Negotiation Skills 101

Having lived in Sacramento, home to more car dealers and nail manicurists than anywhere else in the planet, I can just imagine this kind of thing happening. Having bought a number of cars from car yards, the negotiations can become pretty challenging as the salesman goes to discuss the finer points of your low ball bid with his manger. I doubt that many get this wierd however.

Driving a hard bargain -- with a sledgehammer?
By Art Campos - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:17 am PDT Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The concept of hammering out a good deal on a car took on a whole new meaning this weekend in Roseville.

After a salesman at Roseville Lincoln Mercury turned down his offer, a man identified as Pete Bo Sizelove, 30, of Sacramento reportedly put on a sheathed Samurai sword and tried to pound out his deal -- with a sledgehammer.

[...]

[T]he sales manager, said Sizelove drove to the Douglas Boulevard car lot about 1 p.m. Saturday to make his offers, which included offering an IOU for $13,000 and asking $7,000 for his 1990 Honda CRX. Carpio said the customer's car wasn't worth it.

"It was a beat-up Honda with the bumpers hanging off, and the paint was faded," he said.

When rebuffed, Sizelove, described as calm, returned to his car, pulled out the sword, the sledgehammer and a large pry bar ... climbed atop the Chrysler and was poised to do damage when a police officer arrived, pointed a gun and told him to freeze, Carpio said.

Thanks Second Breakfast