Jay Talbot’s Ramblings

Over the years I’ve made many mistakes, but there’s one mistake that sticks out like an extra arm. That mistake was my last attempt at buying a vehicle. I’m bringing this up now because I’m in the market again for a used vehicle, and am looking at the prospect of possibly dealing with used salesmen again. I’m going to tell you how I got suckered into taking a crappy vehicle at huge monthly payments.

You see, I’d never bought a vehicle on my own before. Sure, you can talk tough, but when you feel cornered, all you want is a way out. They keep you busy. Fill this out. Fill that out. Sign and initial here, here, here, here, here, and here…. Oh, did I prick your finger? Sign right here…. Bleh! It’s too much for someone who’s going through it alone. But here are some pitfalls that I encountered and made every bad choice in the process.

1.) Don’t let them bully you. It’s a tactic that is used all too often, especially if they think you are against the wall. Really, it makes me wanna go postal.
2.) Don’t let them see you sweat. You need a car, but don’t let them think they’re the only game in town. Also, don’t let them convince you they are the only game in town. There are hundreds car lots willing to take your money.
3.) If you have a trade in, make sure they give you full credit for it. They have a tendency to short change you on the worth of your trade in, then make 3 times that on the resale.
4.) Show your fangs if you have to. Sometimes salesmen can get a bit too pushy. I say push back. You can probably avoid #1 if you follow this also.
5.) So what if you have bad/no credit. Screw them. If they don’t want your money, or at least a fair price for the vehicle, then take your money else where. Do let them think they have you by the balls or they’ll treat you like a third rate citizen.
6.) Try and finance through your bank of choice. It seems like if you let them do it, they’ll pick the worst payment plan they can think of. You’ll end up paying way too much a month.

I’ve found that if you tell them you have bad credit upfront, they’ll essentially treat you like crap. They think they have you against the wall, or at least try and convince you they do. Don’t listen and insist on good customer service. If you can’t get satisfaction, go somewhere else. These people need to know who the boss really is.

For the record, the dealership that sold me the crappy little Nissan Frontier was Quality Nissan of Amarillo. They had me paying over $500 a month, and failed to disclose that it had hail damage. They picked it, not me, which was also a huge mistake on my part, but I was rushed for work. Never let the dealer pick your vehicle, after all, it is your money right? Also, these people were rude and refused to work for a lower payment plan for me. I’d strongly suggest steering clear of that place. As far as I’m concerned, they’re a bunch of crooks.

Maybe more later….

Tags: Life //