Buyers Maliciously Comply When Car Dealership Gives Them The Ultimatum “Take It Or Leave It”
Any kind of purchase that involves a lot of money is not an easy decision and you want to make sure you are getting the best deal you can. You also want to trust the people who you are purchasing from so if something feels fishy, it’s best to take time to think or take the offer to leave if you don’t like it.
It’s not that hard, actually, as Reddit user dumpster_fire_15’s example shows. She and her husband were ready to buy a car, but the finance office tried to offer add-ons and then presented them with a deal that was not discussed prior and the couple didn’t have time to argue. After they declined to pay an extra fee, the finance person suggested that they leave and they gladly did so.
More info: Reddit
Woman was about to buy a car but when she expressed her doubts about an extra fee, she was told to leave if she didn’t like it and she accepted the offer
Image credits: Simon Morris (not the actual image)
The Original Poster (OP) got in a car accident at the beginning of the summer and it was so wrecked that the cost of the repairs would be bigger than the car’s value, so most probably, insurance covered part or the total value of the car and the woman started looking for a new car.
Everything seemed to go well and the OP decided on a car, got her paperwork completed and the financial part was all set. The last thing to do was to arrive at the dealership and sign the documents.
The woman got into an accident earlier this year and the old car was beyond repair
Image credits: u/dumpster_fire_15
Because the dealership was quite far away, the husband took an afternoon off and the wife picked up the kids from school earlier as she didn’t have anywhere to leave them and wanted to maintain their family’s evening routine.
But it didn’t go as planned. First of all, the finance office didn’t have anything ready, so the couple waited almost two hours for that. Then the person started offering add-ons which the couple didn’t need, which they said right away, as they were in a hurry to get back home.
Second of all, the contract showed different numbers than they originally agreed on because there was an extra fee. The OP explained in the comments that it wasn’t “the dealer processing fee. This was a fee because they were ‘willing’ to sell the car at this time of year,” which was quite suspicious.
So she found a new one which had a good price, decent mileage and was comfortable
Image credits: u/dumpster_fire_15
However, when the time to sign the paperwork came, the price changed and the finance person gave the ultimatum of “take it or leave it”
Image credits: AFGE (not the actual image)
The OP was running out of time and out of patience, so she tried to argue with the finance person about the fee and was told that if she didn’t like it, she could leave, because the dealership has enough clients to sell the car to.
It didn’t take too long for the husband and wife to decide to head out. The woman wasn’t that fond of that car. In the comments, she explained that it matched her requirements, was in the desired price range, but wasn’t her dream car she couldn’t live without or would want to pay more for, especially having in mind how she was treated at the dealership.
But then the finance person tried to prevent them from leaving, saying the paperwork was printed. The couple didn’t care and after all, there were plenty of clients begging for a car there. As the OP described later, seeing the look on their faces was amazing.
The woman chose the latter option and left because the person told her that there were plenty of people begging to buy the car
Image credits: u/dumpster_fire_15
According to Lending Tree, there are fees that you can’t avoid. It is the documentation fee that, in the US, can vary from $85, which is the maximum amount in California, to $895, which is the median in Florida.
You may also need to pay a destination charge if the car has to be transported from somewhere and many states need to pass a state safety and emissions inspection before they can be sold, which the buyer pays for. Lastly, there are tax fees, title and license fees.
The finance office didn’t expect the buyer to leave and apparently were bluffing, because the woman kept getting calls from them
Image credits: u/dumpster_fire_15
Image credits: Amtec Photos (not the actual image)
Any other fees that are not required by state law can be avoided. These include extended warranty, loan protection insurance, guaranteed asset protection, tire and wheel protection, and appearance packages.
You don’t need to have your car’s vehicle identification number etched onto the windows at the dealership, but save money and do it through your local police department instead. You also may think twice about anti-theft devices.
What you certainly don’t need to pay for is a fee for an opportunity to buy a car during a specific season, even though it’s true that during the year, prices fluctuate. Have you ever heard of such a fee? What fees would you try to avoid when buying a car? Share your reactions to the story and similar experiences in the comments!
People in the comments agreed that walking out of a disadvantageous situation is liberating and praised the woman for not giving in
I worked as a car salesmen for a couple months before getting in a fight with a senior for stealing my sale. Trust me when I say, they are awful people. Glad you walked out
Once again, this is not "malicious compliance." Almost every time this website posts an example of malicious compliance, that's not what's happening in the story. To be clear, an example of malicious compliance is when you do something someone is explicitly telling you to do, but by following the letter of what they're saying, there are unintended negative consequences for the person making the request. That is not what happened here. They were given a choice, and they took the one the dealer didn't think they'd take.
