Hold on a minute here. When I bought my wife her car in June, I told her she would like the seat heaters come winter time but she just shrugged, saying what she really wanted was the option that clears all the snow from the car after a day of shopping at the mall. Well, now she thinks they’re GREAT.
I can’t wait to see what she buys me for Christmas now that she has ‘tushy-heaters’ in her car.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
In the winter, with the car fully warmed up, you can hit the "rest" button with the ignition switched off and the HVAC will continue blowing warm air for up to 30 minutes. If the battery sensor thinks the battery is discharged, it will shut the system down (along with the radio) after a few seconds.
I agree that it's a minor feature, but it shouldn't be there at all if it's not going to work. (It does work properly now.)
In the winter, with the car fully warmed up, you can hit the "rest" button with the ignition switched off and the HVAC will continue blowing warm air for up to 30 minutes.
I hope Mrs. jmonroe doesn’t hear about this option and you can bet I’m not going to say a word about this. It would work for her for most of the grocery shopping but it wouldn’t come close to helping for those all day-er's at the mall. Maybe they can provide an option that would stuff some more batteries in the trunk to meet this kind of a demand but then where would she put all the packages?
Come to think of it, ‘graph’ could use the additional batteries option for the Caddy.
Technology can only go so far.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I have the REST feature on my Benz as well. It's one of my fav features on the car because you return on a freezing day to the car and it's nice and cozy and warm. :shades:
I guy I knew worked for the railroad unloading cars from the trains prior to them being trucked to the dealers. He said they would routinely beat the heck out of them. In fact, he said often these cars would be damaged "in transit". They would chalk a large white X on the bottom of these cars so as not to get stuck with one of them when they went car shopping. I also once had a salesman tell me that he had gotten a new car I was considering "up to 100mph in third gear" to impress me on how fast it was. See ya!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Good story shasta and Moo, I agree with you in regards to low balling folks who are also just playing games. But what I haven't been able to understand is, why do dealers lie to people just to get them to the dealership? It's happenned to me and I left, swearing at them under my breath in every four letter word I could think of. If I actually spoke those words to them, I'd have to go to confession for God to forgive me. These are the dealers here in Orlando I wouldn't buy a car from even if they gave it to me. It's happenned to co-workers and they feel the same way, nothing like losing a customer long term.
For the life of me, I can't imagine that tactic actually working. Does it ever work?
Just what DO the longshoremen do when they drive them off the boat???
If one is old enough, one will remember that all British Leyland cars will not run in the rain, and, also, for an unrelated reason, many Chrysler/Dodge products in the 60s and 70s would also not run in the rain because of a $2 resistor block that would short out and shut the ignition down...anyone with a Chrysler product would carry a few extras in the trunk, and when NOTHING happened when you turned the key on a wet day, just change the resistor block and be on your way...the only question we had to ask was whether it was a 2 wire or 4 wire block...
Only if you are old enough...I believe this disappeared when electronic ignition came into vogue, which might have been 1972 with Chrysler, 1975 with GM and Ford...
But what I haven't been able to understand is, why do dealers lie to people just to get them to the dealership?
I think it's all about short memory and hope for some phantom giant savings. I don't know if you noticed, but lying is not exlusive to dealers - customers also lie big time: to the salesman (Bob's Chevy offers me 2000 more for my trade, my car is paid off, I have a good credit), to their friends (I got it 2 grand below invoice), and to themselves (they actually believe what they say). So hope for savings, even if it sounds too good to be true is enough to try even agains their better judgement.
... we have digressed a bit from frontline sales stories over to customer vs. sales staff motives and ethics. Anyone got a good Christmas Eve sales story?
Feel free to start them with "'Twas the night before Christmas ..."
YES. It most assuredly does work. There are certain people, in any industry, that have less than perfect ethical behavior. They are very slick with words and don't care about pissing off a customer. They are just looking to get someone in the door and working off the assumption that if they don't do it, the other salesperson WILL.
So, to answer your question. It does work. It depends on the salesperson to pull it off though.
I don't think it's the dealerships, Mac. I think it's the salespeople. They are very selfish and only interested in aquiring for themselves and helping themselves.
They don't just lie to the customer, they also lie to the sales manager and to the salespeople. Remember Psycho Salesman? This is exactly how he treated everyone.
There are going to be bad apples and these are typically the ones causing all the ruckus.
Those are my 2 cents.
