Bible Money Matters

Christian personal finance

Menu
    • About
    • Archives
    • Contact
    • Close
  • Making Money
      • Popular Articles

        • 50 Ways To Make Money: Maximizing, Creating And Increasing Your Income
        • 10 Weird And Unconventional Ways To Make Money
        • Making Money With A Blog (e-Book)
        • 10 Places To Sell Or Trade Your Unused (Or Broken) Electronics
        • Ways To Make Extra Money Series: 20 More Income Generating Ideas From Our Readers
        • Making Side Income Can Help Blunt The Impact Of Becoming A One Income Family
        • Earn Cash Back With Discover it® Credit Card
      • Recent Articles – Making Money

        • Best Sites Like Fiverr To Make Money As A Freelancer
        • 13 Of The Best Independent Contractor Jobs
        • 25 Of The Best Gig Economy Jobs
        • How To Make Money Blogging: Turn A Blog Into A Business
      • Categories

        • Making Money
        • Investing
        • Retirement
        • Jobs & Work LIfe
        • Money
        • Income
    • Close
  • Saving Money
      • Popular Articles

        • 50 Easy Ways To Save Money Every Month
        • 10 Weird And Unconventional Ways To Save Money
        • 10 Practical Ways To Save Money And Increase Your Net Worth
        • How To Save Money On Just About All Of Your Regular Monthly Bills
        • Ways To Watch TV Without Paying An Arm And A Leg For Cable TV
        • Save Money On Your Hospital Bill - Just By Asking
      • Recent Articles – Saving Money

        • How To Save $100k In 7 Practical Steps
        • Stairs App Review: Save And Invest To Earn 4-6% Interest
        • Honey Review: Save Money Automatically When You Shop Online
        • 9 Convincing Reasons Why You Need An Emergency Fund
      • Categories

        • Saving Money
        • Frugality
        • Planning
        • Finance
        • Saving For Retirement
        • Savings Accounts
    • Close
  • Banking
      • Best Rates For 2019

        • Best Credit Cards
        • Best Savings Accounts
        • Best Mortgage Rates
        • Best CD Rates
        • Best Brokerages
        • Free Credit Scores
      • Recent Reviews

        • TradeStation Review: Commission Free Stock And ETF Trades
        • Firstrade Review: Commission Free Trades on Stocks, Crypto, And Options
        • Cadre Real Estate Investing Review: Commercial Real Estate Investing
        • Axos Self Directed Trading Review: Invest, Trade Stocks For Free
      • Categories

        • Bank & Software Reviews
        • Investing
        • Credit
        • Banking
        • Mortgage
        • Insurance
        • Family Budget
    • Close
  • Recommended
  • Video
    • Close

Car Prices On The Internet: Not Always The Bargain They Seem to Be

By Melissa 1 Comment - The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited October 25, 2016.

Share12
Pin2
Tweet
Share1
15 Shares

My husband and I are shopping around for a car.  For our almost 16 years of marriage, we’ve been a one-car family.

Now that our kids are bigger and involved in more activities and my husband’s job is getting busier, requiring him to sometimes travel two to four hours away for meetings, we need a second car.

While I’m no fan of car shopping and dealing with sales people, I’ve found that this search is more frustrating than my previous car buying experiences for a variety of reasons.  (We last bought a car 12 years ago, so it’s been a while.)

internet-car-prices

 

Salesmen Will Lie About Available Stock To Get You On The Lot

We naively thought that thanks to the Internet, our car search would be short.  We spent a lot of time looking through websites both in our home town and in a major metropolis two hours away.

The first time we saw a car we liked and that was in our price range, but the dealership was 45 minutes away.  I called to make sure the car was still available and was assured that it was.  Less than an hour later, we were on the lot, but guess what?  When we showed up, the salesman apologized and said it had just sold.

Meanwhile, he kept us at the lot for over two hours trying to sell us something else.  By the time we walked away, we were tired and hungry and just wanted to go.  He called us on our cell phone 20 minutes after we left to try to deal some more.

Our irritation only increased when, 25 minutes away from the dealership, we realized he had never given us our licenses back.  We had to schlep all the way back, and then after he apologized and gave us our licenses, he tried to up sell us on other car options.  Ugh!

Internet Prices Are Not Necessarily Accurate

The next weekend, we saw a car that was affordable and what we were looking for.  The only problem was that it was two hours away.  The salesman assured us that it was available and that he would call us if it sold as we made the drive up.

When we got to the dealership, we took a test drive and really felt that we had found our car.  The Internet asking price was $16,995.  I figured we would negotiate a little from there.  I hoped we could be out the door for less than $18.5k after taxes, title, license, etc.

