Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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Comments

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Oh, it's really just a minor annoyance as long as the stuff peels right off.

    Maybe if one day I find a dealership that is just a pleasure to do business with I'll let the ad stay there. Hard to do in this area.

    Actually the folks who sold us the Accord in 99 were great but the local shark family of dealerships bought them out.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Mako, we spent the better part of two days discussing weather or not a cash buyer should have a credit check pulled for identity verification. All 5 pages of it can be found here.

    Moved Thread
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    You snuck in on me.

    I wasn't really taking it too seriously. As long as they aren't doing anything I can't undo if I want everything is fine.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    if they write a check for over $10,000 we need to report it

    Not required, the bank will report the check. Only greenbacks need reporting. Also, we verified funds on the women who stopped payment on her check. She stopped payment the next morning.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I thought the IRS form needed filling only when paying with dead presidents and NOT with a personal check. Reason being that assuming the personal check is good, the dead presidents or other would have already been deposited at the bank and if it was in cash it would've already been reported by the bank.

    True?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    ran a sting by purchasing cars at 10 dealerships with $10K in dead presidents. Unfortunately, 9 of the 10 dealers failed to file the form and was fined by the IRS.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    True, real cash or if they come in with a cashiers check, money order, travelers checks, or bank draft with a face value totaling $10K.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    Also a combination of funds over 10k even if some require the report and some do not
  • epineyepiney Member Posts: 462
    Gee, I didn't mean to start discussions that had to be moved different threads on doc fees and credit apps. For the next while, I'll post about female movie stars, drinks and grilled meats.

    I have no interesting frontline stories left as a buyer. Anymore about people trying to negotiate plan purchases?

    C'mon Joel, you must have some funny stories involving math and math skills.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    A lot of businesses are abusing the name of Homeland Security (HS) for things they want to do.

    And HS does not need any more baggage tied to them, they already are doing enough themselves.

    In this forum, someone said checks have to reported. Not true. The check generates all the paper trail needed.

    HS has nothing to do with credit checks.

    I recently tried to cash a Travelers Check in the next state over, at a bank. The teller said HS would no longer allow then to cash a traveler check unless you have an account at the bank. B***S***. The law says nothing like this. And I told the teller this. On the way out of the bank, I stopped in at one of the 'managers' offices. I told her what had happened, and that they should not be using HS as the fall guy for this. I said if they did not, as their policy, want to cash travelers checks, they should just say this is their policy. That I would not take offense to, because a business can set their policy. The manager then said, "Well, I guess this is our policy." and I said, "Fine. Just don't say that HS will not allow you to do it, because this is not true."

    I was 99% sure about this, but when I returned home, I researched it extensively on the internet, and I am correct.

    About the only thing that has happened thru HS, is that the previously IRS regulations concerning cash transactions has had some minor changes made. The $10,000 limit, which has already been in place for many years, has been modified in some small areas. The limit now applies across all branches or affliation of a banking institution and across various types of 'cash'. Some other minor changes as to what institutions are covered.

    Actually, very little has changed from before. If you move around $9,999 (It might even be 'over' $10,000), there are no reporting requirements. I know, just to protect themselves, for years many institutions have set their own policy at an amount much lower. And the IRS/HS doesn't care if you report amounts under their minimum, they just require reporting at or above the limit.

    If you are opening an account there are some new regulations about what must be presented to the institution. A valid SSN is one of these. And I can see when you are asking for an auto loan, 'getting financed', your are setting up a new account and a SSN would be required.

    But please, car people, don't go tossing around Homeland Security as the reason you, your management, or your company is doing something. Take responsibility for your policies, don't shuffle it off to the government.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    C'mon Joel, you must have some funny stories involving math and math skills.

    The average consumer loses there math skills when they walk into a car dealer for some reason.

    Allot of them think that $35K divided by 60 months equals $350 :D
  • epineyepiney Member Posts: 462
    The average consumer loses there math skills when they walk into a car dealer for some reason.

