Stories from the Sales Frontlines

13994004024044052003

Comments

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 54,016
    you want gauges, drive a truck.

    The snappy Ryder Freightliner I was driving this weekend had plenty.

    It even had a digital volts disply under the Odo. Drop into the 11s cranking on a cold morning, and usually sat at around 14.3 while running.

    Also had 2 air pressure gauges (this one had air brakes, and even an air suspension drivers seat! Those I paid attention too. Apparently, if they fropped below 60psi, you weren't stopping.

    Also had oil temp, tranny temp, and water temp.

    SO many dials, I barely had time to watch the road!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    It's a 2002 Toyota Echo. Good condition low miles 71k. I don't know what she did to it. Echos are fugly but very reliable cars.
    :"
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Supposedly the steering wheel and airbag have been replaced and the light is still on so they don't want to put more money in the car. Personally, I think the technician is an idiot. You can plainly see that an after market stereo was put in by the previous owner which more than likely caused a short in the wiring somewhere. Every after market stereo I've installed in my cars has a warning to that effect.
    Mackabee
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    A while back I shared a story about a lady who used a stolen identity to buy a car here. Well she was caught and we went to court yesterday. She got 18 lousy months, and this was the second time she had been caught doing this. I can't belive it, 18 months.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,745
    Can you tell us more about her?
    Other run ins with the law?
    Local person? or out-of-towner coming into town to scam folks?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,617
    you want gauges, drive a truck.

    My first car had nothing but gauges, I miss gauges, I want guages. :sick:

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

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I don't blame them for locking the high end cars.

    If you only knew how people TRASH the cars at the Auto Show, you would agree with me. They slam doors, squeeze themselves into cars they don't fit in. They steal anything they can unscrew.

    We once had someone steal the DIPSTICK out of an Odyssey! This year it was a radiator cap off a Civic Hybrid.

    Onc year they TRASHED and S-2000! The interior was hammered and the car had dents all over it.

    People let their grimy kids jump around on the seats etc.

    Another reason I won't work the shows anymore.
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    I would think you were overstating your point ...

    However, after going to the Chicago Auto Show at the preview and then at the end of the show, you would think that the cars aged 2-3 years in 2-3 weeks. Dents, scuffs, etc.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Also had 2 air pressure gauges (this one had air brakes, and even an air suspension drivers seat! Those I paid attention too. Apparently, if they fropped below 60psi, you weren't stopping.

    Are you sure that's right? It doesn't sound very fail safe to me.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    I don't know, it sounds about right to me. It's not like she (physically) injured someone. It's only money (and your hurt pride).
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 270,477
    Usually, the brakes will lock up, once the pressure drops... That is the fail-safe.. When the alarm goes off, you better pull over.

    On most models, you can't release the brakes, until the pressure is up..

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I can't belive it, 18 months.

    That's less time than it takes for many people to recover from having their identities stolen. :(

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    To make it worse, she'll probably be out in 3 months. Think about the poor victim---trying to prove that you're not the one charging things, writing bad checks, etc. My wife was mugged a few years ago outside of a grocery store one afternoon. He took her purse and within 72 hours he had charged over $15,000 on her MC, ran up a gas card, and pulled money out of the ATM machine 3 times in the first 24 hours. Yep, my wife had left her pin # in her wallet. All of that took 3 weeks to clear up. Also, we had to re key both cars and the house, order a new SS card, get new driver's license, buy new prescription glasses, get a new checking account, cancel all credit cards, and live with the fear that he knew where we lived. Finally, they caught him. He returned to our bank with his girlfriend to try to tap into our money market account. My wife had the number on the back of a card in the back of the checkbook. By the time he tried this, we had changed the account #. What a nightmare. My wife never carries a purse now. She only takes her driver's license, keys, and a debit card when she leaves the house. The debit # is in her HEAD.
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Though I am from the South, I have to say a good word about Pittsburgh. I used to go up there to recruit teachers four or five times a year. I was warned that people in Pittsburgh were not friendly. During 12 years of making trips to your fair city, I never found an unfriendly person in hotels, restaurants, service stations, department stores, etc. There was a great guy who owned a teacher employment agency in downtown Pittsburgh. He took me and my partner to wonderful Italian restaurants, sights around the city, and that beautiful hilltop where you can see the city lights at night---can't remember the name of it for my life. When he retired, he send me a Pittsburgh Steelers hat and sweat shirt. The teachers that I hired from Pittsburgh were well trained and educated. Though many went back home after a few years, I still hear from some of them. Pittsburgh knows something about Southern hospitality.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,636
    There are three brake circuits on trucks with air brakes. One applies the brakes when the foot pedal is pushed -- that's the one everyone expects.

