Scam or No?

[Sapphire Silk]

It was probably a salvage title and he didn't want to tell you. Most people won't buy salvage cars, and for good reason.

I do have a friend who has one, a little Ford Neon. It's been a good basic car. Not great, not bad, just four wheels to get her to and from work.

But she knows when she goes to sell it, she won't get much of anything for it.

[Tama]

This is why I will never buy a car...as a woman, salesmen will just see idiot written all over me.

[Jester]

They had a 2006 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab. for $3400. KBB on that is about $6k from a private party. From a dealer it was like $8500. So thats a big leap. Of course my first question was why? Rebuilt title. Fugnuts. And when I asked what part of it was rebuilt ie damaged. The guy couldn't remember.

Couldn't remember my ass. Sales tactics like this are slimy. When I went shopping for a vehicle in '98 (the search would eventually result in my first Blazer, the '89), I brought along my friend Psycho, who is a full-time professional car mechanic. Between his mechanical knowledge and my knowledge of sales bullshit, we made a good team. The highlight came in one lot, after sunset, when the only lighting was from the lot's lights. While looking at one car, Psycho asked if that particular car had ever been in an accident. The salesman said absolutely not. At which point Psycho, very calmly, asked, "Well then how come it's been repainted?" Cue both me and the salesman with "Wait, what?" looks on our faces. The salesman recovered badly to ask what Psycho was talking about. To which Psycho said, "Well, you can see it here, here, and here," and pointed at paint seams, which I never would have noticed. At which point the salesman admitted it might have been in an accident at some point. At which point, we took our leave. We just walked away.

It supposedly came in at 40k miles and they were now selling it at 100k. No thank you. He couldn't explain where those extra 60k miles came from if they have had it all this time.

He probably COULD. There was just no way he was actually GOING to.

And of course they refused to let us get a carfax.

Basic rule of car shopping: if they refuse to give you the VIN # for you to get a carfax so you can do your own checking on the car (at your expense), not only should you walk away, you should never do business wilt that dealer.

We had a dealership in florida (major dealership too not mom and pop shop) take our 2004 ford taurus and 500 cash down payment. they approved the financing. 2 days later they reneged on teh financing saying we needed another 2500. No dice. We went to get our car and money back and they were like NOPE you signed on the dotted line etc. I had a dealership in Indiana that did the same thing when we put money down to hold a car. They refused to give it back. I never ever put any money to hold a car.

Never put money down to hold a car. Ever. Unless you know you definitely want that car, and you have it in writing that that is the car you are going to get. A friend of mine got hoodwinked a few years ago, when she contacted a Miami dealership about a car, they talked price, they settled on a certain deal, and then when she got up to Miami, no small trip from Key West, they had "accidentally" sold the car they had promised her, and offered her an inferior car for I think about the same money. I would have walked away, trip or no. But my friend was desperate, as these people had assumed she would be after the trip, and she took the substitute car. She got surfed, and I believe she learned from that experience.

Also why we don't do trade ins. I can sell it and get more for it.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. When I was looking for a replacement for the '89 Blazer, blue book on it was pretty much nil. I was hoping to sell it privately for $1,000, which was reasonable for the condition it was in. Dealership where I found the '00 Blazer, which had no idea what my plans were, offered me $900 for the '89 as a trade-in. I jumped at it. I might have lost a little money on the deal, I might not have. But they offered me about what I was looking to sell it for, and it took no effort on my part. Sometimes trade-ins do work for the customer.

I do have a friend who has one, a little Ford Neon.

Don't you mean a Dodge Neon?

This is why I will never buy a car...as a woman, salesmen will just see idiot written all over me.

I know plenty of women who know more about cars than I do, including my stepsister and mathnerd. Not that that's very hard, mind you. But yes, a lot of asshole car salesmen will look on women as easy and stupid prey, whether or not they are. My advice? Take a mechanic with you. If you happen to be a woman who is herself knowledgable about cars, bring a guy with you, and have him act as the buyer. And then, when necessary, jump in with your mechanical knowledge to find out about the car and/or about the salesman. If nothing else, it can be very entertaining to embarrass the fuck out of the slimier and shadier ones.

[Sapphire Silk]

Don't you mean a Dodge Neon?

Of course I meant that!

[wolfie]

I do have a friend who has one, a little Ford Neon.

Nice little car, but the Dodge Mustang is better.

[cleorose]

Well I am a fast learner and the funny thing is I have been hoodwinked enough to know when to walk away. My problem is the husband. He sees a new shiny car. And hes a mechanic. If it was just him the sales guy could dangle anything in front of him and he would bite.

In california our first trip to a dealership as a married couple, we wanted a truck. The salesman pushed hard ona mitsubishi spider. If I hadn't been there we would have had this itty bitty matchbox car and 3x the car payment we could afford.

I had a dealership in Indiana try to keep our deposit. I threw a fit because I had it in writing that they would return it. They did. But only after 90 days. Never been back there either.

We then got pretty lucky unlucky. I found a car at a garage sale (Now shh before you say anything) It was 1981 pontiac firebird. Guy who owned had NO Idea what was wrong with . We towed it home for 125 bucks. Needed a new gas line. Thats it. The SUCKY part was that we borrowed the money from his brother to buy it. Who then decided he would not sell us the car for the 125 we paid but rather he wanted 2k for it. COUGH SPIT FUCK YOU. He sold it to his other brother for 1000.


