Stories from the Sales Frontlines

graphicguy

I'm certain that Neon inventory was already subsidized by Chrysler corporate. As robr2 says, it's up to the dealer to offer that subsidy back to the buyer to move the inventory. If the dealer chooses to keep all or part of that subsidy for themselves, they run the risk of not being able to discount the cars enough to move them.

I have to believe any dealer with substantial Neon stock probably had a "fleet deal" that may have fallen through. I certainly can't seeing any dealership having ordered Neons once word was out Chrysler was discontinuing them unless a fleet buyer wanted them.

Personal opinion, but dealers who add on a bunch of after market stuff, like the Tahoe description, is asking for trouble. Tahoe's, even steeply discounted like they are now, are still a hard sell in today's market. Add a bunch of uneeded/unwanted options to them, they are then priced in the unsaleable category.

I would think the dealership may use it as a transport/customer service vehicle until they can depreciate it off the books. Maybe even donate it to a charitable cause and take the tax break. Even as nice as the '07 Tahoes are (and they are nice vehicles), they are piling up at an alarming rate at the dealerships I'm seeing.

metro123

The local Lincoln dealer is still trying to unload new 2005 Aviators.

What kind of discounts could one expect on a car that probably sold for 8-10k off msrp a year ago? What's msrp on an avaitor, 46 or 47K?? Would 30K buy one of these leftovers? That's a huge loss for the dealer...

bobst

In the 1980's, a friend of mine bought a GM car that had been sitting on the lot for about a year. Even the battery was dead.

He drove the car for over 300K miles with very few problems and then gave it to a relative.

I guess buying a car that has had a birthday on the lot can be OK.

imidazol97

Did the battery last? I bought one car off the showroom floor where people had moved the seats, run the power windows, etc., and the battery failed by 3 years from being drained and recharged deeply.

dino001

I bought one car off the showroom floor where people had moved the seats, run the power windows, etc., and the battery failed by 3 years from being drained and recharged deeply.

Wow, you got a long life of it - in Florida you get 3 years from a brand new battery that just came off the delivery truck

lemmer

Well, I have a young coworker who tried to help his parents buy one. He told his parents that they could get one for $25K, his reasoning being that the wholesale price of a used low mileage Aviator is about that amount. He claims they got the dealer down to $27 and walked when they would not go lower.

I suspect the dealer just showed them the door when they offered $25K. I seriously doubt they could have got it for $27. Even with friends, I become seriously cynical when they tell me what happened at a car dealer.

atlvibe

Even as nice as the '07 Tahoes are (and they are nice vehicles), they are piling up at an alarming rate at the dealerships I'm seeing.
Buyers have moved on to more economical imports. There is very little confidence in stable gasoline prices. Suv's will never again be the must have vehicle for most people.

graphicguy

I don't know if SUVs are exactly dead. These things tend to go in cycles. Customers in the U.S., for better or worse (won't get into that debate) like big vehicles to haul all their "stuff" and be able to go anywhere, in any weather (whether they actually do go everywhere, or not).

The V8 behemoths of the '60s gave way to the more fuel concious cars of the '70s & '80s, only to be replaced by the SUVs of the '90s & the beginning of this decade.

I really don't think they'll go away. I do think that hybrid/alternative fuel versions will live on. All the manufacturers (foreign and domestic) seem to be working on even more alternative fuel/hybrid SUVs because people don't want to give up their versatility entirely.

If hydrogen production vehicles are as close as some are saying (within 5 years), the whole fossil fuel debate will go away. Right now, we've got SUV hybrids as well as E85 flex fuel vehicles....multi-displacement V8s are already here, too. As these become more mainstream, SUVs will once again become popular.

I think the current situation is just a "blip" on the radar.

Just look at the reinvention of the muscle car (current Mustang, future Camaro & Challenger) after being left for dead 25+ years ago. It's what people want.

au1994

No, they are far from dead. Cross overs will take a % of sales from SUV's. Hybrid's will take an even smaller %. But there is still a market.

