Stories from the Sales Frontlines

dino001

I don't think people with BMW's would be as likely to report a warranty problem, might hurt their image as a bimmer owner

Really, you think this low of us? :mad: Consumer Reports disagree. They give BMW "average" reliability based solely on responses from their survey. So somehow those with BMW who subscribe CR would report, but those who do not sit quiet and don't say a word...

tjc78

Very sorry to hear about your Grandfather. Its never easy loosing a family member.

driver100

I'm guessing it's white with a sand color fake convertible roof.

That was funny, because we got there and we drove by about 20 houses, saw 1 white GM and 1 CV and both and sand colored convertible roofs. Guess you don't notice them unless you are looking for them. Saw several more during the day.

The car was on the market for about a month but someone said they would buy it for $4500 last night. The son said he would call tonight if the deal didn't go through.

Turns out it was a 2003 with 38000 miles. V8 with leather seats, every option available at the time. Looked absolutely mint, however no tread left on the tires. If it was solid and seemed good to drive I would probably go for it, esp at $4500. This one was white, but no cloth top, however sand colored interior.

The buyer seemed pretty serious though, so it is a long shot. I was LMAO when I saw the white ones with sand colored cloth tops though.

driver100

A sample of one owner shouldn't be enough to sway the buying inclination of an intelligent buyer.

We had a 1995 Volvo that was a total lemon, it would stall out at any time. Took it to 3 dealers to try to get it fixed.

My best friend told me he was looking for a Volvo. I told him about our experience, I said they should be good cars but this is what happened.

I have other friends who love their Volvo, I don't say anything to them.

I am glad I told my friend, he can make his own informed decision..

mako1a

anyone have any opinion on a good home defense or conceal carry weapon?

I have lots of opinions on the subject, but much of it depends on why you want it, where you live and how well you can shoot.

Illinois-NO CC permits, NY and NJ-very hard to get, etc. Semi-auto or revolver?

explorerx4

So, was it a catch or not? :surprise:

oldfarmer50

"...the people around St. Armands Circle..."

That puts you in Sarasota. I thought you were north of there. That's a very nice area, a kind of private island right on the ocean.

I'll enjoy house sitting and driving your big Ford for you.

jmonroe

You're right... you were screwed over.

Gee, now I feel better...another believer. :surprise:

If you ever get around to doing another book my “screwed over” tale could do at least one chapter. :mad: :mad:

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

"...I'm looking at a Ruger LC9 and a Glock 19..."

Can't offer an opinion of the Ruger but the Glock is a nice weapon, used by a lot of cops. Much less likely to jam than a Beretta. For home defense you can't go wrong with a Mosberg pistol grip shotgun.

So what's the deal-e-o? Is there a dealer who wouldn't honor a warranty? :surprise:

jmonroe

So, was it a catch or not?

Of course it was.

The ironic part of being at that game was that I was on the sixth level with a friend. The film crew that took the short of Franco scooping up the ball just before it nearly hit the ground, as seen looking from the end zone, was on the fourth level directly below where we sat. So, when I see that famous short the only thing that is different is the vertical angle of the way we saw it.

When I point this out to my sons they say, “yeah, yeah, show me the ticket stub”. Just because I don’t have the stub doesn’t mean I can’t vividly remember that shot. They’re not going to take that memory away no matter how doubtful they may be.

jmonroe

jipster

Giants - Pats II is exactly what I'm pulling for!

Giants shouldn't even be in the playoffs. Packers handed them the game. Giants will get stomped by the 69"ers.

Anyhow, without "America's Team" in the playoffs, no one really cares about fooseball anymore. :mad:

jipster

I wrote "as likely". Don't think CR surveys every bimmer owner.

dino001

Of course not, but your profile of BMW owners is simply preposterous. You have no evidence to what you're saying, just slinging some mud. It just a classic "Oh, he is a BMW owner, look at this moron, even if his car lost an engine on his way to work, he wouldn't tell anyone". What kind of b***t is that?

jipster

I have lots of opinions on the subject, but much of it depends on why you want it, where you live and how well you can shoot.

