Used Car Dealer Pissed Me Off

Car shopping with my daughter. Picked a Sunday. Visited several closed lots to look over the inventory in peace. After about three of those she said, "why don't we pick one that's open, so we can talk to someone?"

"I'll show you why.", I replied. Pulled into an open one, and was immediately swarmed by salesclowns trying to push the unwanted cars off the lot (hey, 40ish guy driving teen girl around equals "any car at all", right? Ugh.). Anything she found appealing was met with the usual (to me of course, as if she was not even there..)"Do you want your child in something so (powerful/unpopular/common/small/etc.)?" As we pulled out of the place, I got a "I should have trusted you, Dad."

I only hope that even though she didn't inherit the car gene, at least this is a life lesson she'll remember.

Called them today to set up a test drive. Not only were they somewhat rude and unprofessional in their tone, they insisted on a credit check or security deposit before allowing a test drive, and if I didn't want to do that, there are plenty of other car dealers I could shop at. It's like, they wanted me to walk away.

Wow! That's amazing. Wonder how they stay in business? Some of those places are really something.

Salanis wrote: Called them today to set up a test drive. Not only were they somewhat rude and unprofessional in their tone, they insisted on a credit check or security deposit before allowing a test drive, and if I didn't want to do that, there are plenty of other car dealers I could shop at. It's like, they *wanted* me to walk away.

Bah, just walk.

Or better yet, see if you can find someone with a GTO you can borrow, and roll up to the dealership in it.

therex wrote: Bah, just walk. Or better yet, see if you can find someone with a GTO you can borrow, and roll up to the dealership in it.

Thankfully I called and didn't waste my time going over.

I expanded the search a bit. GTOs aren't super common, so I might have to drive as much as 40 miles to get to another dealer with one. Or, I can just get a private party test drive.

Salanis wrote: Or, I can just get a private party test drive.

I'd do this. Just warn them ahead of time. Fact is, most people in the world are good people.

And with this post, I'm Uber-dorky!

Salanis wrote: Called them today to set up a test drive. Not only were they somewhat rude and unprofessional in their tone, they insisted on a credit check or security deposit before allowing a test drive, and if I didn't want to do that, there are plenty of other car dealers I could shop at. It's like, they *wanted* me to walk away.

Now that's just weird. Seems like they just like having the damn thing in front of the place as some sort of advertising or "good luck charm" or something. Or maybe one of the guys who works there is trying to get some funding together? Anyway..sounds like you're right on the mark. Those morons, for some reason that isn't apparent, really don't want you to have that car.

mtn wrote:

Salanis wrote: Or, I can just get a private party test drive.

I'd do this. Just warn them ahead of time. Fact is, most people in the world are good people.

Yeah, I want to agree...but I still hear my father's voice ringing in my ears.

"It only takes two percent of the human race to berkeley things up for the rest of us."

Personally, a used car lot has often been the best example of that "two percent" that I've ever seen.

mtn wrote: And with this post, I'm Uber-dorky!

Congrats!

When they said something along the lines of, "...and if you don't like it there are plenty of other places you can go shop for a car," my initial thought was: wait, isn't that my line?

They aren't worth your anger. If they don't want to sell, they don't get your money. That's the end of it.

If you really want to retaliate, go in there to that spiky haired punk and the sales manager, wave a wad of $100 bills in their face, and tell them why they won't get any of it. Then walk out feeling smug.

as said earlier ... find the owner... not the manager and let him know what's going on... then make sure the spiky headed one know what's about to happen

wbjones wrote: as said earlier ... find the owner... not the manager and let him know what's going on... then make sure the spiky headed one know what's about to happen

The rude person on the phone was not the spiky headed one. I don't know if he was the owner or manager or what.

I don't care though. A real car dealer just got a nice '06 GTO in and the gf and I plan to test drive it later this week or this weekend (after they clean and detail it). The possibility of revenge is not worth feeling my blood pressure spike.

Salanis wrote:

wbjones wrote: as said earlier ... find the owner... not the manager and let him know what's going on... then make sure the spiky headed one know what's about to happen

The rude person on the phone was not the spiky headed one. I don't know if he was the owner or manager or what. I don't care though. A real car dealer just got a nice '06 GTO in and the gf and I plan to test drive it later this week or this weekend (after they clean and detail it). The possibility of revenge is not worth feeling my blood pressure spike.

And if you do get it be sure to cruise by the rude place and blow them some kisses. That gets under their skin much more effectively than the more traditional gestures.

I love rolling through dealers in a nice car after they've blown me off in my beater.

Salanis wrote:

wbjones wrote: as said earlier ... find the owner... not the manager and let him know what's going on... then make sure the spiky headed one know what's about to happen

The rude person on the phone was not the spiky headed one. I don't know if he was the owner or manager or what.

I wish there was a way to show places like that (not just used car places, but also the parts houses/insurance companies/damn near anything related to the auto as "appliance") just how much pull enthusiasts have over the market as a whole. We're such a small percentage of the motoring public that we're often discounted because of our limited `financial participation' in the industry..but really, aren't we responsible for more of where the money goes in the system than at first glance?

