Expert explains why you should never go into the dealership when buying a car

Buying a car is one of the most expensive and stressful things you can do, and it's made all the more difficult if you end up having a bad time at the dealership.

You're there to get something that'll last you for years but you might be relying on someone with a vested interest in selling you the thing to describe it honestly to you.

People who work at car dealerships get quite the bad rap, the reputation of their profession is not exactly one of trustworthiness or reliability.

Being a journalist and given our craft's reputation I feel slightly like I'm throwing stones from a glass house, but whatever.

Some people have horror stories about going into dealerships and being horribly upsold into buying extras they didn't want or becoming bamboozled by sales patter. Though, it's worth noting, not everyone has had a negative experience.

Meanwhile, someone who works at a car dealership said you should never accept the offer of a test drive from them as they're hoping you'll form a quick emotional bond with the car and buy it without really thinking properly.

Other tricks they talked about included making you wait for long periods of time so you'll sign on the dotted line and get out of there with your new car instead of quibbling over whether you need a heated steering wheel or something like that.

Now an expert has taken to TikTok to say that in the strange game of wits between car buyer and car seller the only winning move is not to play.

Going by the name of @billythecarkid, this bloke has claimed that actually going to a car dealership is a big mistake.

He said dealerships would drop tantalising teasers such as a potential willingness to discuss price if you just step into their thunderdome, but Billy insisted it was 'never in your best interest to go there'.

Instead he suggested you call around multiple dealerships and go shopping for the best possible price.

The expert recommended that you have a clear idea of the price options and how you were going to pay for the car laid down before ever setting foot inside a dealership.

If you were hell bent on not following his advice about giving the dealership a wide berth then he at least hoped you'd follow his advice on what to do in there.

Billy said while there you should test drive everything you could for as long as you could, then narrow it down to two cars that you really liked the look of.

Then you should get pricing numbers and take them home to mull it over, certainly not signing on the dotted line on the same day that you first went in.

After that he suggested you then call round the dealerships again to see if what you were quoted was the best price you could get.

That pretty much sounds like circling back to his original advice, but it seems he stands by calling round to compare prices rather than going in unprepared.

He claimed that this approach could save you a bundle, which is nice if it turns out to work.