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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
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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
What do you think ?
Mikey Kliss 2 years ago
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
Tim S 2 years ago (edited)
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.
Tim S 2 years ago
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.
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Robert T 2 years ago
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.
Kate Jones 2 years ago
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...
Mikey Kliss 2 years ago
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
Tim S 2 years ago (edited)
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.
Tim S 2 years ago
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... Robert T 2 years ago
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.
Kate Jones 2 years ago
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...
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