Here's a new experience with car dealers in our area. We are in the market for a vehicle for my son.

In years past (prior to $4 gasoline), it seems that when I drive into the lot in my Yukon XL and look at a car, a salesman would be on me like white on rice.

Now, when I drive up in my Yukon XL, even though I have no intention of selling it or trading in, I get ignored.

Recently, I was even looking at used full size SUV. I could clearly see a group sales people lingering and nobody made any effort to assist so I said screw em and I left.

Went in to the same dealer yesterday driving my wife's Wrangler and no chit, I magically have a salesmen appear!

Idiots!

File a federal civil discrimination suit!

It's called, "lot qualifying".

It can be the death of a salesperson.

Here's a quick factual story:

A VERY nice looking gal pulled onto the lot in a practically new Mercedes C Class. All the sales guys were huddled up and watched her pull in. They threw the latest green-pea at her. She was his "up" by force. The "old-timers" figured that this gal was there for any other reason than buying a car.

Well, the joke was on them. She was going through a divorce, and wanted to "get rid" of her new Mercedes and trade it in on a new econo-car. Her Mercedes was PAID FOR.

Bottom line... She walked out of there in a new car, we STOLE her trade, and the green-pea made over a thousand bucks in commission.

Of course, the "old-timers" blew it off as a "fluke".


On the other hand, if a sales guy see's a taxi delivering a person to the sales lot area, they jump on it like flies on dog poop...

Good looking babe in a Benz doesn't get attention from a group of guys? Oh, I get it, San Francisco.

It's difficult not to let numerous previously-failed transactions cloud your thinking when dealing with a fresh customer.

If salespeople could put on a pair of glasses that make all customers look the same, they would make a lot more money!

Unfortunatly, most people who are in retail sales have their prejudices, and for a reason.

Sounds backwards to me.

If you are in any kind of sales, you are a moron if you haven't been able to overcome prejudging. When I was managing an up scale health club, yrs ago, a fellow came in who looked like he just got done cleaning an abandoned building. All of my sales people magically disappeared from the front desk area so I showed him around. He did just get done cleaning the abandoned restaurant from across the street the he just bought, and I sold him a membership for his entire staff.

I wasn't privvy to all of the info, but the basic scoop was that she was awarded the paid off Mercedes in the settlement and would rather have a paid off econo-box and some cash to get herself back on her feet.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that it was her trade, the new car and some cash back...

Believe me, she got plenty of looks, but when the "old salts" figured that there wasn't any money to be made there, they stayed on the line waiting for their next "up".

And no, I don't reside in SF, and don't "swing that way".

But if I just said Bay Area, or Discovery Bay, would you be able to tell where I am at???

A guy here in town (friends of GW) who managed a very successful construction and farming business recently sold it. For north of $100million.

He drove his several-year-old pickup to a dealership in the Seattle area that dealt in very high end luxury cars and found nobody would wait on him.

He drove home, took the corporate jet to Portland, walked into a similar dealership and bought himself a Ferrari and a Maserati and a Bently for his wife. For cash. With no dickering.

there is no dickering on those cars. And I'd be surprised he could just walk in and buy a new Ferrari unless it was used or he already owned one.

Those are all great stories, but they are the 1-in-100 incidents. The other 99 are all difficult...

Funny.

I remember a story that Ben Stein wrote about. A couple of years ago, he was interested in a new Cadillac.

So he called the dealer and talked to the salesperson that had previously sold him a car. He told the person he was interested in a new Cadillac.

He asked that if they drove it to his house, if he liked it, he would buy it on the spot.

The salesperson refused as they were too busy. Ben then asked how many cars that person had sold that day; the response was none. I guess the salesperson was too busy to be bothered with a sale.

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/yourlife/2808

That is an unbelievable story. If something similar hadn't happened to me, then I wouldn't have believed it.

I went to the Jeep dealer to buy a replacement Grand Cherokee one time. I had one one that I had bought from the same dealer three years before. I walked in, asked for my salesman - who was no longer there - and told the guy who finally did end up helping me that I wanted to replace my previous one with exactly the same thing. Since they redesigned them, I wanted a test drive.

I drove it, and althogh I actually didn't think it was any better than my old one, told the guy "OK, call me with your best price, give it to me this way exactly...". The guy complained like crazy that I was going to leave and not buy it on the spot. I said "I've bought a vehicle here before - unless you screw it up, I'm going to buy another one. Just do as I ask".

No call back.

Two days later, I call the guy back and ask what happened. "Oh, I'm working on it" he says. 10 minutes later, he calls back and quotes me the full retail price. "That's your best price?" I ask. "Well, we could probably do better if you come in and discuss it". Idiot.

Just because of that, I had to shop around and find another vehcicle to buy - which I really didn't want to do.

The ol' Pretty Women stories.


I bought my engagement ring (not from a mall) just after I did construction work. I had torn jeans, work boots, a sweat shirt that showed all the evidence on what I was doing, and a 1 day old beard. I probably got looks going into the store where the sales guys had on suits but I came home with a ring.