Here's an example to make it clear. You're told to wear a mask or leave. If you leave, that's not malicious compliance, even if the person didn't think you'd choose that option. If you wear a mask but wear it on top of your head, or on your arm, rather than on your face, that's malicious compliance.
Load More Replies...When will America learn to stop putting up with this bull. The price you see should be the price you pay, including any fees and taxes. I recently bought a used car from a dealership here in the UK, and drove home in it the same day, paying only the price that was shown in the ad and the road tax (which I paid directly to the government and had to be done before I could drive the car). The price even included 7 days insurance, so I could sort that out at my leisure.
Sometimes people try and guess on the price in order to get the customer to agree but when they actually sit down and look at the math they realize it was off and suddenly there's a big difference because of fees/taxes. I agree that with certain things, especially big purchases, all applicable fees/taxes should be included on the sticker. That way, whatever you negotiate down will be in the overall price. Car dealerships are like the Doordash of purchasing; you think you're paying 30 dollars and you have a coupon for 50% off, but then they end up adding so many fees and taxes it ends up being 60 dollars. It's nuts.
Load More Replies...I was looking to purchase a new car a couple of years ago. I knew what I wanted and what I was willing to spend. I was upfront with the sales people about my budget. One sales person found me a car I was pretty happy with. When we sat down to do the paper work, the price he quoted was $4,000.00 more than the price I had given him. I said no thanks and we did the whole, "let me talk to my manager" thing. They knocked the price down by a thousand dollars. I said thanks and I apologized for wasting their time, even though I did give them my price. I didn't know the salesman but did know the manager and finance manager. I walked out. The manager called later that day and asked me to come back and they would see what they could do. I bought a car from a different dealership.
Well done. My favourite part of the story was: "You can't leave! I've already printed everything!"
Had friend do this same thing -- get up and leave after hours in the dealership trying to negotiate a price. Salesman followed them out to their truck and grabbed onto the door of their vehicle and was trying to get them to come back inside. My friend told her husband (who's 6'8") "Hit him! Hit him!" to try to get the guy to let go of the door. He let go!! No violence needed, and they went to a different dealership and bought a different truck! (Most) auto sales people are the worst!!!
Had similar a couple of times. I needed a car (which I have now). Did the finance calculations on their website and printed it off. Made an appointment to see the car. All good so far. When they came back with the paperwork the monthly amount was higher. Got out my paperwork and told them that this is the price i would pay not their amount. They agreed. Another time I needed a hire car and booked it online. Get to the office to pick it up and they want an extra £200 refundable as a deposit which was never mentioned before. Since that was doubling the cost I cancelled and got the guy to through the booking process and show me where it says that there would be an extra £200 charge. It was nowhere on their website. I got my refund and used public transport for a bit.
Once when hubby and I tried to purchase a vehicle, the finance people started their scam dance. We got up to leave. When we got outside, they had already taken the tag off MY car. I told them they had 2 minutes to put it back on. A week later I got a call, a much better price, and a new vehicle.
I hate buying vehicles, to the point where if I do have to buy a new one I will keep it for 10 years or so. Make enough to get a new one every few years but the process can be so annoying that they have lost several sales for each one they make. Actually since taking this stance I don't see the point of a new vehicle if the current one is running fine and meets my needs. So thanks awful sales guy for saving me money and the environment.
Knowing when you'll walk away is part of the negotiation preparation. I once told an alarm company salesman that if he didn't stick to our agreement, he could pick up their equipment in a box I would leave by the front door. He relented.
So in the US at least,auto dealership make money from three things: the price of the car, the trade-in (if you have one), and the financing. You can use this to your advantage. Research car loan rates with you existing bank/credit union. Tell the seller you want the lowest possible monthly payment. They can lower the sale price and increase the trade in value thinking they'll make profit off the financing. Once complete, immediately refinance or pay it off. Use their tactic to get the lowest price and highest trade in.
Agree with the person who recommended CarMax. I bought a car from them back in June. No high pressure tactics, no games, no hidden fees. I love my new (used) car!
Nonsense like this, not to mention hating car payments, is why I prefer to just pay cash for a used car. It may be old and look like c**p, but if it's mechanically sound I'm happy.
I went to a dealership to buy a car, the salesMEN ignored me (F). A salesWOMAN approached me and we started talking about what I wanted, color, trim selections, financing & etc. We took a drive, I signed a contract and agreed to return to pick it up the next day. I came to get it, the sales manager (M) had my paperwork, "So, what kind of deal did we do for you?" His smile vanished when he saw my price. "Oh, well, we have to honor this..." My price was for the basic, stripped model. My car I was picking up was the 2nd from best trim line for the car, leather interior, custom pinstriping and expedited delivery, with no "dealer fees". Basically, all for no added charges. It does not pay to ignore women customers in the presence of women sales people. I saved almost $4,000.00 US on the sale and I never went back again, except to thank my saleswoman.