Face it, people like the size, the AWD/4WD capability and most importantly the "look." Then there is that small % of buyers who really do need an SUV for work, towing, sheer size of the family, out door hobbies etc. Plus when some mini-vans get an average of 16 mpg in mixed driving, 14 mpg in a Tahoe is not so bad, if that is truly what you want.

lemmer

I see a lot of new Tahoes and Yukons around my part of town.

By the way, isn't the hydrogen thing still a net energy loser?

british_rover

Depends on the way you make it.

snakeweasel

You don't make it, it is already made, you isolate it.

Kirstie_H

I'm gonna take a pass on the chemistry lesson and hope for some sales stories.

british_rover

You know what I mean.

Ah I have a sales story for you. I am in the middle of selling a Discovery to a guy in Las Vegas. He is taking out a loan to pay for the Discovery and because of that they vehicle must be registered and insured before it can be transported. The problem is that in vegas you cannot register a vehicle without first having emissions done....

So now we are at a bit of an impasse. Can't ship the vehicle without it being registered and can't register it without it being emissioned.

I am going to have it emissioned in CT and see if NV will accept that.

turboshadow

Waaay back in August 98, I saw an ad on TV where Ford was selling Rangers at .9% with 1500 cash back. I went to the dealer, test drove a truck, like it, and sat down to tak price. When I mentioned the ad, he got a funny face, and said 'That's not right. It is .9% OR cash back. I said, OK, not interested and left.

A month goes by, and I see the same ad. Go back, test drive the truck and sat down to talk. I pulled out all my info, and the salesman, who was training another guy, says, 'Oh, see. He has done a lot of research. usually those guys know what's going on and it isn't much use haggling with them because it wastes your time." Well we negotiate an agreeable price and interest and I buy the truck.

While I'm waiting for them to deliver it, I ask the salesman about the ad I saw a month ago. He laughed and said, "They ran that dang thing just once one month early by accident and we had keep telling people they didn't see it."

jordanrobinson

Depending on the family size, crossovers will likely take a lot of the mini-van market too. For instance, Ford already has the Freestyle for AWD and passenger compacity. Now the upcoming Edge will take the rest of folks for utility and space too.

au1994

Good point, I had not thought of cross overs being as much mini-van competetion as SUV.

I say put 'em out there and the market will dictate what it wants. Now, the thing for GM and Ford to do is listen to that and pull a model when it is severely underperforming. Cut their losses and run. Sink the money back into other much more needed areas of the line-up.

tsgeisel

The article I saw said that mid-sized SUVs are probably on their way out. Full-sized ones are still being bought by people who have a real need for them.

Time will tell.

zodiac2004

Full-sized ones are still being bought by people who have a real need for them.

If only people who needed them bought full-size SUVs, that would hurt its sales BIG TIME!!!

isellhondas

I guess I have to ask why anyone would want to do such a long distance deal? No Discos in Vegas?

I have done a few out of state deals and they can be a PITA!

mac24

If only people who needed them bought full-size SUVs, that would hurt its sales BIG TIME!!!

I guess that argument would also apply to virtually every type of vehicle except small four door sedans.

british_rover

Well he is stealing this one as it is priced at auction levels so that we can try and avoid it going to auction.

He was very particular of the colors and options he wanted so maybe he just could not find one around vegas.

isellhondas

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for a host to spot and take down that link!

isellhondas

Gotcha!

deserth8r

It seems like a lot fewer posts have been popping up lately. I thought August was typically a good month for car sales, so I assumed there would be more posts from people looking for advice. I havent been here long enough to see any real cycles, but I am just curious, is this month slow, or are you salespeople extra busy right now?

pat

(not a host here)

August is a vacation month. It's one of those, um, interesting realities that posts seem to be a bit higher during regular working times than they are during those times when most folks usually aren't at their places of business.

Hmm ...

