Beware sneaky fees at car lot

I laughed and said that was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. I refused to fill out the application, pointing out that a credit inquiry would knock down my credit score. Seeing I was serious, the dealer backed down.

Next came the finance guy, who began asking me questions about the new car: "How long do you plan on keeping this car? How many miles do you drive in a year?''

I told him politely that it was none of his business. His goal here was to sell me an extended warranty, which I declined.

Then he asked if I planned to get the new car serviced at the dealership. I said that I probably would, because that was one reason I was shopping a dealership near my house.

The finance guy then tried to sell me a four-year "service package'' at the discounted price of $1,500. I stared at him and said that according to the manufacturer, all this car should need over four years was regular oil and filter changes, as well as some other minor tweaks.

Yes, he said, but the dealer recommends other services as well. I declined.

Then came a laundry list of other items -- wheel and tire insurance, LoJack theft protection, paint protection and leather conditioning.

If I had tumbled to even half of these items it would have added thousands of dollars to my purchase price. In the end, I got the deal I wanted, but I had to endure a nearly three-hour process to close a deal that was essentially a cash transaction for the dealer.

The lesson here for other buyers is that with sales way down, dealers are going to be even more aggressive to bolster the bottom line with add-ons.

Buy an add-on if you see some value in it. But be aware that for most of these add-ons, the only person who benefits is the dealer.