-Moo
P.S. I hope I can get a good story in for Xmas. How's other folks gross this month? Mine is horrible. A bunch of grinders this month.
I have the REST feature on my Benz as well. It's one of my fav features on the car because you return on a freezing day to the car and it's nice and cozy and warm.
Go ahead, rub it in.
I'll just have to rely on thoughts of warm days at the beach until I can get one of those things.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Well... not really. Your survey is a survey of one, the dealership you work at. My survey includes about 7 different dealerships and salesmen. And I did indicate it was based on my experience. Your experience is obviously different, as many others as well possibly.
But, I do appreciate the "With all due respect..." part. Much better than the, "Are you crazy?" that I sometimes get.
Gosh, I wonder why a lot of high-end brands have a reputation for having electrical problems?
Because they: 1. convinced their customers that it's worth paying full price for experimental and unproven features. 2. use inferior suppliers to cut costs under competitive pressure.
Dino....I couldn't agree with you more. Moreover, very few of the manufacturers adhere to the standards set forth by organizations that define "feature sets" like Bluetooth requirements, for example. Best implementation of bluetooth technology I've experienced has been my BMW.
Unfortunately, it seems as if cost cutting is standard operating procedure at GM.....rather than customer satisfaction. Just saw a review of the Saturn Aura (sp?) in C&D. It left a somewhat favorable impression...that is, until the reviewers started talking about the cost cutting in the interior. BTW....the Accord won the comparo between the afore mentioned Saturn, Chrysler Sebring (came in last), Camry, and Altima. C&D went on to give high praise to the Accord for impecable road manners and build quality.
corvette....my BMW dealer did a very nice job in repainting my bumper. And, yes, they told me they were going to do it, before they actually did it.
I was just wondering if on used cars that are equipped with Sirius or XM satelite radio built in from the factory, that when sold, the subscription time left is transferable to the new owner (ie free) or does the service shut off and you have to get a new subscription.
As my late Father used to say, the surest way to seperate a fool from his money is to offer him something too good to be true. This tidbit of information was leveled at me by my father after I had purchased what was supposed to be a screaming deal on some land. Great location....a high traffic area. Problem was, unbeknownst to me, in a previous life it had been a truck mechanic's garage sometime in the 1950s and the land needed to be cleaned up by the EPA. Seems as if one of the owners just dumped oil, solvents, anti-freeze, etc directly into the ground below the building.
Finally started making some money by leasing the property, but it took a goodly amount of money to clean it up before I was even allowed to lease it.
sorry for getting off track tidester, but I kind of relayed something that at least "hints" at low balling....
I think it's "most" dealerships and "some" salespeople. That's been my experience thus far.
You just might be right with that. This industry wouldn't have such a reputation if it wasn't for a sizable segment of the dealerships having a less than steller business ethics.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
subscription is tied to the radio. Not sure if you can transfer it to a new radio on your account, but the owner would have to deal with XM to make it happen. If they have it on the car, and don't have something to move it to, you will probably end up with free XM for a while!
Ah, that makes more sense now. The way I read it, they didn't ask before repainting the bumper...
I'll have to read that C&D comparo. The Aura seems nice but it's no cheaper than the non-navigation model Accord. And I don't think the Onstar navigation is a true substitute for a screen with a map.
Dino....I couldn't agree with you more. Moreover, very few of the manufacturers adhere to the standards set forth by organizations that define "feature sets" like Bluetooth requirements, for example. Best implementation of bluetooth technology I've experienced has been my BMW.
Unfortunately, it seems as if cost cutting is standard operating procedure at GM.....rather than customer satisfaction. Just saw a review of the Saturn Aura (sp?) in C&D. It left a somewhat favorable impression...that is, until the reviewers started talking about the cost cutting in the interior. BTW....the Accord won the comparo between the afore mentioned Saturn, Chrysler Sebring (came in last), Camry, and Altima. C&D went on to give high praise to the Accord for impecable road manners and build quality.
corvette....my BMW dealer did a very nice job in repainting my bumper. And, yes, they told me they were going to do it, before they actually did it.
graphicguy, You cannot realistically compare a BMW with a Saturn Aura. One is built to a budget and the other is not so much. Personally, the reviews I have read about the Aura have all been mixed. Some people say the interior is of high quality and others not. It may be a question of inconsistency, but it has nothing to do with GM. Take a look at Edmunds/ long-term tests lately where they are all whining and complaining about the quality of the interior of the Rav4 and other Japanese models. http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/.ee969b4 http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/category/cat.2007ToyotaCamry
I think, just about the only people who will ever get interiors fully nailed--at least for now, are the Germans--especially the VW/Audi group:
I’d also like to thank Edmunds for saving me stamp money in extending this holiday wish to so many friends. To stay on topic, I’ll apply savings to my next car purchase.