This story doesn't sound right. You do the financing in one fell swoop at a dealership. How did they have their "financing all worked out", but then had to go through it all with their financing department again? Doesn't add up.
I paid cash for my last car from a dealership, and it was also a lot of sitting around and waiting for their finance people. It must be the standard practice. I thought I would just go in, sign a few papers, write a check, and leave with my car but it still took more than an hour.
Load More Replies...I was trying to purchase a new vehicle with my husband. We split up on the lots and act like we do not know each other. Many times, I have been given a much higher price for what I presume is because I am a female.
When we went to replace the t-boned totaled car, I was still very banged up and not feeling well. Now you might think this was a disadvantage, but nooooo. We picked out the car, had the verbal deal, but then the dance started around the paperwork, as my husband read, he realized not the deal we had agreed to. But after all that, I was really not feeling well and was turning green. My husband took one look at me and said, if you don't agree to the previous deal, I'm afraid she's going to barf right here and may not even make to the waste basket...Yup, that deal was inked and signed pronto....FYI, never did throw up, but I was pretty sure I was going to, so whew.....Pretty sure I'll be able to repeat that; nor do I want to.
Let me PS. That Subaru saved my life. Yes, I'm banged up, a cracked rib, but thankfully nothing else. So lucky as I was hit by a bus and that car gave its life for me. Loved that Subaru so much, we got an identical same color one. 21 years old and still a truly great car. PPS No Subaru dealerships were involved, it just happened to be a slightly used car that someone had traded in for a different car at another car's dealership.
Load More Replies...In the early 90's went to a Toyota dealer and traded in my Mazda 626 (as my down payment) on a brand new Toyota pickup (the small single cab ones) less than 50 miles on it. Did the trade and left the lot on a Friday late afternoon, then immediately drove 300 miles to my parents place for the weekend. Drove around down there visiting friends, and then drove 300 miles back late Sunday afternoon. On Monday the dealership calls me and informs me that the financing papers we signed on Friday have to be changed to increase the monthly payment by $100 and they also need $500 more down payment as well. I took the truck in gave them the keys, collected my old car and left..... lol. They now had a truck they could not sell as new, and I got a nice truck to drive for the weekend.
There's always 'someone else' interested in the car. They're 'just selling their old car' or 'seeing about finance' as well. The salesman (for it is ALWAYS a man) always has to check with his manager to see if you can get a better offer. Last car I bought I had a fixed budget and the salesman wanted to complete before the quarter end. I told him the amount of money I had, told him I couldn't haggle as I had no more money (no finance) We STILL went thru the BS of haggling - well me saying NO repeatedly and restating that I had no more money before eventually doing the deal..
Hye everyone, My husband and I have been married for 12 years, and have a son together. He works in Cyprus while i live in Columbia. he visists once every month. He cheated on me with another lady and stopped visiting home. all of a sudden he wanted a divorce. But Dr Okosu was able to save my marriage. Thak You Great man. Email: drokosu01@gmail.com
Je m'appelle Romina Abalos. Mon mari et moi sommes mariés depuis 12 ans et avons un fils ensemble et je suis actuellement enceinte. Il est veuf. Il venait d'une famille influente alors que je venais d'un milieu pauvre, nous vivons aux États-Unis mais nous sommes tous les deux nés au Mexique. Il a une entreprise à Chypre. Il m'a dit qu'il voulait développer son entreprise là-bas et qu'il voulait investir dans une maison. C'était assez soudain mais j'ai accepté. Il visite normalement tous les mois. Mais il a changé et a cessé de me rendre visite, il n'envoie que de l'argent et n'appelle pratiquement pas et ne prend pas mes appels. J'ai un blog de mode et de voyage sur Instagram. Puis un jour, j'ai reçu un message direct d'une femme, elle dit qu'elle a la preuve que mon mari a une liaison avec elle. Je n'y croyais pas au début mais elle m'a envoyé des photos qu'il lui avait envoyées, des messages entre eux. J'ai confronté mon mari et il m'a confirmé que tout ce que la dame avait dit était
I worked as a car salesmen for a couple months before getting in a fight with a senior for stealing my sale. Trust me when I say, they are awful people. Glad you walked out
Once again, this is not "malicious compliance." Almost every time this website posts an example of malicious compliance, that's not what's happening in the story. To be clear, an example of malicious compliance is when you do something someone is explicitly telling you to do, but by following the letter of what they're saying, there are unintended negative consequences for the person making the request. That is not what happened here. They were given a choice, and they took the one the dealer didn't think they'd take.
