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Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

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Comments

  • hoosierboyhoosierboy Member Posts: 25
    Thanks, Isell. I have been a lurker and occasional poster on this board for about 5 years. I rarely chime in, but I thought that my experience was a telling example of what causes the ill will at some dealerships, and the pleasant experience (with I would imagine higher profit) at other dealers. I really am curious as to what the "formula" is at the higher end stores? Why do they stay in the biz and make more money?
    All I know is if a fellow salesman would have pulled that on me, we would definitely have had something to talk about when the customer left! :mad:
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ... ** I have been in sales for 16 years and I would NEVER have made a comment like that within earshot of another salesman's customer!** ...

    Okay guys calm down ........

    I see Bobst point, that's business (very bad business) but that's the flea's that come with the dog ... I also understand Hoosiers point and agree that the idiot shouldn't have opened up his stupid mouth ... that said, you can't get bent everytime someone makes a stupid remark, "keep your eye on the prize" ........ I've been looking for some new digs, so I've been in 4 states with 6 different real estate agents, and if half of these guy's got paid for stupidity, they would be Zillionaires ..l.o.l... ... in the meantime, while they're out arguing in the parking lot about the best "appreciation" neighborhood (which I could care less about) I leave them in the parking lot and make the offer without them ... works for me, plus it saved me 3% ......

    Like my great grand Daddy used to say: Common sense, just isn't common ...................................... ;)

    Terry.
  • denali856denali856 Member Posts: 118
    -----------------------------------------------------
    rroyce10 says: “…That's why is just good business to ask questions .... lets cut to the chase …”
    ----------------------------------------------------
    So you want to query the customer to see if he might be wasting *your* time before you determine whether it’s worth your time to give him the quote as YOU offered, despite the fact that you put up the link inviting him to ask for a *QUOTE*, not to begin a negotiation process.

    I have a little experience with procurement, and if I put out an RFQ for a piece of equipment or a job and the seller wants to see my financials before even quoting me, there’s NO WAY I’m doing business with that seller. Because by asking to see my financials before quoting me, he’s just tipped his hand (1) that he’s not going to give me his best quote, he’s going to try to get as much as he thinks I can afford off of me; and (2) that he's not really interested in working too hard.

    What’s the thing salespeople say? “Nothing worse than leaving money on the table?” That's why, it seems to me, so many dealerships resist this 'no-negotiation' approach. They want the business of the 'no-negotiation' customer, but they don't want to do business without being able to negotiate.

    So I guess when you put up the ‘REQUEST A QUOTE’ link, that’s not what you mean—you really mean something like ‘MAKE CONTACT WITH A SALESMAN SO HE CAN BEGIN SIZING YOU UP TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER QUOTING YOU IS WORTH HIS TROUBLE.’

    Truth in advertising, that’s all the consumer asks.

    -----------------------------------------------------
    alfox says: “…They want the exposure that the advertising linkage on Edmunds (for example) gives to them, but they don't want to give the quotes….”
    -----------------------------------------------------
    Yep, bait and switch, just like I said.

    -----------------------------------------------------
    Let me ask you guys a question: how hard is it to offer a person a quote? It seems like a very straightforward thing to say, "I can sell that car for this much." But the advent of resources like Edmunds, and 'Internet Sales' departments notwithstanding, dealers--not all, but many, or even most--resist like heck the concept of giving someone a bottom-line best offer. Why is that? I think the answer is simple: many dealerships approach every deal with the SOLE objective being maximizing their profit, with very little if any thought given to working with the customer, trying to figure out what he wants or how he would like to do business.

    My last two vehicles have been bought via the Internet, pre-quoted, no-haggling process. I did not counter-offer the quote, I did not shop a quote from one dealer to another. Financing and trade-in components did not enter the deal; I arranged these matters separately. I accepted the quote, walked into the dealership with a check, and walked out less than an hour later and drove off in my car.

    I found dealers willing to work with me in this manner because it is so much less time-consuming and unstressful, and I will NEVER walk into a dealership and haggle for a car, try to make a deal to a number, play the old 'run back and forth to the sales manager' game again.

