Ghost Cars: They're Real - The Seven Part Series (Now available on Netflix)

[SM1DY]

No, not seven part to this series. Sorry. Only three.

I've been in the market for a Wildtrak since early September, but each time I contact a dealer that has one "In stock" it is sold the next day by "another salesman". But! They have another one in stock which isn't the colour I wanted, and a little more expensive ($4k is only a little, right?) that I can drive-away in tomorrow.

This has happened with 3 different dealers on consecutive occasions and I'm wondering if it's a tactic?

Does it work and how do I spot it?

[Mesa]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

No, not seven part to this series. Sorry. Only three.

I've been in the market for a Wildtrak since early September, but each time I contact a dealer that has one "In stock" it is sold the next day by "another salesman". But! They have another one in stock which isn't the colour I wanted, and a little more expensive ($4k is only a little, right?) that I can drive-away in tomorrow.

This has happened with 3 different dealers on consecutive occasions and I'm wondering if it's a tactic?

Does it work and how do I spot it?

Easy. When they open their mouth to talk.

[csv8]

Cannt find it on Netflix??

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

No, not seven part to this series. Sorry. Only three.

I've been in the market for a Wildtrak since early September, but each time I contact a dealer that has one "In stock" it is sold the next day by "another salesman". But! They have another one in stock which isn't the colour I wanted, and a little more expensive ($4k is only a little, right?) that I can drive-away in tomorrow.

This has happened with 3 different dealers on consecutive occasions and I'm wondering if it's a tactic?

Does it work and how do I spot it?

This is an old tactic that has always been a favourite from car salespeople to suck you in, works quite well at times to the unsuspecting.

[XR6_power]

Naa just keep the Falcon ute, they've got more grunt anyway!

[Windsor220]

Common tactic to get people in the door.

[blackf6]

Have I just wasted part of my life?

[Craig@AUDI]

Carsales can indeed be a minefield for ghost cars...and ghost pricing

[commodorenutt]

While on the topic of ghosts, don't forget all the dodgy demons, devils & poltergeists that use those tactics online to sucker you in....

[Ben73]

Yeah we had a problem with a dealer selling the car to someone else
"It will be here on the 15th of next month"
"Ok we will pick up on the 20th because we will be away on holidays until then"

20th comes around
"Oh, there has been a delay"
"What about that one right there which is the same spec, model and colour"
"No that's not yours we just sold that to someone a couple of days ago"

[eb2fairmont]

So you ordered a car.

Told the 20th

Get there there is one just like yours.

But we sold that a couple of days prior.

I'd be saying well you don't want my business and mumble cancelling the sale. See how much quicker they get their ring gear moving.

[Dauphin]

Ghost car:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNBDgVytzXs

And for those a little more adventurous (wait for it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ZkgUA84hA

[2011G6E]

"Bait and switch"...oldest marketing tactic in the book.

I remember when I was about 20 (back around 1985) the large Holden dealership in Bundaberg had a full page advert on a Friday morning in the local paper, saying a "HUGE sellout of trade-ins that HAVE TO GO". The advert included photos of about fifteen cars, all at stupidly low prices well under a grand (suspiciously cheap even back in those days of "cheap old cars"), including one that caught my eye...a P76 for $250.
I went down to the bank, took out $200, borrowed $50 off my old man, and turned up at the rear of the dealership the next morning (the older trade-ins were always behind the main 2nd hand car lot) where the yard fencing was covered in tall hessian screens so you couldn't see in. Myself and about ten other guys were there at 7am for the 7.30 opening time. I was primed and ready to race to the P76 and claim it for my own.
Hey, don't laugh...it was a V8 four speed with a months rego left on it.

7:30 came, the gates opened, and we all rushed in. By this time there was about twenty blokes there.

And were met with a couple of old Commodores, a Falcon or two, one Torana, and a couple of Jap sedans like Corollas.
Where, people were calmly asking, was the P76? The XB GS Falcon sedan? The Kingswood panel van? The Sunbird hatchback? These had been pictured in the advert....as opposed to the piles of ordure that met our eager gazes.
"They were sold yesterday afternoon...sorry, these things happen".
One larger guy with an impressive vein standing out in his forehead politely queried how, exactly, cars listed as being for a "special one day sale" which was advertised to "start 7:30am sharp", could have been "sold" the previous day? We were all interested to see the manager disappear into the office leaving a young guy there to tell tales of pre-sale arrangements, offers too good to refuse, etc...however, they did have plenty of other, better (re: "much more expensive") second hand trade-ins out the front, if you'd like to come have a look?

Apparently the yard got into a spot of bother with the advertising council over "bait and switch tactics".

[SM1DY]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

While on the topic of ghosts, don't forget all the dodgy demons, devils & poltergeists that use those tactics online to sucker you in....

Good point. Beware of click bait ;)

Originally Posted by XR6_power

Naa just keep the Falcon ute, they've got more grunt anyway!

It was fun when I was 20 scraping into every driveway and dodging potholes. Now, 8 years on, the body is a little more tender. These days I yawn and I do my back in.

On topic. I did get stitched up by another dealer again yesterday with the "sold yesterday" BS (4 dealers total). Now I'm just doing it for sport to see how many pull the same stunt.