Car Selling Techniques: The Art Of The Close

I just love the little theatrics car salesmen pull because they think they're fooling the customer or being very clever. I recently accompanied a relative who was buying a used car. The salesman reduced the price to something I thought was a realistic starting price. My relative umm-ed and ahh-ed, wondering whether it was any good. Then the salesman put on a mock look of horror and called over his accomplice in the charade, saying "oh no, I think there is something wrong. Oh dear. I think I've given you a price that's too low". On and on the banter went. The accomplice went back to his office and shuffled papers. Tension in the air. Meanwhile, I was looking up the Red Book buy/sale/trade value of the car on my mobile phone and confirmed the 'error' price they quoted was in fact at the upper end of the price range. I informed my relative and we played along with the charade... and got an even higher discount. Seriously, salespeople. (Some) of your customers are not stupid or naive. Drop the BS.

Is there video of this being tried on a Hyundai or Honda?

What a freaking clown! I would have walked out and gone to another VW dealer and purchased there.

If anyone did this in front of me, salesmen or fellow customer, I'd be pissed enough to go directly to the sales manager. Either way, all he'd have shown me is exactly which car I wouldn't be buying today. Isn't the whole point of that gimmicky VW car door thing that you can shut it softly and it closes with a solid "thunk"? I think this guy is bush league enough that he interpreted the door close routine as an indication of hinge strength (which I've never heard before btw and I've shopped plenty of VW's). You would think that salesmen would have to know something, ANYTHING, about cars in general before some shmuck lets them onto the floor. In fact, post the name of the dealership and I'd probably call them up right now to tell them just how bad this looks.