u/Medical_Gift4298

putting in the work beforehand, negotiating via email and arranging your financing before you step in the door will save you an enormous amount of time AND money.

in theory, I guess, going in and making it clear you’ll pay anything they ask if they make it fast might save you time, but more likely they’re going to think they’ve got a pig to bleed out and they’ll go to work on you trying to make you pay even more.

another r/askcarsales fail

follows on the wendover vid a lot of people saw about a month ago, but a nice summary… someone should post at r/askcarsales - I’m not sure they’d know what to say. a lot of panting noises and hoof stanping, I would imagine.

I saw an article where the person removed the car dealership name off the vehicle, stating that she doesn't do free advertising. But she didn't remove the manufacturer's logo or name. So isn't she still advertising for free?

put the fear of god in them - your job depends on it!

buyer considers offering dealer a chance to make things right before roasting them in reviews and this is the kind of unhinged response they get! what a broken industry!

there IS a reason 92 percent of Americans rank car salesmen below every other profession in terms of ethics except member of the House of Representatives - and it’s this guy!

LOCATION: New York.

I’m dealing with a pretty crazy situation with a car dealership and honestly wanted to see if anyone has dealt with something similar.

Back in November 2025, I bought a car from a Land Rover dealership in New York after a ton of back-and-forth negotiations. They changed the deal multiple times during the process (APR changes, down payment changes, etc.), but eventually we agreed on final terms. I signed the paperwork, gave them a $30k down payment, they countersigned the contract, deposited my money, and released the car to me.

A few hours later, someone from the dealership called me saying they “made a mistake” on pricing and wanted me to come back and sign a new contract for an additional $20,000. I refused because the deal had already been completed and funded.

After that, things got weird. They refused to give me payment instructions, refused to give me information about the warranty products I purchased, and basically told me the contract was “null and void” unless I agreed to the new deal.

** The total purchase price on the contract was approximately $97k. After my $30k down payment, the remaining balance to be financed was supposed to be around $67k. The paperwork I signed listed JPMorgan Chase as the lender, so I contacted them directly to begin making payments. However, JPMorgan informed me that the dealership had halted the transaction and refused to finalize or activate the already approved financing loan. The bank told me they could not accept payments or open the account unless the dealership completed the financing process on their end.**

Despite my repeated attempts to move forward under the original signed agreement, the dealership refused to finalize the financing unless I agreed to sign a new contract for an additional $20k, effectively placing me in a position where I could potentially be forced into default through no fault of my own.

Even though they wouldn’t cooperate, I still tried to comply with the signed contract and mailed certified monthly payments directly to them. They acknowledged receiving the checks, but intentionally refused to cash them while still holding onto them.

I also tried reaching out to management and the General Manager multiple times and never received any real response other than: either I re-sign and agree to pay $20k more, or they would refuse to help me in any way, including refusing to provide payment instructions.

Then today, I woke up and the car was just gone. No notice, no warning — apparently they repossessed it.

At this point, I’m trying to figure out what type of attorney I should hire and whether anyone has ever dealt with something remotely similar.

Can a dealership unilaterally change or cancel a contract after it has already been countersigned, payment has been made, and the buyer has already taken possession of the vehicle, simply because they claim they made a pricing mistake on their end?

lure the customer in by saying the price is $26k, dealer doesn’t mention TTL and god knows what else, so buyer is surprised when the discounted OTD price actually turns out to be $26,500.

Its not a psychological negotiation problem, it’s the dealer being sketchy about the price. Make clear from the start that the price is $27,500 (or whatever), and so when you discount and offer them $26,500 there’s no confusion. It’s simple and resolved by the dealer just being honest.

oh wait, if you actually advertise the car is $27,500 from the start less people will come in, so it’s easier to lowball it and blame the ensuing problems on ”psychological” issues.

Reminder: dealers want you to tell them everything because it helps them get a better deal against you, not because they need it. All they need to know is the price of the car theyre selling. you can decide if you want it and can afford it.

but notice how he almost immediately tries to steer it back to monthly… lol

So this past Saturday i looked at a Bmw X3 with 79k miles for 14100, at this dealership told them i couldnt buy that day i had to get my paycheck to do a Down payment but id be happy to run the numbers for a loan and be back friday to drop the down payment and buy the vehicle. So i get texted on Thursday from the salesman if i was still coming the next day to buy it. Friday comes after work i clean out my car ready to trade it in and buy this X3 i text the salesman im on my way, He doesnt respond which i figured maybe he was busy.

So i get there walk into the office said im ready to buy that X3 the salesman i dealt with isnt there the manager and the other sales people said he left at 6. They go to show me the X3 but it was in a spot where this new salesman said thats where we put sold cars at and that means it sold. So i asked how did it sell in less than 24hrs during a work week and no one called and told me. Then he is trying to push me on a totally different Suv and other cars and i told him no my heart was set on that x3 and i said if they get another x3 like the one they "sold" id be interested again. Was this a Bait and switch tactic that i hear about a lot?

I was at my dealer for service today and popped by sales to ask about a waitlist for a new release coming out next year. Sales pulled my account up on a large shared screen and when my account was opened a popup appeared with a written message that “customer is rude to service” - I tried to ask sales about this but he said oh that pops up all the time not specific to the account don’t worry about it…. Except I am! I have no recollection of being rude to service (or anyone at the dealer for that matter, and I’ve only been in 2x so it’s not a lot of opportunities to have to remember!) and would hate to have unintentionally offended someone. Any suggestions on how to address? Maybe it’s the Canadian in me but I’m feeling the need to apologize either way!!

There is a conversation happening across the industry right now about video multi point inspections. Some OEMs have already mandated them. Others are getting there. And the technicians who have been asked to adopt this process have not always embraced it without friction.

