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Sketchy used car dealers

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Chilidog
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Sketchy used car dealers

#1

Post by Chilidog »

OK, so my son is about to graduate from college.

Being a dutiful dad, I've decided to help him make his first major post college choice.... A new, ( or used) car (or truck)

For various reasons having to do with his preferred career / future education path, we decided that a pickup truck would be a valid option. Unfortunately for him, it's a sellers market for both new and used pickups right now.

I found the following listing on the Carfax app for a used Tacoma.

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My first inclination was to skip.past this as the price is outrageous.

But then I noticed something odd about the listing. Notice the mileage listed at the top of the listing as copied from the dealer web page, 96K miles. Then look at the carfax data at the bottom of page. 104 056 miles.

Curious, I texted the dealer for an explanation.

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My response to his last text got cut off, but I basically called him a stinking liar.

Here are the last parts of the carfax report

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To be fair to the dealer, I find it a lot more likely that the mileage was rolled back by the repo company before they put it up for auction, but that doesn't excuse the bullshit explanation from the sales turd.
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Chilidog
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#2

Post by Chilidog »

Follow up

Image

Not a roll back, just an ordinary bait and switch "mistake."
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neonzx
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#3

Post by neonzx »

You are making me dred my coming search for a new car (well, newish -- I buy used, but try to go find something from a private one-owner directly because they take better care than the stuff than picked up by dealers on trade/resale or bought by a dealer from an auction). But it always feels like a crap-shoot dealing with cars. Maybe I should just Uber? :confuzzled: :?

The mileage thing is quirky. In Florida, I believes it's at 90,000 that transfers after that do not have to list the current mileage with the state. I'd be very wary if the computer is saying 130,000k because this is not6

ETA: Website data-entry error is the excuse. That's a major data entry error on the website- 96k vs 130k. Not even close.
Yeah, right. :roll:

Walk away -- keep looking.
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Chilidog
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#4

Post by Chilidog »

If it was a repo

Then it went the last 25k without an oil change.
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neonzx
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#5

Post by neonzx »

Chilidog wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 1:50 pm If it was a repo

Then it went the last 25k without an oil change.
Yeah, the oil change light is ON ... and this dealer didn't even service it for sale. Walk away. Actually, RUN!
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#6

Post by zekeb »

neonzx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:11 pm
Chilidog wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 1:50 pm If it was a repo

Then it went the last 25k without an oil change.
Yeah, the oil change light is ON ... and this dealer didn't even service push the gas pedal to the floor and turn the key 5 times or whatever it takes to reset the change oil light it for sale. Walk away. Actually, RUN!
Minor fix
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#7

Post by neonzx »

Did some greenie edit a post of mine -- I had a comment of "fixing a rattle in the dash" that seemed to vanish?
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#8

Post by northland10 »

neonzx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:41 pm Did some greenie edit a post of mine -- I had a comment of "fixing a rattle in the dash" that seemed to vanish?
Doubtful.. they don't appear to have been online recently enough, unless they are hiding.
101010 :towel:
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#9

Post by neonzx »

northland10 wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:43 pm
neonzx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:41 pm Did some greenie edit a post of mine -- I had a comment of "fixing a rattle in the dash" that seemed to vanish?
Doubtful.. they don't appear to have been online recently enough, unless they are hiding.
No, there were a few sentences/a paragraph removed. They were there... then an hour later, it was not. If something is removed of a post of mine, a simple PM explaining would be cool.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#10

Post by raison de arizona »

If it was repo'd it is likely marked as mileage not accurate on the title, FWIW. Which would make it worth considerably less than book value.
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Chilidog
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#11

Post by Chilidog »

Even at 96k, it was way overpriced for what it is.

Oh well. At those prices, we might as well look at a basic new truck. A base model tacoma with 4WD can be found
New for $29,000
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#12

Post by John Thomas8 »

Well, there is market pressure on new and recent vehicles as computer chip manufacturing shifted from automotive to "work from home" gear. It could be 2 years before things settle out.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/14/how-a-c ... ustry.html

The upward pressure on prices will be hanging around for a while.
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tek
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#13

Post by tek »

used car prices are insane right now.

