The letter today from a reader who received an ordered car without the right specification reminded me of a car sales trick I thought had disappeared some years ago. Customer A orders a car with specific extras and receives a delivery date of four months hence. Customer B walks into the showroom during the next couple of months and is desperate for a similar spec car but is not totally specific time-wise, just a short delivery time. The dealer, sensing a missed order, gives the car ordered for customer A to Customer B. He then informs customer A of a possible delay and/or change of spec. Customer B, who has paid upfront (with a bonus to the salesman for prompt service) gets a car quickly and customer B gets a slightly altered car but has waited so long that he accepts it anyway. This is a true story.