Everyone knows that the price one sees at a dealership isn’t always the price that they’re going to end up paying.
That’s why the internet is filled with advice about how to properly negotiate a car purchase, from revealing which questions you should avoid answering to customers discussing the unhinged ways they’ve gotten their car price down.
But is that really the case? As car prices rise due to President Trump’s tariff plan, some dealerships are saying that they have little wiggle room with car prices. This has led to awkward experiences like the one recently had by TikTok user Sadie (@s.s.training).
Why wouldn’t these dealerships let her negotiate?
In a video with over 304,000 views, Sadie asks whether it’s “true that car salesmen are not allowed to negotiate on the prices of cars anymore.”
“Because I went to four different car dealerships and all of them said they’re not allowed to negotiate,” she continues. “And I feel like that’s a lie. I feel like I, maybe, am just getting scammed because they looked at me and saw that I’m like a 20-something-year-old girl.”
As the video continues, she claims that the dealerships told her that “now, everything is listed at, like, the lowest they can go, because everyone can compare to the prices online.”
While Sadie says this explanation “seemed kind of believable,” she claims she still doesn’t believe it, even though “none of them were willing to budge on the prices at all. Literally at all.”
“This has to be a lie, right?” she concludes.
Were these dealerships lying?
Sadie was likely right in her assessment of the dealerships. In general, most dealerships will let you negotiate prices, and experts advise getting multiple offers from different dealerships to use as leverage in negotiations.
That said, there are some instances in which a dealership will not accept negotiations. For example, some dealerships advertise “no-haggle” pricing, though they are generally clear about this prior to a customer inquiring about a vehicle.
Additionally, supply chain issues mean that inventory is relatively limited for some makes and models of cars. Consequently, some dealerships may not feel the need to offer discounts, as they believe it remains likely that they will be able to sell the vehicle for the advertised price.
If one finds themselves in Sadie’s position, they can contact more dealerships and compare prices, then use those prices in negotiations.
@s.s.training Car salesman please tell me if I’m being lied to
♬ original sound – Sadie
‘If they couldn’t negotiate then what’s their purpose?’
In the comments section, many users echoed Sadie’s disbelief, with several questioning what the purpose of a car salesman would be if negotiation were off the table.
“What’s the point of a salesman then lol,” wrote a user.
“If it’s taxable, then it’s negotiable,” stated another.
“I went to Ford literally last week- I was able to bring a new car down by 5,000,” offered a third. “I say they are lying.”
That said, some claimed that the dealerships may have been honest.
“As a female salesperson, can confirm we cannot. Car values are at a standstill, there’s not very much room for markup. We literally have to compete with the market. We watch other car dealers and always make sure we’re cheaper,” declared a TikToker. “Why are car dealerships the only place people feel entitled to ‘negotiate?’ I don’t go to the grocery store to do that lol. It’s not the 60s anymore.”
“As a 20 yr old women salesperson, my dealerships corporate policy is either clear cut pricing for new cars and one priced pre owned for used cars,” explained a second. “It’s a thing, and I don’t agree with it but a lot of dealerships are going that route!”
We’ve reached out to Sadie via email.
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