Worse Than I Thought 4

We already know that they're bad, but car dealers are even worse than I thought.

Tomi Mikula and Delivrd

Mikula created and runs a simple but necessary business, Delivrd, negotiating new car purchases, so customers don't have to go through the stress and waste of time themselves. Anything to avoid those sales goons, a profession which attracts psychos like shrews are drawn to musk.

So naturally, he is attacked by those dealership freaks.

As a representative and advocate for car buyers, that horde of goons is stepping in to say things like, "what he's doing is illegal." Mikula actually has a case for slander (spoken) and libel (written), but more so for corporate defamation.

Watching several videos of Tomi's actual dealings, the car lot clowns are consistently entertaining, but predictably repetitive.

When another dealer undercuts a salesman, the chump gets angry: "Our cars are too precious to sell for that price!" Hangs up, then calls back later: "Price doesn't make people happy, I'm just tryin' to keep it real, they're runnin' scared to sell at that price. I'm all about relationships. When you need me, I'm here!"

The moronic script the dealers read from is so threadbare: "We want to establish a relationship with the purchaser." "We offer lifetime warranty and oil changes" (for $8000 above MSRP, while lifetime warranties cost $2500 or less). "It's the value added," "the buyer experience we offer," "our service."

"The dealers have the knowledge to do repairs." "The dealer expertise!" "Price differential." "We're entitled to a profit!"

No, the dealer swine are not entitled to one cent of profit. Ever. Period.

Astoundingly, some people don't understand the phrase "not entitled to a profit." What a bizarre egregious zone that seems to be an intelligence issue or tunnel-vision issue. In no sane world is a business entitled to a profit. (We saw similar stupidity from the retardos at Stellantis, when they ridiculously and arbitrarily set a goal to double profits by 2030. They're sick in the head, and haven't the faintest inkling of how stupid they sound saying that.)

You provide a service, do the best you can, and hope for a profit. But the profit must be earned. If you are providing a useful service at a reasonable price, you'll naturally make a profit. The essence of a competitive system.

Dealerships want to maintain a monopoly over car sales. Entitlement is privilege, where no matter how lousy they are, they've got a gun to your head. "Pay! You have no option!"

It's like going to the mechanic. The guy farts in your car, pulls a wad of gum out of his mouth, jams it under the air filter, slams the hood, and puts his hand out. "Gimme my profit."

Tomi's rules for car dealers:

• Negotiate outside your market
• Ignore "presence is power" (negotiate on the phone)
• The best deals (for discounts): suvs; worst: hybrids
• Read the fine print line by line, ask questions, know the meaning of every fee
• Warranties: they charge $1000s above cost, negotiate those
• Shop your deal with 10 dealers.

Dave Larson, a dealership salesfool/manager, got into it with Tomi.

Tomi asked if it was their policy to not discount cars that hadn't arrived yet, and for some reason this got Larson bent out of shape over the word, "policy." He said, "I didn't say anything about policy; that never came out of my mouth." When Tomi pressed that they wouldn't even discount $100, Larson scoffed and got progressively angrier.

This incident is fodder for an excellent education in car sales psychology.

His explosive reaction has three distinct psychological triggers that a professional negotiator like Tomi uses to expose old-school dealership defensive mechanisms.

Trigger Word: Why Car Dealers Explode If You Ask About Store Policy

1. The Weaponization of the Word "Policy"

   When a customer uses the word "policy," it shifts the power dynamic from a standard sales negotiation to a formal consumer rights discussion. Managers like Larson despise the word because it implies a rigid, corporate rule book that they are bound to follow. They want the customer to believe everything is "personally decided by the manager as a favor."

   Larson snapping back with "I didn't say anything about policy, that never came out of my mouth" is a classic defensive gas-lighting deflection. By getting aggressive over the specific word choice, he is trying to derail the conversation, making Tomi defend how he asked the question rather than addressing the actual lack of pricing transparency.

2. The Illusion of In-Transit Control

   The reason Larson seethed over discounting a car that hadn't arrived yet comes down to dealership pipeline tactics.

   Artificial Scarcity: Dealerships love "in-transit" or allocation vehicles because they can sell them based on pure FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). To a manager, a car that hasn't arrived yet is "hot commodity" inventory.

   The Threat of the $100 Push: When Tomi pushed back, noting they wouldn't even discount a mere $100, Larson scoffed because he viewed it as an insult to his leverage. In a manager’s mind, if they give up even $100 on an in-transit car, they have completely lost the upper hand and admitted the vehicle isn't as rare or high-demand as they claim.