Here's an example to make it clear. You're told to wear a mask or leave. If you leave, that's not malicious compliance, even if the person didn't think you'd choose that option. If you wear a mask but wear it on top of your head, or on your arm, rather than on your face, that's malicious compliance.
Load More Replies...When will America learn to stop putting up with this bull. The price you see should be the price you pay, including any fees and taxes. I recently bought a used car from a dealership here in the UK, and drove home in it the same day, paying only the price that was shown in the ad and the road tax (which I paid directly to the government and had to be done before I could drive the car). The price even included 7 days insurance, so I could sort that out at my leisure.
Sometimes people try and guess on the price in order to get the customer to agree but when they actually sit down and look at the math they realize it was off and suddenly there's a big difference because of fees/taxes. I agree that with certain things, especially big purchases, all applicable fees/taxes should be included on the sticker. That way, whatever you negotiate down will be in the overall price. Car dealerships are like the Doordash of purchasing; you think you're paying 30 dollars and you have a coupon for 50% off, but then they end up adding so many fees and taxes it ends up being 60 dollars. It's nuts.
Load More Replies...I was looking to purchase a new car a couple of years ago. I knew what I wanted and what I was willing to spend. I was upfront with the sales people about my budget. One sales person found me a car I was pretty happy with. When we sat down to do the paper work, the price he quoted was $4,000.00 more than the price I had given him. I said no thanks and we did the whole, "let me talk to my manager" thing. They knocked the price down by a thousand dollars. I said thanks and I apologized for wasting their time, even though I did give them my price. I didn't know the salesman but did know the manager and finance manager. I walked out. The manager called later that day and asked me to come back and they would see what they could do. I bought a car from a different dealership.
Well done. My favourite part of the story was: "You can't leave! I've already printed everything!"
Had friend do this same thing -- get up and leave after hours in the dealership trying to negotiate a price. Salesman followed them out to their truck and grabbed onto the door of their vehicle and was trying to get them to come back inside. My friend told her husband (who's 6'8") "Hit him! Hit him!" to try to get the guy to let go of the door. He let go!! No violence needed, and they went to a different dealership and bought a different truck! (Most) auto sales people are the worst!!!
Had similar a couple of times. I needed a car (which I have now). Did the finance calculations on their website and printed it off. Made an appointment to see the car. All good so far. When they came back with the paperwork the monthly amount was higher. Got out my paperwork and told them that this is the price i would pay not their amount. They agreed. Another time I needed a hire car and booked it online. Get to the office to pick it up and they want an extra £200 refundable as a deposit which was never mentioned before. Since that was doubling the cost I cancelled and got the guy to through the booking process and show me where it says that there would be an extra £200 charge. It was nowhere on their website. I got my refund and used public transport for a bit.
Once when hubby and I tried to purchase a vehicle, the finance people started their scam dance. We got up to leave. When we got outside, they had already taken the tag off MY car. I told them they had 2 minutes to put it back on. A week later I got a call, a much better price, and a new vehicle.
I hate buying vehicles, to the point where if I do have to buy a new one I will keep it for 10 years or so. Make enough to get a new one every few years but the process can be so annoying that they have lost several sales for each one they make. Actually since taking this stance I don't see the point of a new vehicle if the current one is running fine and meets my needs. So thanks awful sales guy for saving me money and the environment.
Knowing when you'll walk away is part of the negotiation preparation. I once told an alarm company salesman that if he didn't stick to our agreement, he could pick up their equipment in a box I would leave by the front door. He relented.
So in the US at least,auto dealership make money from three things: the price of the car, the trade-in (if you have one), and the financing. You can use this to your advantage. Research car loan rates with you existing bank/credit union. Tell the seller you want the lowest possible monthly payment. They can lower the sale price and increase the trade in value thinking they'll make profit off the financing. Once complete, immediately refinance or pay it off. Use their tactic to get the lowest price and highest trade in.
Agree with the person who recommended CarMax. I bought a car from them back in June. No high pressure tactics, no games, no hidden fees. I love my new (used) car!
Nonsense like this, not to mention hating car payments, is why I prefer to just pay cash for a used car. It may be old and look like c**p, but if it's mechanically sound I'm happy.
