Stories from the Sales Frontlines

jipster

My parents had a '96 Altima with a 4 banger that was actually quite snappy, so I'm inclined to believe these people.

Me too. I had a 1994 4 cylinder Altima, rated around 160 hp I believe. Very quick... more than enough horsepower when needed, handled very well. A very nice family car that you could still have a little fun in.

oldfarmer50

"...So you're going to have one or two idiots reply to a story..."

So who's the other idiot? :confuse:

snakeweasel

the best I save for weddings, funerals and tractor pulls

Well if you travel in the circles I do sometimes all three at once.

nyccarguy

Probably the single biggest thing I learned here on edmunds (from the salespeople) is about trade in values and how off KBB and edmunds TMV really are. I try to preach what I've learned here when people ask me questions about buying new cars and trading in.

For Instance: My Mother-In-Law currently drives a 2000 VW New Beetle (I think It's a GLX). It is Yellow with a Black Leather Interior and a 5-speed stick. The car currently has 85,000 miles on it and has heated seats, CD Changer, Sunroof. It is mechanically sound (strange for a VW huh?) and the body has no scratches on it. But it is YELLOW and has a STICK. Now that my Brother-In-Law and his wife have a 2 year old and a 3 month old, the 2 kids will NOT fit into the Bug and there is NO room for the stroller. My Mother-In-Law needs a new ride.

A few weeks ago at dinner my Father-In-Law starts talking about how he researched the price of the Bug on KBB and Edmunds. He tells me it is worth $7000. I start to talk to him and tell him that there is NO WAY he's getting $7K for her Bug. I'm sure he picked the retail price of the car in Flawless condition and that's where he gets $7K. I tell him he'll be offered $4,000 on a trade.

They haven't shopped it as a trade or even decided what they're going to replace the Bug with. My Mother-In-Law wants something that's "different." It has to come in Yellow or Orange and get decent fuel economy.

Hey Greenpea: Can you still get an Xterra in Yellow?

"I will win a new BMW 135i in the BMWCCA raffle this year."

explorerx4

this one is going to knock your socks off.
i told the dealer i usually buy from to post this story were the prospective truck buyers could read it:
gets you home

greanpea68

6. Have fun!

Isell,

That was awesome :shades:

I just wish every customer was that upfront. It would make the job easy.

I can hear them now he said " easy "

Doesn't mean we will take advantage but definately saves time for both parties!!

GP

greanpea68

Hey Greenpea: Can you still get an Xterra in Yellow?


Yes and you can also get it in a stick :shades:

Thats a win win in my books. WHen should expect to see her Saturday or Sunday

GP

hp6130

Mack and Isell, can I get an opinion please. 2009 Camry XLE 4 cyl. w/ leather pkg.,heated seats, VSC and carpet mat set. MSRP $28,149 dealer offer $25,300.
2008 Accord 4cyl. 4 door EX-L MSRP $26,495 dealer offer $24,463. I will pay pa. sales tax 6%, $50 doc. fee and license. NO TRADE straight deal. Isell have your customers been complaining about the gas mileage in the 4 cyl. (190hp) accords. Thanks.

dino001

Actually both Craig and Mack have customer's accounts for their Camries and Accords going around the Continent on half tank of gas and returning with full one :P Those things practically add fuel while driving. You know you can trust it - it's Japanese. I don't know the whole technology, but it probably has something to do with throttle body miniaturization and then superexpansion inside combustion chamber. Then six samurai sitting in the exhaust by waving their swords separate fumes back into the fuel, which is then transported back to the tanks. Or something like it ... :P

perna

"...So you're going to have one or two idiots reply to a story..."

So who's the other idiot?

Snurple. Yes, I've been reading Edmunds a *long* time.

perna

The car currently has 85,000 miles on it and has heated seats, CD Changer, Sunroof. It is mechanically sound (strange for a VW huh?)

Nah, you have it backwards. German cars are mechanically bulletproof, it's the electricals that are garbage! :lemon:

:P

jmonroe

There is not enough booze in the world to erase that image from my mine.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's bed time here in the Eastern Time Zone and I figure with the nightmares I'll probably have with that image, I might as well stay up for a while and finish reading these posts.

jmonroe

mackabee

Thanks brother.
Mack :shades:

chikoo

ditto....

chikoo

I could not find any bullet holes....

mackabee

No need to apologize Craig. That's the first thing I noticed about them. That b pillar is horrendous.
I sold one a few months ago that the customer wrecked after three weeks of ownership. He called me up to recommend a body shop to do the repairs so I steered him to the local MB dealer that has an excellent reputation. I have my cars fixed there. Just took Mack2's Prelude home today. Can't tell it was in a wreck unless you pop up the hood and see there are on vin's on one fender and the hood.
Mack

mackabee

That's an excellent price on the 09 Camry. My determining factor other than price would be how comfortable the car will feel to me. These two are very similar in content but have different driving qualities. If you like a firm stiff ride than the Accord would suit you best. On the other hand a smoother luxurious ride can be had with the Camry due to different suspensions. You can get the firm stiff ride with the SE Camry which has a sport tuned suspension. If you are over 45 then you will probably like the Camry over the Accord. The Accord seems to attract younger buyers than Camry does. Hope this helps.

venture

Needless to say I didn't buy a Honda.

