Car Dealers are the Scum of the Earth

[Seabishop]

My complaint to the attorney general about deceptive advertising is forthcoming. I didn't get ripped off, but I don't like deceptive advertising, blatant lying, and wasting hours of my time. I'm supposed to believe that 3 different salesmen didn't know the advertised deal wasn't real. I'm no master haggler but I'm not an idiot. And this is from a dealer recommended by the Better Business Bureau.

Any horror stories to share?

 

[mendelman]

My brother & sister-in-law, father, and I were shopping for cars at a reputable dealer once. The first saleperson that helped my brother told them that they couldn't test drive the car unless they were serious about buying it.

The salesperson didn't think they were going to buy a car and jsut wanted to joyride in a Golf that day. Well, our dad is a seasoned car buyer and told the salesperson to her face that her sales methods were poor and hse is probably in the wrong business.

The salesperson finally relented and my brother took it for a test drive. And when they got back, they immediately went to another salesperson and bought the Golf from him....oh and the same day I also bought a car from the salesperson that helped my brother.

So, she was out two sales for being a twit. Oh.....also, don't ever trust a car salesperson is ever looking out for your best interest, unless you have a real relationship with the salesperson.

 

[Repo Man]

I had a friend who told me that he had sat down and negotiated a deal with a salesperson and then he decided at the last minute that he didn't want to buy the car and the salesperson flipped out and yelled at him for wasting his time claiming that my friend owed him the sale because they spent like 2 hours on it.

My cousin went to seriously look at an Infiniti G35 and he wanted to test drive it and because he is only 26 they totally thought he was only out for a joyride and they refused to let him drive it unless he negotiated a deal first.

I have found that most car salespeople are pretty decent, but there are certain dealers that encourage sleazeball activities.

 

[boiker]

I had a friend who told me that he had sat down and negotiated a deal with a salesperson and then he decided at the last minute that he didn't want to buy the car and the salesperson flipped out and yelled at him for wasting his time claiming that my friend owed him the sale because they spent like 2 hours on it.

I have found that most car salespeople are pretty decent, but there are certain dealers that encourage sleazeball activities.

unfortunatly for the car dealer... you work on commission... you have to:[channeling simpsons]
"Close the deal, Gil! Close the deal!"
[channel changed]

 

[giff57]

The dealer was fine, but I have a big problem with the Ford Motor Company right now.... let's just say quality was not job one when they built my car.

 

[mendelman]

unfortunatly for the car dealer... you work on commission... you have to:[channeling simpsons]
"Close the deal, Gil! Close the deal!"
[channel changed]

Off-topic-digression: "Man these Calcio's will rust out...."

 

[Dragon]

I was looking to buy a car just before I graduated, and this one dealership had some cars I liked. I noticed they didn’t have any prices written on the cars, and when I inquired about the price of a car he asked me into his office. There he pulled some paperwork, and a calculator, and gave me a figure. I’m sure he had the price he wanted for the car, and marked it up for the “trade” value of my car to make it seem like I was getting a deal. Especially when he told me my old car was worth a thousand. I new better then that. I blue-booked it myself at or less than $500.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

Last year I had a totally pain-free experience buying a Honda, pretty much entirely over the Internet. I only had to go to the dealer to test drive, and sign the paperwork.

The only truly bad experience was a few years back when a sales guy wanted to check out my car while I took a drive. Then I couldn't get my keys back. I finally told him he had 2 minutes to get the keys or I was calling 911 on my cell to report I was being held hostage. Needless to say, they didn't get my business.

 

[PlannerGirl]

I bought my last car, a Saturn on the net and loved it. I had one before and knew the dealership, they were on the level with me and I had a new car in 48 hours (had to have the car brought in on a truck with only 3 miles on it!)

Walked in, signed, and walked out. It look like 45 min after work!!

 

[MD Planner]

Don't buy a car unless you have at a minimum checked out these sites:

www.carbuyingtips.com
www.edmunds.com

and this site that will cost you about $20 but will save you big time unless you are buying one of the truly "hot" cars that nobody can deal on. www.fightingchance.com

Bottom line for buying any new car is to know exactly what you want on a particular vehicle before you even get to the dealer and what the dealer's cost is before you discuss price. You should have an offer that you know is fair and gives the dealer a reasonable, not excessive, profit.

Don't be afraid to walk away. That's the only true power you have. You would be amazed how many times a salesperson will call you a day or two later agreeing to your price once they realize you won't pay their over-inflated one.

