I have never gone car shopping alone, but had to when we got rear ended a couple of years ago and they totaled my car. Either a parent had always gone with me or Craig had. He was under a time crunch with a job that had to be done and the other driver's insurance company had finally given us a decent settlement for my car. Craig and I had discussed general parameters and had looked at what was available so off I went. Of course I get to these places and they no longer had the car we had been looking at in their ad and started the hard sell on me. I'd call him, nope. Onto the next one, nope. Finally, I got to one that actually has the car in the ad. Craig isn't far away so he comes to take a quick look, okay with him. I go to do paperwork and watch the price get higher and higher. Do you know some places actually try to charge you more when you are paying cash than financing because they make money off the financing? Apparently that is common down here.
Besides all the dealer junk fees they try to charge. After about the third phone call while being at this one place to Craig and the price they want being several $1000 more than advertised, I'm frazzled and upset, I know Craig is about to lose it with me and them, so when the salesman comes back with a # that is lower, but still not even close to what Craig and I discussed, I lost it, started crying, told the man I was sorry I had wasted his time, gathered up my things, started to get up to leave. He told me wait a minute, let's talk some more and I'll go back to my manager. Asked me what our top # was, which was advertised price plus tax, plus salesman commission, with a little extra for the dealer fees, not anywhere near what they wanted but some. Certainly not more because we were paying cash instead of financing. They ended up taking what we offered. Got a 2 year newer same exact car with not quite 10,000 miles more on it than my old one (really low mileage as I don't drive a lot) for $1500 more in cash than what insurance gave us.
I don't know if it was the crying, which wasn't deliberate, I was just worn out, done and over the whole thing, or getting up and obviously upset and really going to leave, or that it really was a fair offer, or a combo of all 3, but I sure was glad it was done.
Oh, our totaled car was 5 years, 6 months old when the guy hit us. Bought new and just paid off 6 months prior.