Top 10 Things Dealers Get You To Buy Without Realizing It

I am a tech geek, and I love buying things to make my life easier. However, I don’t want to tell you how many robot vacuums I have at the house. It would be embarrassing if you knew.

This blog post isn’t about the crazy items I like to buy but is about the crazy things some dealers try to sell you. This blog will talk about some of the “hidden” items dealers try to sneak in on a purchase proposal and how to handle it. Here are the top 10 things dealers will try to get you to buy without you knowing it.

Window Tint

The first one and the biggest one that dealers do is window tint. A good window tint, depending on your market, will cost $200 to $300. Unfortunately, some dealers like to add it to a vehicle before selling and then tack it on to its purchase price. As a result, some dealers can charge upwards of $800 for a window tint that you may or may not have wanted in the first place. Since dealers who do this practice typically don’t pay for the nicest tint jobs, you end up becoming a significant source of profit.

Nitrogen

Some people think Nitrogen in your tires improves the performance or longevity of your tires. While that has mostly been debunked, the practice of charging you for Nitrogen is a gimmick. The air we breathe is 78% Nitrogen, so a dealership trying to charge you $100+ for their slightly higher concentration of Nitrogen is pointless.

Car Wash

Some dealers are trying to sell customers on carwashes. Automatic carwashes and even semi-manned carwashes are in most places nowadays. A decent car wash can cost you around $10 at one of those places. A dealership isn’t doing anything better than they are, so don’t pay more for the same service.

Lifetime Warranties, Tires, Oil Changes, etc.

You hear this from dealers all over the country. They offer some sort of lifetime guarantee. Unfortunately, it is almost always loaded with conditions. These lifetime deals typically only cover a minimal number of parts and can only be serviced at the dealership where you bought the vehicle. Lifetime deals are a get-you-in-the-door-tactic, and we encourage our customers to investigate extending their warranties with the vehicle’s manufacturer or purchasing a service contract with a proven provider like AUL or Allstate. Buying a car from a dealership because of a lifetime warranty is asking for headaches down the road.

Dressed Up Vehicles Loaded with Accessories

Cars, Trucks, and SUVs can come from the factory with all sorts of options and packages. These packages are not the ones I am talking about. Some dealers love to slap on lift kits, racing stripes, aftermarket wheels, protectors, antenna replacements, and the like. Some of it is not bad, but you have to be careful of dealers who do it to almost every vehicle. If you see most of their trucks on the lot with after-delivery or even aftermarket accessories, it is probably not good to shop there. That dealer is more than likely trying to hide massive profits by adding accessories to their inventory.

Rear Entertainment Systems

Entertainment systems are similar to the last one. The question you need to know is, “Is it a factory entertainment system, or is it a dealer added option?” If it is a factory option, meaning the car was built with that option, you just need to decide if it is right for you. If it is a dealer-added option, you should probably find another vehicle. You don’t want something in your car that may or may not be covered under warranty. Coupled with iPads and handheld devices becoming super affordable, it doesn’t make sense to trust a dealer-added option when your kids could be entertained for much less.

Dealer Prep

Some dealerships will try to charge you for prepping the vehicle. Don’t pay that. The manufacturer pays dealerships to prep the car, and a dealership trying to charge you for something they have already been paid for is silly. Don’t pay it.

Third-Party Independent Telematic Systems

Third-party GPS and tracking systems are not the best. They are typically overpriced at dealerships and don’t even operate as well as your phone. Just skip this if a dealer tries to charge you.

Third Brake Light

If you are driving down the road and want to know if someone got scammed, just look at their brake light. I don’t mean their actual brake lights; I mean the third blinking brake light. They usually try to sell them by saying they make your car safer. If you think they make your vehicle safer, you can install one yourself by purchasing one on Amazon. Don’t get fooled into buying one of these from the dealer at huge markups.

Custom Valve Stim Colors.

Some dealers add these special stim valves to show you how much air you have in your tires. That seems pointless because most cars have a tire pressure monitoring system. This is just another way for a dealership to keep their mechanics busy while making you foot the bill for their time.

 

The best answer for one or multiple of these problem items appearing on your purchase proposal/bill of sale is probably just to shop elsewhere. I do understand that inventory is light nationwide, and your shopping choices could be limited. To beat these systems, simply say you are not going to pay for those accessories or add-ons. Ask them to remove them from the vehicle before you buy, and you will be happy to purchase once they do. I would guess most dealers would either severely discount these add-ons or remove them from the bill of sale entirely.

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