Scam and deception: Russian car dealers increase car prices

Blogger Yulia Kablinova walked through Moscow car dealerships and was horrified by what she saw:

“Listen, car dealers a couple of months ago during quarantine, some were crying that due to the lack of sales, they were close to ruin, but despite what is happening in car dealerships now, it’s amazing how people buy something from them. Because what is happening is real blackmail and extortion.

I won't even talk about the well-known fact that the prices on their sites and what is displayed in the salon are completely unrelated universes. But here is a surcharge of 130 thousand for additional equipment in the form of rugs, anti-corrosion treatment of arches and the "Era of Glonass", the cost of which is overstated by almost three times - how is it in general? And by the way, 130 thousand for dopniks is still a deal of the century. In another salon, the best offer of the day started from dopniks for 250 thousand.

If you do not want to buy a car with "whistle deals", then you are offered, attention, to wait for your car from six months to 365 days, with payment at the current ruble exchange rate. Well, not to mention the fact that all the special offers and state programs "The first car" are just outright fraud and deception, since the managers themselves admit that payment by the instant cash, in the end, of course, will come out cheaper.

In general, in addition to the fact that the price tag for the most budget cars is absolutely equine “no need to dramatize the increase in the exchange rate”, then the car dealers themselves are also pursuing a predatory policy of inflating the client to the maximum - a quarter of a million or wait for the car when the cancer whistles on the mountain “you understand what is the situation in the world”.

In other words, we have before us a banal conspiracy of car dealerships, which is visible to the naked eye. And if everything is more or less clear with the buyers - they are backed against the wall, then this is where the FAS is looking... such a service still exists in our country, who knows?

(...)

I did not set the goal of researching the situation on the auto sales market, but only described what I saw with my own eyes of an ordinary consumer, who quite naturally expects that a potential seller will be happy with his money, albeit very small.

And yes, to assume that the seller is interested in the buyer - I think that this is completely normal and correct. And negative emotions from the fact that expectations turned out to be opposite to reality are natural. They could be completely different if the sellers treated the buyer not as a sucker to be left with a holy cause, but with respect. But positive emotions and respectful attitude in our car dealerships are not applied to dopniks for a quarter of the cost of a car. Therefore, probably, one should not be surprised that the consumer will not be delighted with such "high culture service" either.

There are no bad reviews about good service..."

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Public figure Pyotr Shkumatov commented on the situation as follows:

“Imposed markups with a total cost of up to a quarter of the price of a car, which cannot be refused! Dealers treat visitors as in the USSR - there are many of you, but I am alone. A dialogue with a potential buyer looks like this:

- Do you want meat? Then buy horns and hooves for the price of a tenderloin. 0.25 kg of horns and hooves per 1 kg of meat. No, the price will be like a kilogram of tenderloin. But you can take pigs instead of hooves, the price is the same. You do not want? Well then wait six months (crossed out) go to hell, next!

Oh yes, I forgot. The notorious state programs to support buyers of new cars in fact do not work, the money was plundered by someone on the way to car dealerships.

It is clear that the seller's market is now, it is clear that there are no cars. But, in fact, the problem is different.

Just imagine that a person is saving up money for a new car. Denies himself something, denies for a long time. He has been saving for a year, saving for the second year, and now he has saved up. This accumulation is all associated with significant nervous tension and self-restraint. Which is also accumulating, by the way. And now the moment comes when a person is ready to spend the accumulated. But he doesn't buy potatoes. He gives the result of his work over the past year or two, and maybe more! This money for this person is obviously of greater value than just money! And he subconsciously wants to be treated with respect regardless of the market situation. He wants to be stroked on the head, they said what a fine fellow he is, that he did not break loose, did not spend, but came and was ready to buy for cash. (By the way, do you know how much cash is worth now?

In truth, this is not an exclusive problem for auto dealers. This is a problem in the whole of our country. Hotels have a problem, real estate sellers have a problem, the problem of such a rude or indifferent attitude towards each other is everywhere! Yes, let's be honest: it's customary here, to treat each other rudely, not to think about how the buyer got the money, maybe he put aside for the apartment for 20 years and didn't eat anything but noodles, but no one cares about this feat from the high bell tower. After all, they will also laugh when (if) they find out.

How should a healthy person be in a country, you ask? It's very simple. The seller must openly say that there are few cars left in stock, so there is only such a price list, but if this price does not suit the potential buyer, then let him leave his contacts and the seller will immediately call him back as soon as the market situation changes. In this case, the buyer understands that he is glad that he is treated with respect, but the situation simply does not dispose to an immediate purchase. And when the market situation changes and cars appear, then they will definitely call you.

But at least one of the sellers would ask the phone... So let's leave these pink dreams in our harsh country. Maybe someday we will live differently. May be. Until then..."

The rest of the commentators on these posts were unanimous:

- A huge bubble has been inflated in the automotive market for a long time, and if they sell cars honestly, without special stages, without crazy loans, commissions, and the one that you need, and not the one that the factory imposed on the dealer, the market will collapse. For me so be it. Maybe this will change the situation. But while many people are ready to overpay and go into bondage, which allows you to inflate the bubble.

- It's the same with apartments. With emotion I watch how salespeople work in our village now according to the principle: here is a standard contract for you, sign. Don't like something? Following!

- I subscribe to every word. It's all true. I've been trying to buy a car for a month now. For a minute from the premium class. Service and attitude towards the buyer in 90% is absent. Normal car at 90% under the order. Some overestimate prices by at least a couple of million. And the type of crankcase protection in a car for 10 million is not included. Additional service

- What's the problem? If people agree to eat a cactus, who can stop them? We need to raise prices, that's right.

- Perfectly. Some will choke, others will be spent. And when in the summer of 21 the salons will go bankrupt one after another due to the lack of buyers, I will come and imposingly choose an iron horse for myself...

- This is still a huge progress !!! Here in St. Petersburg they immediately give huge discounts and stretch out the contract for the signature and to the cashier. And then they show the special stages in the contract and offer to PAY UP. And attempts to refuse are offered to be sued with an attempt to sue part of the money in a couple of years. But humanely - they immediately offer a favorable loan. If the buyer has no money.