Was I Taken For A Ride?

[JetFixxxer]

There's an old saying: if you buy a car from a friend, he will no longer be your friend. That being said, I just want to make sure my "friend" didn't pull a fast one on me at the time of sale. I always hated buying a car anywhere, my entire life, because I enter the dealership just knowing I will be lied to (and believe me, I caught more than one salesman lying in the past). Anyway, I just purchased a 2025 Maverick base model, the one that looks like a white fleet style vehicle, the esthetics of which, believe it or not, I actually prefer. The sticker was about $29,500 and it was so new it wasn't listed in inventory. No frills.

It started this way: the night before, at a friend's house, the "pitch" was "Oh yeah, I can get you a Maverick for about $22,000.-$25,000 You trading in your truck (a 2020 Dodge Ram Warlock with 41,800 miles, great condition)?" he asked. I said yes. He did a quick lookup on his phone and said, "Oh! We can give you about $28 $29 k for your truck!" Swell, I was on my way for a new car purchase.

Next morning, oh how the story had changed! "I was wrong about your truck, sorry. I accidentally looked up a much more expensive version of your truck and thought it was your model." Uhhhh huh. Okay, I looked past that. Then, when I saw the sticker, it was $29,500. So I asked "I thought you quoted 22 to 25!" He replied, "I just found out we're not discounting these!" Okayyyyyyyy. So, he put the deal on the table: my trade in plus 7K. I countered with my trade in plus 5k. He counter offered my trade in with 6K. I took it. So, I drove off the lot with a 2025 Maverick that cost me sticker price with 6K cash down and 23,500 for my 2020 Ram.

QUESTION: Is this guy my friend? (He said they gave me the "deal" on my trade in).

Do you feel like you got a good deal. A good deal is subjective for the most part. What might be a deal for you might not be for others. I mean if you paid 50k for it then no that's not a good deal. Also, you always find a "better" deal after you make the purchase, it never fails.

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[DR_NC]

There's an old saying: if you buy a car from a friend, he will no longer be your friend. That being said, I just want to make sure my "friend" didn't pull a fast one on me at the time of sale. I always hated buying a car anywhere, my entire life, because I enter the dealership just knowing I will be lied to (and believe me, I caught more than one salesman lying in the past). Anyway, I just purchased a 2025 Maverick base model, the one that looks like a white fleet style vehicle, the esthetics of which, believe it or not, I actually prefer. The sticker was about $29,500 and it was so new it wasn't listed in inventory. No frills.

It started this way: the night before, at a friend's house, the "pitch" was "Oh yeah, I can get you a Maverick for about $22,000.-$25,000 You trading in your truck (a 2020 Dodge Ram Warlock with 41,800 miles, great condition)?" he asked. I said yes. He did a quick lookup on his phone and said, "Oh! We can give you about $28 $29 k for your truck!" Swell, I was on my way for a new car purchase.

Next morning, oh how the story had changed! "I was wrong about your truck, sorry. I accidentally looked up a much more expensive version of your truck and thought it was your model." Uhhhh huh. Okay, I looked past that. Then, when I saw the sticker, it was $29,500. So I asked "I thought you quoted 22 to 25!" He replied, "I just found out we're not discounting these!" Okayyyyyyyy. So, he put the deal on the table: my trade in plus 7K. I countered with my trade in plus 5k. He counter offered my trade in with 6K. I took it. So, I drove off the lot with a 2025 Maverick that cost me sticker price with 6K cash down and 23,500 for my 2020 Ram.

QUESTION: Is this guy my friend? (He said they gave me the "deal" on my trade in).

I would not make that trade. Asking price too high on Maverick and trade value too low on Ram.

 

[Jah.]

My life rule . never do business with friends , relative , or neighbors . that means no money loans , buying , selling , remodeling , maintenance or repairs . If you can't afford to gift it to them then you shouldn't loan it to them because more than likely you won't get it back . I do favors for people I know without any pay back being needed and never charge . Just my personal policy imo .

 

[Cancunbadlands]

My life rule is never doing business with friends or family

 

[surfstar]

Here’s my take on that conversation:

1. The Setup

It starts with a classic “friend deal” situation, where expectations were set casually at a lower price ($22–25k for the Maverick, $28–29k trade-in value for the Ram). That anchored you to expect a strong deal.

2. The Shift

The next day, the story changed:

• The trade-in was suddenly valued much lower (“I looked at the wrong trim”).
• The Maverick went from “22–25k” to “no discounts, full sticker at $29,500.”
  Both of those reversals put you on the defensive, and it reads like the “friend” was either sloppy or deliberately using sales tactics to soften you up.