Had a dealership in illinois do a bait and switch on us. We got approved for small suv and when we got there the suv was not there , instead it was a buick centry. only thing in our price range or so they told us. Til we got to the financing table. Then it was 600+ a month. We had drove 2 + hours in a non air conditioned car and had been there all day with 2 kids under 3. They were cranky, I was cranky and hubby refused to leave without that car.
When we separated a year later that car got repoed. He wasnt making enough on unemployment to pay for it and I wasn't paying on something 2500 miles away that I wasnt using.

In florida the dealers are like wow. scammy as all shit. I am not sure if we are unlucky or what. So the first car I bought was a van from my sister's friend. It was a "great van" and yada yada. This thing was a death trap. I had super anxiety attacks driving it. No power steering, no air, no working windows. and the windshield wipers did not work. As funny as the whole ace ventura stick your head out the window thing Looks, it is NOT cool. Nor is having to use a scraper to keep your windshield clear while you drive. I didn't go get that one. My sister swore up and down it was a fanastic deal. So i gave her the money to go get it.

Afer 2 weeks and an invasion of fire ants I drove to another dealership to get a different car. This time my dad cosigned. Except he didn't. He bought it. My name was NOWHERE on the car. (Repo from the buick was murder) so of course when the air , air compressor went out, the belts and the engine in less than a year. They wanted to only speak to my dad. Not me. He was in Illinois. I was in Florida. We ended up abandoning the car because well no other choice. It took the assholes at the finance company nearly 5 years to go to the address I gave them and get the car. I made payments on it for as long as I could due to it being my dad's credit. Nearly 3 years.

The other car we had tried to get was some kind of POS itty bitty orange neon car. Hubby went while I was at work, took HIS taurus, traded it in, put money down and drove home with this hideous monstrosity they must have wanted off teh lot. I mean really. We are short people (Five foot three and four) but this car was even small for us. But because the salesman fudged hubbys numbers or hubby did. The loan bounced. And they came to take the car and we were out a back up car and 500 dollars.

When the engine on my car went out, we had to buy a car outright.

At first my sister entered the picture. Her boyfriend COUGH loser. Had a car that he wanted to sell. 1500 for a 2001 nissan maxima ( this was 2007) supposedly running good mechanically, a few cosmetic dings. but nothing major. Perfect car. They wanted the money sight unseen.
Fuck that already did that and nearly died. No dice. So they towed this supposedly good running car to us. It had no battery. HMMM. Not liking where this is going. Cracked front and back windshields. (thus illegal to drive in florida), busted headlight. dented roof and hood. Windows didnt work, no radio, no air and no seatbelts. Even better though was that the back doors would NOT stay closed while driving. Did I mention at this time I have not one BUT two kids in car seats. Ages 4 and 2. And icing on the cake it had no plates or registration or even a title. Zero zip zilch. She was not happy when I called to tell her we would NOT be doing this deal. They could tow this back to wherever they found it. (cough junkyard). She got irate saying it was a good car, why didn't I want it. I said well the back seat issue is a big deal with the kids. Her answer " Just don't take the kids anywhere" Yep that willl work out nicely. I wont need a damn car cause I will be in jail. no thanks. They refused to come get it saying they would sue me yada yada for breach of deal. I said go ahead and try. Meanwhile this condo association are assholes when it comes to their parking lot. They got a dude on a golfcart who gets his jollies from towing peoples cars out. Your unregistered, unplated car will be gone in less than 24 hours if you don't come get it. I lied it took the condo 3 hours to find it and tow it.



So with a little help from my dad we bought a chrysler something. It drove well. I didn't go far in it. Around the block twice. Hubby inspected it. crappy mechanic that he is. He drove it. said yeah its fine. I kid you not I pull off the lot, drive 10 blocks away. And we start smoking. I drove that POS back to the lot and told them to fix it. They said No deal you bought it as is. I said fuck that and I called the credit card company right then and there in front of these assholes and suddenly they were all about fixing it. I only went to these douchenozzles cause they were friends of my sister and me being naive she swore they would give me a good deal since it was a dealership. They were given 5 days to fix it. And they did. New radiator, new timing belt, new water pump. All kinds of junk. And i made sure they showed me the new receipts not used junk yard parts. They were all kinds of not happy with me. Hubby said I was scary and that was probably the first time I put my foot down. I used to be shy and a pushover. Not anymore.

We have not had too many issues in Kansas with shitty dealers. Just heard horror stories about some and I have avoided those.

After 13 years of marriage, I have learned the hard way that people even family will try to push one over on you, never go into a dealership and be desperate. I never put money down til we are signing the paperwork . no deposits and no written agreements. if its there when we do the deal GREAT if not well thats life.

[taxguykarl]

But she knows when she goes to sell it, she won't get much of anything for it.

She will end up selling that to a parts dealer--that's where she's likely to get the best deal.

[Sapphire Silk]

She will end up selling that to a parts dealer--that's where she's likely to get the best deal.

More likely than not. She's considered giving it to one of her vet techs who has no transportation at all currently, for free since the car is essentially worthless. Don't know if she followed through.