Overflows and trills: how car dealerships cash in on customers
The weak dynamics of the market and stocks of cars in warehouses led to the fact that car dealers actively advertised impressive discounts on cars. However, in reality everything turned out to be more complicated. Izvestia found out how to buy a car without becoming a victim of manipulation.
When for money, when for free
Last year, due to the large stocks of cars in warehouses, Russians had no desire to buy a car until the end of the summer. As a result, dealers actively offered special offers and discounts. Now the drains have stopped decreasing again, said Sergey Tselikov, General Director of Autostat. Should I count on discounts? For the experiment, the Izvestia correspondent acted as a buyer of a car of a young but gaining popularity Russian brand.
The first car dealership did offer a discount of 150 thousand rubles, but subject to the purchase of additional equipment for 60 thousand rubles.
A standard set of such equipment — a radiator safety net, floor mats, and an additional set of tires — is included in the price of the car in some dealerships, while in others it is sold for an impressive amount. The scheme in which the dealer offers a discount, but "loads" the buyer with "extras" (for example, winter tires) is widespread. The real savings in this case will not amount to 150 thousand, but only 90 thousand rubles.
Surprisingly, in the next salon, the same car turned out to have the same "extras", but for free. It is almost impossible to understand this without a detailed comparison of the conditions. Moreover, car dealership managers, upon hearing about competitors' offers, will begin to bargain excitedly, promising to outbid everything at once. Here the buyer will be able to take advantage of the chance.
Dealers earn money from this.
A dealer's earnings are exactly "extras," explains Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union (NAS).
— They sell devices of questionable use at inflated prices. For example, the grids in the radiator grille — they supposedly protect against stones, but at the same time dramatically reduce air intake. They sell floor mats for the price of gold, and alarms with substandard installation are much worse than in specialized services," Shaparin said.
The same thing happens with insurance and loans, he added.
— Insurance fees can reach up to 45%, and loans can exceed 10%. Dealers earn much less on the car itself than on related, often imposed services. Therefore, selling without credit and insurance is simply not interesting to any of them," Shaparin said,
With the price, the responsibility decreases
Buyers considering a car loan are waiting for another scheme — "price overflow". Documents with an undervalued car are sent to the bank, which formally reduces the interest rate. At first glance, this is a benefit for the buyer. In fact, it's a legal trap.
— Car dealerships are trying to win taxes and optimize settlements with suppliers. There are signs of business fragmentation here," explains auto lawyer Vadim Gevorgyan. And warns: the lower the documented price, the lower the formal responsibility of the seller.
According to Gevorgyan, in case of conflict, the dealer's standard response is "go to court." The calculation is cynical, but, alas, it's a working one: one out of a hundred victims goes to court, and only one in ten wins.
With a competent lawyer, the whole scheme crumbles like a fake deal or a deal concluded under the influence of delusion.
"Russian legislation in the relations of individuals with sellers is so overcomplicated that even specialists do not always understand it," the lawyer states. — This creates problems on both sides: the buyer is faced with the ultimatum "don't buy the extras, we won't sell the car," and the seller is faced with "consumer terrorism."
The ambassador with a surprise
And why not use the services of a professional who will communicate with the dealer and achieve the best price. The so—called "ambassadors" are a separate phenomenon of the modern Russian car market. In club chats and car communities, they appear with similar offers — "I guarantee the best price," "I have dealer connections," "I'll do everything quickly and profitably" — and, as a rule, with an impressive list of positive reviews. The Izvestia correspondent managed to communicate with one of these intermediaries.
— You know, just as the car dealership is closing, they need to drain the leftovers. I guarantee you the best price," he said.
The "best" meant a discount of about 400 thousand rubles from the official price. The intermediary contacted "his" manager and set up an appointment.
However, on the appointed morning, a call came asking to give up the "booked" car in words to another buyer, who "is already on the doorstep." When negotiations resumed, it turned out that the previous price was no longer there. Instead of a black car from 2025, a white car from 2026 was waiting in the cabin and it was noticeably more expensive.
The entire market operates on the "here and now" principle, explains Pavel Karin, an auto expert and owner of Carintrade.
— Each manager has a KPI and a plan — 20, 30, 50 cars per week. When sales are not going well, all reserves are used: discounts, increased attention to the customer. But if I pick up several cars from the dealer as an intermediary per month, we have a long-term relationship. I will be notified of the changes sooner than a random customer. And for the sake of preserving these relations, the manager is ready to concede 20-50 thousand where he would not concede to an ordinary person," he explained.
In other words, the "ambassador" is not a fraud or a magician. This is a person who has something that the average customer does not have: a history of relationships with a particular salon. But, as it turned out, it does not give any guarantees.
When will it all end
The development of localization of production and online sales in the future should make the purchase process more transparent and honest for the average buyer, Anton Shaparin believes.
"We expect that the practices of imposing insurance, loans, and other things will remain in the past, like a bad dream," he said.
In the meantime, the buyer has to figure out the rules of the game on their own.
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