3. The Ego Trap of Sales Management

   Car sales managers are conditioned to deal with submissive buyers who are intimidated by the process.

   Loss of Control: When Tomi didn't back down after the initial snap, Larson’s anger escalated progressively because his usual "King of the Castle" intimidation tactics failed.

   Larson isn't just angry at the request; he is furious that an anonymous voice on the phone is calmly holding a mirror up to his rigid tactics and refusing to be bullied.

Police Deposition or Car Purchase?

The psychological mechanisms used by aggressive car sales managers and certain police interrogation styles (like the "Reid Technique") share striking structural similarities.

Both environments rely heavily on establishing dominance, controlling the narrative, and creating psychological discomfort to force a concession.

1. Establishing Absolute Dominance (The "Command Presence")

   In Policing: Officers are trained to project a "command presence" to take immediate control of a situation, using a firm tone and rigid posture to make the other person feel smaller.

   In the Showroom: A sales manager like Dave Larson uses a linguistic command presence. By snapping back ("That never came out of my mouth"), he attempts to shock the caller, assert total dominance over the conversation, and make the buyer second-guess themselves.

2. Deflection and Gaslighting (Controlling the Frame)

   In policing, if a suspect tries to steer the conversation toward their rights or questions the process, an interrogator will shut it down immediately to keep the focus strictly on the suspect's alleged actions.

   In car sales, when Tomi used the word "policy," Larson didn't answer the actual question about pricing. Instead, he hyper-focused on the word choice itself. This is an interrogation tactic meant to put the subject on the defensive, forcing them to argue about definitions rather than the actual issue (the lack of a discount).

3. Creating "Loss of Control" and Isolation

   In policing, interrogations happen in small, stark rooms where the suspect has no control over the environment, timing, or flow of questions.

   In car sales, managers hate phone calls. On the phone, the buyer retains total control when they can just hang up. Larson's progressive anger stems from the fact that his usual showroom tactics (making a buyer sit in a glass cubicle for hours while he sits behind a raised "manager's tower") don't work over the phone. When he couldn't isolate Tomi physically, his psychological leverage evaporated, leading to frustration.

4. Overcoming Resistance Through Exhaustion

   In policing, interrogators will scoff at denials, dismiss alibis, and repeatedly state that the outcome is inevitable to wear the suspect down until they comply.

   In car sales, Larson scoffing at a $100 discount is a classic "wear-down" tactic. By acting as if a discount request is utterly ridiculous and offensive, he is trying to make the buyer feel foolish for even asking, hoping they will capitulate just to stop the conflict.

The only way this ridiculous strategy works is because most people are submissive. It is, historically, highly profitable against such buyers.

The entire traditional dealership model is a psychological filtering system designed to exploit conflict-avoidant people. The average person experiences intense anxiety during conflict. When a manager gets aggressive, the average buyer’s brain triggers a "flight" response. To end the discomfort and escape the tension, they comply and sign the paperwork.

Shame is used as a weapon. Most people dread looking "cheap" or foolish, so they drop the request in order to regain social approval from the salesperson.

Fatigue is used as a weapon. Dealerships purposely drag out the process over hours. A physically and mentally exhausted buyer becomes increasingly submissive, eventually signing anything just to leave.

When Tomi Mikula breaks the system, the dealer clowns feel threatened themselves. A professional negotiator or an informed consumer can remove the emotional vulnerability.

So the average buyer would do well to cultivate an immunity to tone. You do not care about the manager’s anger. When the manager snaps, it is clinical data, not a personal threat. The moment the manager loses their temper, they lose control of the negotiation. The hostility isn't a sign of dealer strength; it is a sign of panic.

When a sales manager screams or scoffs, it means their standard psychological script has failed, and they have no other tools left in the box.

Now you have most of what you need to know to secure a good deal. What you probably need next is practice. Luckily, secure behind the telephone, you can practice to your heart's content. Draw up a list of dealers and go through them one by one.

About the Reid Technique

The Reid Technique is a multi-stage interrogation method developed in the 1940s by John E. Reid. It is designed to systematically break down a suspect's resistance until they confess.