Me too. When I stopped to look at the CRV for my wife when the new style came out I was pratically ignored. Someone here said it was because I wasn't a serious buyer. How they, or the salesman, knew that is a mystery.

The wife is now driving a Forester instead of a CRV - and she likes it a lot.

sky23213

This apparently gets to be an issue with Fire and Rescue crews. I remember a few days ago I read/watched a piece about the issue, but it was about the new cars in general. Another thing that I discussed at length with a Fire Chief was the airbags. He had been very concerned for his people for a while when they take the Jaws of Life to newer cars (and their different trims), not knowing if and where some of the airbags were. He told me there is a software that can tell you that, but it was in the 4K range, not counting the updates.

joel0622

That is an outstanding story, and as closely as I follow what goes on with the war I am suprised I had not seen it.

Thanks for posting it.

oldfarmer50

"...this one is going to knock your socks off..."

Wow. If Ford doesn't make a commercial out of that they are crazy. They'll sell a million trucks in the Heartland and military towns.

oldfarmer50

"...Yes, I've been reading Edmunds a *long* time..."

HA HA HA That is toooo funny. When I wrote that I was actually claiming to be the first idiot. I'm glad you stepped up too. LOL

isellhondas

That that offer and run with it!

I haven't had any gas mileage complaints but given the price of gas, everyone is complaining!

hp6130

Thanks Mack and Isell and anyone else who added their 2 cents. As I said earlier, all the cars we looked at are nice and it's a tough decision. Hey Mack, the camry salesman called me at 9 this morning dropping their offer by another $150. Isell I wasn't sure about the price of the accord, because I see where people are buying them for$ 500 to $1000 under invoice. Thanks again

hp6130

Isell, I just received 2 internet quotes on the accord we were considering, both were $500 more in price. If we go with the accord, I'll feel real comfortable with the price we were quoted from the local dealer. Thanks for the input about it being a good and fair price.

jipster

Thanks for the input about it being a good and fair price.

Fair? Don't know what being "fair" has to do with anything. The dealership will try to get the most they can for the car, given current low demand,... you should try to get it for the least amount possible. I say grind the sucker! Grind his bones to make yourself some bread. :surprise:

mackabee

Both prices are excellent. $2950.00 off on a brand new 09 Camry is a steal. The Accord's price is also very low. Take the one you fell most comfortable with.
Mack

hp6130

Grind? Where's the love? I'll report back w/ a final choice and details.

oldfarmer50

"...Where's the love?..."

Jipster isn't happy until the salesman is curled up in a ball under the copy machine, weeping.

epiney

Jipster isn't happy until the salesman is curled up in a ball under the copy machine, weeping.

LOL, yeah, he's the anti-Bobst. Take your time and grind 'em down

jipster

Jipster isn't happy until the salesman is curled up in a ball under the copy machine, weeping.

LOL, yeah, he's the anti-Bobst. Take your time and grind 'em down

Well... it depends on the circumstances. Generally I leave enough on the table for the salesperson to grab a bite at White Castle's on the way home. If I am treated very well, I'll leave enough for them to stop at Wendy's. If I'm treated like royalty, then I'll leave enough for them to eat at Sizzler or Red Lobster.

But, the jipser can be generous as well. When I sold my wifes 1994 Buick Century Wagon 4 years ago, the asking price was $2,300... $1,900 was my bottom line. An older gentleman, who needed a vehicle to deliver the mail out in the sticks, said he would give me $2,000. I said fine. This was a nice guy, had his wife along with him, didn't seem to have a lot of money, not in the best of health... I told him I'd let him have it for $1,900.... that's what I thought it was worth... what was "fair". He didn't argue. So, while I would probably make a horrible salesman, I try to be a good consumer.

exb0

Jipster isn't happy until the salesman is curled up in a ball under the copy machine, weeping.

There is a lot truth to that.

I have a friend who I help to negotiate his car purchases. In 2000 he bought a Corolla LE for about $16K OTD, that was a couple of hundred over invoice. In ‘03 he got a Siena for about $1500 under invoice, but there was $2000 in trunk money that I didn’t know about at that time. Past November I helped him buy the ’08 Corolla LE for $16 OTD, however this time it was way under invoice even after the rebate. By far the best deal he ever got.

He was very happy with his first two deals, but the last one he was not too excited about. He later told me: “The first two times they were pissed at us for getting such good deal and not letting them make any money on me. This time they were happy and pleasant, they even thanked me for my business. They must have made a lot of money on me.”

Kirstie_H

Sorry, they had to go - large photos distort the page and make it hard to read the text. Gotta re-size them, or upload 'em to your carspace album (where they're auto-resized) then copy & paste the code in here.