:shades:

fordfool

In 1982 I drove into a Ford dealership looking for a new Fairmont. I was driving a junker (aka 1974 Pinto). To call the Pinto a beater would be much too kind; it was a rust bucket. I had a steel plate welded to the car's
underside because the floor had rusted out. The headlights could not be aligned because the fenders were shot. The door sills and wheel wells were gone. (The car had been rust proofed when new for all the good that did.) The Pinto had been in an accident, not that that mattered. The children were not allowed in the car.

Realizing that the vehicle had absolutely no value, I decided to keep it as a winter car, to let it absorb a few more Buffalo winters while the new Ford was garaged.

And so in the summer of 1982, I went to Ford looking for a clean deal. No trade, no financing; just my cash for their car. But the salesman eyed my Pinto suspiciously, asking a number of times if I would be trading it. Each time I assured him there was no trade.

My offer on the Fairmont was refused, naturally. But the salesman called me at home with a change of heart. Back to the dealership to get the deal done, read over all the paper work, and was at the point of signing when I asked "How much for my Pinto?"

The pained expression of "I knew it!" on the salesman's face was priceless. After a few seconds of enjoying his frustration, I smiled, and said "Just kidding, no trade."

Several years later, I sold the Pinto to a junkyard for $50 with a salvage title. No way would I wish that car on anyone.

tidester

The pained expression of "I knew it!" on the salesman's face was priceless.

Gosh, that practically begs a new topic along the lines of True Confessions of Cruel Customers!

Your post reminded me of a friend who purchased a brand new Pinto around Thanksgiving in 1973 and by the time we returned from winter break (January) his doors and floorboard had rusted through. I would not have believed it had I not seen it! Oh, btw, this was in Rochester aka Salt City and the pothole capital of the world!

tidester, host

jmonroe

Your post reminded me of a friend who purchased a brand new Pinto around Thanksgiving in 1973 and by the time we returned from winter break (January) his doors and floorboard had rusted through.

C'mon, I know cars were really subject to quick-rust-out back then, I had a couple myself, but I never HOID of anything this bad. Pinto's must have been especially bad and/or the salting of roads was especially heavy.

jmonroe

graphicguy

Good story....just as a sidenote, back in my college days, a friend had well worn, rust bucket, Pinto. For the sake of chasing "the love of his life", I accompanied him on a trek from OH to San Francisco. Thought we were dead meat driving through the Rockies.

But, we made it. Unfortunately, the Pinto didn't have enough left to make it back. Left it on the side of the road in Oakland. Ended up taking a Greyhound from CA to OH. That's another story in and of itself.

Want to meet "characters"? Try taking a long bus ride.

Back to regularly scheduled programming.

lemko

...got a new 1972 Ford Pinto when she graduated from nursing school. It was the funky "red, white, and blue" edition with a "USA" decal on the C-pillar. The car held up for a few years, but then started rusting with a vengeance. By the time she got rid of it, the tops of the front fenders had been patched with sheet metal pop-riveted in and it was repainted "Police Car Blue" by a guy who ran a seedy used car lot full of old clunkers painted the same color next to his gas station.

jordanrobinson

I guess I have to ask why anyone would want to do such a long distance deal?

You don't have customers that like you so much that they want to only do business with you regardless of logistics? I have a couple in Seattle, granted that's only across the state. But another salesman here has customers as far out as the midwest. He's been at this dealership for over 20 years though!

jmonroe

...Ended up taking a Greyhound from CA to OH. That's another story in and of itself.

tiedster/kirstie,

If it gets slow here over the week end, (like it usually does) can he tell his tale?

graph,

Start warming-up, you might get your shot.

Don't be too quick to go boating this weekend.

jmonroe

graphicguy

We'll see about the weekend. Supposed to rain. Plus, for some strange reason, my running lights quit working. Have to track that down...or, just run the river during daylight hours.

If I'm landlocked this weekend, the greyhound story from CA to OH may come out.

snakeweasel

You don't have customers that like you so much that they want to only do business with you regardless of logistics?