I live in a "free" state. Why do I want it? Personal defense/home protection... maybe rob a bank or two. :mad:

I'm a pretty good shot. At 50 ft can put pretty much every shot on target (human sillouette).

I have 2 revolvers, a Colt Mark III .38 special, and a Colt Mark III .357 Magnum... too big for conceal carry. So looking for a 9mm semi-auto(prefer 15 round magazine) that's small enough for conceal carry, but big enough not to have the high recoil that the small pistols have.

jipster

jipster

If you ever get around to doing another book my “screwed over” tale

We here at Edmunds know you were "screwed over". But to Hyundai you falsified records. That grey area is all they need to deny your claim. Let's them run one or two extra commercials on the radio from the money they save. But, it's not just Hyundai. They're all (manufacturers) are clamping down on claims. The money just ain't there like it was in the olden days.

If a manufacturer did the same thing to me, I would probably write them off as well. Ask as many people as you can about a particular car, read all the consumer info you can, keep you fingers crossed... about the best you can do.

driver100

That puts you in Sarasota. I thought you were north of there.

Your geography and memory are still good. We are north of there, just South East of Tampa or directly East of St Petersburg right near I-75.

Occassionally we go down to Armand Circle to meet friends who are near Port Charlotte, since it is about half way. We usually like to walk and look at the fancy shops (shoppes...if spelled this way they are always more expensive) and all the beautiful things we can't afford, or wouldn't buy if we could. For any one who has not been there, 8 out of 10 cars there are luxury cars, and there are Bentleys, Masseratis and every other rare luxury car you can think of.

I don't think they would allow me to drive a 2003 Ford there.

driver100

Just because I don’t have the stub doesn’t mean I can’t vividly remember that shot.

Always keep your stub or receipt if you shop at Rite Aid. :P

imidazol97

>I don't think they would allow me to drive a 2003 Ford there.

Just have a bumper sticker made up llike the "My other car is a Corvette" stickers around here...
"My other car is a Bentley"

mako1a

So looking for a 9mm semi-auto(prefer 15 round magazine) that's small enough for conceal carry

A 15 round pistol and concealed carry don't work well together unless you have one swell shoulder rig with a magazine balance pouch.

Try a Kimber Ultra Carry 45 with a spare mag. 16 rounds of all stop.

I like Glock. I have a 40 cal, but I sure wouldn't try to wear it concealed.

[Deleted User]

anyone have any opinion on a good home defense or conceal carry weapon?

I live in Utah. We're gun people.

I'm about to purchase a .45 Springfield Armory XDm for my wife with the intention it be used for home defense, particularly when I travel. Springfield just released a 3.8" compact version for concealed carry, with a 9-round magazine.

We test-shot the XDm 4.5" service size at a local shop and couldn't believe how smooth and consistent it shot, even with the heavy .45 load. We compared the 9mm and .45 XDm back-to-back and felt they shot so similar that we'd only choose the 9mm if cheap target shooting was our goal. With the .45 for defense, it only takes one round to impact and drop an assailant. The 9mm compact version can carry 13 rounds in the magazine, but I'm not confident in the round to stop a person.

sterlingdog

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. You were blessed to have had him all of those years. We drove to Charlotte yesterday for the funeral of a friend---our third one this month. As we get older, they become all too frequent.

Richard

sterlingdog

Nice M3 but the reserve is not met at $20K. That seems like a lot of money for a 9 year old car. Then again, I haven't checked for actual values.

Richard

fezo

Well, let's see....

"America's Team"..... :P

Nothing new to report. I think we're waiting on tests that won't be done until two weeks from now. So between now and mid- February I'll be in there three more times. This is a pain in the neck and not cheap. Just my luck recovery will go well into the summer. Probably lose another year on the drop top...

sterlingdog

It was nice of you to show the lady and the gentleman Snake's concern. That said a lot about your sense of fair play. Most people would not have done that. Had it just been the dealer, I might have discarded your experience as a stroke of bad luck locally. When the higher ups kissed you off, it sent me a much larger message. I would never want to purchase a vehicle that wasn't backed by the manufacturer---even if it happened to only one customer.