3. The Negotiation

The end result:

• Maverick sold at full sticker ($29,500).
• Your Ram was valued at $23,500, which is $4–5k under what he first quoted.
• You bridged the difference with $6,000 cash.
  So in effect, you gave up your Ram for $23,500 and added $6,000, meaning you paid $29,500 in total for the Maverick.

4. The Value Question

A couple of points to consider:

• Market Reality: Ford Mavericks, especially new ones, have been in high demand and short supply. Dealers often sell them at MSRP, sometimes with additional markups. So paying sticker isn’t necessarily a rip-off.
• Trade-In: The sting is the trade-in. A 2020 Ram Warlock in good shape with under 45k miles could fetch more in a private sale, likely $28–30k depending on market and region. That’s where you probably lost a few thousand.
• Friend Angle: The trust issue is the bigger problem. Whether it was deliberate or careless, the “friend” set false expectations and left you feeling hustled.

5. Overall Impression

• Financially: You didn’t get a bargain, but you didn’t get completely taken either. You basically paid full price for a Maverick and undersold your Ram by a few grand.
• Relationally: The way it unfolded erodes trust. That “old saying” you quoted seems to apply, because mixing friendship and car sales often ends up sour.

You're ChatGPT?!?

 

[matmondro]

Total MSRP: $29,780 (indicates special order below)
Invoice/sales receipt says this:
Cash Price of vehicle: $29,803 ($23 more than sticker? Ok, I'll go along...)
Pre-owned allowance (my truck trade in I guess) $23,980.94
Net difference: $5,822.06
Admin fee: $399
Electronic registration filing fee: $249
Lead acid battery fee: $1.50
Florida new tire fee: $5.00
Subtotal: $6,476.56
Sales tax: $438.59
Florida title/registration/tag fees: $84.85
Subtotal: $7,000 (again, why are they subtotaling this?)
Rebate: $1,000
Balance due on delivery: $6,000 (this was the cash I put down)

And that is all that's printed on the invoice. No grand total.

So, I guess I did kinda get a minor deal here. If I understand this correctly...

Car costs $29,803.00
Gave me $23,980.94 for my trade in.
Balance, $7,000 (with all the fees).
They gave me a $1,000 rebate.
Balance: $6,000.
Paid $6,000 and drove off the lot. So, kinda good? Unless I have this all wrong?

My truck as a trade in plus $6,000 and drove off the lot. So the maverick did cost $23.00 over sticker? I'm not a math whiz so if I am off...

Based off this info, and someone else said it too, looks like you paid sales tax on the difference of the trade-in. Overall, I think you did alright! Definitely not a steal, but I don't think you were totally swindled by any means. If you're strictly looking at the numbers, you did better than if you had no trade-in and no rebate.

 

[Long Time Ford Guy]

Here's where you are: The deal is done. If you don't like this process, which it seems you don't, learn as much as you can before you have to buy the next one. Why? The more you know, the better you will feel about your ability to negotiate a fair deal the next time. There are plenty of YouTube resources where you can learn how all of this works and that knowledge will help you to feel better when you make your next purchase.

For now, rather than worrying about whether you were taken for a ride, take your new Maverick for a ride. Roll the windows down, or turn the A/C up high, and enjoy your ride!

Already there, Big Clyde!

 

[Long Time Ford Guy]

Based off this info, and someone else said it too, looks like you paid sales tax on the difference of the trade-in. Overall, I think you did alright! Definitely not a steal, but I don't think you were totally swindled by any means. If you're strictly looking at the numbers, you did better than if you had no trade-in and no rebate.

Agreed.

 

[Long Time Ford Guy]

You're ChatGPT?!?

Huh?

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I did want a base EcoBoost. Love that "fleet" vehicle look. I know. I'm a nerd.

I'm sure Your Maverick is AWD did it come with a Hitch?

 

[PlantMan]

As a long-time Ford guy, trading in a Ram I'd say you took him for a ride!

 

[LSchicago]

I am beginning to think I didn't get a bad deal nor a good deal. Just an "ok" deal. Should I have not hoped for my friend doing the best deal for me in the first place?

There really are no "good" deals on Mavericks. You buy it or you don't. Not much room for negotiations, except on a trade. I was happy I got in on the employee pricing a few months ago. I got one with over $4,000 in options for the same that you paid. I didn't trade anything.

I sold my 23 Maverick Hybrid for more than I paid new with 28k miles on it ahead of time.

