Car dealers rely on commissions for their income, and that means a sale could be an act of desperation. Some dealers are highly professional, some will cut corners wherever they can, and occasionally you may run into one who'll do anything, no matter how shady, to close a deal. Two consumer protection attorneys talk about the things car dealers have done that you need to be aware of. Whether these tactics are illegal depends on where you live, but they can all cost you money -and headaches.
Dealers that curbstone. They have a hard time moving the car off their lot so they advertise it on craigslist and pretend it is a private sale. (This may be legal in some states but it certainly is shady). The key? Beware of a private seller claiming they have a dealer doing the paperwork as a favor.
Dealers that don’t pay off trade ins (when they have agreed to do so to make a sale). I’ve heard of dealers dragging their feet and of the occasional dealer that never paid it off. The key is to follow up quickly and be wary of dealing with smaller, lesser-known car lots when it comes to a deal like this.
There are plenty more of these at Jalopnik.