Stories from the Sales Frontlines

17497507527547552003

Comments

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I am sure my 1st car a1969 Austin Sprite was worse...a quart of 40W oil a day.

    I had a 74 Camaro that would burn a quart every other fillup. Not only that it was a 4 speed manual where 2nd was totally gone and if you kept it in third it would disengage itself. So you had to wind it up in 1st shift to 3rd keep your hand on the shifter until you went into fourth.

    Finally dumped it when I was passed up by my rear right wheel. :surprise:

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Still a polo shirt is still a polo shirt and you don't wear a tie with one. I think you mean a dress shirt.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    My sister and brother-in-law are both doctors. He drives a ten year old Lexus bought new. She drives a three year old Honda Pilot.

    My sister is a doctor in Orlando, she shares a house with our cousin and rides a scooter everywhere. When she needs a car she rents.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    What side are American cars filler caps. The side where it's usually cheaper to get it to...usually the left side.

    Since gas tanks are located in the center of the car what makes the left side cheaper than the right? My guess is that filler caps are on the left is thats where the driver side is and all the driver has to do is get out and they are right there. Otherwise they have to walk around the car to fill it up. Just a matter of convience.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    We should require shirt and shoes.

    Does that mean you don't mind people without pants? :shades:

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Finally dumped it when I was passed up by my rear right wheel.

    That was a feature of GM cars in the 70s. A friend of mine's dad was killed by a wheel that flew off of a 73 Olds and bounced into his lane and through his windshield.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Well the issue with this car was that it was pretty unsafe. But since I was in rural Alaska there were very few other cars around and speeds were low. I only had it a few months but paid pretty much nothing for it.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    I also prefer the left side but it makes sense to have some on the right so that everyone is not always jockeying for the same side of the pump !

    I guess they could compromise and put it behind the license plate ! Once we got used to it us old guys could gas up like pros. :)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    LOL ! Boom I do the same thing and it drives my wife nuts !!

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Wow, I just got off the phone to my brother in law wishing him a Hsppy Birthday.

    He's 45!
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    Happy 80th Richard !! And maaannny more !! :)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    RATS!! Those blasted Jayhawks just beat my Wildcats like a tied up goat ! :cry:

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    lol my wife doesn't mind so much.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    I plan on getting rich this year with the help of you sales guys. The minute I begin to see actual sales tales being told here I am going all in in the market because I will know we have turned the corner....and don't try to trick me. :shades:

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,698
    My take on it is that the original should have been is "Accept it or not" although it doesn't matter to me. I knew what the author meant and that's what's important.

    In the next person's example "except" is used in the sense of a preposition: " I accept your offer on the car, except for the doc fees." I would respectfully suggest there is a comma fault in the example in that the comma is not needed since "except for the doc fees" is a prepositional phrase.

    To cite a source I found on a site: "Usage Note: Except in the sense of "with the exclusion of" or "other than" is generally viewed as a preposition, not a conjunction. Therefore, a personal pronoun that follows except should be in the objective case: No one except me knew it. Everyone had a ticket except her." -- source link

    Please, does anyone have a sales story?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,288
    What side are American cars filler caps. The side where it's usually cheaper to get it to...usually the left side.

    Funny that when the American car companies put the filler in the right side it's b/c they are cheap. However, the Japanese companies get a free pass. I was out earlier and saw Toyotas, Hondas, and Mitsubishis with the gas filler cap on the left side. I didn't see any Subaru's and don't remember where ours had it.

    A.
  • jwilliams2jwilliams2 Member Posts: 910
    Two reasons why the gas filler is preferable on the right (passenger) side of a vehicle:
    1. As mentioned, you don't want to be on the street side should you need to add fuel.
    2. Accident statistics show the right rear usually suffers the least damage.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That's interesting. My dictionary (WordWeb) specified it as a preposition but your comment prompted me to check their website which takes me to Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/except.html). "Except" is regarded both as a conjunction and a preposition!

