Stories from the Sales Frontlines

Kirstie_H · September 2013

I tried mine and got a no results. Does that mean my car doesn't exist?

Info wouldn't likely be out there unless your vehicle was ever at an auction or for sale on EBay. Even so, if that info is ever removed by the site that hosted it (which would likely be the case long after it was sold), then the search result would also eventually fall off of Google listings.

driver100 · September 2013

When Driver sees that video, he will be in tears for a week! Any idea why the men did that to a new car? The comments didn't seem to give a clue

Driver is now back from Budapest, Vienna and Prague...the land of BMW, Audi, MB VW and Skodas - which are really VWs as we discussed around here before. Our ride to the airport was in a Skoda and it was beautifully made. Seemed like a slightly nicer finished American Passat.

Richard, I watched that video and there were tears in my eyes. I don't see how they could take the dents out of that car. The guy either has more money than brains or he needs a good course in anger management.

It would have been a lot smarter and less costly to just trade in his lemon for an Audi or MB. Maybe they (another company) actually paid to make the video...the publicity would be worth a lot more than the cost of an ad.

One thing I thought about on our trip was.....

Whatever happened to pin-stripes?

tifighter · September 2013

Whatever happened to pin-stripes?

I recently bought a new Accord. Some dealers still do the pinstripe thing, while trying to charge $399 for it. We all know its a profit grab, but I kept thinking "who would want pinstripes at all, even if free?" The look seems so 25 years ago...

isellhondas · September 2013

The 399.00 pinstripes are probably a desperate chance to make some profit after the "smart shoppers" have ground every nickel of profit out of the deals!

imidazol97 · September 2013

>The 399.00 pinstripes are probably a desperate chance to make some profit

Is that before or after the $600 documentation fee and the $200 prep fee, usw.?

isellhondas · September 2013

Same thing.

those fees never existed until the mooches ruined the market!

jayrider · September 2013

Custom shops will put on pinstripes for $40. I'm sure the dealers squeeze them down to $25 so the $399 they charge is right on the money.

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...who would want pin stripes..."

Me, for one. When we got the wife's PT Cruiser in dark navy blue it looked like a big slab. I got my body guy to put a nice thin white pin stripe around the middle. It was a nice accent. Cost: $0.

Charging $399 for one is robbery.

It's like vinyl roofs, they look awful on most cars but on some, not so bad. I wish my Mark VIII didn't have one but I can live with it. At least I didn't have to pay extra for it. I once saw a new Chrysler 300 with a black vinyl roof as a $3,000 option. I bet that car is still sitting in the showroom.

tifighter · September 2013

it looked like a big slab

Fair enough, I can understand that. But its a slippery slope; before you know it, your van has heart-shaped windows and you're wondering what happened...

houdini1 · September 2013

You have had that Mark VIII long enough to give us an update on how you two are getting along. Stand and deliver.

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...stand and deliver..."

Just put the plates on it last night. Took it for a little run after dinner. it's a sweet ride, very luxurious, pretty fast but with all that weight I think my Eclipse would smoke it.

Found the first defect. The radio can't be shut off. The on-off button doesn't work so you have to shut the car off or turn the volume to zero.

Only other problem is that when I'm in it I get the urge to drive to Florida and wear plaid shorts with suspenders.

imidazol97 · September 2013

This is the end result of that slipper slope.

BTW, the owner made a glaring design flaw in the ornamentation. Anyone agree?

snakeweasel · September 2013

Found the first defect. The radio can't be shut off. The on-off button doesn't work so you have to shut the car off or turn the volume to zero.

Not a big issue unless there is sound at the lowest volume setting. I had a car like that once, turn the volume all the way down and if it was perfectly quite you could still hear the radio.

Only other problem is that when I'm in it I get the urge to drive to Florida and wear plaid shorts with suspenders.

Don't forget your black socks and sandals.

graphicguy · September 2013

>Only other problem is that when I'm in it I get the urge to drive to Florida and wear plaid shorts with suspenders.<

You guys crack me up. Oldfarmer....glad it turned out to be a nice ride. Radio should be an easy fix, if you're so inclined. Does it still have a dial to turn vol up and down, and/or on and off?

imid....found the problem with that PT. The owner put that hideous chrome license plate holder on it.;)

snakeweasel · September 2013

Makes you wonder what the interior looks like.

It reminds me of the time my wife was on one of her "let's he an SUV" crusades. We went to a local Honda dealer and told a salesman we were lookng at the CRV. The salesman said he had a great deal for us and took us out to the back lot. He showed us a CRV decked out pretty much like your picture with an interior to match. It was brand new with a sticker of something like the low 20's the salesman just said "$15,000". I responded with "You're going to have to pay us more than $15,000 to take that off your hands".

The salesman told us that the dealership took it in as a dealer trade with a dealer that they will never do business with again.

houdini1 · September 2013

It could use a nice ski rack on top and maybe a wing on the back. Other than that it looks perfect to me !

driver100 · September 2013

BTW, the owner made a glaring design flaw in the ornamentation. Anyone agree?