    Who wants to do business like that in this day and age? Only someone who doesn't know any better is my view.

    Seems to me that the good dealerships are recognizing that at least part of the market has changed, accepting it, and adopting to it. This is the only sort of dealer I will do business with going forward, and I predict that as time goes on these dealers will thrive and the old type of dealership will lose market share.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    In the News and Views forum topic "Are Hyundais and Kias still throw-away cars" there is a discussion going on about a lot of Hyundais going through the auctions that are "Dealer buybacks". Can someone please explain to me what is a "Dealer buyback"?
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    not to let comments get hostile and/or personal. This discussion *is* called "Questions for a Car Dealer," so remember that most of the responses you'll get are going to be from the car dealer's perspective.

    The conversation about on-line quotes really belongs in our topic titled Dealers Too Busy For OnLine Shoppers, so let's take further discussion about this subject there.

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  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    Not really dealer buy backs, but manufacturer buy backs are lemon law cars.
  • denali856denali856 Member Posts: 118
    My apologies. I didn't realize there was such a forum--I've now checked it out and it's interesting.

    And my apologies if my comments sounded personal/hostile. They were intended to be neither.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    "how hard is it to offer a person a quote?"

    Some dealers don't choose to give quotes. It is their choice. That's all there is to it.
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Thank You, excellent idea.......
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Well, Hoosier, there are some nasty people in this world. When you grow up, you will learn how to accept these people without getting upset, and you will be a happier person.

    Besides, I have read several posts about obnoxious sales people at the high end stores, so I don't think it fair to generalize about the low quality of the sales staff at stores that sell cheaper cars.

    We had an obnoxious salesman in the fall of 1972. Since that time, all of the sales people I have dealt with have been nice, most of them very nice. Oh yeah, some tried to cheat me out of some money, but they were nice about it.
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    You have VERY thick skin.......But take it easy on Hoosier
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Couldn't agree more. Excellent post isell. It took a lot of guts to write the comment about your HS reunion.

    A lot of people seem to think that if someone complains about a negative experience they have with a dealer they are "whining" or "need to grow up".

    Man if someone wants to vent some...let them. Or, scroll on down the highway.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • hoosierboyhoosierboy Member Posts: 25
    First you tell me I am whining, and now you are telling me I will understand when I grow up? :surprise: Where do you get the idea that I am some kid hanging out at the computer? I happen to feel that my posts on my experience were relevant to this discussion. I simply stated my experience and observations as to why the sales staff and buying experience were vastly different at different types of stores. I also hoped that the sales people on this board would offer some insight as to why they are different, and what makes the high line sales people stick around and make more money.
    I guess I had a different reaction to the situation then most people who are not in sales would have. As I stated before, I am in sales and have been for some time. The client/salesman relationship is one that you have to build on. Especially in car sales where the potential buyer may be on the lot for a short time, and the sales person is more likely to be a newbie. So, not only did I feel the other salesman chiming in with his comment was inappropriate and unprofessional, it also was unfair to my salesman. My salesman was new, and I could see he was unsure of what to say. That to me was unfair to him as it could have cost him a sale and the commission that went along with it. I know that if my wife was with me (who is not in sales), her reaction would have been different than mine for different reasons. Her reaction would have focused on his inappropriate comment that she would have considered condescending and lewd. She would have been the type of buyer to walk out or go talk to the guy's boss. That type of buyer would have cost the salesman a sale. My reaction focused on his stupid comment and how could another "brother" salesman jeopardize another salespersons bread and butter...
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    hossier,

    Ignore bobst. He's a .....well, nevermind. He's just trying to bait you. That's his style.

    I would think the high end stores ***might*** attract a higher eschelon of salesperson but I'm not sure. I once had a Lexus salesguy ask me "How can you stand to deal with the mooches and invoice buyers that buy Hondas?"

    I think the higher end stores tend to sell VALUE rather than just sell cars as commodity items. I try to do this too but for many customers, all they care about is PRICE...nothing else matters.