 

[JNA]

Very excellent experience with the Service Department at my local Saturn Dealer.

 

[Gedunker]

Hmmmmmm, where to start? There have been so many. I guess this one miffs me the most:

My '72 bug was declared unsafe by my trusted VW mechanics, so I needed a car quick. Went to a Mazda dealer and made a deal on a GLC (3-dr hatchback). Salesman said I had to close the deal that night because he had a customer coming to buy it tomorrow (yeah, right). I told him I wanted to think about it and I'd be back the next day. Lo and behold, he had in fact sold the car by the time I got back to buy it and didn't have another one in stock. I found another dealer and closed an identical deal on the same make and model.

I brought the car to the first dealer to do the annual service work and everything seemed okay. I'm doing about 65mph on my way home and the engine cuts out completely. I get the car restarted and head off home, now very wary. I end up going back to the dealer I bought the car from (out of my way, and I'm stuck there all day while they make the repair) and the mechanic tells me there's brass shavings in the carburetor and fuel line. I ask him how they got there and all he can say is that the first dealer must have had a mechanic mistake my car for one that needed some repair and the guy screwed it up. Cost me a wad of cash to get it fixed and I fought the dealer that did the work for almost a year before they refunded me. I still have this feeling in the back of my mind that they screwed up the fuel line because I bought the car at a different dealer. Glad I'm not buying cars in Jersey anymore.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Never trust anyone on a commission.

 

[donk]

Never trust anyone on a commission.

So true at so many levels...... (FTC, CRTC etc...)

On teh topic, if I had stayed at my last job I probbaly would have bought a newer vehicle from my dealer. The service department had been more than fair to me and were pretty nice guys to boot. Too bad the new shop I have to deal with is not as customer service focussed as the old one ($20 oil change and they washed and vacuumed your car).

I think I'll drive my car into the ground now, instead of trading it in. (340 000 KM and counting)

 

[michaelskis]

Never trust anyone on a commission.

I once worked at a shoe store on commission. It was fun, and I can say that many of the people that I worked with were good people, and because it was only a 1% to 2.5% commission, we did not make all that much. But I can tell you that I will only buy from that shoe store because I know the people, I know the product, and I know that if there is a problem, they will take care of me.

As for Car issues, I had a female friend go to by a used car, and she met with the guy and took it out for a drive. Well she was nervous because when she would ask a question, the guy would say, Oh don't worry, that is not important. When I showed up, I had a print out from "Carfacts" (she knew to get the vin) and when I started asking why the price was $1,200 more than blue book and everything the guy started to get nervous and still tried to lie to us. Finally, I asked him if I could talk to the sales manager. When he showed up I explained that I had the history of the car, I know what it was worth, and I informed him that my friend had been sexually discriminated, and that I wanted to talk to the newest youngest sales person there.

We sat down for half our with this new guy, he was completely honest with us and gave her a good deal. The other guy was fired a week later after other customers complained about problems.

 

[Plannerbabs]

I've had pretty good luck since I learned to walk away. A couple of cars back, the dealer let me take the car home overnight (it was a used car) to have my mechanic look it over. They were selling it as an AWD model, and it turned out it wasn't. took it back the next day, and they first tried to insist that the mechanic (who was a specialist in Subarus) was wrong, then that the low miles etc justified the $2k difference in FWD and AWD models. After going round and round like this for a while, they asked what I would like to do. I told them I was going to drive my old car home (which had barely made it there) unless they came down in price. They did, and we still have that car. Made buying the next one much easier--had to walk away from two dealerships who pressured me to buy something I didn't want before I got that car. And no, I cannot "learn to love the color gold." If I'm buying a car, new or used, it had better have exactly what I want on it or no deal. I've also found, as a girl, that the salespeople usually don't talk down to me too much if I talk about things like low-end torque and ask to test-drive a manual. If they try to sell me on how pretty the car is (true story B-) ) or how much shopping I can fit, I walk. I don't have much patience with that kind of behavior.

 

[PlannerGirl]

how much shopping you can fit? Sheesh I think I would have gone ape on the guy. Maybe I should tell em I need to check for "whip room" and see the reaction.

