The same people who are now requiring multiple Zoom meetings every day just to prove you’re working.

I agree; too many people were spending hours packing their crap, arriving hours early at the airport, subjecting themselves to invasive TSA screening, then being herded like cattle into overcrowded planes, enduring flight diversions, cancellations, and overbookings, spending hundreds of dollars, etc....for no real…

Trust that as soon as someone emails a dealer, they’re automatically subscribed to a variety of mailing lists.

I do occasionally write out response emails that just say “No” with my contact information at the bottom. So far haven’t had any counteroffers, but it’s fun to do.

Yeah, Tom is being nice. Fuck off with insulting offers.

A bit over a month ago, before the pandemic really hit, I was in the market for a used Ford Flex. I saw one that was asking $15k, and was mulling it over with my wife. Her suggestion was that I offer $5k because “pretty soon nobody’s going to be buying anything so they’ll be happy to get whatever they can for it.”

Yup, the dealer knows what they have

There was a great This American Life about 7 years back that followed a dealership trying to hit a sales goal for a month.

I feel like there are a bunch of dummies out there who think that the current pandemic/economic situation means they can get a hold of negotiable-price items like cars and property for massive at-loss discounts.

Exactly. Why won’t this random dealer submit to me being an asshole?

People who lowball or people who think their trade-in is worth vastly more money than it actually is, were my biggest source of entertainment when I worked in dealerships.

This is it exactly. If you start your “negotiation” at 50% of MSRP, then no one is going to take you seriously.  

Isn’t that what negotiating is - you set the price, I counter-offer, then we meet in the middle? If my price was too low, let’s begin the negotiation process!

As someone who is a sales professional (not in autos) I know this type. You were very diplomatic in your reply, Tom. I would have been a little more direct.…

Similar to selling anything on Craigslist, if I’m selling a snow blower for $650, and you offer me $200 CASH!!!, i’m simply going to ignore your email. It’s a waste of time, this is a person who won’t even meet you in the middle, and they obviously have unrealistic expectations.

I don't have to be as diplomatic as Tom does, the dealers don't respond to your absurdly low offers because you are wasting their fucking time. 

Writer #1 in high school/young adulthood: “Why do girls ignore me or seem offended when I proposition them by pinching their butts?!”

I think you missed my point- I do have compassion, but it’s for the thousands of people fighting for their lives and the medical workers’ rights to have access to infinite supplies of PPE for which there is simply a finite amount of.

Yeah that PPE can be used in far better ways right now. There’s not enough for people savings lives daily, there’s definitely not enough for elective procedures.

While I feel for anyone who has had to delay fertility treatments because of the pandemic, easing restrictions on elective medical procedures in the hardest hit area in the country seems...unwise.

I have loved Padma Lakshmi ever since Salman Rushdie trashed her in his autobiography. If she could handle that insufferable, solipsistic, bloviating arachnid, she can handle Becky from Instagram.