Used Car Buying

March 15, 2010 - 9:45 PM

This weekend, my best friends and I went to my house in Portland for various reasons. First, the two girls, Jessica and Kinsley, were signed up to work on the Shamrock Run. Second, my dad needed help moving stuff out of my grandma's condominium that just sold. Third, Kinsley needed to fly home to San Diego for spring break on Monday. And finally, Kinsley needed to buy a car to have in Portland while she is participating in the U of O's Portland Experience in the Turnbull Center in downtown Portland.

Knowing that used car salesmen might be tempted to take advantage of a 23-year-old young woman's inexperience and vulnerability in making such a purchase, my dad agreed to help Kins in her endeavor.

At first, Kinsley and I just went. We went to a couple of lots and luckily found a car that fit Kinsley's criteria. It was a '99 Honda Civic at a reasonable price, but with a few more miles than she had anticipated settling for. But overall, Hondas are good cars that last forever, so she filled out some paperwork and decided to hold the car overnight while she talked to her dad and mine about the decision.

She called her brother, who looked up the car in the Kelly Blue Book, and the price he found was significantly lower than the price that the company had quoted her.

Knowing that, Kinsley, my dad, and I went to the dealership ready to face a barrage of sales tactics that have been tested to persuade even the mature and experienced car-buyer.

They were good.

They took turns, rotating roles, and shifting their shapes, going to the back room to think about what their next move would be. They pitched other prices and checked the Kelly Blue Book, making excuses for their inflated price.

But we had hatched a plan, which was to decide on a fair dollar amount that she was willing to pay for the car, and no matter what trick they try to throw at her, she would stick to her plan and refuse to pay hidden fees and inflated prices.

We left that day without the car. Kinsley decided that she was not going to pay more than Kelly Blue Book for a car with higher-than-average miles on it.

This was another one of those college learning experiences that you take away from the years you spend as an undergraduate. Taking the time to help Kinsley shop for a car gave both her and me the opportunity to see what it's like to go up against trained manipulators and come out on top. Although she didn't get the car, she didn't get screwed over either.

That's what I call a successful learning experience.