If you hear this said then walk away...

coltle6920

coltle6920

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You are looking to buy a new car or truck. Maybe you are at a gun show looking for a deal. You look at the price sticker and the person making the sale says "That price is more than fair."

What does that really mean? Are you charging me more than what a fair price would be? I'm of an age where I know what that statement used to mean but in today's environment I'm not so sure.
 
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My response would be, "Well, not to me," then leave...

I usually let them have one salesman's cliche, then I walk if they continue with the jive. If you're not going to deal seriously, I won't deal, period.
 
Fair or fare? Fair will slim your wallet and fatten his, while fare will get you moving down the road.

When I worked part-time at a new car dealership, there was a 12% mark up on the base price and 23% mark up on add-ons.

The dealer needed to finance the vehicle when it got the invoice and before it was shipped. No wiggle room on transportation.

Do the math. Fair or fare?

The last time I bought a new car was in 1988. I let the new car buyer take the first big depreciation hit.
 
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When I'm shopping for something I usually know what I want to pay
I'll smile thinly at the salesmanship then make my offer
If accepted great if not I move on … unless I decide to pay the higher price
The "more than fair" statement , to me means less expensive than going rate . Anything else would be misleading or an outright lie
 
Lots of different interpretations. If I am selling something and I tell a prospective buyer that the price is more than fair I mean it is a price that is lower than he is likely to find anywhere else for the same item. That's me. I would not be immediately turned off if a seller told me that. When buying anything, car, gun or whatever, you need to know what you want and what a fair price actually is. I buy new a new vehicle every several years. I decide exactly what I want before I ever walk into a dealership. I buy vehicles. I don't expect a dealer to "sell" me a vehicle.
 
coltle6920 said:
You are looking to buy a new car or truck. Maybe you are at a gun show looking for a deal. You look at the price sticker and the person making the sale says "That price is more than fair."

What does that really mean? Are you charging me more than what a fair price would be? I'm of an age where I know what that statement used to mean but in today's environment I'm not so sure.
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You really don't know what that means ?
 
I take "more than fair" as the seller intends it (it's just a sales pitch), but fair is different for different people, so what seems fair to me is what I'm interested in. If that happens to be fair for both parties, I'm ok with that. Usually I'm actually happy with that.
 
Speaking of salesman cliche.
While looking to buy my most recent boat, I narrow it down to two boats at different dealers. Both same size and and equipment. Both salesmen knew I had narrowed the selection down to one of two. One of the salesmen told me "I was smart for shopping around". Then he stated I should buy from him. I asked why.
"Well, both boats are great boats, but with ours, you also get me."
I bought the other boat.
 
This conversation sounds to me like someone is trying to be offended.

It really is about the item and the price. If something else sours the deal, that's fine, nobody's life is going to change over one gun sale.

Making it more than it is sounds like a waste of time and energy.
 
Please take this in the friendly spirit in which it's intended. :) I know no one is making me read or reply to this thread, but oh, good Lord! We all know that's a vernacular phrase suggesting that the buyer will be getting a better-than-fair deal.

Yeah, some sellers are unreasonable. So are some buyers. If we're just old men grousing, are we going to have a thread complaining about drivers on the freeway, too? How about the weather? How about them changing the formula for Coke back in the Eighties . . . ?

I say this only because I catch myself doing similar things all the time - I want to stop and I don't want any of you good gentlemen to travel too far down the road to negativity. So cheer up, amigos: no one is making you buy anything. The possibility of dealing with difficult humans is part of the choice you make when you do. We all know that. Please allow me to suggest that it's a mistake to focus on trivialities like this when we have so many blessings that warrant more of our attention.

Now have a better day! :)
 
You mean when like it's advertised...

coltle6920 said:
You are looking to buy a new car or truck. Maybe you are at a gun show looking for a deal. You look at the price sticker and the person making the sale says "That price is more than fair."

What does that really mean? Are you charging me more than what a fair price would be? I'm of an age where I know what that statement used to mean but in today's environment I'm not so sure.
Click to expand...

...as 'rare'. If you listen to any story by someone who is selling you something, their's is the best, everyone else's is crud. And whatever they are buying from you isn't worth anything.

