Is this dealer playing games with me? (Want's a $100 deposit but won't tell me price)

[Emig5m]

Went to the dealer to look at a used Camaro, vehicle is no longer available.

I state that a new one is out of my price range, but the salesman wants to try anyway. Doesn't hurt to try, right? If no dice, I can just keep searching the used market.

We do the test drive, I sign the paper to do the credit check so we can shop for interest rates (I made it clear it's going to have to be a hella low rate to make me jump on a brand new one).

The salesman keeps asking where I need to be on payment but I keep asking lets start at the top and tell me what I'm paying for the car first before trade ins and everything else and what rate he can get me financed at.

He doesn't want to tell me any numbers but asks me to put a $100 deposit on the car. I leave the dealer not feeling his sales tactic however I did like that he let me take the car out and hammer on it (he was best test drive salesman, I'll give him that much credit).

Next day salesman calls me multiple times trying to get me to buy the car. Still can't get any numbers as far as what I will be paying for the car, interests rates, or exact payment amount.

He keeps saying he can "probably" get me where I need to be on payment and keeps trying to pressure me into giving him a $100 deposit to hold the car for me and then come into the dealer at a later time to work out the numbers.

I remind him I was looking for a used one so I could be in my price range and the new one was his idea but I was giving him a shot anyway but he still can't seem to give me any numbers as far as price of the car, definite payment amount, and interest rate.

Well I did get one number which was their appraisal value of my car.

Should I just run from this dealer? How does he expect me to give him $100 out of my pocket when he can't even lay down all the numbers of the deal?

After the amazing test drive, my comfort level with his sales tactics went way downhill. Does this sound like a shady salesman/sales tactics?

And also, he's saying that Chevy/GM will NEVER offer 0% financing again, true?

[Muscle Car Lover]

Originally Posted by Emig5m

Went to the dealer to look at a used Camaro, vehicle is no longer available.

I state that a new one is out of my price range, but the salesman wants to try anyway. Doesn't hurt to try, right? If no dice, I can just keep searching the used market.

We do the test drive, I sign the paper to do the credit check so we can shop for interest rates (I made it clear it's going to have to be a hella low rate to make me jump on a brand new one).

The salesman keeps asking where I need to be on payment but I keep asking lets start at the top and tell me what I'm paying for the car first before trade ins and everything else and what rate he can get me financed at.

He doesn't want to tell me any numbers but asks me to put a $100 deposit on the car. I leave the dealer not feeling his sales tactic however I did like that he let me take the car out and hammer on it (he was best test drive salesman, I'll give him that much credit).

Next day salesman calls me multiple times trying to get me to buy the car. Still can't get any numbers as far as what I will be paying for the car, interests rates, or exact payment amount.

He keeps saying he can "probably" get me where I need to be on payment and keeps trying to pressure me into giving him a $100 deposit to hold the car for me and then come into the dealer at a later time to work out the numbers.

I remind him I was looking for a used one so I could be in my price range and the new one was his idea but I was giving him a shot anyway but he still can't seem to give me any numbers as far as price of the car, definite payment amount, and interest rate.

Well I did get one number which was their appraisal value of my car.

Should I just run from this dealer? How does he expect me to give him $100 out of my pocket when he can't even lay down all the numbers of the deal?

After the amazing test drive, my comfort level with his sales tactics went way downhill. Does this sound like a shady salesman/sales tactics?

And also, he's saying that Chevy/GM will NEVER offer 0% financing again, true?

With rates falling again (dreaded DEFLATION OMFG please stop it because things for cheaper is bad somehow?) I think we could see 0% again, but not this year.

To be fair, I think he is trying to meet a "target"; get X amount of people 'interested' and deposit $100. It's a metric they can use to evaluate his work I guess. Might be new trainee.

I don't think it's shady much, just trying to get you to commit $100 that they will keep and maybe entice you on an eye candy Camaro. If you know your top line price and what your trade in is really worth (not what you THINK it's worth, what the computer says is the range) then you know what you can afford.

Good luck.

[Emig5m]

Originally Posted by Muscle Car Lover

I don't think it's shady much, just trying to get you to commit $100 that they will keep

Why would you give them $100 out of your pocket that they will keep? To be honest with you, the dealer I bought my current Camaro from threw me the keys after a credit check and told me to take it home over night to see how I liked it. And that was with no deposit or obligation to buy the car. I actually returned the car the next morning, said I wasn't buying it, and decided to change my mind and buy it four days later, heh.

[JimE]

They will keep it (as in applied to the purchase) when you make a deal. If you don't make a deal, you should get the money back. Some dealers work that way to weed out the people that are just wasting their time.

In any case, if you don't feel safe or want to work with the dealer walk away and go somewhere else.

[cul2969]

Dealers sometimes have strange policies. When I was shopping for my Camaro, I noticed that a local used car dealer had one on their lot so I stopped by to take a look at it. Salesman said that he could not give me a lot of details on the car, could not allow a test drive, and could not even give me the price until I filled out a credit app. I tell the salesman that if I like car I will be paying cash for it, there will be no financing. He says that doesn't matter, still gotta fill out a credit app. I said no thanks... and paid cash down the street.

[Jackass]

I didn't even read the all thing .
But if one person is looking to buy something , even onions , the seller got to give the price to the potential buyer, let alone the $100
Just go somewhere else , and see what you can get from the new place .
You did the right thing on , let's deal on the car from the dealer , then rates , then more rates , and length of the loan
Only when you have all of that the way you want , you should start with the car you want to turn in
Just don't give up , you have a good start

[2014v6]

Wow... what ever happened to treating a customer like a part of the family...

Or what about im gonna treat u good because i want to sell cars to your entire family?

[LStick]

Old game...........

They'll keep that 100 bucks hanging out there like a carrot on a stick till you get tired and buy.

[cadyshac]

These are all sales tactics designed to influence you to make a purchase you otherwise wouldn't make. The last time I looked there were a lot of camaro's for sale so why would you give up $100 for one you don't even know the price of?
And the fact that he let you "hammer" it on the test drive only says he could care less about you, the car or whoever eventually buys it. He just wants to make a sale, that is his job after all.
Pink Floyd said it many years ago "RUN LIKE HELL"!!!

[The_Blur]

If it feels wrong, go somewhere else.

[km9v]

Forget it it, walk away. Keep your $100 & look elsewhere.

[Emig5m]

Thanks for the input guys.