Stories from the Sales Frontlines

lrguy44

That is how we buy our off lease vehicles

fezo

No, you read the posts incorrectly.... jmunroe waxes the chipmunks and some seals.

Gee, that's illegal in most states....

Boom - that was great! I have a friend who keeps talking of dragging me to one of those. He wouldn't have to try hard. If he lived closer than 3 hours away I'd have done it.

imidazol97

Thank you Boomcheck, for an interesting description of what a big auction operates like!

It sounds like it requires 3 or 4 people there from a store to be able to snap up each car wanted if they hit the auction blocks at about the same time.

I don't picture this being quite the way the auction operates at Goodwill's Auction Lot or the nearby Dayton auction. I don't think Goodwill has a building to run them through. There's a large auction halfway between Dayton-Cincinnati (Middletown, appropriately named, is nearby). Their lot is visible from the I-75.

I am assuming this is an auction in a fairly large city area with 8 lanes?

driver100

, I'll give the readers, lurkers, and posters some insight of what a dealer auction looks like.

Very interesting and well written boom. I have a neighbour who is a used car manager (excuse me, previously owned vehicle manager) for a Mercedes dealer, and he goes to the auction. He has to be good at it or his job is on the line.

Great to hear what actually goes on...guess you need a sixth sense for what will work.

corvette

Any fluid which is Dexron-VI compatible is going to be almost a full synthetic. I'd still change it and the filter around 50,000 miles, though.

mark156

In Palm Springs, CA, .....every February and November, they have a car auction (antiques, exotics and regular cars). This auction is open to the public.

Back in 1998, I bought a '64 RR Silver Cloud III, paid a reasonable price where I think could always get my money back even with repairs. The $2,500 special ordered 'big' white-wall radials probably blew the budget.

Anyway, the car has been so much fun and currently has 90,000 miles (85,000 in '98). It's so easy for the auction bidding to go nuts when you get excited about a car. As it was going through the auction area, someone had a flash camera going off to make it look like a movie star was about to get out of it.

Mark

jmonroe

... I'll give the readers, lurkers, and posters some insight of what a dealer auction looks like.

Good info 'boom'.

While reading your post I came to the same conclusion as 'imid'; if you're serious about getting the car/s you want you have to have a team of at least 3 or 4 guys working together at a large auction like you described. If you continually return to the dealership without the cars you wanted, there is no sense in going.

jmonroe

houdini1

Boom, good description of what I sort of remember by going to an auction with a dealer friend of mine several years ago. The whole dam thing was so confusing to me that I was dizzy the whole time. I thought I was on the options trading floor of the NYSE !!

jmonroe

Boom, on Jay Walking the other day he asked what countries border the U.S.A. and they knew Mexico but not the other country. How can that happen?

Falling asleep in Geography class? :surprise:

jmonroe

explorerx4

it would make a good youtube video.

explorerx4

driver, the rental company didn't give your friends the remote.
they are easily reprogrammed.
you figure out the rest.

roadburner

I follow the 50,000 mile ATF/TC/final drive(s) oil change regimen on my wife's X3. My track rats get fresh transmission and final drive oil every 30K.

sterlingdog

I am so glad that I don't post on that thread. It would take me all day to correct that guy's post! :P

Richard

sterlingdog

Your daughter has a creative teacher who encourages higher order thinking skills. Thank goodness there are some educators doing the right things. If you get a chance, send this teacher a nice note. Your tax dollars are being used wisely in that class.

Richard

sterlingdog

That was a great article about the auction process. It was both interesting and informative. I'm proud of you.

Richard

sterlingdog

"How can that happen?"

Very few school systems teach geography now. The emphasis is on getting ready for the state tests in math and English. In other words, I can compute the distance between New York and Miami at various speeds and time increments; write a paper on the Statue of Liberty; but where in the hell are those places?

Not too many years ago, I had to teach high school juniors the differences among the 4 C's: city, county, country, continent---and of course state. They had major problems with New Mexico and Mexico, and Washington and Washington, D.C. as examples. Also, they considered Africa as one large country. In history, they had learned that Texas was once a republic, so they figured that Texas was now a country! I started out by having them draw a map leading from their house to the post office. We then did a map from the post office to the county seat in the next town. From there, we drew a map from the county seat to the state capital in Raleigh. We then traveled across country. I spent two weeks off task doing this. Why? They couldn't study American Literature without knowing the locations of events and plots.

Just like cars, certain basics are needed---steering wheel, tires, doors, etc. We need to apply this practice to our schools.

Richard

sterlingdog

You and your wife are saints! You have probably saved some lives. Your son is one lucky young man. My 45 year old nephew now admits that I added some value to his life. It took him long enough.

Richard

sterlingdog

What a wonderful automobile to own! What do you think that it is worth now on the market?

Richard

m6vx

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikyST6WglU8

driver100

driver, the rental company didn't give your friends the remote.
they are easily reprogrammed.
you figure out the rest.

