Why Special Car Sales Events Are Usually Ripoffs

The simple act of putting an expiration date on a coupon usually increases redemptions by 30 to 40 percent. Car sales events are designed to do the same thing.

There are dozens of companies that consult with dealerships and help them plan sales events based on different types of themes.

Typically, you'll see dealerships advertising special "Red Tag Sales", "Thanksgiving Weekend Sales" or some other holiday theme such as "President's Day Sales Event" - you get the point.

What's amazing is that a lot of car buyer's fall for this tactic. There's a lot of shoppers who actually wait until a major holiday to go car shopping.

This is usually a terrible idea because you don't want to be negotiating for a car on days when the dealership is very busy. When they have a lot of potential customers, there isn't as much pressure to offer good deals.

The only exception is around the Christmas holidays when there are less shoppers and dealers are trying to hit their yearly sales goals.

But the fact of the matter is - these special dealer sales events are nothing more than a simple marketing tactic that gets buyers to act on emotion rather than logic.

Next time you see a special dealer sales event advertised, just ignore it. You're much better off shopping for a car on a slow day, when they're more desperate for sales.

If a dealer is willing to offer a great deal during a sales event, you can bet they will offer the same deal, if not better afterwards.