After all, who do all those "appliance" drivers go to when they've got a problem with it? Us, right? How many times a week does a friend or co-worker who doesn't give a berkeley about anything other than getting to work ask your advice on what to do with their car? If a place stinks, they don't just lose my money..they lose the money of the ten or fifteen people I tell, "..and whatever ya do, avoid (business that PO'd me), like the plague!"

Salanis wrote: I don't care though. A real car dealer just got a nice '06 GTO in and the gf and I plan to test drive it later this week or this weekend (after they clean and detail it). The possibility of revenge is not worth feeling my blood pressure spike.

Good choice. Tell everybody at work who's looking for a used car that the place is full of crooks & idiots. Betcha after the "word of mouth" kicks down the line a lil', that lot will be out of business in a year or less.

Looks can be deceiving. Back in 88 I was looking for an S-10 truck for the business that I had. Went to a Chevy dealer that I knew was notorious for screwing their customers.(myself included). I was wearing crummy jeans and a t shirt and carrying a military magazine case. The truck that I wanted to look at they wouldn't even pull out of the lot to let me test drive it. In the end I opened up the magazine case and showed the dealer $14k in cash and then walked out the door.Always interesting how attitudes change when large sums of money appears.

mtn wrote: I wish I had 20 hundred dollar bills again

+1

I bought my canoe there.

I went car shopping for my mother-in-law. She's got bad knees and couldn't do the walking. I hadn't dealt with dealers before and all I wanted to do is test drive stuff so I could report back to her.

I started at a local Toyota dealer to look at a RAV4 and while the salesguy was nice enough, he was pushy and extensively inquisitive. When I got done with the test drive, he asked if I would come back in the showroom so he could show me the features in one that was in there (it was about 30 degrees that day). I never got to look at the one in the show room, he proceeded to sit me down ask more questions, take down my info (even though the car wasn't for me), have his manager come over and ask how I liked the RAV4 and how the salesguy was doing. When the sales guy came back, I asked him for a brochure and he tells me that they don't have them, I have to get the PDF file off the Toyota website. At that point I stood up, said thanks for your time and walked out. He proceeded to call my house for a month.

I went to a Subaru and Saturn dealer later that day and both sales people asked me when I walked in the door, "What do you want to accomplish today?" and when I told them a test drive for my mother-in-law, they were more than happy to let me test drive. At the end of those drives, both sales people were like "Let me give you MY information for when you're inlaws come back" and gave me brochures without asking.

I went back to a different Toyota dealer to look at 2nd Gen Scion xBs for myself and nobody came outside to talk to me, so I left.

Apparently Toyota doesn't care if you buy a car or not. The other dealers were genuinely interested in my business.

Haha that canoe popped up while I was typing.

I think it's more of a sign that "customer service" is dead and buried. It seems that no one gives a crap about the customer now in many different businesses. I realize that "the customer is never wrong" is not accurate all of the time, but if you don't play nice, guess what, your competition down the street will take you to the shed.

mtn wrote: I still haven't seen a manual shifted clutch on a car (manual, root word is man, man means hand.)

My old Land Rover had one when I got it. Someone couldn't find the right parts, so they removed the hydraulic master and welded a pushrod on to the release arm. You had to push straight down on the pushrod with about 200 lbs of pressure to release the clutch. At least, that's what I imagine what would have done it.

I buy very few cars from dealerships. They always seem to be private party sales, although our new Dodge came from a dealership. My wife gets a killer corporate rate, so we basically walked in, test drove and said "here's what we get to pay". Sure streamlined things. They gave me a ridiculous lowball on my trade so I sold that privately for about $3k more.

We did let them arrange the LineX for "their cost", but after they never contacted me by the time they promised I called LineX myself and got it done for less. Then I called the dealership and told them to arrange a better cost for themselves I felt kinda bad for the salesman because he probably got very little commission on the sale, but once I caught him in a lie or two I didn't feel so bad.

This thread brought back some old memories. My Ex is the Bosses Admin at a premier Cadillac dealership in Miami. She started out as a cashier. Turned out that several times a week she would have to count, then recount, then recount again the contents of grocery bags full of cash. Generally from Black folks that really didn't look wealthy. That dealership took good care of them, they kept coming back. Williamson Cadillac, still a class place.

From second hand stories I've heard that Toyota dealers are either arrogant or pushy and that some Honda dealers are too. My personal experiences with Honda dealers (unfortunately, several years old, so probably not relevant) is that they can be quite helpful, especially when they "smell" a possible sale. I bought my Civic from Honda dealership "A" and got good service and service advice when I broke down and had to be towed to Honda dealership "B". Even the Acura dealership I dealt with was decent/not HUGELY outstanding, when it came to helping me track down parts for a 12 year old Integra.

integraguy wrote: From second hand stories I've heard that Toyota dealers are either arrogant or pushy and that some Honda dealers are too. My personal experiences with Honda dealers (unfortunately, several years old, so probably not relevant) is that they can be quite helpful, especially when they "smell" a possible sale. I bought my Civic from Honda dealership "A" and got good service and service advice when I broke down and had to be towed to Honda dealership "B". Even the Acura dealership I dealt with was decent/not HUGELY outstanding, when it came to helping me track down parts for a 12 year old Integra.

I've had only good experiences with Toyota Dealerships. I have an "in" at a lot of them, but still good experiences.