That could be true ex, but the people do know what a remote looks like and the way they explained it there was no remote. Just a key. I wish I would have looked at it.
I will try to research this and get back to you. It could just be a rental car model.

driver100

oil change regimen on my wife's X3.

But do you have chipmunks in the engine compartment?

driver100

It would take me all day to correct that guy's post!

Hilarious!!!!!!! We might be lacking sales stories but at least we are grammatically correct.

Grammer wasn't the best but the story was a great one......how come our sales guys don't try that stuff so we can get some good stories, like a dealership that won't sell to white people, or that raises the prices so they can take 30% off.
Let's go guys.

driver100

the auction process. It was both interesting and informative. I'm proud of you.

And for the most part, grammatically correct I assume.

driver100

Re" Remote keyless entry Ford Focus.

I checked out the standard equipment on a 2008 Ford Focus and got this chart;

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
Focus Sedan S
Air Conditioning Std
Cruise Control -
Power Locks -
Power Windows -
Power Mirrors -
Adjustable Steering Manual tilt

It looks like Power Locks are not standard on the S model, from what I can make of this.
Focus S

driver100

One more ex, this sight shows the standard features on the S model and the SE model. The S doesn't mention a keyless remote device.

The S coupe ($14,075) and sedan ($14,375) come with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, AM/FM /CD/MP3 player with four speakers and auxiliary input jack, 60/40 split folding rear seat, tilt steering wheel, a tire inflation kit, antitheft system and P195/60R15 all-season tires on steel wheels with hubcaps. Options for S include cruise control ($215), Sirius satellite radio ($195), and a temporary spare tire ($60).

The SE coupe ($15,075) and sedan ($15,375) add power windows, locks and mirrors; remote keyless entry;
Focus S

driver100

Guess where the largest Mazda dealer in the world is?

It is called Le Geant (the giant) and is outside of Montreal Quebec Canada! They sell 5500 new Mazdas a year and 7000 used cars a year. They have 350 employees.

The owner says he is successful because of customer service. When you drive in for service 10 people to greet you. There are 4 sevice technicians with total authority, they can give you a new engine right on the spot if necessary. They send the car to the right technician immediately. The idea is to get you in and out as fast as possible.

One remarkable thing is this dealer is one hour outside the city, so even though he is way out in the suburbs, people will go there to buy a car.

Over 20 years he has spent $40 million in land and buildings and $30 million in advertising!

sterlingdog

"And for the most part, grammatically correct I assume."

He does pretty well. He writes such a nice story that I don't bother to get picky on the little things. He, gg, jmonroe and a few others like yourself have nice flows to their stories. This site, made up mostly of men, is the best when it comes to writing. Some sites have posters that are so bad that you can hardly understand the intended message.

Richard

roadburner

But do you have chipmunks in the engine compartment?

No, but I have an evil black cat who likes to nap on the hood. Every now and then he leaves a "trophy" at the door.

tcp2

Careful, so am I.

Not the lock. The handle that opens the door. That will pop the lock at the same time. You don't need to touch the little button that is hidden. The door has a HANDLE that actually OPENS the door. pull it and it will POP the little BUTTON as well.

C’mon, what do want from the poor guy? He and his friends are Canadians.

graphicguy

boom....thanks for a peak into the auction process.

I'm absolutely addicted to the Mecum auctions on HD Theater on
Discovery channel. I get all caught up in those auctions.....sometimes 3 hours at a time.

http://dhd.discovery.com/tv/mecum/mecum.html

driver100

The door has a HANDLE that actually OPENS the door. pull it and it will POP the little BUTTON as well.
C’mon, what do want from the poor guy? He and his friends are Canadians.

One more thing, while we are on the subject. A Focus is pretty small inside. How would you like to lean over a gear shift and reach way down and forward whenever a passenger gets in. You could stretch a muscle, put your back out, or get a hernia, and would have to sue Ford.

mark156

Hello Richard,

Back in 1998 I paid $29,000 for the RR plus tax. After 11 years of ownership, I have probably put in about $8,500-$9,000 in repairs and tires.

Repairs over the years:
-two rear power window motors ($75 each)
-recored the radiator
-water pump
-new hoses and belts
-rebuilt the carburetors
-replaced the front passenger inter-workings of the door handle locking mechanism
-new exhaust
-rebuilt the speedometer
-new low voltage air-conditioning compressor
-rebuilt the brake master cylinders

So, since the car is in excellent condition for it's age and mileage, I would say anywhere between $35,000-$45,000 would not be unreasonable. They surely don't make these anymore and they are SO elegant looking. Ours is creamy-white in color with parchment leather.

I have seen perfect examples of this model with mileage in the 20K-40K range where they are asking $80,000-$90,000.