Here is the reality that cuts through all of the debate.

Video MPIs sell more work. The numbers are not close.

Customers are two to three times more likely to approve recommended services after watching an inspection video. Dealers using video inspection tools have seen up to $144 more per repair order. And 31% of customers report higher satisfaction with their service advisor after receiving a video MPI.

Three minutes of a technician's time. Documented on video. Sent directly to the customer. And the approval rate doubles or triples.

For the technicians who resist it, here is the conversation worth having. Dealers using digital inspection tools with video have seen up to $144 more per repair order, which means more hours approved, more work completed, and more income generated for the technician performing it. The three minutes invested in a video MPI does not cost a technician productivity. It directly funds it.

Now here is where the advisor comes in. The video is the technician's tool. But the process around it is yours.

Here is the cadence and standard for every video MPI that comes through your drive.

Step one is the introduction. The technician introduces themselves and your organization at the start of every video. First name, role, and dealership. It is a small thing that immediately makes the experience personal and professional rather than a generic recording.

Step two is the vehicle checks. The video should cover every critical inspection area with visual evidence. Brakes, including pads, rotors, and system condition. Tires, including tread depth, wear pattern, and PSI. Suspension components including struts, control arms, and shocks. Drivetrain systems including transmission, CV joints, and differential. Fluid leaks confirmed present or absent. The customer's primary concern addressed directly using the language of what they came in for. And wiper condition noted.

The key on the vehicle checks is that gauges get used. A brake gauge on screen showing millimeter depth is worth more than any verbal description. A tire tread gauge showing wear is evidence a customer can see and understand. Visual proof builds confidence in a way that words alone never can.

Step three is value building. The technician should acknowledge what is in good shape. Green check items matter. A customer who only ever hears what is wrong with their vehicle begins to feel like the dealership is always finding something. A technician who says your battery tested strong today and your belts are in great condition builds trust that makes the recommendations that follow feel honest rather than opportunistic. Customer friendly language throughout. No jargon that requires a degree to decode.

Step four is overall delivery. The ideal pace is between 120 and 170 words per minute. Fast enough to respect the customer's time, measured enough to be understood. No profanity. No pauses that suggest uncertainty or a lack of preparation. A clean, confident, professional presentation from start to finish.

Your job as the advisor is to make sure this process is followed consistently on every vehicle and that when the video reaches the customer it is accompanied by a phone call that walks them through what they saw, answers their questions, and presents the recommendations using the RIM Method.

The video opens the door. Your conversation closes it.

Three minutes from the technician. One phone call from you. And the data shows the approval rate on the other side of that combination is dramatically higher than anything that came before it.

Invest in the process. Hold the standard. And make sure every customer on your drive knows their vehicle was inspected with the same care and transparency you would want for your own family.

Just bought a 2026 4Runner last weekend. Our sales guy was great, found us exactly what we wanted and the dealer had a reasonable no markup price with no bullshit dealer addons. All is good.

We show up to finalize and pay, and my girlfriend and I are introduced to the sales manager, who takes us through the process. The car is going in my girlfriend's name since it's replacing a minivan that got hit a few weeks prior.

Naturally, we're presented with several service plans and extended warranties which we decline. I explain that I'll be servicing the car and the extended warranty wasn't something we're interested in. The sales manager keeps insisting we consider the warranty. I explained that I've got an extensive motorsports background, having raced off-road in events like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000, we're good. It's at this point the sales manager asks my partner to think about what would happen if we're no longer together. I couldn't fucking believe it. Dude, you seriously just questioned our relationship in order to sell a fucking warranty?

Someone's gonna get eaten alive on the customer satisfaction survey....

I have a 2017 Volvo V60. Mileage is 56k. The past six months we have had error message of engine coolant low, stop safely. We took the car in multiple time. They couldn’t find an issue. Replaced the cooling system, scoped the system no issues (leaks, bubbles etc), replaced the sensor and coolant tank cap. The level is never low when checked. Even Volvo has no clue. Currently we only get the message intermittently for about 10 secs and it goes off. So my question: how transparent with a dealer do we get? I don’t want them to low ball the trade in right off the top. I plan on giving them all the maintenance and repair records. Or do we keep the car until it has an identifiable issue and take the loss? It’s a great car but we’ve put in a few thousand to find nothing. Thanks.

Who Else is experiencing a slow Year? Since the new year, our shop has been super Slow. Commission isn’t as much as it was. Honeatly getting tired of it and might switch career path.

What do yall think??

Okay so I work at a used car dealer in Washington state and they advertise the cash price on website, cargurus, facebook etc. But the window sticker on the car is thousands more than the price advertised because the sticker price is the finance price. This causes customers to get pissed off, say we are playing games, customers leave most of the time upset. Is this legal for the dealership to do? If so how can I overcome this?

sure, the guy should’ve read more carefully - he did try - and sure, the dealership has no obligation to help him out, but what we know is that the deal that got signed was not the deal he wanted, negotiated or understood he was signing to.

the most charitable interpretation is that it was a mistake - on his part and the dealerships - but any way you cut it, you’ve got a customer who does not want something and did not believe they were agreeing to it.

its really weird if your reaction is anything but “we should fix that problem!”

but if at your job you regularly agree to sell something for one price and then covertly up the price and rely on the fact that the buyer can’t *legally* dispute it, you’re an asshole. you’re not a salesman, or honest, you’re just a deceitful loser.

even if there’s nothing that can be done to fix this guys problem (and of course it can be fixed!), why would any normal person ever see this as anything but a regrettable situation - what’s with the venom r/askcarsales have for people who, regardless of how they got there, have gotten a bad deal?