I love it. Yeah, car salesmen are trying to make a buck and I don’t fault them for that, but they can’t fault a savvy consumer for playing the same game. I don’t need the guy I buy from to like me. His friendship isn’t worth the potential thousands I could save by pushing a little harder. Heck, his friendship isn’t…

At first I wasn’t sure who the dick was, but after reading your post a few times I decided that’s a real dick question to ask. “How much profit should I get?” Uh, I dunno. How about whatever profit you have on the invoice already? That’s a stupid, manipulative question to ask and I think you reacted perfectly.

To be fair, my dad was only raising a fuss over the fees he’d never seen before. He’s bought dozens of cars in his lifetime and knew which were legitimate and which were bogus. He’s not a blowhard, he just knows what’s what and doesn’t like a runaround. Don’t confuse my dad’s story with the douchebags you’re…

I’d say bargaining hard and forcing competition makes him a pretty great American, no?

Actually, the other dealer he went to told him they could give him a slightly better price if he financed, then just paid off the loan all at once. I think it was a 6-months no interest loan so there weren’t any repercussions, but the dealer apparently got a kickback from their finance partner, which is how they could…

I only clicked because I thought it was a video of Maureen Ponderosa. Disappoint.

I think it was him. The second you name a number he’s going to tack that onto all the OTHER things they make profit on because you said it was reasonable. I think he left because he saw you wouldn’t be swindled and figured his time was better spent finding a real sucker.

Agreed with the others. Say no a LOT and you have to be willing to walk. I’ve negotiated sizable discounts on internet bills with this tactic. I also got our new house for $1k under asking price and the seller paid all the closing costs because I was willing to walk late in the game. If you aren’t willing to walk away…

Sales are like improv. “Yes and” is a great way to go. Any form of “no” can kill momentum, good will, etc.

THIS. In any potential haggling situation this is your best tool. Decide before you ever get near the thing what it’s worth to you. Give them that price, then let them foam at the mouth about it.

My dad bought his last car with cash. He walked in and said “What’s the best price you have on that car right there?” and pointed out the window. They asked about trade-ins, monthly payments, etc. He said “No. How much will you charge me for that car right there?” and pointed again. He finally got them to give him an…

I’ve done my fair share of hiring and my favorite interview question is “Tell me about the worst job/boss/coworker you’ve ever had.” Some people will launch into a 30-minute diatribe about how the boss hated them for no reason or Karen kept stealing her bagels or “They didn’t appreciate my creativity...” The…

Starred for plugging XKCD’s “What If?” page.

I did the exact same thing! That puzzle was one of the weaker and less fun ones, so I’m glad they left in that “cheat.” It really did make me enjoy the game even more knowing I had that much freedom.

The easiest way to discourage people from talking to you is to find a way to make every story they tell a little bit racist.

My wife and I just bought our first home. We have good credit so the banks thought we could afford a MUCH nicer house than we did. They said we’d been approved for close to double what we were actually looking to spend. Is that common?

I’m intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

“Excuse me, but I would be willing to give you my tape measure in exchange for you pointing out due north.”

I feel ya. It was just a few short years ago that I learned to shut up and listen to people. That’s when I realized that I was talking to mask my own insecurities and, thus, I never faced them head-on. By talking less I’ve actually become more confident and now I don’t feel the need to talk so much.

Very true. Plus it can be a good way to make friends or break the ice. Most people enjoy teaching others something new, so if you approach it right it can actually work to your benefit.