Again,
HO HO HO from jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Why are potential customers afraid to include their phone number in their email messages? I included mine when we recently bought our vehicle, as I felt it confirmed that I was a serious buyer. My email was "canned," but I got a specific name from each dealership and included that in the salutation. My message was very specific on what I was looking for and how I arrived at my baseline offer price, which was probably another indication that I was quite serious. None of the dealerships "abused" my phone number...three or four of them responded via phone, one of which was the dealer we ultimately purchased from. He gave his offer over the phone and followed it up in writing when I requested that. Two of the others who had called with an offer made a follow up call, and when I explained that we had purchased elsewhere, that is the last that I heard from them. They were all very professional and did not harrass us with a barrage of calls.
Why are potential customers afraid to include their phone number in their email messages?
Maybe they don't want 4 or 5 salesmen calling them. I for one starting next month will not be accessible via phone during the hours that a dealer would be calling me (I will answer if family or work is calling nothing else). SO I would prefer that things be done via e-mail (if I send out an e-mail). Secondly I don't have a land line and would prefer not to be giving out mt cell phone number to every Tom, Dick and Harry.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You will be taken just as serious when dealers read your e-mail.... the dealers wont give their best price to every Tom, Dick and Harry who does not include their phone number.
Be careful about stereotyping ALL buyers into the "typical" lies, tho'. Our local dealer did that with my husband and I and lost the sale because of it.
First, on our first visit we said: 3) I am just looking and 1) I will be back. I also explained WHY, i.e. we were looking because we wanted to make sure that the Element was the right vehicle for us as compared to a couple of others; and we would be back because now that we'd settled on the Element, I wanted to do some pricing research.
When we returned a second time for the initial negotiations, we said 4) I am not trading anything. If they assumed that was a lie and based their dealings with us on that, it was a BIG mistake because it was 100% true.
Last, in a phone call prior to our third visit, we said 6) The other dealer said they would sell it for $xxx less, and I even offered to call the other dealer and let them listen in to confirm. This was after we had come back to the first dealer because they had said on the phone they would match the other dealer's offer, only to back down when we showed up. By getting us back under false pretenses, they blew the whole deal. If they put us in the category of "buyers are liars," it was a definite mistake.
A small list of lies that they told me:
1) The invoice price is not accurate because we have to put hundreds of dollars of prep into each car.
2) Yes, come in, we will match that price.
3) The other dealer is lying to you and you will NEVER buy your car at the price that they quoted you.
I didn't drive the car back to show the salesman, but I did forward the low-offer email to him at his request.
Normally I would agree that they simply didn't want to sell me the car at the price I was willing to pay...but oddly enough, the sales manager left me a phone message the day after they lured us in and then changed their mind. I'm not sure what he was planning to say, but I emailed him back and explained we were going to buy it from the low-offer dealer that week. Then the original salesman called me back, and I explained the same thing to him. He said he wanted to talk to the manager and call me back, but I explained once again that we were going to buy from the low-offer dealer. At that point, he asked if I would forward him the low-offer email, which I did. I'm not sure what the follow-up calls were all about...seems odd if they didn't want to sell us the car at that price. But I guess I'll never know, as they strung us out much too long. It was a happy ending for us...maybe happy for them too, but if so, why call us again a couple of times?
So why keep calling you back? I have no idea. I guess us normal people are not supposed to understand how car dealers operate.
No everybody is as straightforwards as you, Bob. Here are several possible reasons to call you after you walked out: 1. See if you changed your mind, maybe today you want to buy for two thousand more than yesterday - who knows. 2. See if could lure you with another lowball - every chance of getting you in is a chance of sale. 3. See what competition did, if the said offer was accurate. See, if they lowball often, they think that others do too. 4. Get another chance for "what can I do to sell you this car today" - of course other than giving you the price you want and, color and options you want, backing on the price of that paint sealant and fabric protector, or lowering the $699 fee that is preprinted and mandatory even for the Pope.
Perhaps everyone was happy – hard to tell, since we only hear from 1 party.
But as a potential buyer, I would NOT have been happy with having my time wasted & being lied to.
