Understand before you ever set foot on a dealer’s lot that you are at a disadvantage. Most automobile and RV salesmen go through an extensive and ongoing training program. Dealerships invest a lot of money in this training, because they know it will boost their profit margin.
The salesman is a professional. He spends all day, every day selling RVs, negotiating with buyers, and juggling trade-in allowances, down payments, and monthly payments. The average consumer may buy one to three RVs in their life. The salesman has the tools, the experience, and the tricks to make the maximum profit.
Here are a few of the salesman’s favorite scams and how to avoid them:
Switching Units
At any given time, every automobile and RV dealership in the country has a few “dead” units sitting on their lot. These are vehicles that have not sold for one reason or another.
They may be high mileage units, one may be a problem model with a reputation for poor quality, while the previous owner of another may have neglected maintenance and abused the vehicle. Or it could be as simple as a vehicle with an unpopular color scheme.
Whatever the reason may be, the dealership has been sitting on these units too long and needs to unload them. Many dealerships pay their salesmen a “spiff” or bonus on top of their regular commission to move these units out.
If a salesman insists on showing you an RV that does not meet the needs you outlined to him going in, there may be a reason. If it is a dead unit, you could make a very good deal, but you will be buying a rig that a lot of other shoppers have passed up. Maybe there is a reason it has sat around so long.
Taking Control Of The Sale
In any meeting between two people, the person who takes control wins. That is why police officers are taught to take quick control of any confrontation. By placing themselves in control quickly, they have a much better chance of having a positive outcome. Salesmen are also taught to seize immediate control of the situation.
The process is subtle, but effective. The salesman begins by controlling the conversation. After a few legitimate fact finding questions, he leads you to an RV and opens the door.
“Go ahead, take a look. Nice, isn’t it? It has everything you need. Full size bed, generator, two roof air conditioners.”
“How much is it,” you ask. “It’s like being in a small apartment,” the salesman replies “Feel the cushions on the sofa. Isn’t that comfortable?”
“How much is it,” you ask again. “Let me show you the kitchen, Mrs. Customer,” the salesman replies. “Look at that. Refrigerator, range with oven, microwave. All of the comforts of home, right? Go ahead, open the refrigerator and see how big it is. Mr. Customer, sit there in the driver’s seat. Isn’t that a great view with all of that windshield. Talk about being able to see America.”
Controlling the Conversation
Do you see what is happening here? The salesman is controlling the conversation. He is answering your questions with questions, and not giving you the information you ask for.
Salesman wants you to fall in love with the RV he wants to sell you, not the one that will fit your needs and budget. He is directing you with subtle orders, and most people just fall into the trap. He opens the RV and says go inside and look around, so you enter and look around.
You ask the price and he tells you to feel the sofa cushions, and asks you if they are comfortable. Ask the price again and he says: “Open the refrigerator.” You open the refrigerator and he asks “All the comforts of home, right?” He tells you to sit in the driver’s seat and asks you if that isn’t a great view. He is conditioning you to follow his directions.
Beat the Salesman
You can beat the salesman at this game by refusing to give up control. He needs basic information about your needs and budget to help you select the right RV for your needs. He gets this information by asking simple fact finding questions about your RVing experiences and the intended uses of the RV.
Will you be fulltiming or using it for weekend outings? Will you be traveling alone or taking children or grandchildren with you? Are you boondockers or do you enjoy nice full service RV parks?
But beyond that basic information, which you should be forthcoming about, when he begins to answer your questions with questions of his own and giving you subtle orders, refuse to play the game.
If he opens the door of an RV and tells you to enter, walk to the back of the rig and look at the roof access ladder. If you are inside an RV and he tells you to open a cupboard door or sit in a seat, do something else instead.
Even better is if husband and wife go off in two directions, even one going to peek at another rig. Go look at the bedroom or inspect the television. By doing so, you break the rhythm of his sales process and throw him off balance.
Asking the Price
Asking the price is a legitimate question, and if the salesman refuses to answer, you should stop the sales process right then and there. Tell him “I’ve asked you twice now for the price. If you can’t tell me that, I’ll go find another salesman who can.” Let him know that you are in charge, not him.
Sometimes the salesman will tell you he does not know the price and will have to go look it up. Then he will start right back where he left off, by pointing out features and telling you to touch this, feel that, look in here. If he attempts this, stop him and tell him that you want the price right now, and since he can’t or won’t tell you, it’s time for you to leave or talk to a new salesman.
Another Tactic
Another tactic when you ask the price is to ask you what you wanted to spend on an RV. Again, he is answering your question with a question. By now he has demonstrated that he is not going to work in your best interests. I would be walking toward the exit.
The salesman will then probably try to stop you by saying he will go get the price. More often than not, he will then switch you to another salesman or a sales manager, making an excuse such as a telephone call to answer. Then he slides out of the picture and the process starts all over again. Don’t go down this road. The dealership is playing games with you, and buying an RV is not a game!
Playing Dumb
One favorite way the salesman uses to avoid answering your questions is to play dumb. If he is showing you an RV that will not meet your needs, and he knows it, he will play dumb when you ask a question that will force him to admit this unit will not do the job for you. He may say he is new to the dealership and still has a lot to learn.
By doing this he hopes to accomplish two things – to avoid giving you an answer and to elicit your sympathy for a rookie just trying to get his feet wet. “I’m brand new at this, so you’ll have to bear with me,” he’ll proclaim. Buying an RV is a major investment. Would you let a rookie stockbroker handle your investment portfolio? If the salesman tries this gambit, tell him you really don’t have the time to deal with a rookie and ask for a more experienced salesman who can help you make a wise buying decision.
