[perl4ever]

I don't know if it's a tactic. I think it may be common for salespeople to be...weird, because it seems logical if the barrier for entry is low, if they're on commission.

I was at a Honda dealer once, having owned Honda and Acura cars in the past, and thinking about a hybrid. I said something to the salesman about Honda hybrid drivetrains being second rate, engineering wise, compared to Toyota, even though I generally liked Honda vehicles in other respects.

I was startled when he seemed to take it really personally. It didn't seem like he was just acting angry - I can't see what the use of that would be.