I recently stumbled upon a blog dedicated to providing consumers with everything they need to know in order to buy an item, use it, and then return said item to the store for a full refund. Sifting through the thousand-word article left me with a funny feeling of mixed emotions I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Was I shocked at the utter loss of ethics and morals this writer and his readers seemed to have so brazenly abandoned? Was I angry with the pure shamelessness of these people – the nerve they have putting pen to paper, so to speak? As I reflected on my position regarding this ethical quagmire, I couldn’t help but be blinded by the unrelenting glare shining off of my own moral compass. The soap box crumbled beneath my feet just as gracefully as the high horse bucked me from my throne of condescension. After dining on a hearty bowl of hypocrite soup, I realized that while I may not return items purposely after using them once or twice – I certainly take advantage of those who do when it comes to car buying.
Innocent or Guilty? Who Cares!
Let’s be honest – who doesn’t love a good sale? When it comes to saving a buck, I’m like…why not? There is nothing more satisfying than feeling like you got a great deal on an item that should have cost you thousands more. When the jackass buys the new car, drives it around for a few weeks or months, and trades it in for something better – I’m the first in line to take advantage of his moral ambiguity. Buying a new car and returning it sooner than most people would, may not be on the same level of sketchiness as impulse buyers who possess an uncanny knowledge of store return policies and who are as equally skilled at tag preservation – but it is reason enough to give pause.
As a driver who regularly takes advantage of the buyer’s remorse of car shoppers, am I just as guilty as the blogger who encourages his readers to rip off big box stores for his own selfish gain? Does it give me great joy to hear of someone else’s regretful new car purchase, knowing that it will result in someone buying that same car used, for a lot less money? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding yes, and while I know it should make me feel guilty on some level, I have to admit that it doesn’t…at all.
Go Ahead! Benefit from the Remorse of Others
Car buyer’s remorse is the worst case scenario for new car shoppers, and while it surely leaves those individuals in a pickle, it can be the easiest way to get a great deal on that barely used car of your dreams!
Let the judgement fall where it may, by saving thousands of dollars off of a used car that was driven for a few months by a victim of car buyer’s remorse, is this blogger’s dream come true.
