Deal or No Deal

Just another update in the ongoing fight against the Universe...

On Saturday, after the eye exam disappointment (see the final addendum to my previous post), I figured I'd take a look at some cars. I didn't have a pre-approved loan, but I could at least see what was out there. So we ("we" being Dad, my sister, and I) swung by a nearby car dealer nest. The economy has thinned out the herd; we saw empty lots where a few tried-and-true dealers once stood. Made for better parking, at least. My sister opted to stay with the Mighty Taurus (lest it get too nervous) as Dad and I wandered off to look for a lot worth looking at.

We wound up at a Ford lot, where I figured I could get a closer look at that Focus I've heard so much about. Soon after our arrival, the vultures smelled fresh carrion and circled in for a landing. A bright smiling young salesman was all too happy to show us a bright smiling Focus. The price was about five hundred more than I wanted to go, but Mr. Bright Smiley insisted that price was "the easiest thing" about his job, he could change it at any time, no problem. I gave it a once-over, noting right away a few interior issues (one air vent was broken, there was no RPM gauge, and a few other minor things I probably could've gotten used to.) Then we headed out on a test drive. It had a fair amount of guts, and it took standing water like it was dry pavement, but I noted a disturbing body roll on the freeway on-ramp; I didn't feel as in control as I like to feel when operating a motorized vehicle.

We got back to the dealership, and Mr. Bright Smiley brought over Mr. Tall Smiley, who seemed to be the next rung up in the flock. Numbers were tossed around, none of which I was prepared to go for. So, Mr. Tall Smiley got Mr. Large Smiley, who must've been pretty close to the top vulture around. He tossed out some more numbers. I couldn't help noticing that the numbers they were tossing all related to monthly payments; the price, the "easiest thing" to change according to Mr. Bright Smiley, seemed suspiciously identical to the one I'd deemed a bit too rich for my blood. More discussions, more numbers, and more talk about what I would be willing to pay, and what I would be ideally looking for. Eventually, Mr. Bright Smiley took us over to a sister lot to show me more things. Each successive car seemed less like what I was ideally looking for - one of them was a two-door and one a stick shift, both of which were specifically on my "Do Not Want" list - but I gamely test-drove a couple before we headed back to the first lot.

Here, they pulled out their big guns. A 2006 Ford Fusion luxury edition. Leather seats. Computerized display. Roomy interior. It even had room for a full-sized spare... and an RPM indicator. I was test-driven out by then, but I agreed to take it for a spin. I didn't go on the freeway, just up a hill and back, but boy did that thing handle well. A V6 engine (like the Taurus), but a lighter body (meaning better MPG) made for a Very Nice Ride. But there was the price tag. It was five thousand more than the Focus, which I had told them was too much.

No problem, prices are the easiest part of the job, Mr. Bright Smiley assured us. I would need a co-signer, but they should come up with something I'd like. Dad agreed to co-sign, so they got his info and came back. The price they came back with, oddly enough, was nearly identical to the price they'd given me before Dad co-signed. So were the monthly payments. I told them I didn't want to buy, agreed that it was a great deal, but repeated that I was still just looking and couldn't afford what they were giving me.

But it was only Mr. Bright Smiley's second day on the job! Surely I wanted to help him? Not at the cost of bankruptcy, sorry. (Didn't say that in so many words, just repeated that the price was too rich for my blood.)

It's a great deal - you just can't find Fusions for that price! Well, no, they aren't as common as Focuses, but you can still find them. And they're still too pricey for a library page.

Between Mr. Bright Smiley and Mr. Tall Smiley, no fewer than five sheets of numbers flew back and forth. The monthly payments kept coming down. The base price stayed the same. My answer stayed the same, too.

At last, as I was leaving, they tried one last stab. Then - only then! - did the base price drop, even though that was supposed to be the "easiest thing" for them to change. (I suppose most people don't notice the base price if the monthly payments look low enough...)

Deal or no deal?

No deal. We left home in the Mighty Taurus, and in the Mighty Taurus we returned... after a stop for lunch, at least. (Three hours of saying "No" works up an appetite...)

(When I got home, I found I had some junk mail. A $500-off coupon for Lasik eye surgery. The Universe can cram that where it stuck its sense of humor...)

--

Oh, and for those keeping score, I tried again for a smaller loan - well within what I actually have in my credit union account - from the credit union, with Dad as a co-signer. It was rejected for the same reasons as before. So, evidently the fact that I've banked with them for over a decade and never overdrafted or bounced a check, and the fact that I have the money (and then some) in their bank, and that they could repossess the car if I defaulted in addition to taking the money I have in their bank and thus would be out absolutely nothing... all this means nothing to the credit union that's all about helping its members. Dad's suspicious that the fact that I'm a single woman is figuring into their decision, based on his own dealings with the same credit union, where they were willing to loan him unbelievable amounts of money despite outstanding debts (and me being debt-free in addition to credit-history-free.) Even the car dealers were willing to take a chance on me with my nonexistent credit rating.

So I suppose I'll have to find alternative funding for my new(er) vehicle, and find another way to build up a credit rating. I'll figure something out... still sucks in the meantime to be turned down twice.

Oh - and mostly for nostalgia's sake... the YouTube version of O'Rafferty's Motor Car (One of those albums that imprinted itself on my brain at an early age, and which continues to cycle through my head whenever I look at used cars.)