So a friend of mine had a '99 Mitsubishi Galant that started giving him transmission issues. He and his girlfriend decided that they wanted a truck, so he traded it in on a 2010 Chevy Silverado.
It is an extended cab 4x4 and it has 88k on the odo. This truck was obviously used and abused.
He told me they talked them down from $23k down to $20k
Now, I would be ok with that if this truck was near perfect, but it is not. It has nearly bald tires (on the 20" factory optional wheels), a smashed in step rail, a gouge down the length of the passenger side of the bed (deep). It also has little cosmetic things here and there(not a big deal) and it was clearly a smokers truck, because the A/C was rank. Oh and the inside of the bed was scratched so bad that there were spots of rust all over the place.
They feel like they got a great deal, but I don't feel like they did. I know trucks demand a premium, but there has to be a point where it's not. This truck also came off of a used car lot on a big dealer.
NOHOME
UberDork
7/15/15 5:04 p.m.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:
So a friend of mine had a '99 Mitsubishi Galant that started giving him transmission issues. He and his girlfriend decided that they wanted a truck, so he traded it in on a 2010 Chevy Silverado.
It is an extended cab 4x4 and it has 88k on the odo. This truck was obviously used and abused.
He told me they talked them down from $23k down to $20k
Now, I would be ok with that if this truck was near perfect, but it is not. It has nearly bald tires (on the 20" factory optional wheels), a smashed in step rail, a gouge down the length of the passenger side of the bed (deep). It also has little cosmetic things here and there(not a big deal) and it was clearly a smokers truck, because the A/C was rank. Oh and the inside of the bed was scratched so bad that there were spots of rust all over the place.
They feel like they got a great deal, but I don't feel like they did. I know trucks demand a premium, but there has to be a point where it's not. This truck also came off of a used car lot on a big dealer.
If someone chooses to sit in a pile of their own E36 M3 and think they are happy, who am I to tell them otherwise?
Sucks for them, but better to leave them in ignorant bliss, than to suggest they got fleeced. People don't like being told they're stupid.
That said, maybe offer your assistance next time they're car shopping? The replacement cost of those 20" tires is going to be a rude awakening.
I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I try and talk sense into people and most don't really listen. 
If it was a diesel that would be the going rate. For a gas truck... he took a $6k bath. What you say is...
"ahahahahahahahaha... oh... for a second there I thought you were serious! No, how much did you really pay?"
What's done is done. No need to rub it in if you can't help them.
I'm not going to rub it in, I just don't like watching my friends get screwed over.
They got the average deal.
You are a car guy. You are not average.
Let it be.
A co-worker and good friend is the anti-car guy. Every time he trades a car he thinks he gets a good deal. I just smile and nod my head.
i saw casual accquaintence pay 7 grand for a sketchy jeep wrangler back at the turn of the century, but they were so happy with it, i just let it go. They didnt need me to be happy, so...
It could've been worse-you could have told them before they bought and then ignored you.
I just went through the same thing with a buddy and a similar truck. His story was a good one as the dealer made everything right (full under body wire wheel, prep and anti-rust coat) and all my buddy had to do was provide the material. They also re-painted the doors he ran into a block wall for a very reasonable cost as well.
What looks bad now may not be such a big thing later. If they keep the truck for 10 years, whats the difference in a couple of grand or a couple of dents. If they like it and the terms, let them have at it.
Junkyard_Dog wrote:
It could've been worse-you could have told them before they bought and then ignored you.
But how else could you reach SMUG level: Expert?
cmcgregor wrote:
Sucks for them, but better to leave them in ignorant bliss, than to suggest they got fleeced. People don't like being told they're stupid..
People don't like being told they are IGNORANT. There is a slight difference. Not much, but a bit.
cmcgregor wrote:
Sucks for them, but better to leave them in ignorant bliss, than to suggest they got fleeced. People don't like being told they're stupid.
That said, maybe offer your assistance next time they're car shopping? The replacement cost of those 20" tires is going to be a rude awakening.
i see takeoff 20" wheels and good tires from newer GM trucks on facebook groups all the time for $300-$500 and people selling just the wheels for $200-$300, so finding good tires really won't be that much of a sticker shock once you factor in selling the original wheels after putting the new wheels on..
Consider it research about the practices of the dealer that did this to your friend and pass that info forward to others asking your opinion. Other than that there is no positive to even thinking about this.
DILYSI Dave wrote:
What's done is done. No need to rub it in if you can't help them.
That's my take. And I also figure that truck beds are going to be scratched up a bit within a few months of my owning a truck anyway.
If it's after the fact, just say "nice truck" and move on. Nothing good can come of second-guessing them. However, if they come to you beforehand for advice, feel free to point out all the flaws.
I had something similar happen years ago. One of our group of friends decided to buy an early 90s Firebird Formula from a dealership and told the rest of us. So myself and another friend decided to check it out. It had obvious overspray, the interior was kind of rough, and the non-HO 305. We tried telling him because he hadn't actually put his money down yet, but it didn't matter, he was smitten. It ended up being a total POS, he had endless trouble with it, but he would never admit that it was a bad purchase.