The car purchase before my most recent one, I tried to negotiate with 3 different dealers and experienced various ( typical, in my experience ) issues with the sales & managerial staff that wasted my time. With drive time, I probably wasted about a total of 1 work day. Or, perhaps more accurately, 1 “play day”. I do value my time & my time off. And I was not happy with those outcomes.
I finally purchased the car from a small dealer out-of-state. The process was simple, painless, straightforward. The price negotiation & trade-in valuation were handled via email. The sale paperwork took less than 15 minutes. I did drive to North Carolina - and back, with the new car. But that was quite pleasant, with the deal signed via FAX before departing to pick up the new car.
I saved money ( approx. $1,500 to $2K, compared to what the other dealers characterized as their “best deal” ) and was confident of a deal with no tricks or games. I’d have bought my current car through the same dealership, if they were able to sell it to me . . .
So – I was eventually happy, but based on these interactions with the 3 other dealerships, I was not happy with the time spent & I will not deal with them. And I strongly caution those who consider these dealerships. - Ray Grateful for those few ( in my experience = over 35 hears of buying new & used cars ) dealers & sales people that treat customers with honesty, respect & integrity . . .
As I said I will refuse to give out my phone number to every Thomas< Richard and Harold around regardless of if it makes them think I am serious or not. If they don't think I am serious its their loss. Since I have no home phone I cannot give them that, so that just leaves a work and a cell number and I will not be giving those for obvious reasons.
Anyway its pretty much a non issue for me as I wouldn't use e-mail. I prefere eye to eye contact when I am spending ten's of thousands of dollars.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Comments
Hold on a minute here. When I bought my wife her car in June, I told her she would like the seat heaters come winter time but she just shrugged, saying what she really wanted was the option that clears all the snow from the car after a day of shopping at the mall. Well, now she thinks they’re GREAT.
I can’t wait to see what she buys me for Christmas now that she has ‘tushy-heaters’ in her car.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I agree that it's a minor feature, but it shouldn't be there at all if it's not going to work. (It does work properly now.)
For those who don't remember - "Why do the Brits drink warm beer? They all own Lucas refrigerators."
I hope Mrs. jmonroe doesn’t hear about this option and you can bet I’m not going to say a word about this. It would work for her for most of the grocery shopping but it wouldn’t come close to helping for those all day-er's at the mall. Maybe they can provide an option that would stuff some more batteries in the trunk to meet this kind of a demand but then where would she put all the packages?
Come to think of it, ‘graph’ could use the additional batteries option for the Caddy.
Technology can only go so far.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
For the life of me, I can't imagine that tactic actually working. Does it ever work?
I can only guess that it's a company policy to have their salespeople say whatever is necessary to get feet into the showroom.
Again just a guess, but maybe this tactic is a good fit for the dealerships that run the 'screamer' ads and renew their sales staff every six months?
If one is old enough, one will remember that all British Leyland cars will not run in the rain, and, also, for an unrelated reason, many Chrysler/Dodge products in the 60s and 70s would also not run in the rain because of a $2 resistor block that would short out and shut the ignition down...anyone with a Chrysler product would carry a few extras in the trunk, and when NOTHING happened when you turned the key on a wet day, just change the resistor block and be on your way...the only question we had to ask was whether it was a 2 wire or 4 wire block...
Only if you are old enough...I believe this disappeared when electronic ignition came into vogue, which might have been 1972 with Chrysler, 1975 with GM and Ford...
I think it's all about short memory and hope for some phantom giant savings. I don't know if you noticed, but lying is not exlusive to dealers - customers also lie big time: to the salesman (Bob's Chevy offers me 2000 more for my trade, my car is paid off, I have a good credit), to their friends (I got it 2 grand below invoice), and to themselves (they actually believe what they say). So hope for savings, even if it sounds too good to be true is enough to try even agains their better judgement.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Feel free to start them with "'Twas the night before Christmas ..."
tidester, host
So, to answer your question. It does work. It depends on the salesperson to pull it off though.
-Moo
They don't just lie to the customer, they also lie to the sales manager and to the salespeople. Remember Psycho Salesman? This is exactly how he treated everyone.
There are going to be bad apples and these are typically the ones causing all the ruckus.
Those are my 2 cents.
-Moo
P.S. I hope I can get a good story in for Xmas. How's other folks gross this month? Mine is horrible. A bunch of grinders this month.
Well, though not good for your bottom line, grinder stories can be entertaining if they're extreme enough.