Walk Away
Do not be afraid to walk away from a salesman or a dealership that uses these sales tactics. You worked hard for your money, you are a legitimate customer, and you deserve to be treated with respect and honesty. If they will not answer your questions, or try to show you something that does not meet your stated needs, go elsewhere. There are plenty of dealerships that will be happy to sell you an RV.
Once you have finally settled on an RV, the real games begin. RV salesmen, just like automobile salesmen, will do anything they can to sell you their unit at the very highest price they can. After all, they work on commission, so the more you pay, the more they make.
We’re In This Together
The first thing the salesman wants to do is to convince you that he is on your side, so you will let your guard down. He may make small talk instead of starting to work the deal. The salesman wants to become your friend. He wants you to think that together you will be working to get the best deal possible.
Remember, in his mind the best deal possible is the one that pays him the highest commission. He will use phrases like “Let’s see what we can do to help you own this great RV” or “I really want you folks to own this great RV, and I’m going to do everything I can to help make it happen.” Do not be fooled. He is not your buddy, he is not worried about your best interests or putting you into the best RV you can get for your money. His only concern is making a commission.
The salesman will want to solidify your commitment to buying the RV. He will remind you of what a nice rig it is, how great the interior layout is, what fun you will have taking it on vacation. You may notice that the salesman is nodding his head slightly as he makes every point. Pretty soon you find yourself nodding your head right along in agreement. It’s almost a hypnotic technique to insure your compliance.
The salesman will usually either use an in-house phone to call the sales manager, or leave for a moment to consult with the manager. Then he will present you with the trade in allowance on any vehicle you may be trading in, the down payment, and the monthly payments you will be paying.
At this point, he will wait for a response from you. Do not give him one! He wants you to tell him that the down payment is too high, or that you expected more for your trade in, or that you were looking for payments $150 dollars a month less.
Once you have voiced your objection, all he has to do is meet the objection and close the sale. He expects you to respond, so do not respond. Do not speak to your spouse. Just look at the numbers he has written down and try to maintain a poker face. Wait him out. The rule in sales at this point is that whoever speaks first loses.
Sooner or later the salesman has to break the silence. “Well, what do you think? Shall we write it up?” Then, and only then should you speak. Ask him what the selling price is of the RV, including sales tax if any. He really does not want to talk about the selling price, It’s a lot harder to convince you to spend $100,000 than it is to spend $500 a month. In fact, a good salesman won’t even use the words spend or payment. Instead, he will talk about your investment. Keep in mind that we expect our investments to earn dividends for us. RVs and tow vehicles depreciate, they do not earn. They are not investments.
What Will It Take?
Sooner or later the salesman will ask you “What will it take to have you take this rig home today?” He is looking for the hook, the leverage he can start working on to convince you to buy. You really should not buy the first time you go to the dealership. Do your homework and shop around. Get prices and terms from several dealerships on different RVs so you can choose from the best deal to fit your needs and budget. Tell him that you are not buying today, and nothing will convince you to buy today.
It’s Now Or Never
The salesman does not want you to walk away without signing on the dotted line. He will try to convince you that you must buy today to take advantage of the special price he has negotiated for you. He may suggest that there is another buyer waiting in the wings just waiting to snatch the RV out from under you, so time is of the essence. Ignore him. If he makes you an offer today and you walk away, do you really think he will refuse your money tomorrow? Remember, there are more RVs out there for sale than there are buyers on any given day.
Another Salesman
If he can’t convince you to buy, the salesman will next bring in another salesman or the sales manager to try to turn the deal around. They may play Good Cop/Bad Cop with you. The new guy will try to intimidate you into buying, or put you on a guilt trip for wasting the first salesman’s time. Your “buddy,” Salesman #1, will come to your rescue. It’s all a game. Don’t play it. The salesman may also bring in the heavy hitter to close the deal by making a better offer. That’s when I tell them that obviously they lied to me the first time when the first salesman gave me his best offer. Is there someone else waiting to come in and make me a better offer yet?
Getting Good Faith Money
A salesman will agree to take your offer to his sales manager, but will ask for a show of “good faith.” Maybe a check for $100, just so he can show his manager you are a serious buyer. Ridiculous.
You are buying a $100,000 recreational vehicle and they want to know if you have $100 in your pocket? You can bet if they get that check, you won’t get it back without a hassle. Other salesmen will ask for your drivers license or some quick credit info to “get you qualified for the best rate.” Again, give them nothing until you are ready to make a deal. Some will even say it is company policy or state law that they must have your driver’s license. Tell them it is your policy not to give out such information until you are ready to purchase. Ask for a telephone to call the local police to confirm if this is a state law and see how fast they back down!
These are just a few of the scams you can expect when you go vehicle or RV shopping. Among others are trying to get the keys to your trade in, which they will conveniently “lose” if they can’t get you to agree to their deal, asking you to sign a “borrowed vehicle agreement” and take the unit overnight to see what you think about it, asking you to fill out a credit application before they will allow you to look at a vehicle, and advertising a very low price on a vehicle, then telling you it has been put on hold by another buyer and trying to switch you to a more expensive model.
If this article has made you feel like you are walking into a mine field when you go shopping, you are. But forewarned is forearmed. Do your homework before you ever go shopping. Have a realistic idea of what you need and what you can afford to pay, both in terms of final selling price and monthly payments. Secure your financing ahead of time, and know what the interest rate will be. Have information on extended warranties in hand before you need it. By planning ahead, by refusing to be snowed by smooth talking salesmen, and by using the techniques described here to combat their scams, you can come out ahead.