QUIKAG

I've never had a problem in the F&I office. I just give them a very firm "No" when they ask if I'm interested in any extra crap. If they try again, I tell them, "Seriously, I am absolutely not interested. Please don't ask again." That has stopped them in their tracks everytime for me.

Vik2000

Just like when you buy some computer at Bestbuy, the geek squad wants you to pay for them to help you have an "optimum" start up.

FatfreeS2k

I used to date a woman who did finance for a toyota dealer. I never liked her job because I knew how she would persuade these poor customers to buy these things for their car that they didn't need, or get them loans for cars that they couldn't afford with terrible rates. Bottom line was how much $$ she could make is all that mattered to her.

Vik2000

^pretty much a lot of sales job is like that. If you're 100% honest, how can you ever make a sale?

travanx

Just walk out if pressured. I remember when buying my Porsche I wasn't happy with some numbers. So I told them I am buying a toy and I don't need to walk out of the dealer with a toy car, and then got up and walked away. Hmm magically I got what I wanted in the first place and left with the car at the correct price.

AlX Boi

A lot of misinformed people who probably aren't car enthusiasts will get suckered in. They see the car as a huge financial commitment and the extra is a piece of mind. I got my car before I joined the forums and was suckered out of nearly $3000. The alarm and lo-jack is a must in my mind to this day, but the Xzylon coating, rust proofing, and extended warranty...enought said.

I ended up canceling the warranty about a year or so later, only to find out I got the dealer's extended warranty and not Honda's. It was prorated from the day I drove off the lot and not when the original warranty would expire like I was told. So I raise my hand to having once been a misinformed sucker.

rioyellows2k

Quikag's response is absolutely right. But it's their job to let you know about all the options. It's just part of the procees of completing the paperwork. Ever customer is supposed to go through the same process, and if customer A is offered a warranty or mystery sealant, customer B is also supposed to be offered those things - regardless of how savvy or informed they are. I just let them do their thing and kindly say "no thanks." It's their job, and I'm not enough of an asshole to keep someone from doing their job.

Front end add-ons (paint sealants, plastic paint protection, etc) are typically used when dealers are out there advertising stupid low prices. Sure this $25,000 car is offered to you for $21,000 - but it's got these door edge moldings, and high roller package for $4000. And typically customers negotiate the accessories which are massively marked up and not the car. So basically the customer negotiates the items that have the most room (accessories) and not the thing that has the smallest margin (the car). Similar to bait and switch, but not really since the car is still offered at the advertised price but you have to deal with dealer add-ons at whatever. Every dealer does this, and some are just more notorious and unreasonable about it.

whiteflash

I got the warranty based on the experience with my last car, my Sentra had it's Automatic tranny blow at 30K. Well actually technically just the reverse went out completely (Yea I know, WTF?!). I didn't wanna deal with BS stuff on the S. The warranty lets me take it to any ASE certified mechanic, and my roommate is a ASE certified mechanic. Makes getting around the Mod/Warranty BS a lot easier

vader1

I don't think people who get Lojack's are getting suckered if you are in a high auto theft area. We don't have much auto theft where I live, and my car is usally in my garage at home or a secure monitored parking lot at work so I don't even have an alarm on the car, but I know people in Jersey who claim they don't even know a person who has not had a car stolen at least once so lojack seems like something useful.

Anti-microbial seems like a different thing altogether.

As far as warranties go, I would never get one on a new car because manufacturer warranties are pretty good, cars are built well and I know I will take care of it. A used car might be different.

One of the biggest aftermarket warranty companies (I forget who it is) just had the founder indicted. He was just pocketing all the money and denying all the claims. Then when the warranty company folds up shop, people hold worthless paper.

Mr.E.G.

I really hate to say it but that is an effective method. I help most of my friends negotiate their car purchases since I used to sell cars and every time we go through financing I am always very nice and we usually never buy anything that they sell but it tales goddamn forever doing it the nice way.

I went with my girlfriend's dad when he bought her last car and he was like, "You can just stop right there, I am not going to listen to it. I don't want ANYTHING extra."

"But sir--"

"--I DON'T WANT IT. STOP TALKING."

We were out of there in five minutes. hahaha.