    In any case, the word was used as a verb by the OP and neither as a conjunction nor a preposition.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Yes, "except" IS a verb as well as a preposition and a conjunction. I did use it as a connector to the prepositional phrase. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    I did mean a dress shirt from the Polo line by Ralph Lauren. I would hope that we wouldn't wear a tie with his regular polo Polo knit shirt. :D

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "He's 45."

    Don't rub it in! :cry:

    To Houdini: Watch it there guy. You're on dangerous territory. :D

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "...although it doesn't matter to me."

    It must. You went to the trouble to look it up. :P

    You have a case about the comma. I used it before the connector to emphasize the two differences. Actually, you don't it.

    I agree. We need a sales story.

    Richard
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Funny that when the American car companies put the filler in the right side it's b/c they are cheap. However, the Japanese companies get a free pass.

    On the left is just plain not as safe. If you ever had to stand next to a highway with cars going by at 100 mph you would know it isn't a nice feeling. I think a big reason for choosing the left side is for lazy people, they don't have to take 4 extra steps to get around their car when they get gas.

    Although behind the license plate made it easy to aproach the gas pump either way, it isn't too safe having gas right where you might get hit in the rear, not a Ford better idea. Also, it took up some valuable trunk space.

    If you missed JM's lady filling her gas tank it is well worth watching (30 seconds)

    lady getting petrol

    I like that bimmer

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    This is a real scam in Canada now, but could easily happen in the U.S. I got an email from my dealership to watch out for this one. It's interesting how they operate though, police can't call it a scam because they have covered themselves. Tough times can bring out the worst in some people;

    Business report:

    "Your factory warranty is about to expire ... You are still eligible to reactivate warranty coverage ... This is the final call before we close the file. Press 1 to speak to a representative about your vehicle, press 2 to be taken off the follow-up list."
    Sound familiar? Chances are if you're living in Canada and own a phone you've received one of these calls.
    If so, you might have noticed they're coming from all over the U.S. – Nevada, California, Florida. .
    But watch out, police say. The people calling you don't actually have any idea about the warranty on your car. They don't even know if you have a car.
    They're cold calling you from call centres in the U.S. and trying to sell you on a warranty that many mechanics may not honour, industry officials say.
    "It's a nightmare," said Lou Robertson, head of Phonebusters, the RCMP's anti-fraud unit, which has received countless complaints from people receiving the call.
    "They lead you to believe that there's some type of urgency. They're walking on a very fine line. I'm sorry, but it's not a proper way to do business in Canada."
    National Dealers Warranty Inc., a marketing company operating out of St. Louis, Mo., runs the warranty operation and its telemarketing workers use various names such as Canadian Auto Warranty Services and World Wide Warranties Inc. when calling consumers.
    The complaints show a pattern. When customers respond to the cold calls, they end up speaking with "the warranty division," where they're asked for their full name and for their car details (make, model, age and mileage).
    They're then offered what's pitched as "an extended warranty" and asked for their credit card information in order to finalize the purchase.
    In some cases, complainants say they're never told the name of the company they're speaking with, and are asked repeatedly for their credit card information.
    Complainants who bothered to ask the company how they got their number and where they are based say the telemarketers refuse to answer and often hang up the phone.
    Those who give out their credit card information are billed by Canadian Auto Warranty Services. Some complainants have received full refunds for their purchase.
    The Niagara Regional Police Service issued an alert about the operations of CAWS in November.
    At first the police called the sales pitch "a scam," but later retracted that wording after being contacted by the company's U.S. lawyer who said the company had a post office box in Niagara Falls, Ont. and that it was selling an $800 engine additive known as "The Choice," and "Gold Key," a vehicle service contract that can cost as much as $3,500 and is similar to an extended factory warranty.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    I'm no expert on this stuff, but I always assumed that the filler cap is located on the side of the car away from the driver. Since most Japanese cars are designed with the steering wheel on the right side, the filler ends up on the left side. Conversely, American & European cars have their fillers on the right side.

    The 1 German & 2 Japanese cars in our household fleet follow this "rule". Our last American car, a Ford Taurus, had its filler on the right side. Every so often, I'll forget what I'm driving & pull up to the wrong side of the pump.