There comes a point where logistics trumps how well you like someone. Case in point, I have a very good friend who is a dry cleaner (and a very good one at that). But since he is an hour and a half away I don't use him.

It may be just me but going halfway across the country to buy a car just because you like the salesman just doesn't make sense.

tidester

Pinto's must have been especially bad and/or the salting of roads was especially heavy.

Both!

tidester, host

tidester

If it gets slow here over the week end, (like it usually does) can he tell his tale?

I suppose if it gives insight into a salesperson's psyche ...!

tidester, host

snakeweasel

I didn't know salespeople had psyches. I thought they were all robots like our friend malfunctioning Eddie here.

tidester

I didn't know salespeople had psyches.

Psyche and conscience are not the same thing! (JUST KIDDING, GANG!!)

tidester, host

british_rover

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

jmonroe

I thought they were all robots like our friend malfunctioning Eddie here.

Did you paint that all by yourself? If you did, keep your day-job, if you had help, fire that person!

jmonroe

biancar

You guys are all bringing back the memories! I too, had a Pinto back in the day, early 70's when I was fresh out of college. My step-dad was a union man, had Fords all his life, encouraged me to look at Fords. A fairly new Pinto (a year or two old, if I remember) was all I could afford.

Well, it served me well enough for three years, and then I sold it for $1,000 and went to Europe for 6 weeks on the proceeds.

Came back and bought ANOTHER Pinto (Good Lord, what WAS I thinking!) and that one was a total disaster! Electric wiring was a joke, always blowing fuses, and the body rusted out easily during some harsh Boston winters.

Literally on the day I was shopping for a new car, it blew the engine out on the highway. I managed to get to a pay phone (no cells in those days), called a tow truck, called the dealership where I had an appointment to say I was still coming but would be delayed. Tow truck guy took me to the dealership, where I perkily jumped out as the salesman, who had come out the door to meet us, started laughing.

I said "I need a new car!" He said "you sure do!"

The tow truck guy bought the car for $100, I bought a Datsun 310, and have been a loyal Nissan customer for the better part of the last 26 years.

snakeweasel

Did you paint that all by yourself?

No thats from "Futurama" A cartoon show set in the year 3000 by the same guy who does "The Simpsons" he is a minor character that sells cars. He is a robot that is malfunctioning so bad he's practically giving them away. Its a parody of Crazy Eddie.

graphicguy

If it does get slow over the weenend, I'll make a few of those bus trip story posts, if tidester and the rest of you folks don't mind and/or want to hear them.

Just as a taste, the trip started badly at the Oakland bus depot with me fighting with a homeless guy for a bus station bench. And, the trip ended in Cincinnati with me meeting up with a guy who was dressed in a clown suit, a hard hat, carrying a lunch pail and ART....that's right...paintings. Those of you who have spent a significant amount of time in Cincinnati have probably seen this guy from time-to-time.

zodiac2004

The only thing odd about this story is

"The tow truck guy bought the car for $100".

I would have thought a Pinto with a blown engine is in no way worth $100 plus a free ride in a tow truck.

jmonroe

...Just as a taste, the trip started badly at the Oakland bus depot with me fighting with a homeless guy for a bus station bench.

Never mind, I heard that one. Fix your wiring and go boating.

Have a good time.

jmonroe

jipster

Any story that starts with someone fighting a homeless guy for a bus station bench, and ends with a clown wearing a hard hat with lunch pail...is one I want to read. :shades:

snakeweasel

Sounds like a Mel Brooks movie.

deserth8r

One of my best friends mom owned a pinto. His parents bought it brand new back in the 70s, and drove it every day. I felt bad for him because he was so embarrassed to get dropped off at school every day in that thing. Right before we graduated high school (1999) his mom finally sold the thing and got $900 for it. It still ran great and had the original drivetrain. Not too much rust in CA though.

biancar

What makes you think the ride in the tow truck was free? ;-)

Actually I don't remember that part. I always had AAA so maybe it was covered. He didn't have to go very far to get to the dealer, anyway.