Car Dealer Terms with Definitions....From R to Z

Reserve: An amount kick-backed to the car dealership that is over and above what the lender would charge for the car loan. If the lenders charges $800.00 in finance charges for a deal and the dealer figured in $1500.00, then the lender will pay the dealer the difference which is $700.00 in this case.

Roll Back: This car dealer term can have two meanings. One is when the odometer is tampered with and the mileage is rolled back to a lower figure, which is totally illegal. The other way is when a car deal is worked backwards where the salesperson will determine how much the buyer wants their monthly payment to be and then they will figure out the price of the car from there.

Sales Manager: The human that runs the auto sales department.

Salesperson: This is the person on the car lot that sell cars.

Service Manager: This is the individual that manages the department that does the maintenance and repairs.

Sled: A beater trade-in that is worth very little to the dealer.

Slide Ruler: A car buyer that wants all figures quoted to be exact and will actually verify with their own calculator to make sure that what the salesperson is telling them is accurate.

Spear: Like spearing fish in a river. A method where someone will promise anything to someone, like a ridiculously high price for their car as a trade-in, even if its total BS, just to get the person to come into the lot.

Spot Delivery: This is when the car paperwork is signed and a car is given to the buyer on-the-spot right from the car dealerships inventory the same day.

Sticks (Wood): When a car buyer that uses his furniture as collateral for a loan for the down payment.

Straw Purchase: When someone buys a car and finances it in their own name for someone else to drive because the real buyer has no money or credit to buy the car themselves.

Stroker: Someone that BS's their way through the car buying process but really has no way to buy the car.

Stud (Strong): A salesperson that is pushy or aggressive in making the car deal.

Switch: When a salesperson moves a buyer to another car in order to make a higher profit.

Switch to Spiff: When a car dealership is stuck with a bunch of cars they haven’t been able to sell, the sales manager will offer incentives or bonuses to the sales force to unload these dogs.

Tent Sale: This where a car dealership will put up a big tent and do lots of hyped up advertising. They will often have hot air balloons and BBQ’s, etc. to entice potential car buyers to come to their lot.

Third Baseman: Someone that the buyer brings with them to help them buy a car because they feel this person knows more about cars and/or how to deal with the salespeople.

Tire Kicker (Looky Lou): Someone that has no interest in buying a car and is just there to look at the cars.

Toad: A car dealer term given to an old piece of junk on their lot that was taken in as a trade-in.

Tower: The Tower is the sales managers office.

Turn Over (T.O.): This is a part of the car buying process where the buyer is handed over to another salesperson…and maybe another sales person….and another, etc. The point is to wear out and confuse the buyer thus making them less resistant and more pliable to anything that will bring the car dealership greater profits. Its also used to for when the salesperson needs someone else to close the deal.

Trip: When someone from the dealership delivers a car to a buyer.

Used Car Manager: Used car lots need managers too, and they are called Used Car Managers.

UG (Unconditional Guarantee): To unconditionally guarantee the re-purchase of a sales contract if that contract (loan) ever becomes overdue.

Under-Allowance: To give a customer less for his trade-in than its worth.

Unwind: A car dealer term for when a car dealer takes a car back and voids all the paperwork thus making it seem like the deal never happened.

Up: This is a car dealer term where the dealership will make a list of the sales force and whoever is at the top of the list will get the next prospect and then they are crossed off the list and on it goes as more prospects enter the lot. The next salesperson in line becomes the "Up Man".

Upside Down: Is a car dealer term that describes a buyer that wants more for their trade-in than its worth.

Walking Figures: This car dealer term is when a salesperson knows that a prospect will be going to other car dealerships to shop, they will quote them a super low price on the car they are interested in so they will come back in later.

Wheels: Just a general car dealer term for a car.

Window: The retail price as shown on the sticker on the window of the car.

Wholesale: This car dealer term is about the wholesale price of a car when a customers trade-in is sold at or a car is purchased at a used car auction.

Click here for Auto Dealer Terms -- from A to E

Click here for Car Dealer Terms -- from F to Q

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