In this method, interrogators begin with a "Behavior Analysis Interview". They ask non-threatening questions to establish a baseline of the suspect's behavior, looking for signs of deception, nervousness, or submission. Note that this is the standard "qualifying" phase on the sales floor or phone. The salesman asks seemingly innocent questions ("What monthly payment are you looking for?" or "When are you looking to buy?"). They are sizing up the buyer, looking for verbal cues that reveal whether the customer is timid, desperate, or easily manipulated.

In an interrogation, it's all about "positive confrontation" (establishing absolute guilt). The interrogator confidently states that the suspect is guilty. They offer no room for denial, using a firm, unyielding tone to shock the suspect and seize absolute control of the narrative. In our Larson example, when he aggressively snapped, "I didn't say anything about policy, that never came out of my mouth," he was using positive confrontation. He didn't debate Tomi; he flatly accused him of lying or misinterpreting the conversation. This sudden shift to raw aggression is meant to make the customer feel instantly defensive and wrong.

The car buyer can use the same routine right back. "Of course you said that, I've recorded this call," or, "I have a witness on speaker who says you're wrong," or, "Get your ears checked, that's exactly what you said."

The next stage of the Reid Method is "theme development" (minimizing the "crime").

The interrogator creates a sympathetic story or excuse for why the suspect did it (e.g., "You did it to support your family" or "It was just an accident"). This lowers the suspect's psychological defenses by making the confession seem less painful.

In the showroom, salesmen and managers flip this to minimize a car’s cost. When a buyer objects to a $3,000 dealer markup, the manager develops a theme: "Look, everyone is paying this market adjustment; it’s only an extra $40 a month. You deserve the right car, don't let a few bucks get in the way." They normalize the exploitation to make submission feel reasonable.

Next is stopping denials, or "cutting off the escape route." The interrogator strictly forbids the suspect from denying the crime. Every time the suspect tries to say "I didn't do it," the interrogator cuts him off. This destroys the suspect's confidence and exhausts him.

At the dealership, recall how Tomi pushed back on the pricing and noted they wouldn't even discount a mere $100, causing Larson to scoff and grow angrier. By mocking the pushback, the manager is trying to stifle the customer's right to negotiate. The message is clear: Your objections are ridiculous, and I am not going to listen to them.

The Reid Method now broaches the alternative question to give the illusion of choice. The interrogator presents two choices, both of which are admissions of guilt (e.g., "Did you plan this out, or did it just happen on a whim?"). There is no option for "I didn't do it."

This is the absolute favorite closing tool of traditional car sales, known as the "Alternative Close." The manager will ask: "Do you want to put $2,000 down or $3,000 down?" or "Are we registering this in your name or your wife's name?" Like a police interrogator, he removes the option to say "No" or "I need to think about it," forcing the submissive buyer to choose between two paths to the exact same outcome: buying the car.

The Reid Technique is notorious for causing false confessions because intense psychological pressure makes innocent, submissive people say anything just to escape the room. At the dealership, these tactics mean buyers don't leave happy, but leave feeling psychologically violated.

Blasting the Reid Technique

When an informed buyer knows the script, they can completely flip it to push the psychological pressure back onto an aggressive manager.

1. Refuse the Bait (The "Gray Rock" Method)

   The Dealer’s Goal: When a manager like Dave Larson snaps about a word like "policy," he is trying to trigger an emotional response (anger or defensiveness), so you lose focus.

   The Counter-Tactics: Respond with absolute emotional flatness. If they're screaming or pedantic about word choice, do not apologize or argue the definition.

   Let him finish, pause for two seconds, and calmly redirect: "Understood. Regardless of the word choice, will the dealership discount this specific vehicle, yes or no?" This forces them right back into the corner they are trying to escape.

2. Force the Written Record (Destroying the Verbal Trap)

   Interrogators thrive on verbal fluidity where they can gaslight, change numbers, or deny what they said five minutes ago ("That never came out of my mouth").

   So never negotiate complex terms over a standard voice call without a paper trail. Shift the high-pressure environment into a medium where aggression doesn't work: text or email. Simply say, "Since we are having trouble aligning on the verbal terms, please email me the complete itemized fee breakdown. I will review it and reply by 5:00 PM." Aggression completely loses its power when it has to be typed out in a professional email.

3. Expose the "Scoff" (Calling Out the Social Shaming)

   When a manager scoffs or laughs at a small discount request (like $100), he is trying to make you feel cheap, embarrassed, or financially inadequate.

   The counter is to label the behavior explicitly, calmly pointing out the childish tactics in a deadpan voice.

   "You are scoffing at a $100 discount, but if $100 is too small for me to care about, it must also be too small for a multi-million dollar dealership to lose a sale over. Why is $100 breaking the deal for you?"

