‘Psychological tactics’: Buyer left thinking ‘scam’ as Hyundai Elantra Sport salesman ‘runs numbers,’ but chats with buddies instead

A used car buyer says a routine visit to a car dealership turned into what felt like a psychological nightmare.

In a Reddit post, the buyer described a manual Hyundai Elantra Sport with a minor Carfax issue that appeared to be a solid deal for the price. According to the post, the salesman used the “test drive and you will love it” approach — a technique where the customer builds an emotional connection to the vehicle — and, as the buyer put it, “I did like it.”

But after negotiating a price, the salesperson reportedly said, “Ok let me run these numbers,” then walked away. The Reddit user wrote that the salesman “goes over to a booth with buddies and just chats for 30 minutes straight, pretending he’s ‘working out a deal’ when he is just playing psychological tactics.”

Despite feeling manipulated, the buyer admitted the deal itself turned out well. But the post went on to describe a pushy encounter in the finance office, where a staff member offered a two-year, 40,000-kilometer used car warranty for $4,000.

When the Reddit user declined, the finance worker “got so [upset] that it was just hilarious,” the post said. The buyer concluded: “Overall it’s such a scam. If buying used, buy private. If wanting peace of mind, buy new.”

Psychological tactic or standard practice?

While the buyer interpreted the wait and the warranty pitch as deliberate manipulation, automotive experts note that both are common in dealership operations. The “let me run the numbers” moment means the salesperson is checking figures with a manager or submitting financing details for bank approval. Dealerships juggle multiple sales at once, and processing approvals or updating financing systems can easily take 20 to 30 minutes.

One commenter on the Reddit thread explained, “Taking time to get the numbers together isn’t a psychological tactic. They have one or two people in that office working a handful of deals simultaneously. If they were running credit and submitting your application to the bank for approval, that’s 15 minutes of work on its own.”

Still, consumer advocates like Consumer Reports and AgFed Credit Union have documented how time and pacing are sometimes used to increase pressure. In that context, the delay described by the Reddit user mirrors tactics seen throughout the car industry: not necessarily deceitful, but strategically timed to keep the buyer engaged.

Is “test drive and you’ll love it” legit?

The “test drive and you’ll love it” method mentioned in the post also fits established sales psychology. Dealership training materials emphasize that test drives create emotional attachment. Or as one Reddit commenter put it, “What is the ‘test drive and you’ll love it’ method? Isn’t that just the standard method to buy or sell a car?”

Another commenter challenged the buyer’s frustration more directly: “Let me get this straight… you got a used Elantra Sport for pretty cheap but get upset because the salesman tells you to test drive a used vehicle — which you should always do. The salesman fights in the tower to get great numbers for the customer, yet you think it’s some psychological trick against you because it took a little too long. You got upset because he offered you a warranty on a vehicle that you should get a warranty on.”

In the end, to some, tactics like waiting, test drives, and warranty offers are standard business practices; to others, they seem like manipulative theater. In this case, the Reddit user appears to have gotten a fair deal on the Elantra Sport. Still, they left the dealership feeling cheated, so even when the price is right, the process can still leave buyers uneasy.