Jeez, can we switch to lawyers and pick on them for a few days?

So, this lawyer walks into a car dealership....

My family was in the car business for a loooooonnnggggg time. In fact, we owned the largest Buick dealership in the world for many years. Due to a few very bad circumstances we had to close the doors in the early 90's. But I still have a of family and many contacts in the car business.

So my wife and I, newly married, both really loved the Jeep Grand Cherokee. We head to the local dealer and drive the one we want. I make a quick call to my uncle and ask what a "fair" price would be. He gives it to me and we sit down at the sales guy's desk. I tell him the number and of course he has to "go ask his sales manager". Coming down in $200 increments, it took 3 hours to get to our price ...yes three hours. I was young and dumb...and would not allow that to happen again. But we did get our truck at OUR price...and in fact still own it to this day.

Lawyers don't offer free advice like used car salesman do.

There are just too many crooked car dealers with bad comb overs out there to NOT stereotype them. There are some good ones too, but it seems less and less these days.

The guy I bought my first Harley was the owner of the Harley dealership. This was when and still is, the MSRP was the price, no dickering. He needed to buy a new truck so he goes down to the dealer and gets his truck and paid the sticker price to one of the sales guys. Sometime soon after, the owner of the truck dealer called and said "we need to negotiate the truck price because you can't pay full price for that truck". The Harley dealer said, "why not?, you come to my dealership for a Harley and you will be paying the sticker price". I do not know if the he got a discount on the truck or not but I respect that man for this and for the many other good things he has done in the community.

If ya'll wanna stereotype car dealers, of which I am proud to be one, and I don't screw with my customers, then let's see what ya'll do on and we'll see how legit you are. Doctors covering up for other's botched operations, police not talking about bad cops, lawyers suing for hot coffee, fireman who double as arsonists, carpenters using substandard materials, etc etc etc. I know that's rare, and you guys would never do that, but I ain't the car guy you all are describing. If you come across a jerk then don't do business with them, they don't lock you in, go where you are comfortable. If you bought a car from someone you didn't like it is your fault.

Yeah, they should make a sitcom out of the antics that go on in a car dealership...

Unfortunately, if it was based on reality, it would be considered a drama...

After I retired (the first time) from LE, I got into the car business. Two of the salespeople were thugs that I had arrested in the past. One of them for burglary and rape! Drug use was out of control, and even while working (sales and techs). Internal theft was happening on a regular basis. Salesmen were occassionally caught driving new inventory on trips or out on a date to impress the ladies (ever wonder why your "new" car has a few hundred miles on it?). Aftermarket items on trade-ins mysteriously "disappeared" while they were in the bone-yard awaiting clear title. Alcohol and drugs (as already mentioned) were consumed on the property on a regular basis. We had to lock up the file room (my idea) to keep the salespeople from rifling through them for credit/personal info (can you REALLY trust the guy across the desk from you with your personal info?). And so on...

I once caught a salesguy faxing an invoice over to a potential customer that he cut and pasted false numbers on in order to give the guy an "invoice" deal. The "invoice" deal was turned into about a thousand dollar gross deal. Thank goodness I squashed the deal before it went down (and fired the crook, I mean salesguy).

Yes, there are PLENTY of VERY reputable folks in the car business. They are usually the ones that stick around a while and make a career out of it. The rest are working at "down the road motors" next month...

Hopefully you will find one the next time that you want to buy a car.

And sadly, the situation is similar in the marine business. And pretty much EVERY other industry.

Yep, as I said, the car business would make a great sitcom!

Unfortunately...

Wise words!

If you read the Ben Stein article I linked, you would know that his car dealer experience was just one of several different examples he presented.

His complaint was lack of customer service, not necessarily something that was unique to any one area.

Sounds like a class-act!

I am aware of a mom and pop dealership that works a similar way. No one pays sticker at their dealership. They don't advertise, it's by word of mouth only, and they get plenty of repeat business. Funny thing, while other "big" dealers are going belly-up right now, they are doing just fine. Good for them!

Sure, they stil make some money, but folks leave there VERY happy that they didn't have to play "the grind" to get a fair deal.

There's hope yet...

* Is there a GOOD comb-over?
* Does anyone where you work wear a comb-over?
* Does that make him "crooked"?

Let's see ... What other industry is above these "dishonest" practises? Banking, Mortgage, Investments, Speculators, Real Estate, Politics, Public Service, yawn.

If it's dishonest to try to make a few bucks when you sell a car then count me in. Dayam, it's not like we are charging over sticker or charging you 21% interest (unless that's what you qualify for).

People complain when they say, "the dealer stole my trade" but they never hear about the $1000's of bucks that dealers frequently lose at auction on some of the stuff that people did not disclose when they traded it...

Whosoever wants to step up and make a living with the buying public, ON COMMISSION, raise your hand.

.... yeh, that's what I thought . . . .