4. Break the "Alternative Close" (Introducing Option C)

   To get out of a binary choice trap ("Do you want the 60-month or 72-month finance option?"), reject the false premise entirely. Introduce the one option car dealers fear most: The Walkaway.

   "Neither. I will be securing my own financing through my credit union, and I require the out-the-door price sheet sent to them today, or I will move to the next dealer on my list."

5. Document and Walk

   To avoid the dealer's goal to isolate you in their ecosystem where they hold all the cards, remind them that in the digital age, transparency goes both ways.

   If a manager becomes combative, state: "Your tone is unprofessional. I am ending this call. I will be sharing my experience and the exact pricing breakdown on local review platforms so other buyers are aware of how this dealership operates."

Feeling Frozen

If, like me, you feel frozen in place at a dealership, validate that feeling. It is 100% normal and biologically real. You aren't weak for feeling "frozen" when trapped in a highly engineered, hostile environment designed specifically to trigger a psychological freeze state (stem-calculative-problem-solving).

Dealerships use physical architecture, isolation, and sensory overload to keep your brain in a state of high anxiety. When you are hyper-anxious, your brain’s executive functioning shuts down, making it almost physically impossible to get up and walk out.

Conducting the entire negotiation strictly over the telephone is the ultimate shield. It completely neutralizes their environmental advantages. The phone destroys the "Dealer Freeze" aspect of your negotiation.

In the showroom, they take your keys, your trade-in, and your driver's license. They physically trap you. On the phone, your keys are in your pocket.

In a glass sales cubicle, walking out requires a physical confrontation. On the phone, ending a hostile conversation takes a fraction of a second. You are sitting on your own couch, drinking your own coffee, completely in control of your sensory environment. Your brain stays calm, logical, and analytical.

Let's go over this again; it can't be over-emphasized.

The Car Purchase Step-by-Step Playbook

To successfully buy a car, it must be negotiated over the phone, without ever stepping foot in the dealership until it is time to pick up the keys. This requires a rigid script.

1. The Gatekeeper Bypass: When you call, never ask for a salesperson. Salespeople are trained to drag you to the lot. You need to call the Internet Sales Department or request the Sales Manager on duty.

   The Script: "Hi, I am looking at stock number [XYZ] on your website. Connect me with the Internet Director or a Sales Manager who has the authority to sign off on an out-the-door price right now." (Note that they'll just relay you to someone at their whim, so you'll have to confirm that whom you end up connected to has such authority.)

2. Establish the "No-Showroom" Rule Immediately: Set the boundary in the first 30 seconds. If they think they can convince you to come in, they will stall.

   "I am buying a vehicle this week. I am doing this entirely over the phone and email. If we can agree on an itemized out-the-door price, I will make a deposit today. If your policy requires me to come down to the showroom just to get a price, let me know now so I can call the next dealership."

3. Demand the Itemized OTD Sheet: Never negotiate a monthly payment. Only negotiate the Out-the-Door (OTD) price. This forces them to show you every hidden fee, markup, and add-on.

   "I need you to text or email me a photo of the itemized out-the-door buyer's order showing the vehicle price, tax, title, license, and any dealer fees. I need to see it in writing before we discuss numbers."

4. The Antidote to the Scoff and Snap: If you get a manager like Dave Larson who gets angry, defensive, or scoffs at your request for transparency, you execute the Immediate Red-Button Protocol. Remember: you are not there to change his mind or win an argument.

   "I can hear that you’re frustrated by me asking for a price breakdown. Since we can't communicate professionally, I'm ending the call. Have a good day." [HANG UP]

Backlash

Someone (European?) in the comments section of one of Tomi's videos made a point.

Lol I love how the super disingenuous westerners act like Tomi is do something soooo crazy what a solipsistic group of people I mean truly the hypocrisy is breathtaking

He or she was calling out the bizarre reaction of some idiots to Tomi's business model. Delivrd negotiates a car deal for you. Absolutely nothing controversial or mysterious. Yet, there are some people who get confused over what he's doing and question whether it's "shady" or "in a gray zone." Don't know if it's solipsism or just plain idiocy. Certainly self-serving if it comes from anyone with ties to dealerships and the dealership model. Just goes to emphasize how a big chunk of "humanity" never fails to disappoint.

The damnable dealers aren't done with their dirty dealing deeds, of course, as we'll see next article.

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