    Lord, we need some sales stories.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,389
    My BMWs and the Mazda have the filler on the right. The Jeep has it on the left. The Triumph's filler cap is in the center- on top... :P

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Our cars (Toyotas and Hondas) have the filler on the left. Where this puts me if I'm out of gas on the shoulder doesn't concern me as it has never happened in 41 years of driving.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    My question is how many people have been hit by another car while putting gas in their car alongside the road?

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,288
    If you missed JM's lady filling her gas tank it is well worth watching (30 seconds)

    That was funny. I have a VW, so mine is on the right side. I've never done what the lady did. I just drive around or back up.

    Very good point on the safety aspect of it. At least the Japanese cars can say that in their home market they are being safe. :P
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    If you missed JM's lady filling her gas tank it is well worth watching (30 seconds)

    Thanks 'driver' that's the one and the rest of the "women drivers" video that I saw this segment in was great too. :)

    I'm sure that everyone that watched this video noticed that this was not a gas station in the USA. I think we have laws governing the spring return tension of devices over here. If we didn't, can you imagine how many housewives would be inside the engines of lawn mowers :cry:

    Of course, you being the official "safety observer" here at Edmunds surely noticed this gas station wasn't in the USA. :D

    Thanks again,

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    My question is how many people have been hit by another car while putting gas in their car alongside the road?

    I can't answer that but I'm pretty sure the ones that have been hit aren't the ones that are going to be reporting in on this head count. :sick:

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,284
    "...Your factory warranty is about to expire..."

    I've gotten that call dozens of times. Once when I was feeling puckish I stayed on the line and got the telemarketer. I asked her which of my vehicles was about to run out of warranty---My two month old Mitsu, my 12 year old Chrysler or my 24 year old Ford truck.

    She responded "All of them". I started laughing so hard that I'm not sure which of us hung up first.

    This was quite some time ago so I guess these scammers have gone through all the stupid Americans and are now moving on to Canada. :(

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    It's been a while since I've said more than "Bye!" to a telemarketer but I used to, if I had a young one, say something along the lines of, "You sound like a nice kid. You don't want to spend another minute of your life making annoying calls to people who will instantly hate you. Go find a real job now. You'll thank me one day."

    The line never really worked but it did get them to hang up quickly enough.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I can't answer that question either but I suspect that it is very, very, very low. I would suspect that people changing flats get hit many times more often and you rarely hear about that.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I once got a letter waning me that my warranty was about to expire (it expired several years before) and just for fun I called the company. When I told them I had over 130K miles they hung up.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    Another great theory shot to pieces.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    My Mazda6 has it on the left side.....
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,698
    >letter waning me that my warranty was about to expire

    I get letters and I get phone calls. For the phone calls I let them tell me which vehicle. I try to get a company identify and often when I ask for the business name and location for their company they hang up. I then make a report on the donotcall.gov website since I'm on the do not call list. I'm sure the new administration is going to stop these people from violating the laws about phone calls. :P

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    I can't answer that question either but I suspect that it is very, very, very low. I would suspect that people changing flats get hit many times more often and you rarely hear about that.

    Good point SW, they should put all 4 tires on the right side. ;)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    or you can drive like this:

    image

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    I'm sure the new administration is going to stop these people from violating the laws about phone calls.

    Your "no call list" might be the same as in Canada....they can't stop callers who are in other countries. They actually get good numbers by saying they are a marketing company operating in the country, and then they use good numbers from people who thought they were putting their telephone numbers on a no call list.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    or you can drive like this:

    JM already thinks I do! ;)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    This should make some sales a little easier - Automakers putting brakes on options to trim costs. Taken to its logical conclusion this would have everyone selling like Honda with virtually no options....
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Of course, you being the official "safety observer" here at Edmunds surely noticed this gas station wasn't in the USA.

    The Sales Frontlines Safety Commissioner did note she was filling up at a "petrol station", assume it's in Europe.

    Seriously though, I was told by a Mercedes dealer the reason for the filler to be on the right is the safety aspect....if you do have to fill up your gas while stopped on a highway.