 

[pigsareus]

There's an old saying: if you buy a car from a friend, he will no longer be your friend. That being said, I just want to make sure my "friend" didn't pull a fast one on me at the time of sale. I always hated buying a car anywhere, my entire life, because I enter the dealership just knowing I will be lied to (and believe me, I caught more than one salesman lying in the past). Anyway, I just purchased a 2025 Maverick base model, the one that looks like a white fleet style vehicle, the esthetics of which, believe it or not, I actually prefer. The sticker was about $29,500 and it was so new it wasn't listed in inventory. No frills.

It started this way: the night before, at a friend's house, the "pitch" was "Oh yeah, I can get you a Maverick for about $22,000.-$25,000 You trading in your truck (a 2020 Dodge Ram Warlock with 41,800 miles, great condition)?" he asked. I said yes. He did a quick lookup on his phone and said, "Oh! We can give you about $28 $29 k for your truck!" Swell, I was on my way for a new car purchase.

Next morning, oh how the story had changed! "I was wrong about your truck, sorry. I accidentally looked up a much more expensive version of your truck and thought it was your model." Uhhhh huh. Okay, I looked past that. Then, when I saw the sticker, it was $29,500. So I asked "I thought you quoted 22 to 25!" He replied, "I just found out we're not discounting these!" Okayyyyyyyy. So, he put the deal on the table: my trade in plus 7K. I countered with my trade in plus 5k. He counter offered my trade in with 6K. I took it. So, I drove off the lot with a 2025 Maverick that cost me sticker price with 6K cash down and 23,500 for my 2020 Ram.

QUESTION: Is this guy my friend? (He said they gave me the "deal" on my trade in).

you never get as much $ for a vehicle you trade as opposed to selling outright on your own. When you're dealing with 10s of thousands of $ it's not a great idea to do anything 'quick' unless there is some absolute dire need to do so. So even if you got 'dealer trade' market value you were still going to lose. And few if any dealers are giving 4-5K discounts on new Mavericks. It could be sheer enthusiasm and incompetence from your 'friend' though ask yourself this question: If by chance he had made a mistake in the other direction (underestimated your vehicles value) would he had told you this and ponied up more $ for it after he learned that? In the end he didn't make you accept the deal, that 'deal' wasn't going to disappear overnite, you should have just said well that changes the economics of it so I'll just stick with what I have and then you should have at a minimum do a KBB on your truck and find the ballpark value of it and then maybe get a Carvana quote. You could have also done your own research as to what if any dealers are offering any substantial discounts on the Mav - likely you wouldn't have found any. I don't blame your friend, he was caught off guard and enthusiastic that a potential sale just fell in his lap I'm sure he would understand if you declined based on the updated economics. In the end you found out the end numbers and you still CHOSE to go thru with it

 

[pigsareus]

So, I guess I could say the dealer gave me $23,500 (or $23,900) for my 2020 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab and I added 6K cash to that. Oh, and I had to listen to the usual salesman lament: "I did not make any money off of this sale! You got a DEAL!"

yeah it's like when you're at a flea market and the guy says hey this sells for $50 but I just want to get rid of it for $15.

 

[MaverickNoticer]

There's an old saying: if you buy a car from a friend, he will no longer be your friend. That being said, I just want to make sure my "friend" didn't pull a fast one on me at the time of sale. I always hated buying a car anywhere, my entire life, because I enter the dealership just knowing I will be lied to (and believe me, I caught more than one salesman lying in the past). Anyway, I just purchased a 2025 Maverick base model, the one that looks like a white fleet style vehicle, the esthetics of which, believe it or not, I actually prefer. The sticker was about $29,500 and it was so new it wasn't listed in inventory. No frills.

It started this way: the night before, at a friend's house, the "pitch" was "Oh yeah, I can get you a Maverick for about $22,000.-$25,000 You trading in your truck (a 2020 Dodge Ram Warlock with 41,800 miles, great condition)?" he asked. I said yes. He did a quick lookup on his phone and said, "Oh! We can give you about $28 $29 k for your truck!" Swell, I was on my way for a new car purchase.

Next morning, oh how the story had changed! "I was wrong about your truck, sorry. I accidentally looked up a much more expensive version of your truck and thought it was your model." Uhhhh huh. Okay, I looked past that. Then, when I saw the sticker, it was $29,500. So I asked "I thought you quoted 22 to 25!" He replied, "I just found out we're not discounting these!" Okayyyyyyyy. So, he put the deal on the table: my trade in plus 7K. I countered with my trade in plus 5k. He counter offered my trade in with 6K. I took it. So, I drove off the lot with a 2025 Maverick that cost me sticker price with 6K cash down and 23,500 for my 2020 Ram.

QUESTION: Is this guy my friend? (He said they gave me the "deal" on my trade in).

He is not your friend. he is a salesdevil.
WHY did you get rid of a nice truck like that?
Also, congrats on your Maverick

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