It would look better without sidewalk feelers - and maybe a nice vinyl roof.

fezo · September 2013

Don't know if I mentioned this but I bought daughter #2 an 04 Camry with 190K on it. The owner is the son of great friends of mine a few hours from him and the son was a Toyota mechanic. It's utterly flawless. It had originally been his mother's and got the same care. He took off the chrome (I did that with the Solara and still am getting rid of glue) and he also modified the suspension essentially turning an LE into an SE. Perfect shape, drives great for a Camry (not that she notices the difference) and has the grabbiest brakes Ive dealt with in a long time.

So I'm back to more cars than drivers. This works for me.

imidazol97 · September 2013

> The owner put that hideous chrome license plate holder on it.

The license plate holder I actually didn't notice. I don't like the three stripes on the front fender and then the three stripes on the rear are not at the same level so that the eye flows from front to rear. Instead they are dropped about a foot lower. Just doesn't "flow" from front to back.
The three stripes should have been on the front of the rear wheel well.

Owner did pay homage to Buick with the portholes on the hood.

Of course, that's not the only thing that disrupts the eye's movements.

Actually, to be clear I don't offend anyone with a PT Cruiser, I like them for the car they are. I don't like this one. THis person clearly has too much time on his hands or too much money or both. I looked to see if the license plate was from Florida when I saw the car. Another cruise-in patron was taking a photo with his cell phone when I approached the car. This was parking for a 300+ car show in a rural county.

I wonder why the owner didn't put on some appliques of flames or clouds like some PT owners did. I liked the statements of some of those.

ohenryx · September 2013

Only other problem is that when I'm in it I get the urge to drive to Florida and wear plaid shorts with suspenders.

Don't forget your black socks and sandals.

Wearing black socks with sandals is actually quite appropriate, as long as there are clocks on the socks.

robr2 · September 2013

Actually socks and sandals are a "bro thing":

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TL24jvl5aq8/T5AjekSvbGI/AAAAAAAAAB4/_LNP2-4pTfc/s640/c- hadddd.jpg

In all honesty, I'm running around the house in no show black socks and adidas slides like those.

Years back I was given a Sedan deVille as a rental in Florida on a business trip. I had this incredible urge to go buy mint green sans-a-belt slacks and shirt and some white patent leather shoes....

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...back to more cars than drivers..."

That's the only way to live life....choices!

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...flames or clouds..."

I found a PT the same color as my wife's last night. I asked her if I could put a blaze graphic on the side like the one in the ad:

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/4083370539.html

She said go for it.

I'm getting worried. She's too agreeable lately. I think she's up to something.

stickguy · September 2013

but why would anyone want to turn the radio off?

Kirstie_H · September 2013

My dad used to buy those white patent leather shoes two pairs at a time. I guess he figured they would NEVER go out of style, so why wait? To be fair, he usually wore them with mustard-colored pants, a navy blue short-sleeved dress shirt and a wide, solid white tie, so of course the whole ensemble was a head-turner.

[Deleted User] · September 2013

That's great and I'm happy for you guys. We focus on rescues for our dogs, too. With my mom we had three golden rescues, and my wife and I are on our third. The thing about those breeds is that while you think you're rescuing them, it doesn't take long to realize they're the ones taking you into their lives. They're truly wonderful for the soul and give infinitely more than they get.

mako1a · September 2013

Nobody asked, but I just have to say I am pleased as can be with the new (to me) truck.

A vehicle always feels better when you pay less than you thought you would for it. Plus no dealer add on nonsense. This one is no exception. I took it to my mechanic. Got a light bulb and tested the battery which showed 20% battery life left. Put in a good interstate green top and could find nothing more it needed. Coolant-good, oil-good, filters-good. Been driving everywhere in it. A/C is great and XM still playing tunes.

Also finally got that old carpet out of the garage and to the dump. It's been in my way for six months now. It was nice to say "hey we have a pickup for that". The 2500 rides only slightly more harsh than a 1500 so no problem there. I'd drive this one cross country.

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...nobody asked..."

Well, you didn't exactly bubble over with details. I know you said it was a 2006. How many miles? Asking price, purchase price? How many tears did the salesman shed as you did the old Edmunds grind? How much will Isell hate you for stealing the dealer's profit?

Give us the details.

snakeweasel · September 2013

but why would anyone want to turn the radio off?

On a warm fall day, roll down the windows find a great drive for the fall colors and turn off the radio and you will see why.

mako1a · September 2013

213000 miles, $8800 local ebay. I bid 8k the first day and it ended at $8800. (I forgot to look at the bid that last day). Seller made me wait a week for actual bidder to pony up the dough which he never did. He called me and asked me to match other guys bid since my ebay ratings expired and I have 0 feedback. I did just because I knew it was going to be a good truck (and it was). I had right of refusal when he brought it to my house, but it checked out great. He was a Sargent of the neighboring town's PD. Cash talks...BS walks.

Here it is> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310738622636#v4-43-

nyccarguy · September 2013

Mazel Tov on the purchase. Did I read correctly? You bought a 2006 w/ 218,000 miles? And all it needs is a battery?

stickguy · September 2013

looks nice. and really, really big.

mako1a · September 2013

And all it needs is a battery?

