I’m really amazed how stupid people are when it comes to buying a car.
I must be crazy, but I research the piss out of 20 cars before I buy one, then I drill it down on autotrader, and get the very best deal possible.
Here’s a few recent stories about people I know who just play into the dealers hands.
My girlfriends father was looking for a car for his other daughter to go to college with. I offered my help, and showed him a few great buys on autotrader. One was a civic, the other was a corolla. Both were in ohio.
He balked at the idea, calling me crazy for driving anywhere to get a car.
So the next weekend, I see he is washing his latest purchase in the driveway for his daughter.
Its a 2000 chevy metro lsi. I see this thing, and couldn’t beleive that anyone would buy this car, let alone for their daughter.
He then went on to tell me the story of what a great deal he got on it. He walked into a lockport used car dealer, about one block from his house. The salesman didn’t have prices posted on the car, so instead of asking what costs what… The salesman just asks… So whats your budget?
He says oh 3-4 grand…
The salesman points to a 2000 metro LSI with 88k miles on the clock. Saying, oh we can let this beauty go for 4 grand, but that price is only good for today, we have someone else looking at it, and we need to move it.
Sold, he paid cash for it.
One week later, the metro needs a fuel pump, isn’t running, is bucking really hard when it does run right, and the daughter is afraid to drive it. Two weeks later, the back door does not open and the trunk does not unlatch. Three weeks later, the daughter is rear ended by a large black guy who gets out of the car, screams at her how its her fault, then peels off, hit and run style. Three weeks later, her father is afraid to make a claim on the insurance for the car, so the daughter is driving around said geo metro with a accordian for a trunk, and tie down straps holding the trunk closed. I’m not kidding.
So, then my girlfriends father decides its time for him to get the jeep he has always wanted. His ex brother in law works at paddock, and will get him a great deal. So he walks into the dealer, and ends up buying a 3 year old Jeep Liberty with bald tires for 2200 dollars less than the car cost when it was brand new. He bought it because the payment is right, and didn’t even consider the total price of the car at all.
So he approaches me, showing off his jeep liberty with scratches all over it, door dings, and bald tires. He asks me where should he get tires. I tell him order them on discounttiredirect, and have walmart install them, or just go to walmart and buy tires. He goes directly to goodyear, and pays a stupid high price for 4 all seasons. Now he wants to trade in the jeep for something that is better on gas, because he learns that the v6 liberty is getting 13mpg.
Another quick story, my uncle who is a research scientist. He is a bright buy when it comes to technical stuff, but day to day stuff he gets bent over every time. He takes his car to a garage because its a block from his house, and gets screwed every single time, and really doesn’t care.
He’s got a 2002 explorer that has about 75k miles on it. Thing was kept up so well, he had so many services done on it. Its the explorer many of us dream of buying used, it was so well kept. Brand new tires, everything. He thought the mileage was getting high, so he went to paddock to get a new hhr.
He comes by with the new hhr, and my father and I ask him the deal that he got. Paddock gave him 1500 for the 2002 explorer, and he said he was lucky to get that much because it had such “high mileage”. I went into shock, and didn’t even hear the rest of the deal because I was so shocked how bad he got ripped on the trade.
Last point, is a girl that I work with. Nice girl, shes just a black girl that grew up in georgia, and talks with that thick atlanta accent. The hounds at paddock must have drooled when they seen her. I offered to go with her when she bought a car so she wouldn’t get hosed, but she ended up taking her grandmother with her because she “knows” the one salesman at paddock because she bought her malibu there before.
So she went there to get an eqinox truck. I told her not to buy the truck, as the motor and trans were made in china, and it was pretty much a daewoo equinox.
She went there with 0 cash down, but had a 94 cavalier with 38k miles on it, from atlanta with zero rust. A dream beater for alot of guys on here. Paddock gave her 200 dollars for the car.
She walked out with a new malibu (not what she wanted), for only 399 per month, with nothing down.
She was then telling me that her insurance was “cheap”. She is paying 269 per month to insure said mailibu.
She then told me that the dealer would be putting scotchguard on the seats, and paint sealant on the paint (probably at some huge cost). Then she told me that she instructed the dealer to tint the windows, and install a non factory sunroof. Again probably a huge cost.
Are people that stupid or what?
