Comments on: The Psychology of Buying a Car http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/ Current ideas and research in psychology and neuroscience Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:06:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jared Tanner http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-10109 Jared Tanner Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:06:04 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-10109 Asking for a deposit before a test drive is a way for them to cover their losses should anything happen to the car (I'm not sure how business insurance works in England but in the U.S. a car dealership would have insurance to cover accidents). From a psychological perspective, it's a way for you to "invest" in the vehicle so you feel a greater connection to it and as a result will have a stronger desire to purchase it. It's generally not recommended to purchase any car you cannot test drive first. If a car needs mechanical work first, do not purchase it until the work has all been done to your level of satisfaction (that doesn't mean you can't purchase a car needing work, just don't ever purchase anything you are not comfortable purchasing). Asking for a deposit before a test drive is a way for them to cover their losses should anything happen to the car (I’m not sure how business insurance works in England but in the U.S. a car dealership would have insurance to cover accidents). From a psychological perspective, it’s a way for you to “invest” in the vehicle so you feel a greater connection to it and as a result will have a stronger desire to purchase it.

It’s generally not recommended to purchase any car you cannot test drive first. If a car needs mechanical work first, do not purchase it until the work has all been done to your level of satisfaction (that doesn’t mean you can’t purchase a car needing work, just don’t ever purchase anything you are not comfortable purchasing).

]]> By: Melissa http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-10108 Melissa Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:54:38 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-10108 Hi there, this article is interesting and is definatly similar to a lot of my experiences when looking for a car recently. However one garage actually wanted me to put a deposit down on a car before I drove it, why do you think this is? I asked to test drive it and he said that it needs a service so is unsafe to drive, he then said the battery's flat, when challenging this he said I could drive it in the car park?! Then finally I could test drive it but I wouldnt be insured! They were a terrible garage (dyl motor group, Halifax, Yorkshire, England) and I really liked the car, went back twice but there was no way I was purchasing a car off them! Hi there, this article is interesting and is definatly similar to a lot of my experiences when looking for a car recently.
However one garage actually wanted me to put a deposit down on a car before I drove it, why do you think this is? I asked to test drive it and he said that it needs a service so is unsafe to drive, he then said the battery’s flat, when challenging this he said I could drive it in the car park?! Then finally I could test drive it but I wouldnt be insured! They were a terrible garage (dyl motor group, Halifax, Yorkshire, England) and I really liked the car, went back twice but there was no way I was purchasing a car off them!

]]> By: Perusing Psychology» Buying a New Car http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-9668 Perusing Psychology» Buying a New Car Tue, 10 May 2011 17:10:11 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-9668 [...] a follow-up to my previous post about some of the psychological techniques used by car salespeople, here is a good and brief [...] [...] a follow-up to my previous post about some of the psychological techniques used by car salespeople, here is a good and brief [...]

]]> By: Jared Tanner http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-9527 Jared Tanner Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:30:56 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-9527 If the salesman had offered a good enough deal, I honestly would have purchased the car; its shortcomings could be rectified by repairs. In order to see if I could talk him down to a great deal, it required me to spend time listening to him. At the same time I conducted my unofficial experiment. I tried a number of times to leave earlier but the salesman kept resorting to typical, "but wait" tactics. There's nothing dishonest in me listening to him make his pitch. That's what salespeople do. That's the purpose of marketing. Is it dishonest to "waste" someone's time with advertisements? You might argue that ads are a waste of time but again, it depends on the situation and the person and the perspective. With my car dealership experience, it was late, just before the dealership was closing. I was the only customer there. Maybe we count this experience as sales training for the salesperson. Of course, there are a number of people who argue that all (or most) social psychology experiments are dishonest by nature. I guess it just depends on your perspective. I'm certainly not calling for moral relativism but calling what I did dishonest again, is like calling all marketing dishonest or doing research with placebos dishonest. There's nothing inherently dishonest about it. If the salesman had offered a good enough deal, I honestly would have purchased the car; its shortcomings could be rectified by repairs. In order to see if I could talk him down to a great deal, it required me to spend time listening to him. At the same time I conducted my unofficial experiment. I tried a number of times to leave earlier but the salesman kept resorting to typical, “but wait” tactics. There’s nothing dishonest in me listening to him make his pitch. That’s what salespeople do. That’s the purpose of marketing. Is it dishonest to “waste” someone’s time with advertisements? You might argue that ads are a waste of time but again, it depends on the situation and the person and the perspective. With my car dealership experience, it was late, just before the dealership was closing. I was the only customer there. Maybe we count this experience as sales training for the salesperson. Of course, there are a number of people who argue that all (or most) social psychology experiments are dishonest by nature. I guess it just depends on your perspective. I’m certainly not calling for moral relativism but calling what I did dishonest again, is like calling all marketing dishonest or doing research with placebos dishonest. There’s nothing inherently dishonest about it.

]]> By: Michael http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-9526 Michael Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:52:09 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-9526 I like how you [criticized the salesman for dishonesty] when in fact it was your dishonesty in conducting this psychological game that wasted the car salesman's time. I like how you [criticized the salesman for dishonesty] when in fact it was your dishonesty in conducting this psychological game that wasted the car salesman’s time.

]]> By: Kristi http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/2010/02/the-psychology-of-buying-a-car/comment-page-1/#comment-9016 Kristi Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:22:05 +0000 http://www.brainybehavior.com/blog/?p=362#comment-9016 I'm glad you can see the humor in the situation. Hang in there, honey, and hopefully we'll find the right vehicle soon! I’m glad you can see the humor in the situation. Hang in there, honey, and hopefully we’ll find the right vehicle soon!

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