Mark
PS. Ours is a left-hand drive model, right-hand models bring about half the money.

boomchek

Well that you tube video is exactly of what it was like, except slightly busier with more people. Hmmm, I should have just posted a link of the video.

boomchek

You'd think it would be somewhere in the US.

boomchek

The auction is a fun fast paced environment. I watch Barret Jackson on TV occasionally too. I'd like to see it in person one day.

jmonroe

Careful, so am I.

AH...NO, not another one!!! :surprise:

I’m beginning to think Edmunds has given you guys a reduced monthly dues rate just to level the playing field here. That ain’t fair to the homeland guys. :mad:

jmonroe

tidester

...at least we are grammatically correct.

Grammer wasn't the best but the story was a great one ...

Now we'll just have to work a bit on spelling. :P

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

driver100

That ain’t fair to the homeland guys.

We are taking over, soon we will outnumber you. Careful what you say.

driver100

Here is a picture of Albi Le Geant Mazda;(5500 new Mazdas a year, 7000 used cars, 350 employees, a hair salon, a coffee shop, closed Sat and Sun) and JM, it is in Montreal Canada.

driver100

but the story was a great one ...

There's more, some of these Benson Mazda complaints make for great reading material. I am ROFL;

Horrible Service: This was the absolute worst dealership I've ever tried to do business with. I was blatently lied to and talked around in circles in order to get me to put a deposit down on a car they knew they could not get. I was treated rudely and the sales manager hung up on me and would not return my calls meanwhile the whole time they have a $500 deposit of mine. And in the end I missed out on getting the car I wanted because they had me locked into a deal that they couldnt come through on. It was by far the most horrible dealership I've ever dealt with in my life. I would strongly recommend not even getting involved with these people. It was nothing but a headache and I'm still not sure when I will receive my $500 deposit back

Or, how about......
Worst Sales Represtitive I've Dealt With: As this dealership does not post prices on thier used vehicles I would find it easier to have my teeth yanked out of my head than to get a honest answer for what they are asking. They would not release any information without taking my personal information nor would give a sticker value for the vehicle but only attempted to finace the vehicle at a monthly payment close to my range. In an attempt to politely request a sticker value the sales representitive proceeded to tell me I had a bad attitude and told my girlfriend she does a bad job dealing with me. He would not open the vehicle to even look inside unless I agreed to purchase it. This dealerships sales techniques (games) were a complete joke and I highly recommend entering prepared to be hounded by dishonest sales representitives as soon you arrive.

Well, not quite as funny as the first but at least the grammar is better in these posts.

Benson Mazda

boomchek

If you think that's a big dealership, check out this Toyota store in LA - Longo Toyota.

Apparently they bring in a billion dollars worth of sales and service revenue per year according to this article And in 2004 and 2005 they were selling about 24000 vehicles per year.

The whole lot was an abandoned shopping centre. The parking structure in the back holds 2500 vehicles (their inventory).



Isn't that crazy?

tallman1

More large pics = missing text.

explorerx4

if it was an 'S' you are correct about the remote unlocking.
it does have power locks per the previous post and if you look at any of the interior pictures, the door handle/power lock button is at the upper front corner of the door.
also, there is no place to unlock the car from the outside passenger side.
i'm glad you did some homework.
there is no way i would buy a model that basic.

sterlingdog

A post like that from you just warms my heart. :shades:

Richard

sterlingdog

Mark,

Your color combination sounds beautiful. The repairs only ran you about $800 per year during ownership. That's not bad. If you get a chance, post a picture for us. I know that you must really enjoy the fine automobile. It's so nice that it has an owner with class.

Richard

explorerx4

i have kept looking around and found a focus 'S' for sale.
it is a stick, and has no power locks.
can't tell if there is a place to unlock it from the passenger side.
sally rand
it's not too far from me, but i would have to wait until sunday, when the dealership is closed to go look at it. i just couldn't do it during business hours.

driver100

Over the last Memorial Day weekend, Longo Toyota sold 565 new Toyotas and 72 used vehicles. Its adjacent Lexus store sold 124 new Lexuses and 23 used vehicles. That's a year's worth of sales for some dealerships.

That is incredible! Who could of imagined one dealer selling over 600 cars on a weekend. The size of the place......must be quite a showroom.

driver100

also, there is no place to unlock the car from the outside passenger side.

I am glad you reminded me you can't unlock the passenger door from the outside. that was part of the problem our friends complained about. The little lock on the door is just a pin, so you can't grip it. You have to open by using the door handle which isn't easy, with a shifter right there. Kinda crude.

driver100

can't tell if there is a place to unlock it from the passenger side.

You are replying to yourself, so I hope you are ok.

That's alright, I would be curious to know what you find out.

jmonroe

and JM, it is in Montreal Canada.

Well LA DEE DA...I knew there had to be a bigger one in the USA and it took one of your countrymen to find it for us. :P

Thanks 'boom'.

jmonroe