Can You Beat a Car Salesman at His/Her Own Game?

After the birth of our third daughter, my brother-in-law nagged us into believing that we really needed a minivan or an SUV like his Chevy Tahoe, to accommodate our growing family. I went online to google some of the most popular household names. Toyota Sienna. Honda Odyssey. Mazda MPV. But they all threatened to put a huge dent in our savings account or hold us hostage as 9-5 corporate slaves with a hefty (4-5 year) car loan tags on our heads. In the end, my husband and I decided that the more affordable Dodge Caravan or a Kia Sedona would have to do the trick. However, most trips to several auto dealerships often left us mentally exhausted, and my husband (John) yelling, "I'm never, ever buying anything from those Shysters". I felt his anger. I understood his frustrations. In fact, I completely agreed with him all the way... or so I thought, until the ad below, in our Sunday paper caught my attention:

"BRAND NEW DODGE CARAVAN $16, 900
Automatic, Dual air bags, Dual-zone air conditioning (with separate controls for the rear)
Six-cylinder -engine, power door locks; windows and mirrors..."

Wow! I couldn't believe it. Somewhere on the other side of Alligator Alley, a Dodge Dealership had Minivans for sale at a "too good to be true" price. Hairs needed to be brushed. Diapers needed to be changed. I didn't care; there was no time to waste! I grabbed my checkbook and ordered everyone to get in the car.

Our trip from Fort Myers to Fairbanks Dodge at Sawgrass Mills in Broward County, took approximately two hours. Yet, no one complained. Not even the tinniest whimper from my two-year-old daughter. We were all too excited. We were busy daydreaming about the feel and smell of our brand new minivan. The children were already staking their claims on window, aisle or back seats.

As soon as we pulled up in their parking lot, a well-manicured salesman named Scott was assigned to assist us.

"What can we do for you guys?" He asked. As if he didn't already know.

"We need to get a car today," I answered. I pointed to our Dodge Stratus and added, "we're not heading back home in that thingy over there."