Misleading Car Dealership

[LillFilly]

So the boyfriend is looking for a good used car. He had his eye on a little truck at a local used car place. Every time we'd go by though, it was late in the day and they were closed. Then they got in a nice car that he fell in love with! The price was great and needed no work! So we rushed over one day to talk to someone. We got there at 5:20PM. Even though their hours were advertised as closing at 6PM, and we had CALLED earlier and were TOLD that they would be open until 6...They were closed! He was pretty pissed. So he managed to go a few days later, but the car he loved was gone. He asked if it had been sold and THAT'S when the guy admitted that it was a friend's car who had too many vehicles to park in front of his house, so he'd let him park on the lot and would just stick a price tag on them!



I think it's a pretty deceptive practice; misleading at least!

[bainsidhe]

Um, seems kinda hinky as well. I certainly wouldn't go back.

[Exaspera]

That's deceptive!

[RxBoy]

I wonder what his reasoning is behind doing that. Are the cars on the lot mostly junky and his friends cars look nice? I wonder what they did if someone asked about buying one of the cars that his friend owns. Sounds to me like something is fishy about that place.

[Sliceanddice]

i think that could be bait and switch them adertising a car they know they cant sell

[Canarr]

If the price is so great that it would attract potential buyers - who might then be persuaded to accept another car as a substitute - then, yeah. That'd be bait and switch.

I agree with the not going back part.

[elsporko]

The story doesn't even make sense. Why wouldn't he just let the friend park the car in the back and not bother putting a price on it?

[LillFilly]

The story doesn't even make sense. Why wouldn't he just let the friend park the car in the back and not bother putting a price on it?

I'm sorry, but that's what the dealer said. Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a buddy, but hey, if you own the car dealership and that car draws people in, I guess you might do it. Or, maybe it was an employee who didn't want to get in trouble by letting his friends park there. It's still not right though.

[PepperElf]

i'd say that's when you notify the FTC

[Zellie Crescent]

I don't know that much about cars, what's the FTC?

[dalesys]

FTC = Federal Trade Commission

I wonder if those cars were the 'transporter' specials, with hidden compartments?