I went to a dealership to buy a car, the salesMEN ignored me (F). A salesWOMAN approached me and we started talking about what I wanted, color, trim selections, financing & etc. We took a drive, I signed a contract and agreed to return to pick it up the next day. I came to get it, the sales manager (M) had my paperwork, "So, what kind of deal did we do for you?" His smile vanished when he saw my price. "Oh, well, we have to honor this..." My price was for the basic, stripped model. My car I was picking up was the 2nd from best trim line for the car, leather interior, custom pinstriping and expedited delivery, with no "dealer fees". Basically, all for no added charges. It does not pay to ignore women customers in the presence of women sales people. I saved almost $4,000.00 US on the sale and I never went back again, except to thank my saleswoman.
This story doesn't sound right. You do the financing in one fell swoop at a dealership. How did they have their "financing all worked out", but then had to go through it all with their financing department again? Doesn't add up.
I paid cash for my last car from a dealership, and it was also a lot of sitting around and waiting for their finance people. It must be the standard practice. I thought I would just go in, sign a few papers, write a check, and leave with my car but it still took more than an hour.
Load More Replies...I was trying to purchase a new vehicle with my husband. We split up on the lots and act like we do not know each other. Many times, I have been given a much higher price for what I presume is because I am a female.
When we went to replace the t-boned totaled car, I was still very banged up and not feeling well. Now you might think this was a disadvantage, but nooooo. We picked out the car, had the verbal deal, but then the dance started around the paperwork, as my husband read, he realized not the deal we had agreed to. But after all that, I was really not feeling well and was turning green. My husband took one look at me and said, if you don't agree to the previous deal, I'm afraid she's going to barf right here and may not even make to the waste basket...Yup, that deal was inked and signed pronto....FYI, never did throw up, but I was pretty sure I was going to, so whew.....Pretty sure I'll be able to repeat that; nor do I want to.
Let me PS. That Subaru saved my life. Yes, I'm banged up, a cracked rib, but thankfully nothing else. So lucky as I was hit by a bus and that car gave its life for me. Loved that Subaru so much, we got an identical same color one. 21 years old and still a truly great car. PPS No Subaru dealerships were involved, it just happened to be a slightly used car that someone had traded in for a different car at another car's dealership.
Load More Replies...In the early 90's went to a Toyota dealer and traded in my Mazda 626 (as my down payment) on a brand new Toyota pickup (the small single cab ones) less than 50 miles on it. Did the trade and left the lot on a Friday late afternoon, then immediately drove 300 miles to my parents place for the weekend. Drove around down there visiting friends, and then drove 300 miles back late Sunday afternoon. On Monday the dealership calls me and informs me that the financing papers we signed on Friday have to be changed to increase the monthly payment by $100 and they also need $500 more down payment as well. I took the truck in gave them the keys, collected my old car and left..... lol. They now had a truck they could not sell as new, and I got a nice truck to drive for the weekend.
There's always 'someone else' interested in the car. They're 'just selling their old car' or 'seeing about finance' as well. The salesman (for it is ALWAYS a man) always has to check with his manager to see if you can get a better offer. Last car I bought I had a fixed budget and the salesman wanted to complete before the quarter end. I told him the amount of money I had, told him I couldn't haggle as I had no more money (no finance) We STILL went thru the BS of haggling - well me saying NO repeatedly and restating that I had no more money before eventually doing the deal..
Hye everyone, My husband and I have been married for 12 years, and have a son together. He works in Cyprus while i live in Columbia. he visists once every month. He cheated on me with another lady and stopped visiting home. all of a sudden he wanted a divorce. But Dr Okosu was able to save my marriage. Thak You Great man. Email: drokosu01@gmail.com
Je m'appelle Romina Abalos. Mon mari et moi sommes mariés depuis 12 ans et avons un fils ensemble et je suis actuellement enceinte. Il est veuf. Il venait d'une famille influente alors que je venais d'un milieu pauvre, nous vivons aux États-Unis mais nous sommes tous les deux nés au Mexique. Il a une entreprise à Chypre. Il m'a dit qu'il voulait développer son entreprise là-bas et qu'il voulait investir dans une maison. C'était assez soudain mais j'ai accepté. Il visite normalement tous les mois. Mais il a changé et a cessé de me rendre visite, il n'envoie que de l'argent et n'appelle pratiquement pas et ne prend pas mes appels. J'ai un blog de mode et de voyage sur Instagram. Puis un jour, j'ai reçu un message direct d'une femme, elle dit qu'elle a la preuve que mon mari a une liaison avec elle. Je n'y croyais pas au début mais elle m'a envoyé des photos qu'il lui avait envoyées, des messages entre eux. J'ai confronté mon mari et il m'a confirmé que tout ce que la dame avait dit était
92
32