Sucka: How to get shafted by a used car salesmen

On of the great aspects of the internet is it gives everyone a voice. Any schmuck–including me–can post anything they want online. It’s great insight to what makes people tick…and away to see what real people are like out there. I stumbled across a web site call ripoffreport.com. It’s a consumer advocacy site that encourages people to discuss potentially fraudulent enterprises. From lost rebates to poor customer service, consumers can share their complaints with other consumers–all in the name of warning the public.

One company that seemed to get a lot of hate was Drivetime Autosales (it also goes by the name Ugly Duckling Car Sales). The list of complaints went on and on. And as I read about a dozen of them, I failed to see a single instance where the consumer was wronged. Sure, the dealer did a lot of shady stuff–but consumers have a right to walk away. People should know better. Anyone who acts that stupid deserves any sorta rip-off that comes there way.

The majority of complaints were what you’d expect for a used car dealer. People complained about this not working or that needed repairs. Anytime you buy a used car you’re taking risks as to the quality of the product you’re buying. I don’t know why people think there’s less risk in buying from a dealer than a private party found in the newspaper. The dealer will wash the car and detail the interior–but that’s all just Band-Aids to hide the real problems. Any mechanic at a dealer has one job: make sure the car starts and can be driven off the lot. Anything else, they don’t care about. This isn’t a mystery–it’s just basic common sense.

And yet there was complaint after complaint about how someone bought a lemon. The car broke down within weeks of driving it off the lot and they expected the dealer to fix it. Some people bought cars they knew had problems but we’re “assured” by the salesman it would get fixed…only to discover that assurance wasn’t in writing and the dealer wouldn’t honor the request. How stupid do you hafta be to fall for that scam? These are probably the same bozos who give their bank account number to that Nigerian prince.

Multiple people complained about not being allowed to buy the car they wanted. The salesman told them they only qualified for a certain car. Even though these consumers didn’t want said car, they bought it anyway. When the car turned out to be a piece of junk, they were pissed because they couldn’t buy the car they wanted.

Salesman won’t let you buy the car you want? WALK AWAY!!!

Nobody “made” them buy the car. If the salesman wouldn’t sell ’em the one they wanted, they could have simply walked off the lot. Imagine walking into a McDonald’s and wanting a Big Mac but the cashier refuses to sell it to you. Not only would you bail based on principle, you’d go to Burger King and get a Whopper. Anyone who doesn’t realize they can do whatever they want with their money doesn’t deserve money in the first place.

But the one that really stood out to me was the story of the undriven test drive. Someone wanted to test drive a car but the salesman told them they we’re allowed to. Instead, the customer got in the car with the salesman as he drove it around the block. Who tests drives a car by being driven around? Did the vehicle come with a chauffer, too? Needless to say, the car was a junker and had a million things wrong with it–probably stuff someone would have realized if they drove the car before buying it.

People complained about the harassing phone calls from the finance department…even though they only missed one payment. There were complaints about customer service, lawsuits, and garnished wages, too. Drivetime (a.k.a., Ugly Duckling) definitely had some shady things on their end. Regardless of the unethical business practice, in my opinion the blame fell squarely on the consumer: people should know better. Some cited being young and taken advantage of; others talk of financial hardships. But the fact of the matter all of these mistakes were made by consumers–people who didn’t do their homework and believed what the salesman told them. It wasn’t a case of paying for oranges and getting a crate full of apples–these people got what they paid for. They’re the fools who gave Drivetime their money. Why should I feel sorry for someone who can be tricked and manipulated so easily? If anything, I should probably try to figure out how to exploit their gullibility for my own benefit.