One dealer paid the company to have me sit with his finance manager on-site to teach him how to use the software. The finance manager was well into his 70's, had zero desire to learn how to do a deal on the computer and (surprisingly) knew even less on how to sell a car.
So I sat with this gentleman all day, over 10 hours straight trying to teach him how to use the system. This was at a well established Buick dealer in Oak Park, IL back around 1989. My memory's a little foggy on exactly how many cars I sold that day trying to teach this nice old man how to use the system but it was at least 20 which as it turned out was a really good day at that dealership.
The owner of the Buick Dealership stopped me as I was leaving for home around 10pm that night and asked if I wanted a job as a Finance Manager at his dealership. Turned out he made more money per car that day than he had in a very long time.
Honestly, I felt dirty knowing some of the people who purchased cars that day really couldn't afford them or were going to really struggle paying for them over the life of the loan. Their choice, not mine I suppose but still .. didn't like it.
I haven't financed a vehicle since.
Yeah. I sometimes feel sorry for the new and used car salesman out on the lot. They are under tremendous pressure from their sales managers. It’s no wonder the turnover rate in dealerships can be 80% per year.
But it’s the finance officers that I detest the most. They will lie, cheat, berate, manipulate, browbeat and use every dirty trick in the book just to make an extra few bucks.
You don’t have to finance a vehicle. But you do have to go through F and I.
Is financing preferred if you want to be able to 1), have a dashcam installed at the dealership so it’s on the invoice, and 2), be able to sell and walk away if you know you won’t be able to afford it after a while? Like for example, another poorly-made bio-weapon gets released and you get laid off?