What really goes on in the back rooms of car dealerships across America? What does the car salesman do when he leaves you sitting in a sales office and goes to talk with his boss? What are the tricks salespeople use to increase their profit and how can consumers protect themselves from overpaying?

Find answers to these questions and more in Confessions of a Car Salesman at edmunds.com. Edmunds sent one of their new hires undercover as a car salesman for three months, and he filed this report.

The author describes:

• Getting hired
• Meeting, greeting, and dealing
• Life on the lot
• A tale of two deals
• Learning from the pros
• No-haggle selling
• Parting shots
• Lessons from the lot

If you don’t have time for the entire piece, at least skim the final section, in which the author summarizes what he learned from the experience and offers advice for car shopping. In particular, he recommends that you:

• Use the internet
• Don’t be in a hurry
• Walk away from any deal or salesperson you don’t like
• Know the numbers
• Shop around
• Recognize that the deal’s not done until you drive off in your car
• Always remember that it’s your money

This is a long article, but well worth reading.

This article is about Cars, Hints and Tips  Tuesday, 18th April 2006 (by J.D. Roth)