Matthew J. Tobin

The disappearing trade-in. After negotiating a price on your trade-in, the salesman fails to credit the full amount in the lease—or he just increases the cap cost to cancel out part of the trade-in. Sometimes none of the trade-in amount is credited. This is known as a “home run.
The disappearing cash down payment. After talking you into putting additional cash down to lower your monthly payments, the salesman fails to credit the full amount in the lease—or he just increases the cap cost to cancel out part of the down payment. Sometimes none of the cap reduction is credited. This is also known as a ‘home run.
You don’t pay for the whole car, only the part you use.
This dishonest statement is used to convince you that leasing is cheaper than buying. The salesman fails to
mention that you will be paying interest on the whole car not just “the part you use, and the total interest you pay on a lease will be a lot higher than it would be on a loan at the same terms.
“No money down” advertising. Ads say that you can lease with no down payment, but lease companies almost always require the first month’s payment and a security deposit, in addition to tax, license, and registration fees.
The future value of the vehicle is guaranteed. This little trick is often used to hide the fact that the residual or purchase option price has been inflated. In other words, the vehicle will be worth less sometimes a lot less than the residual at the end of the lease.
Deceptive advertising. Low-payment ads are run for leases that require large down payments and/or trade-ins. Also, advertised prices are often limited to one vehicle, or they only apply to stripped-down models.
The phony “investment earnings” claim. Salesmen often use hypothetical investment earnings on the “initial cash savings from a lease” to make it look better. Since so many people who lease low-to-mid-priced vehicles are leasing because they can’t afford higher loan payments, the “investment earnings” claim is phony because most people won’t have anything “left over” to invest.
The dishonest “financing is cheaper” program. Some salesmen have talked all-cash buyers into leasing after using a dishonest computer program to “prove” that financing is cheaper than paying cash. It isn’t. (About 5,000 dealers in the U.S. purchased this program.) Even when below-market financing is available, it’s almost always
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offered instead of a (cash) customer rebate, so it might only be a bargain if you intend to borrow a lot for a long time (which isn’t smart, anyway).
Inadequate disclosure. Failing to disclose any of the following in writing: cap cost (purchase price), cap reduction, trade-in, residual, monthly payment, total finance charges, interest rate, allowable mileage, excess mileage charge, acquisition and disposition fees (if any), total due at lease signing, purchase option price, and explanation of termination penalty.
NOTE TO LEASE VICTIMS
If you think that you were victimized by any of the tricks described in this chapter, be sure to read “Note to Victims of Leasing Fraud” on the Summary page. It will explain what you should do if fraud was involved to cheat you on a lease.

Another saying goes that no man is an island. You cannot and should not go absolutely alone. You need company but the right company. If you value your current friends but they are an impediment to your studies, do two things. First, explain your desire to succeed in class and entice them to do the same. Second, if they refuse, politely say that you will have to devote your time for your studies and then leave all the fun to the holidays and vacations. If they are really your friends, they should understand and respect your wish. Give them time. They may eventually re-think their behavior and join you. But remain friendly to them. Greet them pleasantly when you meet and spend some time, but not in the same manner as before. They will get the message and understand you. You may even inspire them to follow your example. What is important is that you do not make them feel completely rejected and you remain friendly.
It may not be long before they are won over to your ways or you shall have found the kind of friends you deserve who will share your views about studies and bolster them. Water will always seek its own level.

Most of the facts and figures, testimony, examples, ideas for narratives, and material for presentation aids will come from in-depth sources of information such as periodicals and books. The “Guide to Library and Internet Resources” contains an annotated list of periodicals that may be useful in speech preparation. As you research your speech, try to use a variety of sources representing different perspectives on your topic. Keep in mind that periodicals have a reputation of their own. Some periodicals, such as the Wall Street Journal, will be perceived as highly credible and objective, whereas other periodicals may be less acceptable to your audience. Even highly credible sources may be tinned with bias on certain topics. For example, the American Cancer Society might be an excellent source of information about the relationship between cancer and smoking, but may be biased by self-interest on the question of government funding for medical research.
When you need facts and figures, consult an almanac, yearbook, or atlas. Almanacs and yearbooks provide accurate, up-to-date compilations of information on a wide range of topics. Such materials go beyond simple lists to include short articles and graphics that you can adapt for presentation aids. Atlases are useful when your topic calls for geographical information. They often include data on such things as population density or industrial production and are a good source of materials for presentation aids. Biographical resources can provide information about the qualifications of experts you might cite in a speech. Books of quotations can offer material for the introductions and conclusions of speeches. Most such books are indexed by topic and author, making it easy for you to find what others had to say about your subject. Most of these resources are available on the Internet as well as in the library.

Humor can enlighten an introduction and, when used appropriately, can put your audience in a receptive mood for your message. But humor may also be the most misused technique for introducing speeches. Because someone once told them that starting with a joke will assure success, beginning speakers often search through anthologies of humor to find something that will make people laugh. Unless it is carefully adapted, however, such material often sounds canned, inappropriate, or only remotely relevant to the topic or occasion. If you wish to use humor in your introduction, be certain the material is fresh and pertinent.
Be especially careful when using humor to open a speech. It can be grossly inappropriate for some topics and occasions. Also, don’t let a humorous introduction “upstage” the rest of your speech. We once heard a student open a speech with a rather risque quotation from Mae West: “Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?” It drew an initial gasp followed by some hearty laughter. Unfortunately, as the speech continued, one student would chuckle over the remembered joke, then the audience would start laughing all over again even when nothing funny had been said. After the speaker finished, we questioned the audience about their “inappropriate” responses. Their reply? “We kept remembering that Mae West line. We just couldn’t help it.” And to this day, neither of your authors can remember the topic of the speech, just the opening humor.