So, it seems using cash to haggle doesn't work like it used to!

[Kev Williams]

I've been driving an old '04 Chevy Venture van for about 7 years- initially bought it for my father in law for something to drive after the engine in his old Ford F250 caught on fire while picking up pizza one night, was all of $1300 at a dealership. Dad failed his drivers test shortly thereafter, and I've been using it ever since. Had zero issues with it, until about 2 weeks ago, it decided to grow some crazy electrical gremlins; heater fan knob just plain wouldn't turn one morning- Made do with the rear heat, but that doesn't do much to defog the windshield, so I made a windshield 'mop' to fix that problem. That was okay until the headlights decided to grow a mind of their own. Just come any time, day or night, 3 or 4 hours, then turn themselves off after a few hours. Then back on, then off, no rhyme or reason...

Since it'll likely cost way more to fix it than I PAID for it, I figured it was time to look for something I've wanted for quite awhile now to replace the van, a Cadillac Escalade

Found this 2013 Platinum at a local dealer, was the best price I found for a similar unit by several thou$and bucks, on Edmunds. I photocopied the ad and brought in in with me...
escalade.jpg
Very nice ride, very good condition, previous owners took good care of it, and the test drive put a nice smile on my face!
So I decided to buy it, and pay cash. I had a business check, or could go get a cashier's check a few minutes away...

I began the requisite haggling process, but the salesman got a bit antsy, and 'had to go talk to someone'... Turns out someone messed up and the Edmunds ad hadn't been updated, and their own ad had the price at nearly $4k higher! Ok, so no haggling, price is good so I'm fine, the wife was fine. I made us a cup of coffee while we waited on the paperwork...

After a few minutes, the salesman comes and asks us for a "big favor"-- Would it be possible for us to finance the thing, and make 4 payments before paying it off, which would allow them to collect their credit-union 'kickback'... Don't ask me why I agreed, but I figured what the hey.

So, my cash was no good to buy a Cadillac, what's this world coming to? -- I guess the next thing will be 'tipping by tapping' at the restaurants?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

They make more money in loan interest than in profit off the sale. It's quite common. It's purely a business decision.

[Jim Koepke]

I guess the next thing will be 'tipping by tapping' at the restaurants?

Are you making a joke? It has been in restaurants around here for at least a couple of years.

jtk

[Rich Engelhardt]

The days of "cash is king" have been over for the last - 50 years at least.

"Peeling off the Benjamins" doesn't work at all for a business deal & hasn't for a good number of decades.
You will always come out ahead if you learn how to do the "finance dance".

[Tom M King]

The same sort of thing happened when we went to buy a new car for Pam a couple of years ago. We had never financed a vehicle before, preferring to make one payment, but they wanted to finance it so badly that we got a better price making payments at zero percent interest than paying actual cash money. The last new car we had bought was in 2004, and it was different then. This time they told us they made money on the financing.

[Kim Gibbens]

You can pay off your loan at anytime. Make 1 payment and pay it off. Unless the dealer gave you an additional discount to finance, you owe them nothing. And they will lose the kickback from the bank. It is illegal to tie the price of the vehicle to financing, yet they try to do it all the time. Educate yourself before going to the dealership so you are aware of the things they try to pull on the uneducated.

[Stan Calow]

Yes same thing happened to me several years ago. Dealer gets a kick back for each loan they originate. I recall the president of GM once (decades ago) referred to GM as a money lending business that also sold cars.

[Kev Williams]

Are you making a joke? It has been in restaurants around here for at least a couple of years.

jtk

No joke-- I don't get out much and I while I usually tip in cash I HAVE many times added a tip to bill to be charged to my card, so I know how it's done

BUT- I've never been anywhere that tipping by tapping or swiping a card at the table was possible...

[Thomas Wilson]

And one more thing, that thing about the $4000 “mistake”, that was all for show.

[Bruce Page]

I bought in 2020 in the height of the pandemic. I thought I might have a haggling edge with cash. The dealer couldn’t have cared less.

[Doug Garson]

Pretty much every video or article I've seen lately advises never say your paying cash until you have final negotiated price. As others have said, dealers make more money on the financing and add ons like extended warranty, paint protection etc. than on the car itself. If they know up front your paying cash they will negotiate much harder on the car price.
As to swiping or tapping at the table, every restaurant I've been in for years has brought a wireless credit card reader to the table for paying the bill including the tip.

[Stan Calow]

I've yet to see a wireless card reader at a US restaurant. Required in the EU.

[mike stenson]

I bought in 2020 in the height of the pandemic. I thought I might have a haggling edge with cash. The dealer couldn’t have cared less.

I did too, when they were pushing 0% interest. Dealer was happy with cash, at the price I wanted. Then again, how many people (other than me and the USFS) want a plain, base F150. I do kind of wish it had cruise control though.

[Bill Dufour]

At a restaurant I prefer to tip with cash. That increases the tip by about 2%. Easy way to calculate the tip is to look at the tax paid and double it. That gets around 15% here
Bill D

[Patty Hann]

At a restaurant I prefer to tip with cash. That increases the tip by about 2%. Easy way to calculate the tip is to look at the tax paid and double it. That gets around 15% here
Bill D

I look at the pre-tax total ("never tip on the tax" ) and double it..comes to almost 18.5% in AZ.
If the service is exceptionally good I'll just double the post-tax total which would result in a little more than 21% tip.
And yes, I also leave the tip in cash.