This is not a car buying story but a car inspection story:

Last month I had to have my safety inspection renewed, no biggie go to the place up the street at lunch. I knew my car was fine. Well I get the ewwwy feeling as soon as I meet the guy but thats ok Im used to getting it from service people here (shrugs)

They are not gone 10 min when the guy comes back and tells me my car is done and we need to talk. He tells me my serpintene (sp?) belt is cracked and must be replaced and cant pass inspection. Im like dude come on its a belt thats not part of the inspection. he starts to get all slick like and tells me if i dont let him fix it today for 120 some odd bucks when i bring it back within 3 days (the time limit in va) he will find more problems with my car. The jerk is threatening me!!!

I turn on my heel leave and drive to the office in tears (rage mind you)

I donno jack about cars, I pay people to know about em or find some nice chap willing to look at it for me. I take my car to a garage near my house and the guy in there after hearing my story gives me the number to the state board to report the other jerk. My car gets fixed and inspected for like 90 bucks! The same day!

I call up a cop buddy and the state and what do you know that little service station is now out of biz and my cop buddy gave him crap before he was shut down.

grrrrrrr dont use threats on me buddy, I get mad then I get even. Dont think your going to take this "little lady" for a ride. |

 

[Seabishop]

Never trust anyone on a commission.

SAC, you should sell SUVs and shake those yuppies for everything they have. ;-)


When we pointed out that these guys were trying to trick us into paying $2,000 more the manager assured us that they give excellent service and that their new service facility has a large overhang so you never have to be out in the rain. WOW! It will even have a big play room and TV's for the kids! NEAT-O! Here's my money mister! | Like I would want a place like this to pretend to change my oil every month.


I just want to buy a Corvette is that so wrong?














ok, a minivan - but they're a lot nicer these days.

 

[SW MI Planner]

I just rememberd a story. A couple years back I was looking for a new car, and Chad and I drove to Fort Wayne (an hour away) to look at some Oldsmobiles. I had done some research on the internet, and they had a huge selection. So, while there I figured out what it was I wanted, and told the guy and he said he would get it in for us. It was seriously a NO BRAINER. If they had it there I would have signed.

Anywho, about a week later, he calls and says he found a car exactly what I want, and is having it shipped. We set up an appt for us to come down, sign the paperwork. It was like 99 degrees out, and they were having some sort of promotion at an outside location. We get there, and it was missing some option that I wanted (really no big deal, but he acknowledged that it didn't have it and said I didn't really need it anyway, which immediately honked me off). So, we decide to take it for a drive. The air conditioning was broke.

So we go back and tell them and they say they will get it fixed and we can come get in a couple days. OK, this is my second trip down here and you want me to come back a THIRD time. I doubted that I even wanted that car - it shouldn't be that darn hard before it's even yours. So they gave us $20 for gas, so we would come back. So a couple days later I called them up and said I didn't want the car, too many problems, not wanted I wanted from the beginning. The kicker - the salesperson called me up and asked for hte $20 back because it was out of his own pocket. I actually did send it back just so I wouldn't have to deal with it.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

I sold cars for one of thh largest dealers in my state after school and before I had my internship. Itis fair to say 90% of all salesman don't care about the customer. They just want the signature so they can get paid. This is more so with used cars since they have a history that can be hard to trace. Carfax can only tell you so much and it's not always right. I had a car which had a flood salvage title and the current title did not show it. When I registered from another state, for some reason, the flood was not placed on the paperwork. Floods salvage can never be taken off a title, at least in Utah. I knew it was on their but the dealer did not unitl the discrepency showed on the carfax. By that time, they had already offered me more than it was worth. I seriously doubt they advertised the car as a flood salvage title. Just thought I was sticking it to the industry in my own little way.

 

[Duke Of Dystopia]

how much shopping you can fit? Sheesh I think I would have gone ape on the guy. Maybe I should tell em I need to check for "whip room" and see the reaction.......|

There are better devices than a whip to use inside of a vehicle! :-D

 

[tsc]

just being a gal..ugh...

I had a guy tell me I couldn't drive the vehicle over 30 mph during a test drive....or try it on a highway. Needless to say I didn't buy one fromthis car dealer.....

 

[Mastiff]

I Eat Car Dealers for Lunch...

When I went to buy my Durango (and I knew everything about it, how much they retail, what options, everything...), I did my usual. I dress in torn up jeans, nasty old stained T-shirt, old sneakers, and then park off the lot and walk in.

So what do they do? Without exception, to date, they send out the youngest and/or greenest salesman they have. This is what happened outside Kansas City... (I drove 2.5 hours to get the one I finally wanted.)

