifty as the movies have made them out to be? Why? Prove it. Why would anyone sell cars in the first place? Why do car salespeople knowingly put people into vehicles they can't afford? What is the best way to negotiate the purchase of a vehicle? How do car salespeople know when they have a "mark" or a smart client? Which do they prefer? Do car salespeople take advantage of women over men? Why is that? Prove it.

Just WHO is that "manager" that you all to go in the back and talk to?

Why can't the process of buying a car be a real negotiation instead of a series of mental maniupulations of the customers by the salespeople? In the same vein, why do car salepeople feel a need to be sneaky and underhanded instead of straightforward and honest? We all know it's a "game", car salespeople know the customers hate the game. Do the salespeople get some kind of weird enjoyment in bilking customers or are they really that pressured by the so-called "manager"?

Who is this mysterious "manager" who inhabits every car place known to man and womankind and why is he the only one who can make the decision on the final price?

Terri you must have read my mind. I think with the internet it is easier to get prices but why is it such an ordeal to buy a car. Next time I'm calling or emailing ahead and expect all the paperwork mumbo jumbo done in advance.

I can already tell from the responses that the 'old myths' still hold true. The 'many' are being judged based on the actions of the 'few'. This is going to be a challenging, interesting and eye-opening little project.

Landen, your the only car salesman that I know - never bought a car from a LOT...
Good to see you back though ;)

I would want to know why in the heck he/she is a car salesmen??

Never ask a liar for the truth!

What's the bottom line? How do they negotiate that?

My sister in law was in sales for a short while (Honda dealership) but it was so frustrating and unprofitable that she left it after maybe four of five months. My cousin's husband is in sales (Audi dealership) and does quite well. It has been quite a few years. I don't believe he has plans to change career any time soon.

I don't have any questions for you.

Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I'm doing it too. I did it last year...finished by day 21!

my ex-husband was once a car salesman, among other things....trust me...you don't want to know what I would ask him.

How do you sleep at night?

I'm sorry I do not noe much about the car business and do not have friends who do.
But the comments others gave were quite intresting..

I really hate I did not see this article much sooner.

I have family previously in the car business for more than 40 years....

How did the novel go? (Probably mentioined in your other posts, I'll check.)

I'm a sociologist by training. The answer to many of the above questions: people act in the way the situation they are put into pressures them to act. Sales managers are hired to bump grosses, and that's what they're expected to do. Car salesmen usually aren't allowed to set the price without the manager (the most senior ones can) because they would give the car away if they could. So the manager is there to get them to bump customers in ways they wouldn't if left to themselves.

At least this was my experience one summer back in 1986.