Do car dealerships bait and switch?
Bait and switch is illegal, though the term that the Federal Trade Commission uses is deceptive practices, says Duane Pozza, an attorney for the FTC. These include undercoating, paint protection, wheel locks and other dealer add-ons that are only revealed when the consumer arrives at the car dealership.
Do you have to co-sign with a car dealer?
Only co-sign if you are prepared to make the payments for the car. Some dealerships will tell customers that they have to buy additional options or accessories for them to qualify for financing, a special interest rate or a reduced price. This is not an accepted business practice and may be illegal.
What should I do if I have a service problem with a car dealer?
Ask to see the precise items they actually used. Challenge them on it. You might not get them to knock it off your bill, but you should try. You also said that dealer service departments too often recommend fluid flushes and replacements that aren’t called for by the owner’s manual.
How do you find out if a car is still available at a dealership?
If you are interested in buying one of these “special deals”, call the dealership to make sure it’s still available. When you call, specify the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) which should be included in the advertisement. Take the ad to the dealership and make sure you know the car’s Kelley Blue Book ( www.kbb.com) value.
How can you tell if a car dealer is dishonest?
Some dishonest dealers will claim that those few cars have been “already sold”, then they will try to sell you other cars at higher prices. Read the fine print of all advertisements especially if it looks too good to be true.
What happens if you get a call from a car dealership?
Basically, the scenario goes down like this: the customer buys a car, only to get a call from the dealership requesting them to come back to fix something. Of course in the new contract, the payment has gone up.
Do you have to take your car in for service at the dealer?
If you’ve ever felt you got a raw deal taking your car in for service at the dealer, our anonymous service manager says that may well be true. But he also cites a number of reasons to take your car to the dealer for work anyway—and tells how not to get the short end of the stick when you do.
Only co-sign if you are prepared to make the payments for the car. Some dealerships will tell customers that they have to buy additional options or accessories for them to qualify for financing, a special interest rate or a reduced price. This is not an accepted business practice and may be illegal.
If you are interested in buying one of these “special deals”, call the dealership to make sure it’s still available. When you call, specify the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) which should be included in the advertisement. Take the ad to the dealership and make sure you know the car’s Kelley Blue Book ( www.kbb.com) value.