Think you are being taken when you are buying a car? You probably are… but how did they it? At least you now know what is going on and a few things you can do so it isn’t as bad.

The last couple of cars we have leased or purchased have been Saturns so the deals are pretty straight forward – at least I think so. We didn’t get into any of this haggling, which is why we went to Saturn in the first place.

Dealerships Rip You Off With The “Four-Square,” Here’s How To Beat It

Former used car salesman Alan Slone grows a conscience and reveals one of the major strategies dealership use to screw you when buying a new car.

At the heart of it all is the “4-square,” a sheet of paper (sample above) divided into four boxes: your trade value, the purchase price, down payment, and monthly payment. This is supposed to help you and the dealership come to an agreement, but as you’ll see, it’s really more akin to three-card monte dealer’s deck of cards. Many, but not all, dealerships use this tool.

Here’s 5 tips to get you started, and then a very detailed breakdown of how the dealership manipulates buyers with the four-square. …

http://consumerist.com/