    Allot of them think that $35K divided by 60 months equals $350

    But it does ... with a $20K residual
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    "In this forum, someone said checks have to reported. Not true. The check generates all the paper trail needed. "

    Can you imagine pissing the IRS off by creating more paperwork for them? ;)
  • epineyepiney Member Posts: 462
    While I was in the dealership doing the paperwork, someone had left some sales training material and the used car list with list and invoice pricing. There were two brochures, published by a management consulting type of business (I'm sure they charged a ton for these things). One dealt with overcoming the price issue by selling benefits and the other with overcoming delays in the purchase decision. I gotta say, they were a bit hokey, but I suppose good for pumping up moral. One specifically had a section about the natural highs and lows and how to stay up.

    Anyways there were two new greenpeas at the table next to me being shown the ropes by someone more senior. He asked if they had met the UCM and the like. I deliberately picked a slow time to show, so these guys had little to do. One guy kept looking and reshuffling written notes in his notebook and pretending to look busy. The other guy just sat at the table. Over the PA came, new sales 00. One of the greenpeas enthusiastically grabbed the phone and then put it down in disappointment. He noticed that that I saw him do this and said, gotta be fast.

    Now that got me thinking, there must be some great stories about pranks played on greenpeas when things are slow. What say you guys?
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    don't go tossing around Homeland Security as the reason you, your management, or your company is doing something.

    The 10k on cash, certified funds, total of reported under 10k and non reported by dealer that equals 10k, etc. have been IRS regulations for years. OFAC actually is a result of the Patriot Act
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    I tell GP's all the time that they need to get me a copy of the customers health insurance card because the bank wants proof that if they get sick they have insurance and it won't interfere with the car note

    I also walk by GP's (males) when they have a customer and say, "Hey your boy friend called, he wants you to pick up milk on the way home"

    I tell them that the show room computer is voice activated and if they want info on any car we have just walk up to it and say the model 3 times, the voice sensor is old so sometimes if it does not work just speak up. You then see them later on yelling MUSTANG MUSTANG MUSTANG, at our show room computer.

    We send them to parts for be back dust

    We tell them that Ford requires fresh gas in the tank and they need to buy a 4 foot piece of garden hose to keep in there desk to siphon the old gas out with before a delivery.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Ok, it's not Homeland Security. It's the Patriot Act. Lots of policies that car dealerships are applying are due to this act.
    :)
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I did this to Lucky:
    It was a slow Sunday and he told me he had spoken with a prospect who was looking for a used car.
    "What kind of car is he looking for?" I asked. "He wants a 98 Camry in black with 45k miles." he replied. "That's going to be a hard one to find. Go see the used car manager and tell him to call the used car factory and order one." ;) I tell him. "We can do that?" he asks :surprise: surprised! "Heck yeah, we can do that. How do you think I got my 93? I wanted 64k miles on it, emerald green with the taupe interior. Put my order in to the UCM and bam! Had my car in a week!" :shades:
    Mackabee
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    How come Carmax can offer so much to buy a used car for cash (bank draft)?

    They charge too much for their cars. They buy them for nearly retail and then they sell them to people for over retail. People buy the cars there since it is easy and no haggle but in reality they are usually getting screwed.

    My prices on comparable used cars are always less then carmax and then depending on the vehicle you might be able to get another few hundred dollars to one thousand dollars off.

    IMO the vehicles at Carmax are not usually as good a quality as the vehicles I have either. All of my cars have either CPO warranties or a 12/12 powertrain warranty already built into the price and they are still less then the carmax equivalent.

    Just a few weeks ago I had a couple come in and look at a CPO LR3 I had on my lot. It was an off lease 2005 MY LR3 with a little over 30,000 miles. It has every option available in 2005 and even has the interior wood kit that was offered as a Land Rover accessory. We had it listed for 35,999 with the 2 year/25,000 mile CPO warranty from land Rover.

    They said they were looking at a LR3 from Carmax and if we would match their price we had a deal. Curious I ask what th price of the LR3 at carmax is. They say 29,999. We don't have 6,000 dollars in our car. I think we had about 2,200 dollars in it. I go to the Carmax website and look up the other car. It doesn't have navigation like our car does. It doesn't have the third row seat or the rear AC controls like our car does. It doesn't have the lighting package or the Park Distance Control option. It doesn't have the cold climate package so it doesn't have heated seats either. Overall it is missing more then 6,000 dollars worth of factory equipment. Plus it was a former rental, I looked up its history in Land Rover's system, and does not have the CPO warranty. IMO the vehicle is overpriced.

