No complaint.

Here I am. A reasonably happy survivor. Driving a 2007 Chevrolet Trail Blazer. After a two-week negotiation. With a used car salesman. I negotiated down. The asking price. By $638. Still, admitting. That I may have been taken to the proverbial cleaners. But so what? Wouldn’t surprise me if the dealer profited by over $2,000. I’m told by an insider that dealers make most of their money on used cars. Not new ones (where the profit margin is much lower). Anyway, my forte isn’t in playing games. Whitaker Buick salesman Dan Adams is much better at it. He practices every day. However, I came away feeling that Dan is a nice guy. And that he was fair. Though I would have liked to haggle even more.  For the sake of cultivating my business acumen. At the very end of the negotiation process,  I pleaded with Dan for an additional $100 markdown. He declared ‘no,’ there was no more room for negotiation. Take it or leave it. I ignored Dan. And asked for $50. Telling him I’d spend the money at the local animal shelter. To buy a cat.  A replacement for my dearly beloved cat Loverboy.  Who recently died. And I’d  promise to name the cat Whitaker, in honor of the car dealer.  Sure enough. That was the clincher. Dan gave in. Of course, if he hadn’t, my next offer would have been to name the cat after Dan. Meanwhile, I’m happy with the vehicle and the transaction. The Trail Blazer is in mint condition.  Not a speck of rust. Has relatively high miles. But everything seems to be running good. New tires. A compass built in the rear view mirror.  Thereby, making it hard to get lost. Plush leather seats. That contain heating coils. So that on cold winter days in Minnesota, I’ll be guaranteed a toasty warm ass. Yes, another reason. To not complain about the deal. --Jim Broede