That happens everyday in real estate, correct? It's capitalism. Nobody said it was perfect.

I think there is a distinct difference between real estate and new vehicles. Most retailers have eliminated the price haggling routine, except for vehicles. Real estate is unique, especially with respect to resales. The developer in The Villages seems to do a good job of holding their customers to a fixed price on new houses. They don't allow haggling. I think that is a good thing.

Haggling as you call it happens on almost every resale home. They just don't call it that.

In my opinion, you haggle with a car dealer, but you negotiate with a home seller.

"Haggling is about offering your product for a reduced margin – you're simply making price concessions until the buyer says yes. Negotiation, on the other hand, is about getting something of equal or higher value in return for any concessions you make."

I don't have an issue with negotiating to buy a preowned house, but I think car dealers are taking advantage of people who just want to buy a car at a fair price, and to not pay more than another customer. To do that, dealers tell a lot of lies. The first one they tell is that the "invoice" they provide is their actual cost for the vehicle.

Grownups call it negotiation. Cars, airplanes, boats, antiques, art work, services and of course, real estate.

it seems fine for most every other business, but for a typical person's 2nd largest purchase, it's characterized as a scam & sleazy.

Sure, you start off using common sense.

One, by refusing to pay for something you didn't order.
Two, not knowing anything about what you want in a car.
Three, letting a sales person keeping you waiting for hours while he's
taking a ****.

I have no problem with somebody trying to make a buck. That said, however, I cannot help but wonder if how various businesses see TV and Villagers in general, and how that influences their business practices. Making an honest buck is one thing. Bilking someone is quite another.

Back in the world, car dealerships depend a lot on repeat business. Not only that, but intergenerational as well. As a teen and young adult, I dealt with the same dealership that my parents did because, in my parents' estimation, they were treated fairly. Same thing with the Toyota dealership in Burnsville, MN. I bought five vehicles from them in 15 or so years because I was treated fairly. Had I not been, I would have been out the door as soon as I perceived that I was being taken advantage of, never to return.

It is an entirely different scenario here in TV. There are many businesses here who try to establish a good reputation which leads to repeat business. Many have been mentioned here. Sumter Tire and Auto for example. Several plumbers. Some insurance agents. Landscapers. And others. (Unfortunately, even within those ranks, there are plenty who don't). But to be honest, TV'ers are a transient population. Landscapers depend on repeat business because they deal with us every 90 days or so. But what are the odds that an 80-year-old who buys a new car at whatever dealership is going to show up at the same dealership in 4-5 years to trade? And even if he is lucky enough to reach that age (the odds don't favor it) what are the odds that his wife (or a court order) will have already pulled his keys? And, of course, intergenerational reputation isn't even a factor. Are kids back home in Montana or Michigan or wherever aren't going to drive here to purchase a car from a dealer in Ocala just because we did.

Looking at it that way, there is no valid business reason for car dealerships (as long as things stay within the law) NOT to try to pry as much money out of us as possible. They'll have one shot at us. Maybe at most, two. So why not put the squeeze on us? If I were a car dealership I might have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror the morning after I sold a 91-year-old a new car that he absolutely didn't need (I read about that happening here about three years ago) but other dealers might not have that problem.

That’s what senior abuse is all about. Taking advantage of the vulnerable. We have to be proactive in this area. Capitalism needs safe guards or it degenerates to survival of the fittest.

Oh please with the senior abuse nonsense.
We live in a retirement community that has exceptional levels of talent, education and work experience.

The problem is so many of these exceptional people come from bumscrew area where they still think the world is Mayberry RFD.

I’m talking about the 91 year old mentioned above. I understand that some people have no shame, no morals etc but I have zero tolerance for child or senior abuse, personally.

I go along with dealerships being sleazy

I think you're splitting hairs here. But we can agree to disagree, it's all good.

You're painting with a broad brush if you're saying all dealers are bad. Although there are some crooked ones out there, there's also many good ones. You just have to be smart about it and find them.

With the internet and social media it's fairly easy to research and find out which ones are the best.