Happy Friday!

epiney

But, the jipser can be generous as well. When I sold my wifes 1994 Buick Century Wagon 4 years ago, the asking price was $2,300... $1,900 was my bottom line. An older gentleman, who needed a vehicle to deliver the mail out in the sticks, said he would give me $2,000. I said fine. This was a nice guy, had his wife along with him, didn't seem to have a lot of money, not in the best of health... I told him I'd let him have it for $1,900.... that's what I thought it was worth... what was "fair". He didn't argue. So, while I would probably make a horrible salesman, I try to be a good consumer.

What was the KBB retail, excellent on that vehicle, $1,500?

luvmybuicks

Has anyone noticed an increase in demand from your own customers or an increased willingness of your Used Car Department to pay more (in trades) to get used domestic cars? In other words are used domestic cars on your lots an easier sell than previously? Can your provide examples of domestic cars that are highly sought after when used?

Does your Used Car Department increase their offers on trade-ins to boost new car sales during adverse market conditions for new cars? Does your used car business do better when new cars sales have slowed?

My trade-ins (Buick's) are normally very clean (never smoked/no small children) 4 years old with around 70,000 miles; however the domestic dealerships never seem to really want them. I put the cars in the paper for $1500 more than I was offered at the dealership and they are a quick sale. Never experienced the horror stories others have experienced when selling private. Missouri does give a sales tax credit for any sale within 60 days of purchase of a new car.

I appreciate everyone's advice and enjoy reading this forum. Joel, Mack, Isell, British Rover, Greenpea and others to numerous to mention should open an online consulting firm and ask for a credit card number prior to giving any advice. I think you would have just about every make covered here.

Thanks again.

Kevin

madmanmoo

Worst. Salesman. Ever......

You're definitely fired, Jip. :P

-moo

jipster

What was the KBB retail, excellent on that vehicle, $1,500?

hmmmm... and I thought oldfarmer and jmonroe were the wiseinhiemers of the bunch.

But, now that I think about it... the Buick may have had an asking price of $1,300 instead of $2,300. If you or someone else doesn't mind, do a search of this discussion... and 3 or 4 of the other buying advice discussions, and locate where I have posted about this topic before. Maybe a year or two ago... maybe more. I'm too busy.

Either way it was under Edmunds private party, good condition. :P

corvette

He was hearing a long, drawn-out, and nasty(is there any other kind?) divorce case.

No, there's usually not any other kind, save for the occasional agreed divorce.

joel0622

An older gentleman, who needed a vehicle to deliver the mail out in the sticks, said he would give me $2,000. I said fine. This was a nice guy, had his wife along with him, didn't seem to have a lot of money, not in the best of health...

You fell for the sickly old mail man in the country trick??? That is old as the hills.

madmanmoo

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that.....



-moo

snakeweasel

Past November I helped him buy the ’08 Corolla LE for $16 OTD

Wow 16 bucks for an '08 Corolla. Can you negotiate my next car?

exb0

LOL, what can I say, it was the end of the month, and they really had to move another unit. :P

Did I forget to mention it was a Hot Wheel Special Edition Corolla?

mackabee

Which one is that? Hot Wheel edition?
:confuse:
I gather it was an LE correct?
Mack

pcampos

I go to a Lexus show room and test drive the IS 250. I love the car. They offer me a sale price of 35,552.70. They then make the following 36-month lease offer: I put $1200 down for the acquisition fee and the first month's payment (nothing for cap reduction). The money factor is .0025. The residual value is .56 of the MSRP of $36,346, i.e. $20,353. So according to my math I'd be paying $15,993 over 36 months, plus the equivalent of 5.4% interest. So that works out to $16,870 over 36 months. That's $468 a month. But according to their worksheet I'm supposed to pay $583 a month!

Of course I didn't figure any of this out until I went home and sat down with a calculator. I love the car, but I need to know if I'm somehow doing the math wrong (I've never leased before), or if they're just trying to rip me off to the tune of nearly $4K. Thanks in advance!

exb0

Mack, it was a joke. Snake, was picking on me because in my original post I wrote $16 instead of $16K. Therefore, I made it sound like we bought a Hot Wheel Special Edition toy car.

I guess I’ll keep my day job. I won’t make as a comedian if I have to explain my jokes.

mackabee

I kind of figured that. I missed the $16.

Mack

pcampos

The finance charge lasts for the life of the loan of course. Ugh.

jipster

You fell for the sickly old mail man in the country trick??? That is old as the hills

Nahhh, I could smell the cow manure on him... his wife too.

But, when it comes to car buying and selling, I liken myself to Robin Hood and liberal demorcrats... I takeith from the rich, and giveith to the poor.

greanpea68

This time they were happy and pleasant, they even thanked me for my business. They must have made a lot of money on me.”

They are trying to keep you happy so they get a exellent survey :surprise:

GP

jmonroe

Where's the love?

That's reserved for when the lights go out. You're buying a car here, don't allow yourself to get confused. So, go for the throat and get a good deal. FWIW, the deal will last a lot longer than what went on when the lights went out.

jmonroe