Imagine my surprise when we sat down with the manager to go over numbers and the final total came out to a little over $22,000!  Closer inspection revealed some tricky math.  The asking price was supposed to be $19,995, but they gave us a $3k discount for the Internet price, which made the vehicle $16,995, as advertised.  But then, they added on $2,700 for dealer extras.  What were these extras?  Things like applying a coat to the exterior so the sun doesn’t fade or chip the paint and also applying a protective coating to the cloth seats.

I was beyond annoyed that we had wasted our time, but I still tried to make a deal because we’d driven up two hours, and we did like the car.  I offered $18,500, hoping to pay $19,000 after all was said and done, especially since I accused them of false advertising.  After much haggling, the manager said he could go no lower than $20k.

We refused and left.  When we made it home from our two hour car drive, there was a message from the manager saying he could go down to $19,500.  Really?  Why hadn’t he made that deal when we were in the office?  If we wanted the car, we’d have to make another four hour round-trip drive.  No thanks!

Since then, whenever we call a dealership, we always ask if the car is available and if there are any additional fees tacked on to the advertised Internet price.  Very few dealerships list the price exactly as it is with no add-ons, but we prefer to give those dealerships our business.

Have you been in the market for a car lately?  Have you noticed these shady Internet tactics?

Related Posts

  • What Millionaires Drive: Income Level And Car Prestige Don't Always Match Up

    When you look at the data around what cars those with a high net worth own, you might be surprised to see just how few…

  • 6 Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Car

    Your car can be one of the most costly assets you own. Lowering your mechanic bill and extending the value and life of your car…

  • Car Maintenance Tips To Avoid Car Debt

    It's a good idea to stay in front of what your car will cost you, and have a good game plan for handling car maintenance…

Share12
Pin2
Tweet
Share1
15 Shares
Last Edited: 25th October 2016 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

This article is about: Automobiles

About Melissa

Melissa, a mom to three (ages 15, 10, and 9), blogs at Mom's Plans where she writes about homeschooling, health eating, frugal living, and paying down debt. She works as a freelance writer and virtual assistant.

Comments

    Share Your Thoughts: Cancel reply

  1. Grant says

    Personally, I bought a car way too early in my 20’s (even though it was used). I found that I could use public transportation and other avenues of travel rather than invest in the vehicle I did. I do know that the internet has made it easier to find lower prices on cars, but there’s still haggling over prices and upselling that goes on. The decision to purchase a car should come with the knowledge that you will still have to haggle over prices in order to get the value you want.

    Reply
Previous Post: How To Make The Most Money From Your Decluttering Efforts
Next Post: Why Life Insurance Is An Integral Piece Of Your Financial Plan
Discover Investment Platforms

Popular Posts

  • 21 Easy Ways To Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards
  • 10 Best Free Tax Filing Services And Software Online
  • 21 Apps That Pay You Real Money Fast
  • 17 TV Apps And Live TV Streaming Services To Watch TV Free
  • 30 Legit Online Jobs That Pay Well
  • 37 Easy Ways To Get Free Gift Cards
  • How To Get Free Stock
  • 40 Easy Ways To Get Free Money Fast
  • 21 Places To Read Free Books Online
  • 24 Legit Online Jobs
  • 17 Best Work From Home Jobs: A List Of Legit Online Jobs That Pay Well

Recent Posts

  • How To Save $100k In 7 Practical Steps
  • How to Save Money When Remodeling A Home
  • How To Hire A Contractor For Your Remodeling Project
  • Remembering 9/11 Years Later: Where Were You On That Fateful Day?
  • TradeStation Review: Commission Free Stock And ETF Trades
  • Firstrade Review: Commission Free Trades on Stocks, Crypto, And Options
  • Cadre Real Estate Investing Review: Commercial Real Estate Investing
  • Best Sites Like Fiverr To Make Money As A Freelancer
  • Axos Self Directed Trading Review: Invest, Trade Stocks For Free
  • 30 Quotes About Easter And Resurrection: He Is Risen!

Disclaimer

The information contained in BibleMoneyMatters.com is for general information or entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional financial advice. Please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your specific situation.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, we state that we have a financial relationship with some of the companies mentioned in this website. This may include receiving access to free products and services for product and service reviews and giveaways.

Any references to third party products, rates, or websites are subject to change without notice. We do our best to maintain current information, but due to the rapidly changing environment, some information may have changed since it was published. Please do the appropriate research before participating in any third party offers.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

We respect your privacy: Privacy Policy.

Thanks for visiting!

Bible Money Matters - Seen On These Sites and more..
Bible Money Matters is a personal finance, entrepreneurship and investing community. Give more, save more and live more.

Copyright © 2023 · Bible Money Matters | Sitemap | Advertise | Privacy Policy