economy
Tim Dowling: Help! I’m being held hostage by a car salesman
We’re trying to buy an electric car. But my bank and the showroom ‘manager’ have other ideas
TL;DR
- The author and his wife visit a car dealership to consider purchasing an electric car.
- The experience of assessing the trade-in value and test driving is described as unpleasant.
- The salesperson, Max, engages in perceived manipulation regarding the dealership manager and trade-in value.
- The author feels like he is being held hostage and just wants to leave, even offering to pay double the deposit to escape.
- The deposit transaction is flagged as potential fraud by the author's bank, requiring him to contact them directly.
- The bank's fraud department questions the author extensively before unblocking his card, citing the transaction originating from a different internet address.
- The author concludes that neither the dealership nor his bank views him as a serious buyer.