Customer Reviews

Don't Get Taken Every Time: The Insider's Guide to Buying or Leasing Your Next Car or Truck; Revised Ed

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After 16 years in the automobile business, 7 as a manufacturer's representative and 9 as a car dealer, I found Remar Sutton's book, "Don't Get Taken Every Time," the first book that I have read which really tells about the inside workings of an automobile dealership. It offers valuable insight into the automibile business and is important reading for anybody who is about to make one of the largest purchases of their life. If I had read this book when I was in the car business, it would have frightened me. A consumer entering a car dealership without being armed with the information that is in this book is going into battle virtually unarmed. In my post-automobile business years I have given many people similar car buying tips and, from their experience, I can assure you that the information in this book can help change the trama of car buying into an experience that can be fun while saving you hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. Do not buy your next car before you read this book!

As a single woman in the late 1980's I used this book to purchase my first car from a regular dealership and did the homework (which included 5 offers prepared for 3 different dealerships). From the time I walked on to my first lot alone to make my offer, to the time I received my keys I was out in an hour (NO haggling and never had to go to the other dealerships). I was able to save almost $3,000 and had already secured the financing that didn't leave me "underwater" after the purchase. Yes, not all of the salespeople are greedy (because some of them are just as clueless about those hidden profits) but the managers sure were. Can't remember how many times one of the managers tried to get me to confide to him which dealership I worked (or had worked) for and it felt good to politely say that I had never worked in one before and felt I had too much of a conscience to start now. He kept saying, "Do you realize how good of a deal you got...where did you get your information?" I never divulged my source but I wanted to mention to the readers here that not only am I pleased to see his book still in print and updated, but Sutton's latest version will be the one I use when buying another new car next year.

An incisive look at a dog-eat-dog business. Helps the car buyer through the major pitfalls of purchasing a new or used car which, unfortunately, exist at just about every stop in the car dealership.

For car buyers willing to do their homework, there is no reason to get ripped off. Sutton shows you how to arm yourself with some common-sense tactics that almost anyone can use.

An amusing sidebar for me was, after reading Sutton's book, was having several salespeople AND managers ask me if I was a former car lot manager. I just smiled inscrutibly and answered that I had 'contacts' in the business.

Remar sutton is obviously the most knowledgeable man in the business when it comes to the inner workings of your friendly neighborhood car dealership. His advice will save you a ton of money! I found the book to be both entertaining in its' presentation and chilling in its' content. It is difficult to believe that anyone could sleep at night after having spent their days fleecing unsuspecting cusomers for every dime they've got.. yet it appears that that is just what car dealership employees are expected to do every day! Well, here comes Remar Sutton to the rescue, with a comprehensive look at the scams, rip-offs and bad business that abound in this industry, and detailed information as to how you can get around these tricky ploys and get an actual great deal on the car you want. If you have ever bought a car, you will recognize the theivery tactics he explains immediately, and you will never be "taken for a ride" again. I wanted to buy a car tonight, but because I cannot find my copy of this book, I am going to wait until I can buy a new copy and review it before I go car hunting. I strongly recommend that everyone out there do the same. This book should be required reading for EVERYONE!

Everyone in the US buys a car at some point. Whether it's a new or used car this book tells you how to buy a car the right way. Think of it as an investment. Spend a little for this book, save a huge amount when buying a car.

It's hard to say enough about this book. Highly, highly recommended.

Plain and simple, this book will save you hundreds/thousands of dollars and open your eyes to the sham that is retail car selling. Do not even go looking without the information Remar Sutton provides here. Buying your next auto will no longer be the intimidating, daunting experience you've had in the past, and you will not drive home having been fleeced! I have given copies of it as gifts to friends.

I bought the first edition of this book in paperback, and it's practically worn through now. While the author presents a worst-case scenario that's almost comical, the information is all extremely valuable and insightful. The character of "Killer" makes the book an easy and enjoyable read, and allows the reader to learn dealers' tactics from a real-world rather than theoretical perspective. It's unlikely that any dealer would use EVERY trick in the book, but you never know which ones he/she'll use, so Mr. Sutton includes them all.

I read this book years ago, then again in late 1998 when it was time to buy my first brand-new car. I ended up getting a very popular 1999 model for less than dealer invoice -- a savings of over $3000! I could never have done it without this book.

Buy it, read it, use it! It's fantastic!

Before I read this book I went car shopping and almost everyoneof the ploys described in the book were used and worked exactly theyway the book describes. One tactic is for the salesman to write an amount on a piece of paper and slide it face down across the desk to you. The figure is intentionally very high to work as a shock tactic, and it worked because the figure the salesman showed me for a used car was actually more than what the car would cost new.

After I read the book I went with a friend to buy a car and again almost every tactic described in the book was used. Unfortunately my friend had not read the book and refused to listen to me. It would have been amusing if it hadn't cost my friend thousands more than he should have paid. My friend walked out of the dealership believing he had negotiated a fantastic deal, with the salesman saying to my friend in a quiet voice as he was leaving "don't tell anyone but you got a great deal". I later figured up what he should have paid for the car and my friend paid $2000 more than he should have.

Anybody who buys a car without reading this book will lose a lot of money. END

I read and then reread every page of Mr. Sutton's book before I entered the "new car battle zone". I have never purchased a product with as much confidence as I did last week. Using the guidelines detailed in the book - including the on-line pricing guide at edmunds.com - I was able to bring the dealer's profit margin down to just under $500.00. I arranged my own financing with a local credit union, much to the chagrin of the dealerships finance manager. What a trip! Thankyou, Mr. Sutton.

I rarely give 5 stars to anything, but for the impact this book has had for me -- at least the financial impact, anyway -- I would definitely award it. Mr. Sutton understands the honorable art of negotiation... and that there's nothing dishonorable about arming your side of car-buying with knowledge about how the other side operates. That took much of the "fear" out of buying a car for me and let me know how to proceed to get deals that I haven't yet regretted.