If You Know Their Rules ...
You Can Play Their Games

10. System selling-Boware of

System selling or "track selling" is a concept that some larger dealerships use to control the customer and squeeze as much profit as possible out of every deal.

Some systems are designed to generate "spot" deliveries. This means getting you to shop, buy, and take delivery of a car during your first visit.

System selling is designed to control you through confusion. In some dealerships you are met by a greeter who turns you over to a salesperson whose job it is to qualify you. The salesman's job is to see if you've got the money and/or a reasonable credit history to enable you to buy today. They then turn you over to another salesperson who will help you find the car you want and take you for a demo drive. This person turns you over to a "closer," who insists that you fill out a credit application before you negotiate a deal. Their job is to sell, sell, sell. Then once you've started negotiating, the salesperson will write up your order and ask for a deposit before he or she takes it in to the manager. "Company policy, you know. "

The offer goes in and, not infrequently, even if it is for the full sticker price the salesperson will come back with instructions to try to sell you more options, move you up to a higher-priced model-anything to add more profit. Assuming that your initial offer is much lower than the list, the system store process is designed to work this offer-counteroffer process until the first "closer" has gotten all he's going to get. At that point you're turned over (TO'd) to another salesperson or manager who will try to bump you until "there's no money left on the table."