'I’ll Take It If…:' Car Salesman is About to Close the Deal. Then the Customer Asks for Something Extra

Picture it: the end of a grueling car-buying negotiation. You’re imagining settling into the driver’s seat of your new Toyota 4Runner, thinking about all the things you can do, all the things you need to do. Suddenly, it strikes you: a little something extra would go a long way toward sealing this deal. 

Perhaps you wonder to yourself, “Can I ask for extras when you buy a car?” Then you think, “all they can say is ‘No.’”

Extras Are Everything 

Car mats, cargo nets, Thule roof racks, an extra key—these are just some of the things that can boost a car’s purchase price by several hundred or thousand dollars. They’re also the things that can make life easier by keeping the car cleaner and making it more useful. 

Plus, they look nice, and they can help you walk away from a transaction feeling good and fairly treated. 

Sealing the Deal

In a Facebook video posted by Tadd Jenkins Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (@TaddJenkinsFordDodgeJeepRam), a blonde woman decides she’ll take a car if the salesperson throws in a cargo mat.

The salesman across from her pauses slightly, then nods as if he’s working on remembering exactly how many mats the dealership’s got in inventory. 

He says, very seriously, “I think I can do that.” 

Meanwhile, text in the background suggests that things are going to get very specific, very quickly. “When they take everything literally,” it says.   

The video then cuts to the buyer in her new vehicle. She’s smiling and saying “thank you” to her salesperson. 

Meanwhile, as she drives away, there’s a smiling and happy man named Matt in the cargo area of the car. Don’t worry, though: The window is rolled down, so he’ll get plenty of fresh air!  

In this instance, the car buyer got a really good deal. She got the kind of “Matt” that can not only protect the groceries, but also help lug them into the house. 

Speaking of Cargo Mats

In a text message exchange, a representative of Tadd Jenkins Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram recalls that one customer once asked if a cargo mat could double as a picnic blanket. Though the answer is probably not, people sometimes have wild ideas when buying cars. At least this example is sweet.

Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate

According to CarPal, sometimes dealerships have more latitude on extras and accessories than on the sticker price. “You can see that the car’s existing floor mats are worn and dirty. Negotiating successfully for new or all-weather floor mats can net you over $200. If you’re looking at a new vehicle, you may garner similar savings by negotiating for upgraded floor mats,” it states.

So, think about what you might want, and how those extras can add value to the deal you’re trying to strike.

When to Pop the Question

Redditors disagree on exactly when to start talking extras, but the overall consensus is when the numbers talk starts getting serious. 

Some folks might want to roll it into financing, while others might want to purchase the items separately. And still others (like our blonde buyer) might make it a conditional part of the sale. 

However, many negotiators agree on one thing: Be willing to walk away (even if it's just to grab a coffee). That gives you, the buyer, more negotiating power, because it literally removes you from the pressure of the decision.