Common Scams to Avoid when buying your next vehicle

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2 Common Scams to Avoid when buying your next vehicle 1 THE INTERNET LOW BALL Many customers today do their homework over the internet and request a price quote from several dealerships. More often than not, most quotes will be within a couple of hundred dollars from each other, basically the same ballpark, but one substantially lower. The low- ball quote usually has a selling price, but does not tell you how they got to that price. Customers typically disregard the other quotes (thinking these dealers are trying to make too much profit,) get in their car and head to this low- ball dealer. After hours of getting the run around, being insulted on their trade- in appraisal, etc., these customers find out that taxes, dealer fees ($699 and higher), rebates that you don t qualify for, etc. Bring you right back to or greater than the same original price as the other dealers. Is this tactic is dishonest? Should you reward the dealership by completing your transaction with them? That is for you to decide. My advice: Find a dealership that you know and trust. New car buyers are in the driver s seat. It is truly a buyers market. There are more new cars sitting on the ground than there are buyers, so you deserve a good, fair price. The internet makes it easy for you to compare features and prices of used vehicles. Remember, a dealer is not going to price their pre- owned vehicles with a huge profit; because if they do, their vehicles will stick out in a horribly uncompetitive price on the internet. Again, you are in the driver s seat! 2 THE REBATE INCENTIVE GAME Similar to the low- ball internet game, many dealers advertise a sale price online, in print, on the radio and on TV that looks extremely appealing. After test driving your dream car, appraising your trade- in and waiting for the manager to work you some figures, you sadly find out from your salesmen that your price is MUCH higher than that advertised price you came in on. More than likely, because the dealer deducted several rebates that only a small percent of the public qualifies for, to get to that attractive, advertised sale price. For Example: retired military, GM credit Card holders, USAA Insurance members, owner loyalty offers, conquest offers, current lease offers, just to name a few. You may qualify for some, but the majority of the public does not qualify for most of these extra incentives. Some dealerships, to gain a competitive advantage in advertising, stoop to this level. My Advice: Walk away from the dealers who practice these tactics. Always ask the dealership personnel how they came to their sale price. YOU DESERVE COMPLETE TRANSPARENTCY! Have the dealer print a line by line breakdown of the price, trade- in allowance, rebates, options, taxes and fees. 3. KEYS ON THE ROOF You may have heard a similar story before. It s no wives tail, a similar version of this really happens far too often! You come into the dealership with your existing vehicle to have it appraised for trade- in. An hour goes by and you still haven t gotten your keys back. Eventually, you re ready to leave, perhaps you haven t completed the transaction

3 on the car you want. The sales person explains that the guy who has your keys is at lunch and won t be back for an hour. While you wait, you are offered the chance to test drive another vehicle. Is this just a lame excuse to keep you at the dealership longer? The more time you invest, the more committed you become and the more likely you are to agree to terms you aren t really comfortable with. A lot of dealerships laugh at this sort of thing, but it shouldn t happen at any respectable dealership. My Advice: Walk away. If you pick up that you are being treated this way on getting your keys back after your trade- in is being appraised, give the sales person three minutes to have your vehicle pulled up and running and LEAVE immediately. Sometimes there are reasons for the appraisal taking some extra time, especially if you need a second and third opinion, but make sure the dealership is keeping you updated on what is going on. 4: CARMAX ANESTHESIA There is no scam here with CarMax, but I wanted to point out that you will pay more on average at CarMax than a traditional franchise dealer for a pre- owned car. Why is that? The entire CarMax concept came out of the need for consumers to have a hassle free buying experience, no commission sales consultants and one set price. There was a need and CarMax did a great job of filling that need, but that was then and this is now. The internet has taken the worry out of paying too much for a pre- owned vehicle. Consumers now know what is and isn t a good price for a pre- owned vehicle. Do your homework, CarMax list their vehicles from $1000- $2000 or more than a franchise dealer. Since they don t negotiate price, your price will most likely be higher than it needs to be. My Advice: Walk away from over- priced dealerships. Find a dealer that offers you a hassle free purchasing experience and save that $1000- $2000 difference. How do I know this to be true? Since I personally price all of our pre- owned cars and research the market every 3-4 days, I make SURE that our vehicles are priced competitively every week. 5. TIRES FOR LIFE / LIFE- TIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY GOTCHA Sounds great, doesn t it? Almost too good to be true? That s because if you don t service 100% of the time with the selling dealer, these warranties are null and void. These life- time warranties are fine, unless you decide to have your car serviced while on vacation, on that business trip or heaven forbid you move away from the selling dealer or if the dealership changes ownership. My Advice: Read the fine print. Don t pay extra for something that you will probably not be able to use. Certified Pre- Owned vehicles and traditional vehicle service contracts are a much better option for most customers if you desire extra protection for your vehicle.

4 6. MANDATORY ADD- ONS I once had a customer who purchased his trade- in from a Big City competitor. He told me that he would have purchased from our dealership but the other dealer was $1500 less expensive. He then went on to mention that the only thing that didn t sit well with this transaction was he had to take the theft recovery system, which was $1195!!!! I did not have the heart to tell him that the tiny theft recovery system located under his steering wheel cost the dealer $149! Again, this dealer got the customer in on a low- ball price knowing that they would recoup their low profit in making the customer take a mandatory add on. My Advice: Walk away. Life has taught most of us that if something looks too good to be true, IT ALMOST ALWAYS IS. A FINAL THOUGHT ON UN- PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES Like every other legitimate business, car dealerships deserve to make an honest profit. We provide many valuable products and services. We employ hundreds of your friends and neighbors, pay gobs of local, state and Federal taxes, and support many of local non- profits, churches and charitable causes in our community year round. In the past our industry earned a black- eye on our reputation by treating customers with less than courteous and professional service. You deserve better. Not just better. At Heyward Allen Motor Company, we pledge our highest and best professional sales and service for you and your family. That s one reason why we have the highest repeat and referral business in town. We have been a vital part of the Athens area community for more than 67 years. There are literally thousands of your friends and neighbors who have been enthusiastically pleased with the car buying experience they received at Heyward Allen Cadillac Buick GMC. That s no coincidence! Our team has worked hard to create a car buying experience that is unlike most others. Please, don t just take my word for it. Our customers speak on our behalf. Our customers have voted Heyward Allen Best Dealership 12 out of the last 13 years. While we are far from perfect, we have consistently exceeded the high expectations of our customers in the past, and strive to do so each and every day. Perhaps the best way to avoid these aforementioned business practices is to find a dealership that you feel comfortable with; one that is honest and ethical and let them take care of all your automotive needs. Look for sales consultants who are true experts in the automotive business and a dealership that has a friendly customer s first mindset. One like ours. Why not settle your nerves and eliminate the feeling of anxiety that comes along with buying your next car, truck or van? Call us today or drop by anytime to see us at 2590 Atlanta Hwy, next to Hobby Lobby. And if you ever find our methods to be less than you deserve and expect, I am always available to talk to you IN PERSON! Thank you for helping make

5 Heyward Allen Cadillac Buick GMC one of the finest dealerships around. Three generations of our family is proud to make Athens our home. Wesley Middlebrooks General Manager

6 This Report Was Prepared By Wesley Middlebrooks As A Free Service To The People Of Georgia. If you re ready to work with a car dealer who really cares, a dealer FOR THE PEOPLE, then please contact me today. I d be happy to schedule a totally free consultation between you and one of our expert transportation advisors. You can call ahead to set an appointment or show up anytime. We re looking forward to your visit! ~Wesley Middlebrooks Heyward Allen Motor Company Atlanta Highway, Athens, GA