Richard

sterlingdog

I know that it has to be terribly frustrating. Try to be patient. It's all going to work out much better than you think. They'll begin to push things up in a more timely manner. I have good vibs about your situation.

Richard

sterlingdog

",,,anyone have an opinion...?"

Are you kidding? This is the birth place of opinions. Here's mine: Buy a good baseball bat. They're cheaper and they can be concealed under the bed or inside a trench coat.

Richard

[Deleted User]

Yesterday our FANTASTIC sales rep called to say our Subie had arrived at the dealership. I stopped by the dealership just after work and noticed the service department had already conducted their pre-delivery inspection and service, and the car was waiting on the lot.

Some owners have had their Imprezas for a month now and I've been following their experiences carefully on the forums. The only complaint that made me nervous dealt with mpg, and the Impreza not meeting EPA numbers.

So, last night, my wife and I test-drove one of the Imprezas not yet claimed in order to test out MPG. EPA places the Impreza at 27 city and 36 highway, and we put the demo model to the test to see what was realistic. It was cold, 24 degrees F, so we drove around town until the engine reached operating temperature, and then reset the first of the two MPG tracking computers. We drove around town a bit, and then hit the freeway and cruised roughly 67 MPH for 10 miles, resetting the second MPG computer as soon as we hit freeway speed. We exited after 10 miles, turned around, and headed back to the dealership with some additional in-town driving. The end result was 37.8 MPG on the highway computer and 35 MPG average for the whole test drive. The high was 41 MPG after decelerating down the off-ramp at our turn-around point.

I'm not sure what others are doing to cause bad MPG, but in our limited test we were more than pleased with the result. So we gave the thumbs-up to our sales rep and set an appointment for this afternoon to arrange pickup of our new baby. He had pick-up appointments at 1 and 6, so we arranged something in the middle at 3.

We arrived on time and found the Impreza freshly washed and waiting just outside the dealership doors. Before heading in I decided to inspect the exterior, and as I approached the car it chirped as the doors were remotely unlocked. I smiled knowing my sales guy had seen me pull up and unlocked the car from inside. Truly a great person who has made this experience most positive. During our 10-week wait for delivery I've stopped in a couple of times and he's been more than happy to chat cars with me for an hour or more.

The inspection was easy. Everything was perfect and just as we ordered from Subaru.

We sat down with our sales guy and learned his 1 PM appointment was going long due to some insurance complications that the purchasers hadn't properly prepared for prior to the appointment. That said, he made us a priority and worked through all the paperwork. He even had all our accessories waiting at his desk. All the numbers were just as we had discussed previously with no surprises anywhere.

After 40 minutes he sent us over to finance where we met a pleasant business manager. Originally we were going to pay cash, but they offered Subaru financing at 0.9% and we decided to invest our lump sum and take the financing. He reviewed our warranty coverage and then, as expected, presented the extras. Selling the extras wasn't a hard sale and we declined with no hard feelings either way. In fact, we're going to an outside shop for clear bra application (Ventureshield, actually), and since the dealership offers a Clear Bra option, I explained that the outside shop was less expensive and offered a product that I felt is better than Clear Bra. Not only did they NOT protest, but were eager to learn the details about the shop and the product, thinking they may switch if they can get something better for their customers. Very classy.

We wrapped up finance/contract in about 40 minutes, picked up the keys, and headed out after thanking our sales rep for such a smooth and pleasant transaction. He'll get perfect scores on the survey and personal recommendations to friends and family when opportunities present themselves. We drove 10 miles to the shop who will apply the bra, and now it sits in their garage until they start application in the morning. We'll take delivery in the afternoon. We're having them protect the hood, fenders, bumper, mirrors, and lamps. Plus one custom area. I ordered color-matched splash guards to protect the rocker panels and doors from tire kick-up, which tends to chip paint around here. They're flexible, though, and can rub the paint when salt/silt works between the panel and the splash guard. So I'm having the shop create a template for under/around the splash guards and then cut/apply the same clear material. That should prevent paint damage and rusting below the splash guard. If they do a good job I'll drop by the dealership and show them their work, particularly under the splash guards that other owners may find useful. Who knows, maybe I'll help create a beneficial business relationship between them.

