Car Sales and Pink’s Seller Beware

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away (and by that, I mean a month ago, in Grove City PA), I arranged the sale of a 2026 Honda CRV Touring for a family friend of mine. During Thanksgiving break, she told me that the thought of working with the car salespeople made her stomach turn, so she wanted to hire a professional negotiator to do the dirty work for her. I mentioned that I was taking Grove City’s Negotiation class and she offered me the job!

I did not know it at the time, but my following actions clearly displayed Pink’s analysis of the changing selling climate. While my friend was cautious of the slimy salesman, I knew that if I did my research, their tactics could not exploit me. Now, the sellers must beware. To begin, I researched the nearest dealerships to her with the Honda and made an Excel spreadsheet with every option, its price, VIN, features, and whether or not it was in transit. I wanted to arrange the purchase before the new year, because car companies are more eager to offer deals to meet end of year quotas. I also called multiple dealers and asked if they could give any price discounts.

Each of these steps I took prepared me for the eventual discussions with the seller. As Pink mentioned and as I saw firsthand, the seller no longer had extra information they could hide…or so I thought. I was in a position of power because the information imparity no longer existed. While all of my research gave many benefits to the buyer, the sellers still used one of their tricks. When I was finalizing the details of the sale, I called to request that they throw in floor mats and oil changes for free, so the dealer “called their manager” and agreed to my terms. However, I failed to realize that those features were already included in the deal beforehand (the mats were included in an all-season protection package I already added, and the oil change they throw in with every sale). They failed to mention this to me. I chose not to write a negative review because the price was still very competitive.

This sale left a sour taste in my mouth because, despite my best efforts to defend myself against the salespeople, their sneaky tactics prevailed. I believe that Pink’s comments about Caveat Venditor are true, but I have personally encountered exceptions to this rule.