Dealers are having trouble getting new inventory and are devouring used cars to keep the lights on.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#14

Post by neonzx »

Okay, I'm going to repost.

An uncle of mine would "fix the rattle in the dash", which meant to take the odometer tumbler assembly out and reset the wheels. It was 1988 and 1990. I did not participate. And said uncle is deceased.

You can't do any of this on late model cars. It's all on the computer. Just as the Tacoma could not be faked by a web posting.

.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#15

Post by jez »

I can commiserate. I'm starting the "New to me" car search myself. Looking at Forresters, Equinox, and Rav4. Yes, I'm looking for an SUV/Crossover type of vehicle. It's easier to get in and out of with my bad knees and hips then my lower sedan. My roommate has a Rav4 (2014) and I actually like driving it. Drives very nicely.

So, been starting the interwebz search to get an idea of pricing. So far, I'm looking at the 20-25k range for a new model (2018 or newer). I rarely drive anywhere as it is, so mileage isn't all that important to me. Though I don't want something with over 12k miles per year. It's gonna be a few months until I can get the down payment together and all that jazz, so I'm not in a hurry.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#16

Post by zekeb »

When you start taking payments on a $25K used car at 6% interest vs payments on a $35k new car at 2.9% interest, the new car might be a better deal.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#17

Post by bill_g »

That would be $483/mo vs $629/mo assuming 60mos on both contracts.

Google car loan calulator
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Suranis
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#18

Post by Suranis »

John Oliver did a show on Car Loans and to a lesser extent used cars back in 2016. Still worth watching.

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neeneko
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#19

Post by neeneko »

ooof. You have my sympathy.

Every time I look at replacing my poor rain leaky car (which is nearly every time it rains), I quickly rediscover how much I hate car shopping.
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realist
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#20

Post by realist »

neonzx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:41 pm Did some greenie edit a post of mine -- I had a comment of "fixing a rattle in the dash" that seemed to vanish?
Wasn't this one.
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#21

Post by Foggy »

Nor I.
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#22

Post by Azastan »

neonzx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:52 pm

No, there were a few sentences/a paragraph removed. They were there... then an hour later, it was not.
I remember reading the bit about the uncle 'fixing the rattle in the dash'...but figured it was a self edit (I do a lot of those myself, so wouldn't have thought much of anyone else doing so).
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#23

Post by Foggy »

Off Topic
There's a "Moderator Log" available only to the elitist swine on this website, and it shows details about posts that have been edited. The only thing showing on it regarding neonzx is that he deleted one of his own posts on the music free-for-all thread (we all do that when there's an accidental double-post).

Granted, there could have been a software glitch. But nobody edited the post.

Regardless, I reserve the right to edit posts for spelling and grammar errors. Or not, as the spirit moves me. :mrgreen:
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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sugar magnolia
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#24

Post by sugar magnolia »

My son called me last night ranting about one of the salesmen he works with at the car dealership. Son's the something-something manager who deals directly with buyers after their purchase to make sure they are happy with their car. He was on a call yesterday with a customer who was decidedly NOT happy after discovering that something the salesman assured her would be on her car wasn't. Turns out, it is one of only 2 model lines that don't come with that feature and the salesman just flat out lied to the woman about it. The dealership is now in the position of having to offer the woman another model that does have that feature, at no additional cost, because that's just how they roll.

Being lied to by a car salesman is just about the worst, but getting a free upgrade on the car is pretty close to the best.
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tek
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Re: Sketchy used car dealers

#25

Post by tek »

sugar magnolia wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 8:37 am He was on a call yesterday with a customer who was decidedly NOT happy after discovering that something the salesman assured her would be on her car wasn't.
This had been a long-running problem in the Grand Cherokee world.
Someone buys a GC because they want to tow. Salesman has one on the lot they like but it does not have the factory tow package.
Salesman says "Oh no problem we can add the factory tow package before delivery"

NO YOU CAN'T.
You can put a hitch and trailer wiring on, but you can't put the heavy duty cooling on.
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