I'll bring the Impreza home tomorrow night and apply some of the other accessories while the Ventureshield dries. Stainless and engraved side-sill plates, cargo area protection, and splash guards. We also bought an integrated roof rack (COOL concept) with bike attachments, but that'll wait until summer.

So, there's the conclusion of our marathon shopping experience. I'll post up some pics this weekend.

jipster

The 9mm compact version can carry 13 rounds in the magazine, but I'm not confident in the round to stop a person.

Thanks makeao, tyguy, and oldfarmer for the comments. I did shoot the Ruger LCP 380 (3.1"..10 ounces), which is a great conceal carry. But, the gun is a bit too small, and light, for my big meaty hands. The Beretta Ally Cat, from what I read, doesn't have the reliability of Ruger or Glock. I have thought about a shotgun, which many say is the way to go, as you don't have the danger of over penetration into and out of walls, as you would with a powerful handgun. May put the shotgun on my Xmas list for next year. Or, maybe I'll give it to my wife as a gift. Nahhh... she may try to use it on me instead of the frying pan. :sick:

I'm fairly new to guns, just started aquiring and shooting about a year ago. So would like to keep the brands of guns I am looking at at a minimum. The Springfield compact sounds pretty good though.

The question of stopping power is a good one. My thinking is I'll be able to stay on target, and shoot quicker, with a gun with less recoil. But I believe most handgun owners think as you do.

I probably shoot about once a month at the range. They rent most guns they sell for $10. So I'll try a few more out before I decide.

P.S Congrats on the Subie.

[Deleted User]

Thanks jipster! We're awfully pleased right now. Car purchases are a rare event around the household and cause for celebration

Regarding the firearm, I'd recommend spending a little money upfront and renting different options at a specialty gun store. That's how we settled on the XDm. We paid $30 to rent any gun we wanted at their range (except the .50 cal rifle, which is $10/shot). Personally, I felt the recoil on the Springfield .45 was so controllable that a magazine could be emptied in a few seconds with decent accuracy. Here's a video review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR9LOuL8aYI

Note how quick and accurate the guy can shoot, and how little lift the recoil causes. You mentioned big hands. The XDm comes with different handle backs to adjust for hand size, so that may help. With the .45 rounds the handle is already a bit wide, but with the slim backing perfect for my wife.

jipster

Here's mine: Buy a good baseball bat. They're cheaper and they can be concealed under the bed or inside a trench coat.

True. I use to have a big steel pipe I kept under the bed, lost it in the move to the new house. Plenty of baseball bats though. Do you prefer wood or aluminum? I would think wood would deliver more punch, but aluminum would have more durability. :sick:

At the moment I keep the revolvers with trigger locks, with the ammo separate and hidden. Looking to buy a gun safe for quick access. Despite the upper middle class neighborhood we live in, there has been home invasions.

I also have a alarm system through ADT, a 65 pound lab with a bad disposition towards strangers... and a 220 pound mother in law with an even worse disposition. :mad:

Just kidding about the mother in law thing... she's nice.

fezo

Nice deal! I like those a lot. I imagine you are in for a great ownership experience and you get a star for a great sales story.

On the gun issue I'm with Richard. Baseball bat.

roadburner

Sorry about your grandfather, nyc.

roadburner

The question of stopping power is a good one. My thinking is I'll be able to stay on target, and shoot quicker, with a gun with less recoil. But I believe most handgun owners think as you do.

My handgun of choice is a Ruger P85 with a magazine containing 15 rounds of "Law Enforcement Only" Winchester 147 grain Subsonic JHP ammo:



My son prefers my old Colt Agent .38 Special revolver- primarily because it is loud and obnoxious:



I live in a relatively secluded area and I've told the county police dispatch center that if I report someone trying to break into my house after dark and the police response time is longer than 30 seconds that they might as well call out the coroner while they are at it.

fezo

Aluminum for durability? How the heck often do you use the bat on someone?

rb - remind me not to surprise you at your house...

nyccarguy

Thank-you all for your condolences & kind words.