I can't sell anything, but I could probably bring myself to do technical sales because it's generally more matter-of-fact. However, one time my boss called up someone to ask about ball valves. They said, "NOBODY IS USING BALL VALVES ANYMORE!"

Yeah, right.
 
Erich said:
Please take this in the friendly spirit in which it's intended. :) I know no one is making me read or reply to this thread, but oh, good Lord! We all know that's a vernacular phrase suggesting that the buyer will be getting a better-than-fair deal.
Click to expand...
Of course that's what it means . To suggest anything else is silly and just looking for attention .
 
My personal idea of a "Fair Price" depends a lot on whether I am selling or buying......;);)
Unfortunately, my buying "fair price" seems to be about 5+ years out of sync....:o:o
 
It's nothing more than a phrase used to try and strike up a conversation about the item being looked over by a potential buyer.

There's a ton of them.
We're gettin' too serious.

Most lookers respond by nodding affirmatively, smiling, and then keep on walking because they just aren't interested anyway.
 
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Don't think I've ever heard a gun show seller say, "that's more than fair."
I usually hear, "I have a little room," or something similar or "the price is firm." The fun begins when trying to determine what his idea of "little" is. :)
 
I ask a simple question, is the price firm or I might ask if there is any wiggle room. I will give them a buy signal stating this is a piece I am interested in, but I am not sure I can get to XXX. If the seller gives a sell signal such as, well I might be able to work with you what were you thinking then negotiations can begin. If not, then I move along.

I am pretty hard to insult when it comes to selling or buying. I agree with another posters comment that I am not sold anything I buy things.

One other thought, compromise might be when both parties are equally dissatisfied.
 
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coltle6920 said:
What does that really mean? Are you charging me more than what a fair price would be?
Click to expand...

I post things to make you laugh and sometimes just to make you think outside the box. Instead you have made me laugh by your seriousness.

George Carlin got rich and famous picking apart trivial things from our daily lives and I'd bet most of you loved his humor. While I'm not anything like him I like to see things from a different perspective and think "What if this is what they really meant."

I accomplished what I wanted to do with a header to draw you in. Now accept it for what it is.....Humor!
 
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I think the dealership model of new car sales should be retired, or at least modified. It's fine if you need a car right now, or want to test drive, etc. But if I'm willing to wait, and want a car equipped with a very specific set of options, why not let me order one directly from the factory using the build and price feature on the manufacturer's website for MSRP + delivery (to my house) + tax, license and doc fee? No dealer markup, unwanted add-ons, etc? Tesla does it. Places like Carvana do it with used cars. But I recall reading something a few years ago that said the dealers (using campaign donations) convinced state legislatures to prohibit direct sales under the sham that it was a "safety issue" to allow you to buy a car without the dealer showing you how to put on the seatbelt.
 
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yaktamer said:
.......But I recall reading something a few years ago that said the dealers (using campaign donations) convinced state legislatures to prohibit direct sales under the sham that it was a "safety issue" to allow you .
Click to expand...

A lot of good paying salary+commission jobs at stealerships. I had a guy at a local one that I and family bought a dozen new GM cars over a 20 year period from. Owned a very nice 36 ft "offshore" boat. Come to think, I ain't seen him since he went to selling Fords maybe 15 years ago. Joe
 
LVSteve said:
One thing that has me sprinting back to my car is finding 'Local market adjustment' on the sticker. I never need a vehicle that bad.
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Well that is one I have never seen. I see plenty of ADP "additional dealer profit", ADM "additional dealer markup!

Being around high performance vechicles including Corvettes I see those stickers many times. When they have you by the short hair they do stuff like that. Hard to get models and options they many time will do that.

Its nice to come back after a decent time and see the same cars on the lot because they do not sell. I know I have POed many a salesman/sales manager reminding them how much they are paying to have the vechicle basically in storage on their lot. I might have bought it months ago if it had a reasonable price!

My last Corvette I did a couple hundred mile drive to a volume dealer and bough a brand new Vette at many thousand less than the local yokels wanted.

As in most dealerships there is divisions that all now have to make their profit, its no problem to get the local dealer service department to take care of warranty or other things you need.

Not like the old days when a common mantra from service was take it where you bought it, we will not touch it. The service manger now is interested in making a good profit for the dealership owner and keeping his job.
 
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