I PROMISE NO ONE HAS TOLD ANYONE THE FOLLOWING: WHEN YIOU PURCHASE A VEHICLE AND IT'S TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THE LOAN (IF YOU ARE FINANCING IT) THE FIRST THING THE F&I MANAGER WILL ASK YOU, AND HE WILL ASSUME THE ANSWER IS YES BECAUSE 99% OF THE PEOPLE SAY YES, WILL BE "YOU DON'T WANT TO START PAYING THIS MONTH DO YOU? LET'S START NEXT MONTH. WHEN YOU SAY "YES", THAT WORD WILL COST YOU $5.00 A MONTH FOR THE DURATION OF THE LOAN. IF IT'S A 60 MONTH LOAN YOU SPEJNT AN EXTRA $300.00. IF YOU WANT WHAT IS CALLED "RUST AND DUST" (UNDERCOATING AND TEFLON TREATMENT ON THE SEATS AND CARPET) ASK TO SEE THE FACILITIES PRIOR TO SAYING YES. THE COMPANY I WORKED FOR USED A HAND SPRAY BOTTLE TO APPLY THE TEFLON. WQHEN A SPRAY BOTTLE IS USED ONLY THE TOP OF THE MATERIAL IS COVERED. SO, WHEN SOMETHING IS SPILLED ON THE CARPET OR SEATS, THE SPILL GETS UNDER THE TOP COATING AND STAINS THE MATERIAL. WHEN YOU TRY TO WIPE IT UP YOU CAN'T BECAUSE THE TEFLON ON TOP OF THE MATERIAL WON'T ALLOW YOU TO GET TO THE STAIN. THAT'S HOW CARPETS AND SEAT MATERIAL ARE REPLACED.

this is the only industry that the internet seems to want to beat up, and worry so much about a car dealer making money. How much does furniture cost, how much do clothes cost, how much do groceries cost, how much do shoes cost why not find out and stick someone else for a change. By your articles you make all dealers look bad. I only wish the auto manufactures and dealers had the balls to stop spending all the money we "steal" from spending it with companies such as AOL, edmunds etc etc...

Why is it necessary to use an obvious actor to portray a car sales person.Your obvious distain of this profesion shows in your choice. This looks more like a lawyer or politition to me and whoever does business with a joker like this deserves what they get.

I just have to say one more thing, the customers that come in to my store, we cah show them True market value from a web site and they don't believe that either. You have Kelly saying a car is worth one thing, Nada another, black book another, edmunds something else. So in reality I wonder who in gods name should the customer trust? And who does the dealer trust? We trust our gut... not some book that is not buying cars! We look at auction reports we look at lots of things to make good decisons to protect not just the customer but our bottom line. We work on less than a 1% profit margin? So do we have lots of room for error? We provide one of the biggest sources of tax revenue for the city's we live in, we give more to charities than any other organizations I know of. So take us outback and shoot us... then who will you write about? then who will be there to buy the donuts to do the car washes etc etc....we are just a bunch of bad people!! shame on me!

OK, I recently went BACK into the automotive industry, after owning my own piano business for 14 years. What I have found is this.... on a $30,000 car, the dealership often (if not MOST of the time) makes well under $1500.00 on the entire transaction, INCLUDING the finance and warranty. There is an old addage in the industry.... BUYERS are the LIARS, and it is so true! Buyers expect a 5.9% apr when their beacon is under 600, and they expect to pay invoice or BELOW! Sad that someone makes more on selling a $500 COUCH than he does selling a car. And look how this article is skewed.... look at the dude with the gold chains in the picture... I have NEVER seen a dealership with someone like that working there. And, as far as the "dealer tricks" go, well.... if there ARE ANY, then we need to use each and every one in order to combat the lying consumer. So THERE!

Your current article on Car salesman and the business in general is about played out, dont you think? I havent read it however im sure its no different than any other article that has been written about the business for the past number of years. I do understand why you write such articles however. The primary reason is that your parents worked their butts off to send you to college so that you could earn a living and the best you coud do was to rehash something that nobody really cares about anymore. Sham on you . How about trying to find out the cost of that I pod you bought, or maybe actually earning a living from your partents toils.

AS MOST USED CAR DEALERS WILL TELL, INCULDING MYSELF BUYERS ARE LIARS. THE INTERNET STATES,YOUR TO HIGH-IN PRICE. I JUST MISSED ONE FOR TWO THOUSAND LESS. WAKE UP PEOPLE. NICE CLEAN SERVICED VEHICLES COST REAL MONEY. JUNK IS JUNK. LIKE THE BARGAIN YOU WILL NEVER FIND. BARGAIN HUNTERS ALWAYS GET HURT. BECAUSE THIER BARGAIN TURNS OUT TOO BE JUNK.

You need expose the mortgage lending industry as this industry REALLY rips off people! Personally I am getting TIRED of the same old "how to buy a car" articles that seem to appear every other month. Expand! Teach us something that we don't already know!!

