At the core, most dealers aren't out to rip you off. But they employ experienced and aggressive salespeople who have a bag of tricks designed to maximize the salesperson's cut and the dealer's profit.

Dealer tricks to avoid
Here are some of the ploys that some dealers -- even the most scrupulous -- may try to run on you when it comes time to buy:

1. The Credit
2. Clean your trade
3. The payment
4. The sticker
5. The holdback
6. The financing
7. The insurance
8. The rate
9. The rollover
10. The long-term
11. The balloon

The credit: Some dealers may say something like, "With your credit score, you won't qualify for competitive financing rates.'' This may be true. However, some dealers will imply your credit is worse than it is so that you think you'll have to pay a higher interest rate. That's why it's important to know your credit score before you head to the showroom.

Clean your trade: Remember, you are trying to sell your car. You wouldn't try and sell it on the street with garbage in it or it not being clean. Make sure you bring your car to the dealership ready to sell.

The payment: A dealer might say, "We can get you into this car for only $389 a month.'' Probably true, but how? But ask the dealer, how much down and how long is the term? Is that a purchase or a lease?

The sticker: The vehicle price listed on the window is what's known as the MSRP, or manufacturer's suggested retail price. Who cares? You want to know the invoice price -- the amount the dealer paid for it. Working from the invoice up is much easier than trying to cut dollars from the MSRP. If you offer a dealer a profit over invoice most dealers will take it unless it is a hot item. So be fair and offer to make them a profit. You should also find out what cars are actually selling for , after taking into account any consumer and dealer incentives. Of course, some really hot cars go for sticker price and even above. Be patient and wait: The prices will fall as demand slacks off. And three years later, you'll be selling or trading a car for the same money as the early buyers who may have paid thousands more initially.

The holdback: Manufacturers often give cash incentives -- sometimes called a "holdback'' -- to their dealers to encourage them to move slow-selling models. This typically isn't mentioned in advertisements. You'll want to search for holdbacks or other factory-to-dealer incentives available for the car you're considering. While it's not a given that the dealer will apply any of these funds to the car you like, it doesn't hurt to ask.

The financing: Some dealers have been known to call customers days or even weeks after they signed a purchase agreement to tell them that the financing fell through. It's a crock. The dealer can know if you qualify for financing almost instantly. The goal? In Washington State they have a law called bushing law. The dealership has 4 working days excluding Saturday, Sunday, and holidays to notify you if you loan has not been approved. Never leave the showroom without signed contracts that spell out every detail and with every blank filled in.

The insurance: Some dealers may try hard to get you to purchase an insurance policy when you're buying your car. One type, gap insurance, covers the difference between what the car is worth and the amount you still owe on it. Say the car is worth $10,000 but you still owe $12,000. If your car is a total loss, a gap insurance policy will cover that $2,000 difference.

The rate: It certainly sounds tempting -- zero percent interest to finance a new car. However, this deal may not be the best one for your pocketbook. For starters, most financing incentives are for shorter terms and you need a stellar credit record. With very short-term loans, such as 24 or 36 months, payments on even a moderately priced car can be sky high.

The rollover: Often, it's tempting to want to trade up to a more expensive car -- even before you've finished paying off the car you're currently driving. One way that some car buyers do this is by "rolling over" the remaining payments on their current car into a new car loan or lease. While this isn't illegal, it's risky. Why? You'll end up owing more on the second car than it's worth. In the parlance of the automobile world, you'll be "upside down" in the vehicle. If it's totaled in an accident, or if you decide down the road to trade it in, you'll end up writing out a big check to cover the remaining amount of the loan. Rule of thumb: Don't roll over an old car loan into a new one. Make sure if you do this that you purchase gap insurance.

The long-term: There's nothing illegal or even deceptive about dealers offering loan periods extending out six or seven years. After all, many cars last longer than they used to, and longer loan terms mean your monthly payments are lower than they otherwise would be. Still, it's not optimal. You're likely to continually owe more on your car than it's worth, because your car is depreciating faster than you're paying it off. If you're considering a long loan period, you probably should scale back to a less expensive car better suited to your budget.

The balloon: Similarly, some dealers will encourage you to purchase a car for unrealistically low monthly payments now, but with a balloon (inflated or much larger) payment at the end of the loan period. In a few cases, this can be a legitimate way to finance a car. For instance, you may just have graduated and can realistically assume that your income will rise by the time the balloon payment comes due. Be wary. That big payment could hit you when you're least able to pay it. This is a very rare proposition. Balloon payments are very rare.