Shady Dealer Tries to Trick Lexus Shopper Into $20K in Extras
A dealer tried to slip $20k in extras in with the sale of a Lexus, which didn't go over very well with the customer.
Old Tricks
While there are plenty of reputable and trustworthy automotive dealerships out there that can be quite pleasant to do business with, unfortunately, there are also plenty that, well, tend to prioritize profit over customer service. Over the past few years, we've seen lots of dealers slap ridiculous markups on vehicles when they were in short supply, but now, it seems as if one such dealer is back to using an older tactic - sliding extra cost items in with a vehicle sale.
Photos: Lexus
Alarming Add-Ons
This all happened at Lexus of Englewood in New Jersey when the dealership's finance manager reportedly tried to slide an extra $20k worth of things in with the sale of an undisclosed vehicle to a customer, who promptly reported the incident to the folks at CarEdge and the Ray & Zach YouTube channel.
Photos: Lexus
Going South
Zach Shefska of CarEdge provided a copy of the invoice provided by the dealer in a recent post on X, and it's rather shocking, indeed. Shefska explained to Jalopnik that the customer had negotiated $7,000 off the sticker price of the vehicle they were trying to buy before heading into the finance office, and that's when things apparently went south in a hurry.
Photos: Lexus
Adding Extras
Incredibly, the invoice has a whopping $21k or so in extras that the customer didn't ask for, including a $5k maintenance contract, a $9k extended service contract, extra Toyota-provided insurance for $1,200, a tire and wheel package for $4,500, and something called an "optional sales commission" that tacks on another $1,240.
Photos: Lexus
Adding a Third
Shockingly, this took the negotiated price of $62,000 for the vehicle all the way up to $90k with taxes and other fees that a customer actually does have to pay, unlike all of those aforementioned items. However, it seems as if the customer prevailed in the end.
Photos: Lexus
Important Lesson
Shefska notes that the customer was able to get those add-ons removed and purchase the vehicle without them, at the negotiated price, which is obviously good news. Regardless, if nothing else, this story is a great reminder to always read your sales contract before signing on the dotted line - after all, who knows how many people fall for these kind of shady tactics on a daily basis and wind up paying for things they may not want or need?
Photos: Lexus