I own a car dealership in California and promotion company for car dealers and I'm so excited to see that the bulk of the comments are pro-dealer (except for the lot porter that got fired for inhaling teflon). First of all, how many times is AOL going to rehash this exact same story from this Edmunds "undercover journalist" who knows nothing about the real car business?? Is AOL that hungry for headlines that they can't get new information? I've seen this SAME STORY SEVEN TIMES! They don't talk about the bounced checks the dealers have to swallow, or the fact that in today's day and age, if the customer doesn't make the first few payments the dealer has to buy the entire contract back from the bank and lose thousands of dollars! And yes... customers lie worse than any salesperson could even try to..... and that costs the dealer tons of money as well. From honesty on their trade-in to keeping appointments to agreeing to buy a car at certain figures only to change their mind last minute leaving a commission-only sales person with nothing but a waste of 5 hours. Lastly, I'd like to ask AOL (and the rest of the internet) why they continue to portray the auto industry like the picture above. Maybe they should consider how hurtful it would be if the advertisers from the car business that they berate pulled the plug. OUCH! http://www.vspi.net Vinnie Sanchez

I am a general contractor and have been for 30 years. I have built homes for 4 local car dealers and you will never convince me that these honest business men were barely paying the light bill with the meager profits from car sales. Multi-millionaires all of them. Tough luck for the commissioned salesperson if a knowledgeable purchaser beats them up, but you can tell they are lying because their lips are moving.

Your vehicle is like real estate. It is worth what someone will pay for it. No one can tell you what your car or real esate is worth! I recently had a real estate appraiser tell me some property I owned was worth $600,000. I sold it one week later for $1.1 million. Why did they low ball me. In hopes I would list the prioperty for that. They would in turn sell it quickly and make a 10% profit ($60,000.oo)
Car people are in business to make money. Anyone who works, does it for one reason, to earn a living. I happen to think that real estate appraisers are folks who want us to believe they know more about what our land is worth than we do. Who appointed them to say anything?
Let the car folks alone. They get richer as we all try to do.

I AM CANCELING MY AOL SUBSCRIPTI0N. I WORK IN THE CAR BUSINESS AND EARN MY LIVING FROM IT. I AM NOT GOING TO SUPPORT A WEBSITE THAT PROMOTES A DETERENT TO MY INCOME. YAHOO OFFERS IT FOR FREE FOR WHAT I PAY TO AOL

I AM CANCELING MY AOL SUBSCRIPTION. I WORK IN THE CAR BUSINESS. I AM NOT GOING TO SUPPORT A COMPANY THAT HINDERS MY ABILITY TO EARN A LIVING. YAHOO GIVES IT FREE. THEY PROBALY WON'T POST THIS

Profit is not a bad word. The consumer believes that the dealer makes gobs of money on each car. How much money does the consumer think they make when a factory invoice sale is going on? How about the new vehicle that is shipped to the dealer on less that 1/4 tank of gas? The floor plan intrest and insurance that is paid out every day that the car sits on the lot for "X" amout of days. We are talking about a couple hundered dollar mark up and what ever incentive the manufacture gives to the dealer is ate up just to compete with other dealers. To all future car buyers please understand that dealers will never pay more for your trade in then they can purchase at the auto auction. Please remove the idea that your trade in is worth what Kelly Blue says unless your trading your vehicle in to Mr. Kelly.

AOL get over it! I am not getting your service for cost. Do an article on how much you are making off of your customers. Are you ripping us off????? How much are you saving by sending your tech support overseas? Whenever you call an automobile dealer you don't talk to a computer for 20 minutes before you talk to a human. Automobile dealers employ people living in the community they do business in and they have to make a profit to stay in business. Buildings, Inventory, Insurance, and Utilities cost money. The power bill for lighting eight acres 365 days a year is not cheap. How many people would invest $30,000 for 90 days and get a return of $1,500? Most dealers want you to be happy, they need your service and parts business. If you are an adult and you spend money with a dealer that is ripping you off. You are the problem! You are keeping them in business. Remember, you get what you pay for!

I guess the relators and mortgage companies are more honest then car dealers and credit card companies are saints. Car dealers can get you financed based on your credit. Mortgage companies will get you finance regardless of your credit eventhough they rightfully know that you cannot afford the payments. Come people wake up!! Stop crying and sayin that you got a raw deal. Remember no one put a gun to your head when you signed the buyers order. Take your time a read what you are signing because if you feel like you got the short end of the stick then suck it up and pay attention next time..

Wow...heres another example of writers wasting time explaining how not to get beat buying a car. Writers consistantly tell us how dealers use tricks to get in your pocket. I know first hand that customers lie more than dealerships especially in todays market where buyers can easlily get the invoice on any car. They lie about the worth of there trade promised from other dealers, and payments promised that can never be reach. I have sat in front of many of customers with the invoice given a realistic price on there trade only to be told that I'm trying to rip them off. Writers are always letting customers know about our secret language or lingo that we use to demean buyers. When it comes to selling new cars I'll let the public in on one of our secret words...MINI DEAL.

I think your article is accurate for someone buying a car with little experience. I myself, am a highly qualified automobile technician with over 20 years of experience.
The sales end of automobiles is only part, of the scrupulous ways that dealers make money. I don't blame the salesman, but I do blame the owners of the dealers not paying them enough.
There is no more compassion at any dealership. They have all seem to have focused on how to raise their costumer satisfaction index and profits. You could still find some heroes out there, but most of the time, they're family.

Seems like the salesmen in this profession have a lot to hide. They all are trying to defend their way of life. Wake up guys. We all know you try to screw everyone every chance you can.

This comment is to the so called general contractor that built four homes for automobile dealers. Be thankful they had the ability to hire your services to maintain your revenue base. And I have no doubt that you made a hefty profit on them. Talk about ripping people off. Builders have all kinds of ways to take advantage of the customer. Maybe there should be more articles about the home building industry and additional regulations. And if you are such a saint, just refuse to accept a job from the next automobile dealer that wants to hire your services. You sound like the person or industry we should be leary of. I mean look at the state of the housing indutry now!