The highball was another technique cited in Up the Parramatta Road, by Brian Woodward and John Wright, published 1985…

THE HIGHBALL

One of the authors was a victim of the highball con. He said he was driving a Renault 12. He spotted a harbour blue Volkswagon Passat TS for $5000.  Only two months previously he’d bought the Renault for $5150. A salesman named Mel offered him $4300 as a trade [trade in]. He writes: It seemed too good to be true. “Done,” I said. “But would it be ok if I have the Passat checked out by a mechanic?”

“No worries,” he replied. He said he’d follow in the buyer’s substandard Renault.

The Passat passed the test. Then the salesman, Mel, told the buyer he might as well move all his possessions into the new car. The buyer transferred a lot of gear he had in the Renault and neatly packed it away in the new car. Then they returned to the caryard. Mel told the buyer to wait while he went upstairs into the office. The buyer waited and waited.

Eventually Mel called out from the door of the upstairs room. The author reports Mel as saying:

“We don’t want your car,” he said. “I should have checked before quoting you a price. It’s worth next to nothing. So you may as well shoot through [leave], eh?”

The author writes: I stared. Then I climbed the steps. I wanted to thump him. But, ludicrously, I began to plead. You see, in my mind, the Passat was already mine. Mel had effectively created the want feeling by allowing me to transfer my belongings into the car.

The author told Mel that the Renault had only done 5000 killometres. Mel insisted it was a lemon. The author ended up paying a $1200 changeover instead of the agreed $700.

-For more dodgy dealings, see Up the Parramatta Road by Brian Woodward and John Wright, illustrated by Loui Silvestro. Published 1985 by Lansdowne.