    The next is the "spring brake" circuit which requires at least 60 psi to release. When air pressure is lost, the spring brakes come on and the only way to move the truck used to be to hand-crank them off. These days (well, starting in the '70's), there's a third air tank that is there just to take the spring brakes off long enough to move the truck to a safe parking place in the event of a complete loss of air from the compressor.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,745
    Wife's purse stolen at work long ago b efore ID theft was a common definition. Cancelled credit cards-2 I believe right away. Thief cashed a check with a dumb old man who sold him a handgun out of his home at night and believed the check was his mother's, without seein the mother write out the check and seeing ID. The guy sent a nasty letter to our address (a PO Box on the check) when check bounced, duh. I gave it to the police chief personally and told him the letter was threatening.

    Never heard from the case again. Guess they never figured out who bought the handgun. Moral: use your PO Box address on checks.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    It's only money

    And credit rating and stress. And the depreciation loss to the dealership. It should have been grand theft auto!
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I was warned that people in Pittsburgh were not friendly.

    Now that is very surprising because I have met many people from out of state that took jobs at the company I worked for and almost everyone said they thought this area had very friendly people. In fact this area has more than once been acknowledged as a good place to live by national surveys.

    The only thing I can think of that would turn someone off is if they said something bad about the Steelers but then that is even more surprising because I can’t think of a way they would have made it out of here alive. :confuse:

    He took me and my partner to wonderful Italian restaurants, sights around the city, and that beautiful hilltop where you can see the city lights at night---can't remember the name of it for my life.

    Tambellinis (I probably butchered that name) on Mount Washington.

    The teachers that I hired from Pittsburgh were well trained and educated. Though many went back home after a few years,...

    Stop spreading the word about the teachers otherwise we won’t be able to keep any of them while they’re still young. Yeah, we’re known for strong family ties here probably related to what I said above.

    Pittsburgh knows something about Southern hospitality.

    It’s known as Burg hospitality around here. :D

    jmonroe

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

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I don't know, it sounds about right to me. It's not like she (physically) injured someone. It's only money (and your hurt pride).

    If this was the first offense I would agree with you completely. However, ‘joel’ said, “this was the second time she had been caught doing this”. So I think the sentence should have been more like 6 years with 3 being the minimum and after she was released she would have to pay for the damages.

    You gotta make these people understand. :mad:

    jmonroe

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

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    ...won't be able to keep any of them while they are young.

    The strange thing was that the Pittsburgh area school systems wouldn't hire the young graduates until they had 2 or 3 years of experience. Your state produces more teacher candidates than any other state in the country, including New York and California. I hired over a 1,000 PA teachers in 12 years. We trained them down here and they went home and got jobs. Still, we had some very good teachers for 2 or 3 years.

    Yes, Mount Washington---thanks. :)
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,233
    moo....I know you've moved onto high buck Porsche sales, but I've been recruited to help someone buy a new Altima (you'd think I'd learn my lesson). I know the '07s had $1K cash on them, but they're few and far between.

    She's looking at an '08 coupe, base model, stick, that's about it. What I don't know is how popular this iron is.

    Can you gimme a ball park on what type of $$$ these are bringing? I'll take it from there.

    Tanks!
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • pushingtinpushingtin Member Posts: 16
    Thanks Richard.

    Yeah, I'm selling Toyotas in the western suburbs of Chicago. But thats just my Clark Kent, I do a lot of volunteer and activist work on the side. To answer your first question, I do try to help the consumer out with getting the best possible price for the car that fits their needs. That being said, I do understand business and I believe that Toyotas offer superior vehicles at fair prices for the most part. Your absolutely right that we live in a competitive society - a competitive world if your will, and I believe in jobs, fair wages, quality products and high customer service satisfaction. That was one of my original points: that there is a price to pay for quality and I remember when good service was the norm and anything less would cost you business. Like I said, I want to help people out and I'm in sales because its really a people business and a service business and I'm writing on Edmunds to help re-educate the masses that the car buying experience is about so much more than just low prices. My father always bought Ford products because he believed in the product as a whole, not just what the car or truck could do for him, but that Ford was good for America and American workers. Even when the product started to decline he remained loyal to his ideals and believed it was important to keep the plants operating because it affects peoples lives. I also learned from him that trust, integrity, and loyalty were very important to him, which is why he did business with the same Ford salesman for 20 plus years from his very first F-150 to my 91 Mustang GT. Service, integrity, trust and loyalty between my customers and myself are my main objectives for being in the sales industry. Obviously I have a family and a lifestyle to sustain, but my objectives are not monetarily motivated - its really the big picture that interests me. And for the record....i dont shop at any of the big box stores for any of my family's needs. I shop at a market for my groceries, get my coffee from a mom and pop diner, my hardware supplies at a family owned business thats been around since the 1920's and service my car at a local mechanic. These giant corporations have ruined small business, ruined the American dream, and have contributed to the elimination of the middle class. Until Americans regain their collective consciousness and take an active role in changing the way OUR government manages OUR country these disturbing trends will continue and our mighty empire will crumble. Think about how many empires lasted over 300 years....none of them.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Amen, brother.
    Mack
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    You Pittsburgh folks are all right. My late, great sister-in-law was from there. I learned how not to pronounce Carnegie from her.

