Haven't dealt with a car dealer in years, don't want to pay them the 1 to ? thousand dollars they make off the deal. I'm glad others do, because that puts used vehicles in circulation for me to buy from private sellers. On top of that, new vehicle prices are just plain stupid. Low interest rates, and peoples' willingness to go into huge debt have jacked vehicle prices up something awful. (BTW, seen the price of a new boat? The price tag on a new 21 foot bass boat will make you faint!)

Last time I tried a dealer, I saw a used truck I liked on their lot, so I went in to ask them the price. A sales guy wanted to open a 'contact form' and started in with a 'how much are looking to pay per month' spiel. I told him I just wanted to know how much they'd sell the pickup for.

The guy asks me to have a seat at one of the desks among the row of others while he goes to find out. I decline and say I'll just hang out. While standing there, I see people at a couple of other desks sitting anxiously while their salespeople write stuff down on forms. I feel a little sorry for them, because their expressions and body language make me think of hungry sheep waiting for food.

The sales manager comes out and starts in again with the spiel. I'm getting irritated now, but politely as possible I ask how much the truck costs. No finance options or forms, just the bottom line price. The guy goes cold, and tells me I'm welcome to join the salesman at his desk if I want a price.

I walked out, and they seemed glad to be rid of me. Apparently it's lot easier to shear sheep than deal with a pain in the ass like myself.

I'm sure not all dealers are like that, and hopefully recent economic times have eliminated the ones who are.