The guy comes out, he's maybe 25 and tries to steer me away from the more expensive area to the bragain lot. I chuckle and say I may end up there, but I want to look at these first. Sure! But no test drive... So I ask about several upscale SUV's, then get to the one I was after in the first place. Keyless entry? check. CD? check. 4WD? check. So, how much is it?

$22,500

"Wow!" says I. "Do you finance?"
"No... you have to get your own."
"Awww, darn. But hey, if I could manage a loan of, say, $16,000, could you do it?"
"Well, maybe for $17,000." (Way below book. I was willing to go to $19,500)
"Great! Done... Here's my social, run it, and we'll take a quick test drive, and I'll sign!"
"Uh..."

He went it, and who comes out next? The head salesman! "Mr. ____ , we can't go that low on that Durango, I can offer you $21,000, though."

"No, you already offered me $17,000, an I accepted. My wife was standing right here, and you knew that number or you wouldn't have said 'that low'. Ready for the test drive?"
"He didn't have the author..."
"If he's a salesman, he had the authority. By the way, see that old Ford Tempo on the street? You'll be paying that off and giving me a $500 credit toward a purchase on the Durango."
"Well, if the blue book is less than you owe, you have to add that to the price of the vehicle."
"No, your ad says, 'We give you $500 and pay off your car no matter what you owe!"
"You have to read the fine print..."
"Radio ads don't have fine print."

I was the customer from hell, but I paid the $16,500, bought the "gold warranty" (It covered ball joints that I replaced 30 days later knowing they were bad from the test drive), and even made them replace the windshield... it was cracked in the view of the driver, and by law had to be fixed. I finally ended up dealing with the owner, and got everything I wanted....

 

[PlannerGirl]

Damn!


Wanna come help me buy a new car in a few months???? o

 

[JNA]

They are so bad and low that
the Louisville Courier-Journal had special report about one of the chain used car dealers.

Louisville car dealer has history of complaints
http://www.courier-journal.com/cjextra/2004projects/byrider/index.html

How can those people live with themselves,
Why doesn't the Goldren Rule mean anything anymore.

 

[mike gurnee]

Anybody ever meet a manufactured housing salesperson?

 

[SGB]

Anybody ever meet a manufactured housing salesperson?

Yup. Before we bought our current house last summer, we briefly considered purchasing a lot and placing a modular on it. The salesman was awful - didn't know either their product line or how they were actually delivered and installed on site. If the information wasn't in a brochure or their sales video, he couldn't help.

He looked like he had sold cheap used cars in a previous sales job. (Sorry cheap used care salespeople.)

 

[Mastiff]

Damn!


Wanna come help me buy a new car in a few months???? o

Sure... I bet I'd at least save you more than the airfare! ;-)

 

[mike gurnee]

He looked like he had sold cheap used cars in a previous sales job. (Sorry cheap used care salespeople.)

Yeah, SGB: that's the one. He must really move around.

 

[Doitnow]

I read mastiff's post and remembered my experience six months ago when I went to buy our second family car( :-D )
After doing a survey of the cars within my budget I finalised a Suzuki model with the authorised seller nearest to my house.
I bargained hard and thought I got a great discount. Then I happened to know the senior manager in the car finance company who offered me a great discount( according to the car salesman). The sales men told me that this was the best car loan scheme they had ever seen in some years as the manager negotiated the loan himself and asked the sales company to offer me a final discount from the amount they shared with the car finance company.
I was overjoyed and thankful to my friend. But the car company agreed with the car finance manager-friend on the phone but refused to hand me the car keys.
The manager came in again to negotiate and then everybody was happy. I paid and drove the car home.A few days later when i went to collect some car papers ( as promised) they refused to give me the papers as the MD of the car sales company felt that I had exploited the sales company and cut down on their profit.
I was carrying cash that day and paid the amount which was 2900 INR(about 62$).
It was so paltry a sum. But it went on to become an issue of EGO. :-\

 

[Mastiff]

A few days later when i went to collect some car papers ( as promised) they refused to give me the papers as the MD of the car sales company felt that I had exploited the sales company and cut down on their profit.
I was carrying cash that day and paid the amount which was 2900 INR(about 62$).
It was so paltry a sum. But it went on to become an issue of EGO. :-\

So why'd you pay? Was there something unsigned?

Aside from that, I'd have sat there about 10 seconds before dialing my attorney on the cell phone.

 

[kms]

Anybody ever meet a manufactured housing salesperson?

Indirectly. The foundation was included in the sales price, but the basement steps were extra. Problem is, the salesman didn't tell the buyer until the place was built without the stairs. :-c