    He also pointed out at the same time Mercedes puts a pin in the rear door, that fits into the body of the car when the door is closed. In case of a rear end accident there is a better chance the rescue people will still be able to get the door open. Another thing Euro cars have is you can just leave the right side or left side flashers going, so that if you are parked in a narrow ally, other drivers will see where the side of your car is. My main point is Euro car makers take safety a little more seriously than U.S. makers, where cost seems to be the priority. I don't know about Asian car makers, I guess they are on the side of safety but not as much as European cars.

    From what I am finding out it seems the car makers put the gas filler cap on the side opposite the exhaust...less chance of a fire.

    Another very good reason for having the filler tank on the right is so you can pull up close enough to the gas pump to fill up, but you can also open your door fully to get out.

    I think a filler cap on the left is done to save money somehow, or it is a decision that was made to make it quicker to get out and start pumping, but that seems to be faulty thinking.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    A buyer of the 2008 Ford Fusion could choose from the various models and extra features available and come up with 2,600 combinations. For the 2010 version due in showrooms this summer, the number drops to 104.

    The Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord were the two best-selling cars in the U.S. in 2008. The people who purchased more than 800,000 of them combined last year picked from a total of just 15 versions. For the Accord, the models or trim levels were limited to just four, each level complete with a variety of extra bells and whistles.


    Fezo wrote and this is the main part of the article. U.S. automakers are going to drastically cut the list of option packages to streamline and cut costs. My only question is why did it take so long to figure this out?

    An amazing example is the base model Impala with the top options would add $2000 to the cost of the car, but the next model up has all those options and it costs just $800 more....if they don't go under it will be incredible.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    Fezo wrote and this is the main part of the article. U.S. automakers are going to drastically cut the list of option packages to streamline and cut costs. My only question is why did it take so long to figure this out?

    An amazing example is the base model Impala with the top options would add $2000 to the cost of the car, but the next model up has all those options and it costs just $800 more....if they don't go under it will be incredible.


    Great - that means GM will now be like Honda...sure, you can buy the base model, but if you want a color other than "eggplant" you'll have to buy the ultra-loaded edition which costs $2000 more, but it's a Honda, so you'll pay full price

    For the record, I am NOT bashing Honda - plenty of other automakers follow the same business plan. I think you should be able to get what you want, if you are willing to pay.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,621
    . . .these scammers have gone through all the stupid Americans. . .

    Highly unlikely -- there are always more at at the door. Canadians too.

    On the gas filler issue, it's convenience vs. safety, multiplied by the fact that Japan drives on the left.

    It might be useful to point out that many, if not most, fuel gauges on cars these days have a little arrow that points to the side of the car with the filler. This is especially useful with a rental car and/or when you're driving any unfamiliar car.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Here is how I get rid of telemarketers permanently. When I answer the telephone, I claim to be my own brother. In a sad tone I explain that I died suddenly last week. I ask if they will kindly remove my telephone number from their call list.

    Result: You get a nice sympathetic remark and an instant removal from the call list.

    I also do this with unwanted mail. I take a red pen and write "Deceased- Please remove from mailing list." across the letter. I return it in the postage free envelope.

    It works wonders.

    Richard
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,621
    . . .but if you want a color other than "eggplant" you'll have to buy the ultra-loaded edition. . .

    In general, I take your point, but Asian "packages" don't dictate color. The
    morons sales managers who determine what gets ordered for the store are the ones at fault. "Loaded" appears to rule. If you want anything less, you'll need to do a special order -- not a bad thing, by the way.

    That said, a-la-carte options work best for people who order cars; packages seem to be just the thing for people who acquire cars on the spur of the moment -- hey, it's in stock, and what I actually want isn't even available.

    Given the vast number of cars that are being sold at the moment, it's clear that the system. . .
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    . When I answer the telephone, I claim to be my own brother. In a sad tone I explain that I died suddenly last week

    I know right here and now, if I tried that, they would just start talking to me without missing a beat;
    "Oh sad to hear that your brother died, how about you, would you be interested in our aluminum windows".

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

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