    I tell all of this to the people and they don't see my point. All they care about is buying a LR3 for less then 30 grand and they don't understand equipment level or what value the warranty adds to the vehicle.

    I let them walk with the dazed look on their faces. They just couldn't understand how two vehicles with similar mileage could be priced 6,000 dollars apart. Not the most educated buyer I have ever met.
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,496
    "...they have seen more crooks...it might be your ID the crooks are using..."

    I'm not so much worried about some salesman stealing my identity and going wild at the farm supply store than I am about some computer nerd lot boy who hacks into the dealers computer and sells my information to somebody in Nigeria.

    Some pretty big companies have had their security breached. I think it pays to be careful.

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

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,617
    They charge too much for their cars.

    Hey they are not as bad as these guys.

    But hey, its low miles.

    And I bet they will haggle.

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

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,496
    "...over $1500 in a check we run credit..."

    Last car I bought (used) I asked how they wanted payment. "Your personal check is fine when you pick the car up".

    The one before that (also used) they required a cashiers check even though I wasn't going to pick the car up for several days.

    Both were Chrysler dealers. :confuse:

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

  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Did someone say "Math Skills?"
  • 9503095030 Member Posts: 6
    You know, out on the west coast, dealers have traditionally refrained from applying dealer decals or badges to new cars. License plate frames are about as far as they usually go.

    BUT... this is gradually changing. There's one Chrysler dealer in town who uses a white decal, and it looks totally foreign. Many local people think dealer decals spoil the look of the car.

    I guess it's what you're used to seeing.
  • cornmeal64cornmeal64 Member Posts: 14
    Dude:

    "TRIM: LX 4dr Wagon w/Popular Equipment (2.7L 6cyl 5A)"

    You'll get it back on resale...

    Sorry. Couldn't help it.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,549
    Maybe if one day I find a dealership that is just a pleasure to do business with I'll let the ad stay there. Hard to do in this area.

    When I bought my Mazdaspeed from Kings in Cincinnati they had fitted Kings Mazda license plate frames front and rear. When I got home I removed the front plate assembly(no front plate in KY) but I left the rear frame on, hoping that someone asks me why I didn't buy my car from the local Mazda dealer... :P

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

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,740
    It's in the contract that they don't put stickers and so on onto my property. License plate holders are okay.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    When you get right down to it there is really no advantage to putting them on there. I would guess maybe on the rare occasion some one might go look at a new model of brand they have never seen after seeing the dealer sticker, but I have never had any one in my office say, "I saw the XXX XXXXXX Ford sticker on the back of an F150 I saw so I came here to buy one.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,617
    When you get right down to it there is really no advantage to putting them on there.

    I actually had a salesman say (and I kid you not) that it was the law that they had to put them on.

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

  • 9503095030 Member Posts: 6
    When I bought my 2007 Accord last month, I told the salesman that if the dealer's policy was to add a sticker or badge, the deal was OFF.

    He hurriedly assured me that the store never did such a thing. Great.

    I'll keep the license plate frames for now, I've got no problem with that.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    "It was an off lease 2005 MY LR3 with a little over 30,000 miles. It has every option available in 2005 and even has the interior wood kit that was offered as a Land Rover accessory."

    That wood kit alone is worth at least $3000.00!
    :blush:
    Mackabee
  • scottinkyscottinky Member Posts: 194
    Can't help but to add one here. Back when I bought my Mustang GT in 2002,
    the local Ford dealer actually drilled holes in the front bumper to put their crappy
    POS plate on there. I bought the car at night, but was unaware all new vehicless
    that go to prep, get that treatment. I was royally pissed, and ended up going to Lowes
    to buy small plastic screws to push in and fill in the holes. Ridiculous.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Is the dealer's name on the license plate frames? If so, what's the difference? I've never understood this. Sure, you don't want to "advertise" for the dealer but I guess it's ok on the license frames. :confuse:
    You know what's really strange? When I wear my Toyota Outfitters jacket people come up to me and ask: "Do you work for Toyota?" but when I wear my Nike hoodie they don't ask if I work for Nike. :confuse:

    This happened to me a few years ago at a friend/customer's Mexican restaurant. It was summertime and back then we were wearing short sleeved shirts made by Land's End with our store's logo above the shirt pocket. I was with another good friend/customer of mine and as I excused myself to go wash my hands and started walking to the men's room, a guy at a table goes: "Excuse me, could we get another order of chips and salsa?" :) I said "Sure, I'll bring it right out." :blush: I went to my friend and told him about it. He got the chips and salsa and I delivered it to the table. The guy then realized that I didn't work there when he saw the logo on the shirt and turned beet red. "I'm sorry. I thought you worked here. Your shirts are the same except for the logo." he said.