    I visited there a few times for different reasons and was always pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    Phew, that was some tough readin. :(

    I can't say that I disagree with what you say and I also try to deal with the mom/pop stores when I can.

    I'd like to repeat what 'isell' said a couple of post back; please go to paragraph school. :D

    To be honest, I can't understand how 'richard' ain't jumped on you for this. He must be taking his warning from our host seriously but man, there comes a time when you gotta stand up for your rights. :D

    Like I said, you are right.

    jmonroe

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

  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Your father bought Fords to support American and Americans AND you sell Toyotas?
  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    In some cultures, thieves have a hand cut off. Now that would be a deterrent! After a second offense, the thief couldn't even pick his nose. :(
  • psorterpsorter Member Posts: 89
    geez, it's not that bad, no one is starving in the US, walmart has better service then anything I can remember in the 60's and 70's (cause you can return anything for any reason, try that in the old mom and pop stores), we make most of the (highly profitable) heavy equipment in the world (aircrafts, trains, oil rig equipment, turbines, power plants, MRI's etc etc). yea China makes our PlayDoh but we can't put everyone out of business.
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    I've seen them run their hand over the gage panel and when I asked what he was doing, he said, "feeling for tape".

    In Mass. They hook up the inspection sticker computer to the cars on board dianostic computer to tell if something is going to pass insspection. I assumed all states were doing this now.
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    She's looking at an '08 coupe, base model, stick, that's about it. What I don't know is how popular this iron is.

    Can you gimme a ball park on what type of $$$ these are bringing? I'll take it from there


    The coupes are bringing sticker. You might at most be able to get $500 off, that being that a particular dealer has it in stock. They are also very limited. If you are in the New England area I can run you a locate if you know exactly what she is looking for.

    No incentives are on the coupe right either.

    GP
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    I think you hit it - America still leads in highly specialized manufacturing. It's jobs that require eight grade education with three day on-site training that are transferred out to China and else

    ALl I have to say is that the biggest challenge that I have had in the past ten years is finding and hiring qualified manufacturing employees.

    And a good 40% of the employees are LEGAL 1st generation immigrants Americans .

    If everything had to be produced in this country, we might have the capacity to produce 40% of the goods.
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,233
    Thanks, GP.

    That may change her thinking a bit. We're in OH. So, don't know if that makes a difference.

    Her 2nd choice is an Eclipse. She may have to go that route.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I have suggested Paragraph School to pushintin twice now to no avail.

    He doesn't realize that posts like his are so hard to read that a lot of people will just scroll through them.

    Not bad content, just tough to read.

    pushintin...are you listening....??
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,247
    Um... off-topic, anyone?
    Off Topic Chatter Board
    This conversation's not going to fly in here. (offending posts gone... they really don't have a place anywhere)

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    You know I was posting when I was way too tired. I completely missed two salient points; it wasn't her first offence and it was identity theft. Now I understand joel0622's anger, it makes sense.

    Joel0622 - my apologies.
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    We're in OH.

    Yeah I can't see that far in Ohio. I can see from New Jersy to Maine.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I visited there a few times for different reasons and was always pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.

    I've heard this many, many times before. I'm not surprised at all but please don't spread the word, the cost of living here is great and so are housing prices. Now, don't blow it for us.

    jmonroe

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

  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    No need to apologies to me my friend.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    In Mass. They hook up the inspection sticker computer to the cars on board dianostic computer to tell if something is going to pass insspection. I assumed all states were doing this now.