Yes, and a light bulb in the tail light. It feels like a much lower mileage truck.

The guy had refresh (vent air fresheners) in it so you couldn't tell he smoked in it. I'm a light smoker and said no problem. He was relieved. Pirelli tires are good until next summer. And farmer, not any rust.

driver100 · September 2013

2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

Looks good! Keep us posted on how it is running and how much you enjoy it.

Can the radio go right off?

mako1a · September 2013

Not while I'm in there. I turn it off twice yearly to reset the clock for the start and stop of Daylight Savings Time which I think is a really bad thing that needs to be done away with.

ohenryx · September 2013

I have always hated daylight savings time. Never made any sense to me, absolutely none. The idea that we will save energy by using less lighting is total BS. In the summer, it's the air conditioning that eats all of the electricity, not the light bulbs.

But never mind that, congratulations on the new truck. It really looks nice. A heavy duty truck like that can be good for a lot of miles.

stickguy · September 2013

and now, the expensive new lightbulbs you have to use, eat up a fraction as much energy.

I did think there was some reasoning about kids and the bus stop too?

28firefighter · September 2013

Follow-up when the deal closes.

C30 should be gone Sunday with its replacement coming shortly before or shortly after.

stickguy · September 2013

so exciting!

reminds me, I got an email and call from the Volvo dealer (since after all, I am a loyal Volvo customer!) letting me know they upped the incentives. Until the end of September, the $500/$1000 (lease/buy) loyalty cash is doubled. And they still have 3 free payments (up to $1,350). So I could have 1K to cover $ down on an S60, then not make a payment until after Christmas. Tempting!

Or another $3,350 off whatever could be negotiated on a buy. If I was prepared to spend that kind of coin on a car I really don't need!

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...not any rust..."

That's a good thing. Up here a truck with that milage would look like Swiss cheese. My son's scrapper friend recently acquired a 1999 Silverado 4x4 with only 88k on the odo that was completely frame rotted. He resold it to a plow guy who was just going to keep it on one large parking lot since it couldn't pass inspection. Paid $350, sold t for $850.

Is that the original engine? My old F-150 made it to 250k miles but it took two (maybe more) motors.

driver100 · September 2013

C30 should be gone Sunday with its replacement coming shortly before or shortly after.

Did we ever find out what was wrong with the C30? Wasn't your sister going to take it, but didn't like it that much?

What is the scoop on a C30?

graphicguy · September 2013

Mako....I'm diggin' on that truck. I like it. Congrats!

I'm still trying to score a nice quasi luxo beater (isn't that an oxymoron?).

jayrider · September 2013

Using the word rust to describe the condition of a vehicle is so out of style. Nowadays the correct term is "patina."

28firefighter · September 2013

Nothing wrong with it - my sister was going to take it about a year and a half ago after she totaled her S40, but then my move to Seattle came up and I needed the car.

At this point my wife and I would do better with a 4 door car. Combine that with my itch to try something new and end of model year deals...

driver100 · September 2013

At this point my wife and I would do better with a 4 door car. Combine that with my itch to try something new and end of model year deals..

Gottchya, now i seem to recall that. Let us know what yo9u are looking at.

oldfarmer50 · September 2013

"...patina..."

LOL, in my neighborhood you can see cars with such nice patina on one side that you can see clear through to the patina on the other side.

Kirstie_H · September 2013

Fantastic one, jay. I plan on re-using that and claiming it as my own

jayrider · September 2013

Letting others take credit for my genius ? It's what I do. Ever heard of something called the internet ?

stever · September 2013

Brilliant - swiped and tweeted. :-)

abacomike · September 2013

I was at my Mercedes dealership this afternoon for a car wash, but because of some very heavy thunderstorms, we decided to put the car wash on hold until Friday. While we were waiting for the torrential rains to taper off, I walked into the showroom to gat acquainted with the new Mercedes CLA. While I was sitting in the car, I observed a husband and wife duo negotiating some better pricing on a new E350 Luxury model. They wanted the same discount off MSRP that their neighbors got on their new E350, but were having difficulty with the female salesperson who was working the deal.

So I decided to continue sitting in the CLA so I could witness their negotiating skills in action. It seems that their neighbors bought a new E350 for $3000 off MSRP. They wanted the same discount off the MSRP of the car they selected. The salesperson kept trying to convince the couple that getting $3000 off a $66,000 E350 Sedan was not a problem, but getting the same discount on a $58,300 car was not possible.

Finally, one of the managers got involved and offered the couple the same percentage discount as their neighbors got (4.5%) but that the same dollar discount off the car would have been a 5.3% discount. The husband then said that if he could get $2500 off the price of the car, they had a deal. Of course, they got their deal!

Unfortunately, if they had researched the car on Edmunds, they would have known that $3000 off MSRP on the car they wanted was an average deal on a new E350.

It just amazes me that with so many helpful resources on the internet that consumers can use to arrive at excellent pricing on new cars, some people just refuse to take advantage of those resources. These people were computer savvy as they had their iPad with them, calculating their payments, etc.

Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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