Its the dealerships, the salespeople wouldn't be able to do it if the dealerships didn't put up with it.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That's been my experience thus far.
Go ahead, rub it in.
I'll just have to rely on thoughts of warm days at the beach until I can get one of those things.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
-Moo
But, I do appreciate the "With all due respect..." part.
Much better than the, "Are you crazy?" that I sometimes get.
Because they:
1. convinced their customers that it's worth paying full price for experimental and unproven features.
2. use inferior suppliers to cut costs under competitive pressure.
Dino....I couldn't agree with you more. Moreover, very few of the manufacturers adhere to the standards set forth by organizations that define "feature sets" like Bluetooth requirements, for example. Best implementation of bluetooth technology I've experienced has been my BMW.
Unfortunately, it seems as if cost cutting is standard operating procedure at GM.....rather than customer satisfaction. Just saw a review of the Saturn Aura (sp?) in C&D. It left a somewhat favorable impression...that is, until the reviewers started talking about the cost cutting in the interior. BTW....the Accord won the comparo between the afore mentioned Saturn, Chrysler Sebring (came in last), Camry, and Altima. C&D went on to give high praise to the Accord for impecable road manners and build quality.
corvette....my BMW dealer did a very nice job in repainting my bumper. And, yes, they told me they were going to do it, before they actually did it.
As my late Father used to say, the surest way to seperate a fool from his money is to offer him something too good to be true. This tidbit of information was leveled at me by my father after I had purchased what was supposed to be a screaming deal on some land. Great location....a high traffic area. Problem was, unbeknownst to me, in a previous life it had been a truck mechanic's garage sometime in the 1950s and the land needed to be cleaned up by the EPA. Seems as if one of the owners just dumped oil, solvents, anti-freeze, etc directly into the ground below the building.
Finally started making some money by leasing the property, but it took a goodly amount of money to clean it up before I was even allowed to lease it.
sorry for getting off track tidester, but I kind of relayed something that at least "hints" at low balling....
That's been my experience thus far.
You just might be right with that. This industry wouldn't have such a reputation if it wasn't for a sizable segment of the dealerships having a less than steller business ethics.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I'll have to read that C&D comparo. The Aura seems nice but it's no cheaper than the non-navigation model Accord. And I don't think the Onstar navigation is a true substitute for a screen with a map.
Dino....I couldn't agree with you more. Moreover, very few of the manufacturers adhere to the standards set forth by organizations that define "feature sets" like Bluetooth requirements, for example. Best implementation of bluetooth technology I've experienced has been my BMW.
Unfortunately, it seems as if cost cutting is standard operating procedure at GM.....rather than customer satisfaction. Just saw a review of the Saturn Aura (sp?) in C&D. It left a somewhat favorable impression...that is, until the reviewers started talking about the cost cutting in the interior. BTW....the Accord won the comparo between the afore mentioned Saturn, Chrysler Sebring (came in last), Camry, and Altima. C&D went on to give high praise to the Accord for impecable road manners and build quality.
corvette....my BMW dealer did a very nice job in repainting my bumper. And, yes, they told me they were going to do it, before they actually did it.
graphicguy,
You cannot realistically compare a BMW with a Saturn Aura. One is built to a budget and the other is not so much.
Personally, the reviews I have read about the Aura have all been mixed.
Some people say the interior is of high quality and others not. It may be a question of inconsistency, but it has nothing to do with GM.
Take a look at Edmunds/ long-term tests lately where they are all whining and complaining about the quality of the interior of the Rav4 and other Japanese models.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/.ee969b4
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/category/cat.2007ToyotaCamry
I think, just about the only people who will ever get interiors fully nailed--at least for now, are the Germans--especially the VW/Audi group:
Jetta--
Passat--
Touareg--
Compared to that, everybody else has work to do.
2006 Range Rover
2007 Range Rover
2006 Range Rover Sport
2008 LR2
You don't have to beg, you're old enough to steal.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Primative NAVI system too.
Still, nice to look at!
I’d also like to thank Edmunds for saving me stamp money in extending this holiday wish to so many friends. To stay on topic, I’ll apply savings to my next car purchase.
Again,
HO HO HO from jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Warmest wishes for a peaceful and happy Christmas....and....a success filled '07.