    In PA the only time I have seem them linked to a computer is when they are doing an emissions test. If they see from the last time you had an inspection you have put on less than 5K miles, they do not proceed with the emissions test because you are then “emissions exempt” (the catch here is you still have to pay $8 for the “emissions exempt” sticker anyway) . :surprise: but you don’t have to pay an additional $20 (I think) for the full emissions inspection.

    Until I was asked by my old employer to come back as a consultant, at least one of our cars was always “emissions exempt” even though Mrs. jmonroe does many trips to the mall over the course of a year.

    Fortunately, we don’t live that far from the mall and she sometimes car pools to the mall with her mall shopping buddies who don’t have anything else to do, on their days off, other than spend their husband’s hard earned money. Otherwise, her car would be waaaay over the limit. :(

    If you don’t see me around here anymore you’ll know she saw this post. Right now I’m at work but sooner or later I’ll have to go home. :sick:

    jmonroe

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

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Pitt people are good people. I've met quite a few and they are very friendly. Wish I could say the same for some Philly folks. :( Just kidding folks. :)
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Enjoying my day off so no car stories today. Well maybe. I just got back from Q-dobas and picked up a couple of naked burritos and a regular burrito.\

    There's a Saturn dealership right across from the place and that new Saturn suv looks pretty good.
    I stopped by earlier at the Salvation Army to say hi to one of my customers. He's retired but took a part time job to pass the days away. No cars in there yet. I know there are people who donate them. I donated an old Nissan Stanza quite a few years back. I hope they fixed it and gave it to a needy family.

    I'm getting my hair cut really short in a few hours on the request of Mrs. Mack. The chemo is stronger this time around and it's falling of in clumps. I'm shedding like a dog getting a new coat and don't want to clog up the bathtub or wash basin. I don't want to do the "bald" look unless it gets really patchy and looks ugly. Cancer sucks!
    Mackabee
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    My mom lucked out and didn't have to go completely bald when she had chemo. She did cut her hair very, very short and that seemed to help. Stay strong and you will be fine.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,636
    Hang in there guy!

    We're all pulling for you.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    I don't want to do the "bald" look

    Hey Mac - those of us who come by it naturally still think bald is beautiful. Hang in there guy, let us hope that at the end of it all a clogged drain is the worst.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    "I've heard this many, many times before. I'm not surprised at all but please don't spread the word, the cost of living here is great and so are housing prices. Now, don't blow it for us."

    Funny you say that. Here in Charlotte, we seem to be a haven for Pittsburgh folks - they seem to love to relocate here (many of them cite the same reasons for moving here, that you just stated above...plus they say they move here for our weather).
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    Every car gets hooked up to the inspection sticker machine to the cars computer under the steering wheel. It check all of the cars diagnostic computer systems plus milage to make sure there hhave been no odometer roll backs. New cars ussualy take 10 minutes. Used cars can take 30 minutes depending on if the Inspection computer deems said used car needs a emissions test they pur the drive wheels on rollers get the car up to 40 MPH to test the emissions caliber. These tests are to be done once a year. Each inspection sticker is given a bar code on the sticker so the police can verify the car by the bar code. This is to prevent people stealing or swapping inspection stickers. Of course they are color coded for each year with a big number for the month when they expire. All this costs is $29 a year. Registry cops acctually will sit in dealer parking lots looking for inspection sticker people breaking the rules so that way they can fine them or shut them down.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I've got more craters on my head than the moon! That's why I don't think I would look good bald. But who knows I'll find out soon enough. Thanks for the support guys, it really does mean a lot to me.
    :)
    Mack
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    Thanks for the support guys, it really does mean a lot to me.

    Hang in there buddy! I am patiently waiting on your full recovery. Nobody tells stories like you do! I have never had to go thru what you are going thru but from what I have seen it is no day in the park.

    Get well soon!!

    GP
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    When I had my heart surgeries last year I shaved mine completely - did not want to mess with hair hygiene in the hospital. I liked it but my wife said "no Mas". It is longer now.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    Funny you say that. Here in Charlotte, we seem to be a haven for Pittsburgh folks - they seem to love to relocate here (many of them cite the same reasons for moving here, that you just stated above...plus they say they move here for our weather).

    The job market wasn’t too good here for a while. It still isn’t great but it’s getting better. I’ve been to your city a few times and it’s very nice there. In fact when we drove back to the Burg on visits, I passed right by your stadium on Interstate 77. As for your weather, there is no comparison. It’s far better there.

    I used to live in SC about 12 miles from Augusta GA. The weather there is great this time of the year but come July it’s HOT. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I moved back to the Burg. Yankees can’t take that kind of stuff.

    jmonroe

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

This discussion has been closed.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.