$15.$I$$m not sure that I can afford that much,$$ Cal responded.

$16.$What if I told you I can sell you this car for less than you are paying monthly now?$$

$17.$That sounds pretty good.$$

$18.$ How much can you spend per month on your car?$$ Robbie asked.

$19.$Under $$450.$

$20.$Well$,$ I will keep my word. All we have to do is stretch the payments out to four years and that makes it only; let me see...$$437$ a month. What do you say?$$ As Robbie leaned over the desk awaiting a response, Cal began to reconsider buying a new car, especially without shopping around first. Cal got up to make an escape and to when Robbie blurted out, $$Are you a first$-$time new car buyer?$$

$21.$Why$....$yes.$$

$22.$I almost forgot,$$ Robbie announced, $$I can offer you $$300$ off invoice just to get your business and begin what I$$m sure will be a long term relationship with this dealership. Even if we don$$t make anything on this car, we$$re in it for the long haul. This will bring the payments down to $$429.$ You can$$t beat that$$; the car you want at your price. But we have to make the deal today. There has been a lot of interest in that particular car and I$$m not sure how long it will be around.$$ That was just enough to halt an exit; besides, at this point, Robbie was really trying to help Cal out. Cal took the deal.

$23.$Just let me clear this with my sales manager,$$ Robbie explained and left the room. $($solemnly$)$ He didn$$t go for it$.$ He got after me for getting carried away, especially with the new buyer discount. Bottom line, he says you can$$t have the new car buyer discount and the options at cost$.$ Cal was angry with the sales manager, but empathized with Robbie$$s predicament and agreed to the suggested solution of giving up the magnesium wheels. After a quick check Robbie indicated, with evident relief, that the sales manager had accepted.

$24.$ Now it was time for the paperwork. Robbie began by filling in the sales discount. Cal noticed an $$80$ processing fee, but did not mention it because it was printed on the form and therefore must have been a standard charge. Cal also noticed the $$120$ "etching" fee. Robbie filled in the proper price, $$19,870,$ and the $$1,000$ factory rebate, but then wrote in a mysterious $$105$ charge. $$What$$s that?$$ Cal inquired.

$25.$Oh$,$ I forgot about that. That$$s the paint sealant we put on all our cars to protect our customer$$s investment,$$ Robbie answered.

$26.$And what is the etching fee?$$

$27.$That$\text{'}$s for theft protection; it gets you a major discount on your insurance.$$

$28.$ Cal responded, "I think I remember my employer having a program last year where the police come to the parking lot and do the etching for $$15.$

$29.$ Robbie countered, "it's pre$-$printed on the sales sheet here; we provide the service and it's standard; all our customers get it$.$ Your insurance company needs this.$$

$30.$ The next line was the trade$-$in value of which Robbie had to check with the trade$-$in specialist. Robbie left the room and returned with the specialist who stated that the old Cavalier was in worse shape than Robbie had thought and the dealer could only offer $$500$ for it and would probably lose money even at that price. Cal thought back to the morning. Five hundred dollars was close to what Cal$$s mechanic said it was worth, so Cal had to agree.

$31.$I feel terrible; I thought that we could get more for it$,$ but he$$s the expert.$$ Robbie added, $$You know, with a new car like that, you really should have an extended warranty. I have a $6$ year$/60,000$ mile warranty available on the Crystal. We usually sell it for $$750,$ but since I was wrong on the trade$-$in$,$ you can have it for $$500.$ Knowing that Cal would have the car for a long time $($the payments alone would last four years$),$ Cal took him up on the offer.

$32.$Now just take this over to the finance department and I$$ll meet you out front with your new car. It$$s been a pleasure.$$ With that, Robbie smiled and led Cal to the finance window.

$33.$ The finance manager looked over the papers and asked Cal to sign on the dotted line. A last check of the forms revealed a $$230$ life insurance fee, which would pay off the auto loan if Cal died before the car was paid off. Angered by this late addition, Cal thought back over the three hour ordeal and, not feeling too well, reasoned that life insurance might not be such a bad investment after all. So with a sigh of relief, the papers were signed without knowing how much was really paid for the car or whether or not it was a good deal.