When stepping onto a car dealership lot, your excitement of finding your dream car can quickly turn into frustration when you face irritating marketing strategies. Car dealerships often employ fishy methods, including high-pressure strategies and hidden fees, to close a deal that won’t be favorable to you. To help you stay ahead, here are 15 of the most common and annoying sales tactics you could encounter.

High-pressure sales tactics

Salespeople may use intense pressure to rush you into making a decision. They might say things like, “This deal is only good for today,” to make you feel you have to decide quickly.

Adding unnecessary features

Another thing they may do is try to sell you unnecessary extras for your car. For example, they can propose adding expensive navigation systems or special paint coatings.

Bait and switch

This is when they advertise a car at a very attractive price to get you interested. But when you go to buy it, they say it’s no longer available and try to sell you a more expensive model instead.

Hidden fees

These are extra costs that will not be clearly explained upfront. For instance, they may only tell you about document fees or delivery charges once you’re close to finalizing the deal.

Extended warranties

They might sell you a warranty beyond the basic coverage. While warranties can be helpful, the extended ones are often expensive and may cover things that are unlikely to break.

Financing tricks

They can show you financing that seems like a great deal, but they could include concealed costs or higher interest rates that cost you more over time.

Trade–in undervaluation

If you’re trading in your old car, they could offer you less money than it’s worth. They aim to make more profit when they resell it.

Ignoring your budget

They may want to draw your attention to how much you can afford to pay each month instead of the total cost of the car. This can cause you to overspend without realizing it.

Keeping you waiting

By making you wait for a long time, they can wear you down so that you will quickly agree to a deal just to be done with the process.

Withholding information

They might not tell you everything you need to know about the car, such as whether it has a history of mechanical problems or has been in an accident.

Confusing paperwork

Some dealers may attempt to rush you through the paperwork without fully explaining everything, so you won’t know what you’re signing or agreeing to.

Phony discounts

Some dealerships will inflate the original price of a car and then offer a discount, making it seem as if you’re getting a better deal than you actually are.

Complex lease terms

When leasing a car, dealerships may use complicated language and terms to paint the deal as something better than it is. This can lead to unexpected costs or being stuck with an unfavorable deal.

Ignoring your preferences

They may steer you towards a car they want to sell instead of listening to what you’re looking for and helping you find the best match.

Hidden clauses in contracts

Their contract may include clauses allowing the dealership to change the terms later. These future changes can make the whole experience unpleasant, and you won’t be able to do much about it.