Rule 5. A car dealer will try to sell you the car THEY want you to buy, not the car YOU want
Car companies usually have a large range of models, each with several different engine, gearbox and trim choices, plus a huge range of colours and options. There can be literally millions of potential combinations for any particular type of car. That means that the chances of a dealership having the exact specification that you would like – available and in stock – are usually fairly low.
Instead, dealers will stock a selection of cars, usually in the most popular colours, with more available “from our secure storage facility” (a field somewhere) or in stock at other dealerships, or of course you can order one directly from the factory to your exact preferences and simply wait for it to arrive.
However, the dealer doesn’t want you to order a car, or make them bring one in from elsewhere. They want you to buy the car right there in front of you, because that car is costing them money every day it sits there.
A car that they don’t have doesn’t cost them anything, so it’s in their interest to convince you to take that car right there, however they can. Whether it’s sweetening the deal on their showroom car, or scaring you off ordering a car with long waiting periods and a reduced part-exchange price, or any other method, they will always try and sell you the car they have now, regardless of whether it’s what you want.
Next page: That all sounds fine… but is it really?