GG
Maybe they don't want 4 or 5 salesmen calling them. I for one starting next month will not be accessible via phone during the hours that a dealer would be calling me (I will answer if family or work is calling nothing else). SO I would prefer that things be done via e-mail (if I send out an e-mail). Secondly I don't have a land line and would prefer not to be giving out mt cell phone number to every Tom, Dick and Harry.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
e-mail.... the dealers wont give their best price to every Tom, Dick and Harry who does not include their phone number.
Hope you & yours (esp your Mom) have a pleasant holiday season.
First, on our first visit we said: 3) I am just looking and 1) I will be back. I also explained WHY, i.e. we were looking because we wanted to make sure that the Element was the right vehicle for us as compared to a couple of others; and we would be back because now that we'd settled on the Element, I wanted to do some pricing research.
When we returned a second time for the initial negotiations, we said 4) I am not trading anything. If they assumed that was a lie and based their dealings with us on that, it was a BIG mistake because it was 100% true.
Last, in a phone call prior to our third visit, we said 6) The other dealer said they would sell it for $xxx less, and I even offered to call the other dealer and let them listen in to confirm. This was after we had come back to the first dealer because they had said on the phone they would match the other dealer's offer, only to back down when we showed up. By getting us back under false pretenses, they blew the whole deal. If they put us in the category of "buyers are liars," it was a definite mistake.
A small list of lies that they told me:
1) The invoice price is not accurate because we have to put hundreds of dollars of prep into each car.
2) Yes, come in, we will match that price.
3) The other dealer is lying to you and you will NEVER buy your car at the price that they quoted you.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
They just did not want to sell you the car for the price you were willing to pay. Simple as that.
In the end, everyone was happy.
Normally I would agree that they simply didn't want to sell me the car at the price I was willing to pay...but oddly enough, the sales manager left me a phone message the day after they lured us in and then changed their mind. I'm not sure what he was planning to say, but I emailed him back and explained we were going to buy it from the low-offer dealer that week. Then the original salesman called me back, and I explained the same thing to him. He said he wanted to talk to the manager and call me back, but I explained once again that we were going to buy from the low-offer dealer. At that point, he asked if I would forward him the low-offer email, which I did. I'm not sure what the follow-up calls were all about...seems odd if they didn't want to sell us the car at that price. But I guess I'll never know, as they strung us out much too long. It was a happy ending for us...maybe happy for them too, but if so, why call us again a couple of times?
If they wanted to sell you the car for the price you were willing to pay, they had their chance but they decided not to do it.
So why keep calling you back? I have no idea. I guess us normal people are not supposed to understand how car dealers operate.
No everybody is as straightforwards as you, Bob. Here are several possible reasons to call you after you walked out:
1. See if you changed your mind, maybe today you want to buy for two thousand more than yesterday - who knows.
2. See if could lure you with another lowball - every chance of getting you in is a chance of sale.
3. See what competition did, if the said offer was accurate. See, if they lowball often, they think that others do too.
4. Get another chance for "what can I do to sell you this car today" - of course other than giving you the price you want and, color and options you want, backing on the price of that paint sealant and fabric protector, or lowering the $699 fee that is preprinted and mandatory even for the Pope.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Perhaps everyone was happy – hard to tell, since we only hear from 1 party.
But as a potential buyer, I would NOT have been happy with having my time wasted & being lied to.
The car purchase before my most recent one, I tried to negotiate with 3 different dealers and experienced various ( typical, in my experience ) issues with the sales & managerial staff that wasted my time. With drive time, I probably wasted about a total of 1 work day. Or, perhaps more accurately, 1 “play day”. I do value my time & my time off. And I was not happy with those outcomes.
I finally purchased the car from a small dealer out-of-state. The process was simple, painless, straightforward. The price negotiation & trade-in valuation were handled via email. The sale paperwork took less than 15 minutes. I did drive to North Carolina - and back, with the new car. But that was quite pleasant, with the deal signed via FAX before departing to pick up the new car.
I saved money ( approx. $1,500 to $2K, compared to what the other dealers characterized as their “best deal” ) and was confident of a deal with no tricks or games. I’d have bought my current car through the same dealership, if they were able to sell it to me . . .
So – I was eventually happy, but based on these interactions with the 3 other dealerships, I was not happy with the time spent & I will not deal with them. And I strongly caution those who consider these dealerships.
- Ray
Grateful for those few ( in my experience = over 35 hears of buying new & used cars ) dealers & sales people that treat customers with honesty, respect & integrity . . .
Anyway its pretty much a non issue for me as I wouldn't use e-mail. I prefere eye to eye contact when I am spending ten's of thousands of dollars.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D