Road expert warns of phrase that will get you 'ripped off'

It could pay to be careful with your words

A road expert has warned motorists to be mindful of what they say when buying a car. He says there's a particular phrase that could get you 'ripped off'.

Kevin Hunter, a road expert and content creator on YouTube, says potential buyers need to be wary the moment they walk in the door. His key piece of advice warns against telling a salesman how you'll be paying.

"Don’t walk in the front door of a dealership and say you’re paying cash," he said. "Chances are you’ll run into the wrong type of salesman and you’ll get burned."

He goes on to explain that he doesn't believe buyers should lie either. They are just warned against giving everything away until later on in the process.

He said: "That said, I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting at all that you should lie. You’re going to be paying for the car in the end right. That’s all that should really matter to the dealership in the grand scheme of things.

"So what I'm saying is you shouldn’t mention how you plan to pay for the car the moment you walk in the door. And don’t start babbling about cash at any point during the negotiations. Don’t play those cards until you're in finance."

Responding to his advice, a driver has suggested what you could say instead. They said: "In short, what to say is: 'I'll see what your finance guy has to offer after price negotiations'.

"I don't talk finances outside of a private confidential room with someone who doesn't have the authority to sign out the car. 'Please add any appropriate tax, title and license fees and give me a total. Before any of that, I need to know the total, and then we can discuss the payment options.'"

Another driver explained how this had played out for their dad, who was able to negotiate a much lower price than the one being advertised.

They said: "My dad paid cash for my brother's first car. He actually brought all the cash with him (5K exactly). They found a car my brother wanted priced at $6500. My dad said he was going to pay $5000 and they agreed. They tried to add fees on top, but then he showed the cash and got the car without paying a cent more."