The Vehicle Quest Begins

It was all set.  We were going to a car dealership to look for Tara's first set of wheels.  Repossession Sale.  Doors open at 8:00.  Prices as low as $99. 

With a $99 as a base price, I figured our $3000 budget would get us a bargain.  There were about 25 vehicles in total.  Approximately five of them were $99.  We weren't interested in those so we looked across the aisle.  Most of the over-99 cars were in the mid-$20,000's.  We did find a nice looking Jeep for $2700.  Tara hopped in and I sat next to her.  The car was clean.  The body was undented and reasonably shiny.  Jeeps are sturdy.  We dispatched BP to locate an available salesman.  While we were waiting, another customer approached and pointed out how crooked the Jeep was parked.  That's because he took it for a test drive and it died before leaving the parking space.  It only made it a couple of feet and he backed it back in after they got it restarted.  So much for bargains.

Then we went to a no-haggle used car lot that we'd seen along the way.  Everything there was out of our range. 

So we headed to the used car division on a regular dealership.  We parked.  We looked.  There was not a single vehicle marked with a price.  Kevin came to wait on us, hand extended.  He said hello.  It's nice to meet you.  I said there were no prices on the cars.  Then realizing my total lack of manners, I said hello.  He said there were no prices on the cars so he could spend more time building a friendship with us.  I'm not sure what my face said, but he immediately worked on bonding with BP.  Every car on the lot was over our budget, except for a scratched up, dull red 1999 Chevy sitting off to the side bordering the sales lot and the section reserved for cars awaiting transport to the glue factory.  He couldn't tell us the price offhand, but he invited us to his desk so he could look it up.  As we walked he asked Tara if she knew his niece, which she did.  Now he was finding common ground with the kid.  I listened resentfully and was on the verge of a good old-fashioned sulk.  I could not get over the lack of price labels.  "How much is this car?" I muttered to BP.  "How much you got?"

He left us at the desk while he found the price.  Kevin asked Tara if she would drive a car like that.  She said no.  She wanted something "fresher".  Kevin chuckled and made some comment about her being a princess.  He might as well have come right out and accused her of feeling like she's too good to drive the junker.  He caught my expression and switched to affirming that "of course you'd like a fresher car.  What girl your age wouldn't?"  As he handed us his business card he assured us that he gets new cars in every single week and she won't be getting her license for a whole month.  We can stop back in as often as we'd like and check out his website.  Then he helpfully pointed out the location of his name, phone number, fax number, and website on the card, and shook our hands again. 

Now here's a question for my readers.  Is it normal for used cars on a lot not to have clearly displayed prices?
Please reply to me and seriously answer that question.  If you don't, I will be forced to drive out and sample other lots to find out for myself.  The used car salesmen of the world probably won't like that.