Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire F350 sales ad deception

You fellas are gonna love this one: I've been searching for a Class 2 or 3 long bed 4x4 pickup to take over work duties while my 2500HD goes in for some engine and body repair. Up pops an ad nearby for an excessed county pickup- F350, goose neck ball, dually, crew cab, etc. Sounds interesting, but the photo of the window sticker is chopped off on one side and conflicts with the posted information: 5.4l engine vs. 6.2l, bed length, etc. Well, I caught the County District Manager on FB Messenger and after asking for a better photo of the window sticker, I got this reply: "one of my board member[s] found that photo online and sent it to me after looking it up on the internet." WOW, no kidding? How disingenuous can you get on a sales ad? You took a photo of the window sticker from another vehicle and posted it with the ad, leading people to think it was for the pickup in the ad...incredible. Or maybe it is simply CLUELESS STUPIDITY?

There are sites that will recreate the original window sticker off of the VIN. Is that maybe what they did?

Deceptive business practices.

A couple of years back, I was ready to drive about 5 hours for an advertised deal on a new 2021 4x4 F150 at a dealership in Texas. I called the dealership and a salesman told me the truck was still in stock. We were getting everything in order when he mentioned a price that was something like $4k over what was advertised online. I told him to hold up, as something was off. The price was supposed to be about $39k. He said it "technically" was, but they had added a laundry list of dealer add-ons, from a bedliner, to door edge-guards, to mud-flaps, and special upholstery coatings, etc. I told him that his dealership was promoting false advertising and it was a shady practice to list pricing online that way.

Boy, you sure scolded him good, eh? He was probably mentally devastated.

I'd rather let a nine year old demented ape try to remove my toenails with a bad pair of pliars than to have to talk with an auto sales person!

I looked at an “advertised special” truck, years ago (Moritz in Ft. Worth, circa 2006)). Was going to be a “commuter” truck, so nothing fancy.

Advertised as “Single cab, SWB, V6, Auto/AC”. It was an ad they ran for MONTHS, not just some “one off”.

Well, we get there, and the first thing we notice was that it was MANUAL. That’s pretty annoying, if you’re planning on driving much in the city. Start looking it over some more, and NO AIR CONDITIONING!!

I can’t even imagine a dealership, in TEXAS, wasting time ordering a truck with NO a/c. This was 2006, long past “wing windows” being phased out, where most summers are spent with highs in excess of 95 degrees, and often 100 degrees. I was so angry at that point, I let them know they were wasting my time (trying to bait and switch), and left.

And buy a .gov agency........Go figure!

If it makes you feel any better, they are most likely skimming a few thousand from the sale price for their own pocket, so no need to be too precise in the add. The confusion will help later if there are any questions from an auditor.

I bought a Nissan truck one night from a dealer, used, advertised as a v6, …
Got there about 30 minutes before they closed, pouring rain. Paid and drove home, seemed a little lethargic. Next morning I went and popped the hood and counted 4 spark plugs.
Called the dealer, they assured me it was a v6, arranged for them to buy me lunch if it wasn’t and I’d keep the truck if it was. Went down, three people went and checked and assured me it was a v6. I played dumb and said ok, guess I should up the ante and buy everybody lunch or give 100 for their trouble.
Shook on it, went out and popped the hood, then asked service manager to come show me all 6 cylinders.
He couldn’t, they took the truck back and gave me $100 for the hassle.
4 banger ain’t no v6.

A local Chevy dealer in Austin had a huge banner that said they'd beat anybody's price on new pickups. I tried to get a price quote for a truck I wanted to order but they wouldn't give me a quote. I went to a Chevy dealer in La Grange got a quote and ordered the truck. I went back to the Austin dealer and showed them the La Grange quote. They told me that there's no way that I could buy that truck for that price. Then I told him that I already had.

You lost me at buying a used truck and not popping the hood for a look before buying.

Lots of lying thieves amongst the ranks of auto salespeople, there are still honest ethical folks out there you have to do your due dilligence.

Car & Truck salesmen are all liars & thieves. All of them.

With the entire sum of the world's knowledge available to everyone on their phone - there's really no reason to ever discussion a car with a salesperson. If you roll into a dealership without knowing everything about the car - that's on you.

Roll in, confirm the car you want is there - talk to finance (if need be). ZERO upside to the sales dog/pony show. My time has value, I should be in/out very fast.

You got lied to by a government stooge, who takes his very living out of your pocket and “earns” that living by spending more money out of your pocket. Well, I am shocked. NOT. I would say he did exactly what I would have expected, other than failing to require you to buy the damn thing…

Tell a salesman you want to look at cars under $10k. You will not see cars under that. More like 12-13k, if he’s new and unsure. A more experienced guy will start at 15k and go up. Because they know they can get most folks to spend more than they intended to, and do not believe you when you set a top price.

This is “breaking news” you fuucking dummy? Thank god you moved to South Dakota you whinning fuucking gash..🖕🏿

Gov't deceptive business practices?

After the past few years?

Who would have thought!!!?