    At an election a few years back, Marshall my mentor came out of the voting booth and someone said to him: "You look like a politician" :D Marshall replied: "Hey, good thing you didn't say I looked like a car salesman!"
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    You must have bought it in a state that requires both front and back license plates. Every car that hits our lot gets the front and back license plate treatment. We get many customers from NC which only requires the back plate so unless it's a car that is just coming off a car carrier and it's for an NC customer then it gets the two plates.
    :)
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Does that include the rebates?
    :blush:
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 5,269
    From an Independent's web site (I changed names, seems like the thing to do?):

    I'm Mr. Car Guy and I established My Own Independent Motorcars in 1995. I had been working for other luxury and sportscar dealers in Boston since 1986 and had become totally disenchanted with how these dealerships were being operated. The sales games were the rule of the day...back and forth to the manager to get a deal done, grind out the last penny from the customer, pressure-pressure-pressure and no goodwill after delivery. In short, every situation was a negotiation with the dealer. I couldn't and wouldn't do business in that manner.

    He has an affinity for Land Rovers, Mercedes and Sports/Classics. Unique inventory, I may visit. Ask him if he wants to sell me a car today... ;)

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I noticed it's a Ford-Kia dealer however all the advertising banners are from Chevy and Toyota. :shades:
    I also sent an e-mail asking why the car is so cheap. After you hit the submit button it tells you someone will get back to you in a couple of days. These guys are on the ball! ;)

    "You can expect a response within the next few days."
  • scottinkyscottinky Member Posts: 194
    this was a dealer ad plate only. not a bracket, but a throwaway plate. when I got
    my windows tinted, I took the guy's dryer and took off the back glued on sticker
    as well.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    This guy is way behind the times! Now it's grind the last penny from the salesman :blush: bad surveys, full tanks of gas,etc. He's a real humanitarian!
    ;)
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    "Itook the guy's dryer and took off the back glued on sticker
    as well."

    Poor guy! How's he getting his clothes dried? You should take it back. He may want the sticker also. :)
    Mack
  • 9503095030 Member Posts: 6
    Mackabee, you are a regular here and I'm quite new at posting in these forums.

    A metal badge/decal (or whatever) applied to the clearcoat of a new vehicle is not at all akin to removable dealers' license plate frames.

    I enjoy your anecdotes, but out on the West Coast, dealers do not, as a rule, paste dealer ID's on new cars.

    Cars with dealer logos on the clearcoat stand out in a neutral - negative fashion out here. Not very common at all, and similarly appreciated.

    Regards.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    but I have never had any one in my office say, "I saw the XXX XXXXXX Ford sticker on the back of an F150 I saw so I came here to buy one.

    Of course not. It is called subliminal advertising.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Where's Delta at?
    Mack
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I've had people say "xxx xxx Toyota sells lots of cars. I see that sticker all over the place."

    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I understand. We've had poster's complain about dealer's stickers or logos on their cars. I misunderstood you not wanting them for fear of damaging the clear coat and not advertising. My bad. :shades:
    Welcome to the forum.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    sticks on letters that are too good to be true. Look OEM

    http://sewell-lexus.ebizautos.com/shared/viewer.aspx?&iid=2174199&src=eBizAutos&- pid=5
  • 9503095030 Member Posts: 6
    Thank you mackabee, as I appreciate your comments.

    We're just not part of the dealer badging tradition out here. When I travel east, I see the practice picking up around Colorado and continuing further east to the Atlantic Ocean.

    It's just not something we're used seeing to out here.

    Regards,
    95030
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,617
    The site is owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association where dealers (over 500 in the chicagoland area) can post their inventory. So its not a dealer site.

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

  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Where's Delta at?

    Mississippi? :shades:

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Lemme guess.. Mr C****y, right? :)

    He's really into Defenders? He seems to have high prices but sells really nice stuff.
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