Ayography

Archive for the ‘Cars’ Category

Advertising for new-car leases has spread like wildfire— it’s all over TV, radio, and most newspapers. And the ads make them sound so attractive, with low monthly payments and sometimes even “zero down.” Compared to the higher payments of a conventional purchase, it’s no wonder more and more people are leasing every year! But is it really “cheaper,” or is there more to leasing than meets the eye?
Dealers and salespeople claim that leasing is the “smart” way to drive a car, using lines such as, “Leasing is simple—instead of paying for the whole car, you only pay for the part you use.”
Others aren’t so sure—consumer advocates and state prosecutors have warned that many people are getting ripped off. The Detroit Free Press quoted Ralph Nader as saying, “Consumers are getting gouged far too often…It’s more like auto fleecing than leasing.” And in a September, 1996 Wall Street Journal article on leasing, Florida Assistant Attorney General Jack Norris said, “Consumers are getting robbed.”
So who’s right, the dealers or the consumer watchdogs? They both are. Many people have gotten great lease deals, and many others have been robbed. The ones in the middle ended up with deals that they probably wouldn’t have agreed to, had they really understood what was involved in their transactions.
As you’ll see, there have been a lot of dirty tricks—and outright fraud—in the sales end of the leasing business. But I’m going to teach the secrets of leasing to as many people as possible, making it a lot harder for dishonest salespeople to cheat customers out of their hard-earned money.