Let's Make a Deal

A car dealer is not your best friend.  
​                Repeat – a car dealer is NOT your best friend.

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​Why do I need to say that? Because so many people come to me saying, “he was so nice,” “he was giving me a special deal,” “he showed me pictures of his children.”  But as soon as they drive off the lot, the “friendship” ends and the buyer feels cheated and betrayed because of broken promises.  

​​                     Being your “friend” is a sales pitch and nothing else.   

​So if a car dealer suggests that certain financial numbers be “modified” from their actual value to “give you a deal,” chances are the dealer is the one getting the “deal.”   Then if you have a problem with the sale, the dealer can point to the fraud that you engaged in to avoid liability for his own wrongful conduct.

​​One common example is when a dealer suggests that the purchase price listed on the DMV transfer documents be lower than the actual price you paid to save you money on the sales tax you pay.  To put it bluntly, this is stealing money from the state.  If you later have a valid legal action against the dealer to cancel the sale and get your money back, two things can happen.  One, the dealer will argue that you are only entitled to get back the lowered documented price you agreed to. Two, and worse, the dealer will argue that you engaged in fraud, not the dealer, and are not entitled to any relief because you engaged in wrong-doing.

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If both you and the dealer have “unclean hands” in the transaction, then chances are the court is not going to be inclined to help either party.  So, if you are offered a “good deal” that includes manipulating numbers on the purchase contract, remember the good deal is not for you, friend, it’s for the dealer.

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