What did he just
say?! Does it freak you out when you hear your salesman speak in code to his
co-workers? Now you have a guide to help you out. A lesson in Dealer Slang
101.
Ad
car: A basic car with few options (used to draw customers into the
dealership).
Backwards: When a vehicle's wholesale value is less than
the amount still owed on the vehicle.
Baldinis:
Bald tires.
Be-backs:
The customers who tell you not to worry, they'll be back.
Bird dog:
Referral fee.
BK: The customer has a bankruptcy in their credit
history.
Blow them out: Don't waste any more time with a
customer.
Bomb: An old car with no value.
Clip joint: A
dealership with a reputation for overcharging.
Crapped out: Deal that
didn't materialize.
Cream puff: A used vehicle in excellent
condition.
Crop duster: A car that blows smoke out of the
tailpipe.
Deadbeat: A customer with a bad credit history.
Dime:
$100.
Finn: $500.
Fish: A customer who's too willing to part with
their money.
Gasser: A customer who doesn't have the money to buy a
vehicle, but acts like they do.
Glass:
Obvious use of Bondo or Fiberglas to repair rust or body damage.
Gold
Package: Gaudy-looking vehicle.
Gouge: Sell a vehicle for more than
sticker price.
Grease: The amount of discount a customer needs to close
the deal.
Grease monkey: A mechanic.
Grind: Negotiations that
take a long time.
Gross: Amount of profit.
Hammer: Exert
pressure on a customer to buy the vehicle.
How
Soon They Forget: Remind an associate of favors you've done for
them.
Hung: Status of a customer who's ready to sign the
papers.
Hit A
Home Run: Make a great deal of money on a particular sale.
Hosed
'em: Made some money on the deal.
Idiot light: A warning light on the
instrument panel.
Juice: Money.
Junker: An old car ready for the
scrap heap.
Key and a Heater: A basic car with no
options.
Kickback: Money refunded to the car dealer after the sale is
made. May come from the car maker, finance company or insurance companies from
the sale of extended warranties.
Licking: When either the dealer or the
customer loses money on a deal.
Loaded: A car with every option. A rich
customer.
Long green: Money.
Lowball: An attempt to undercut
another dealer's price.
Maypops: Bald tires.
Nickel:
$500.
Numbers: The price of the vehicle.
Nut: The break-even
point.
On the hood: Rebates, incentives, and special financing offered
by a manufacturer or lender.
Pack:
Money built into the price of the car to cover dealer's expenses (advertising
& overhead in particular).
Pad: The amount of a sale meant for the
salesman.
Player: A customer with a good credit history.
Pound:
$1000.
Push: Cash, rebate, or special financing.
Qualify:
Determine if the customer is ready to buy.
Rear-end money: Kickbacks and
incentives given to a dealer by a lender for closing a financing
deal.
Repo: A car that's repossessed for non-payment of a
loan.
Ripley's
Believe It Or Not: Obvious body damage poorly repaired.
Roach: A customer
with a poor credit rating. A vehicle in need of a serious doll-up.
Roll
'em: Force exerted by a salesman to close a deal.
Rubberneck: A customer
who has no intention of buying.
Shark: A ruthless, money-hungry
salesman.
Short
Arm: Very thrifty (cheap) customer.
Slam-dunk: Make a very profitable
sale.
Sled: A slow and cumbersome vehicle. A worthless
vehicle.
Snow job: An attempt to hide the truth from a customer with
persuasive language.
Song and dance: An elaborate attempt to explain
something to a customer.
Special financing: High-interest loans for
customers with poor credit. Low-interest loans underwritten by the
manufacturer.
Spiff: Bonus a salesperson receives if a sale is
made.
Sticker shock: Customer's negative reaction to the price of the
vehicle.
Stole
It: Purchased a vehicle far below wholesale value.
Stroker: A customer
who acts like they're ready to buy, and has no intention of doing
so.
Sweep 'em: Don't waste any more time with a customer.
TD:
Turned down. Usually refers to a customer's credit application.
Teaser:
A basic car with few options (used to draw customers into the
dealership).
Ticky
Ticky: Vehicle with valve train noise.
Tin Lizzie: A very old
vehicle.
Tire
Kicker: Someone who doesn't have the money to buy, but looks just the
same.
Took
a Bath: Lost money on a deal.
Took
a Pill: Lost a great deal of money on a deal.
Twist 'em: Force exerted
by a salesman to close a deal.
Upside down: The car's true value is less
than the amount owed on the vehicle. (aka Backwards.)