His 89th birthday would've been this April. He lived a very full life. Was still driving & living on his own until the end. I was honored to speak at his memorial service. I opened with a quote from my grandpa's favorite (favourite) comedian, Larry David.

fezo

nyc - sorry about your grandfather. That's a really tough one no matter how old.

stickguy

I'd shoot my eye out.

jipster

Aluminum for durability? How the heck often do you use the bat on someone?

rb - remind me not to surprise you at your house...

LOL... ahhh, that was too funny fezo. Made me laugh out loud...... still laughing.

Actually I've never used a bat on anyone. Was thinking about richard saying he kept a bat under his bed. Then started thinking the crazy stuff i.e Louisville Slugger versus Wilson, regular filled bat versus corked... aluminum versus wood. :P

jipster

Good choices for home protection roadburner. I've looked at the Colt Agent handguns. Very nice, but I believe they start arouind $900. Actually anything from Colt starts around $700 or $800. Colt is a great company and makes great guns, but are pricey. They lost quite a bit of market share to less expensive gun manufacturers.

About 6 months ago I sent in my 30 year old .357 magnum to Colt, as the barrel had rotated slightly out of alignment from the frame. They repaired it free of charge, including shipping! Now how's that for out of warranty repair work? :shades:

fezo

I'm kind of thinking he might cork that bat. I can't prove until he really lets someone have it with the bat and out pop the little balls.....

driver100

Everything was perfect and just as we ordered from Subaru

Great story...nice to see everything go so well. Suburu deserves a lot of credit, I have never heard of a bad experience...only positive things.

Enjoy your new Subie!

sterlingdog

Ty, congratulations on the new purchase. It sounds like a really nice vehicle and the gas mileage is excellent. You certainly had a smooth, uncomplicated sales experience. From the tone of your story, you seem really pleased and happy with the turn of events. It's so nice to hear about a positive experience while buying a car. Your story was very well written---organized thoughts, descriptive passages, and good use of the native language. I hope that you have many wonderful miles of driving pleasure.

Richard

sterlingdog

I prefer the wood bats for human heads. They are solid and will produce better results. I would only have a chance at two, maybe three hits. I want to deliver as much power and strength as possible. My MIL once used a golf club on an intruder. She did a pretty good job on him until the police arrived. They arrested him about three blocks from the house---bleeding from the head and limping where she got him in the knee caps. She was an excellent golfer with a powerful swing and strong legs. If he thought that he was going to rape a refined Southern lady, he had another thought coming.

Richard

jmonroe

Anyhow, without "America's Team" in the playoffs, no one really cares about fooseball anymore.

AH, AH …

It’s fans like you (and the team) that have given the Cryboy’s their name.

Do it on the field...for a whole season. Don’t read your press clippings after a couple mid season wins. :surprise:

jmonroe

houdini1

Jip, for the home defense part of your question you should take a look at the Taurus Judge. It is a revolver that can shoot .45 and/or .410 gauge shotgun shells.

michaellno

Anyhow, without "America's Team" in the playoffs, no one really cares about fooseball anymore.

Wait a minute .. I thought the press had proclaimed that the Broncos' were the new "Americas Team"!

mako1a

Taurus Judge

I was going to recommend that for roadburner,

but he seems to have the situation under control.

jmonroe

Wait a minute .. I thought the press had proclaimed that the Broncos' were the new "Americas Team"!

You and the ole jipster will have to battle this one out on your own.

There are 6 Super Bowl trophies in the case at Heinz Field and they aren’t worried about who is America’s Team down there. All they want is another trophy.

Hint…count trophies not press hype.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

"...Turns out it was a 2003...they would buy it for $4500..."

You should have bumped the offer to $4750 or even $5K. Edmunds says private party value is $6700. It's not as if the car changed that much between 2003 and 2007. Even with a new set of tires it's still a steal.

I tried posting this last night but I think fezo blackballed me or something and I couldn't log on. :P