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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

https://youtu.be/0S9cQOPxzfg

Cash is no longer king.

Car dealers are still crooks.

[Viral_Jim]

It has been the case for some time that dealers make their money on tyre, wheel or paint insurance, gap insurance, finance incentives etc etc.

As long as they shift enough volume to avoid losing their manufacturer bonus, they really aren't interested in selling cars.

[Rangie]

Always paid cash for my vehicles, if they won't play ball walk away it's simple.

[Shackeng]

Always paid cash for my vehicles, if they won't play ball walk away it's simple.

Agreed, me too.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Yes....me too. I think the idea is not to tell them until the last minute, after you have obtained the best possible deal.

[dave the builder]

I find cash is still king when buying 10+ year old rusty old Vauxhalls 

[Entwood]

Another option is to purchase on an agreed "credit agreement" with the dealer, then when you get home cancel it within 14 days ...  this enables you to get the "deal" the guy wants to sell you, gives you added protection under the Credit Act, and ensures no arguments/pressure from the sales person when you "change your mind" and opt for cash ....

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/borrowing-money/paying-off-a-credit-agreement-early/#:~:text=Tell%20the%20lender%20you%20want,need%20to%20pay%20in%20full.

If it is a "proper" Hire Purchase Agreement you have 30 days to do it ...

[Doctor Gollum]

In the heat of the moment, it's all too easy to confuse a Lease/Personal Contract Plan with genuine Hire Purchase because both have a deposit and a monthly payment, but they are very different products.

Caveat Emptor and all that...

[Sir Tigger KC]

In a former life I sold static caravans for a living and the commission I made for signing people up to HP agreements was fantastic and so we pushed the finance packages like there was no tomorrow! 

One chap I dealt with 'played' me like a fiddle in the manner described above, and said If I like what I see I'll have it and it will be on HP!    Kerrrrching! 

As I was keen to get the finance comms, he got a very nice caravan at a very nice price, the best available plot and I even threw in a crockery/cutlery/pots and pans package as well!  The finance was approved, he sat with his pen poised to sign the HP agreement, looked up and said You know what?  I think I can get a better deal from my bank.  I'll give you a deposit and will pay the balance for cash!  

In that instant I watched £1000 fly out of the window!    I also had a very pissed off manager because of the great deal and freebies I'd given him!   

[BazaJT]

The second car I ever bought was the only one I've bought on finance and I said I'd never do so again and I haven't.Mind you the most I've ever paid for any car is £1250 and it scared me silly to pay so much!

[YZ250]

It has been the case for some time that dealers make their money on tyre, wheel or paint insurance, gap insurance, finance incentives etc etc.
.........

Having recently purchased two new cars I was shocked at the persistence of the sales girls manager. I was prepared for the up selling tactics so when I approached the sales girl I explained that I had a budget. I also explained that she could walk off around the corner to speak to a fictitious person as many times as she liked but I still had a budget. She was very nice about it and said that now she knows that 'I must be firm' as her boss would try to up sell anything he could. We agreed to the sale and then the sales girl said again 'Now remember, be firm' as I've now got to speak to my boss. Her boss appeared, introduced himself and then went in to PCP talk. I told him that we'd agreed the sale but he kept going off and coming back with different PCP deals when I had already told him that I was paying by balance transfer. He pushed time and time again, starting with the dealership finance for PCP, smart paint warranty, smart alloys warranty and any other warranty that you can think of. In the end I stood up and said to the sales girl that I'd had enough and I was leaving. As I was getting in my car to leave the sales girl came up to me and said that if I was still interested her boss had promised to leave me alone. In fairness, she was very nice about the whole thing and is a credit to her employer. He however, got on my nerves and nearly cost them a sale.

[Viral_Jim]

Sounds like a pretty rubbish manager to me. Then again I know a few salesmen (seems to be universally men for whatever reason) who hold on to the double glazing-esque attitudes around pressure selling, I just don't see how they work on people. Like you, they just annoy me.

The purchase of the kia last year really surprised me TBH. Given they're a volume manufacturer, I had preconceptions that there would be minimal margin in the cars and they'd try and flog us everything under the sun.

But there was nothing, I explained I wanted PCP for the £1000 deposit contribution on the car, then he explained I could settle after 60days and keep the discount, it would be repayable if I paid off the finance before then, and that was it. No other insurances, autoglym, seat protection etc etc. Just an offer of a service plan, which I had planned to take in any case.

All in all, a very pleasant experience.

[Doctor Gollum]

Managers have targets too

Although the quality of the senior team will be very much guided by the ethos of the parent group.

Nowadays, the 'at any cost' way of doing things often ends up being the 'ultimate' cost. Alienate your customers, and you have no business.

Kevin Hunter has a selection of interesting videos about the car industry, and although you may dismiss hom for being American, don't forget that Ford and GM literally wrote the book on upselling... GMAC and Ford Credit are both the most lucrative parts of their respective businesses by a significant margin. Anything else that the dealer group gets to add in is gravy to the dealer.

[STEMO]

Buy a new car? Complete with VAT. 
Sod that.