Haggling Has Long History In Car Buying

Haggling for a better price on a car is just something that many come to expect when buying a car. Though you may never think much about it, haggling over the price has a long history with car buying.

Ventura County Star: Most people wouldn't dream of haggling over the price of a steak at a restaurant or a big-ticket item such as a refrigerator at Sears, yet they do expect to argue over the bottom line when they buy a new or used car.

How it got that way is open to debate, though many think it originated with buying and selling horses. No two were identical, there was no odometer to register mileage and the price was negotiable.

"The whole horse-trading thing segued into buying cars," said Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for automotive Web site Edmunds.com. Reed thinks haggling for cars came into full bloom after World War II.

Right after the war, there were more buyers than vehicles as automakers were converting their factories back to making cars from tanks and airplanes.

Salespeople kept their prices flexible so they could sell to the most eager customers who wanted a new car more than a low price.

Posted by Loyd on May 04, 2005 | 0 Comments

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