    That Lexus guy let me know that they simply don't put up with grinders. They sell value, and know their product inside and out. Discounts are minimal.

    I stay where I am because I know I lack the patience in dealing with upscale buyers. for the most part, I like my customers. I work in a family owned store where they treat me like family. They are upfront and fair with their custotomers.

    That's why I stick around.
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    Unfortunately, my job requires me to head into a few dealerships a year. Some are really professional. Some are so bad I wonder how they stay in business.

    Ditto on the salesmen. Some are very knowledgeable on their product and some have to go to the product literature or website to answer the most basic questions.

    You ran into a bad apple. Get over it. His comments have bothered YOU more than losing your sale has bothered them.

    As customer, you have the power as you decide whether or not you are going to spend your hard earned money at a dealership or whether you will walk away.
  • denali856denali856 Member Posts: 118
    That's fine--then don't put REQUEST A QUOTE buttons on your website or link to things like the Edmunds service. Truth in advertising, like I said.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    If a dealership advertises " Request a quote" than they should give a quote!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Request a Quote means exactly that. You can request a quote - it's not a we promise you a quote button!! :) Smile folks, it's Friday.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Update the e-mail in your profile. It bounced. Thanks.

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  • jayellesevenjayelleseven Member Posts: 150
    If I was to fax the exact car I wanted (color, trims, options) with the prices I was willing to pay, would a dealership take me more serioulsy, ADDED that I have 25-33% of the payment on hand, down?! Ive been to a BMW dealership and 2 Infiniti. They seem to not take me very seriously, perhaps its because of my age (19) However, I told them I was ready to buy and that I will co-sign with my dad...
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    If I was to fax the exact car I wanted (color, trims, options) with the prices I was willing to pay, would a dealership take me more serioulsy, ADDED that I have 25-33% of the payment on hand, down?!

    Nope. It's the same as e-mailing asking for prices. Until you actually step inside the store, you are nothing but vapor-ware for the most part.

    Your age probably is the reason for not taking you seriously. If you are serious and your Dad will co-sign for you, bring him with you. Basically, if you can't buy a car without his signature it makes no sense to shop alone.

    Good luck.
  • denali856denali856 Member Posts: 118
    Funny. :)
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    Rob is right on this one. Actually a fax is probably less likely to be taken serious than an internet request. At least with an internet request the dealership should have somebody assigned to handle it.

    Have you considered trying to get pre approved before you go to the dealer? If you come in with a pre approval and a large down payment and they still won't take your money, it is time to shop elsewhere. I had a similar problem when buying my last vehicle. I'm not as young as you, but I look young. The BMW dealer that I visited was horrible, but being in the business I cut them some slack because it may have been just the brain dead salesperson I ended up with.
  • typhon1991typhon1991 Member Posts: 64
    I work at a Chevy Dealer outside Chicago and around 4 years ago I upped a 19 year old kid who said that he was interested in buying a Corvette. This kid didn't even shave everyday yet. He complained that no one would take him seriously at other stores. I sat down with him, answered some questions, built the car he wanted on the computer. The next day, he came back with his dad who cosigned with him he put 25k down and I sold him the car for list. I didn't even have to deliver the car to him because he took the museum delivery option in Bowling Green Ky. So for around 30 minutes worth of work, I made a fantastic commision and his father came in and bought a 50th Anniversay Vette from me a year later. Moral is any good salesman will never judge a book by it's cover. If they don't help you, its their loss.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    A lot of veterans lose sales by sizing up customers.

    Conversly, a lot of greenpeas will waste an entire busy Saturday by spending too much time with a non buyer.

    For every 100 19 year old unshaven kids looking at a new Corvette, I wonder how many actually buy?

    Still, you never know!
  • benderofbowsbenderofbows Member Posts: 542
    I'll add another "don't judge a book by its' cover" story

    I worked as a car salesman for three months. Being the "new guy" I was always made to go help people that the other salesmen thought would not be able to buy.

    So one day three shabbily dressed Hispanic men in their mid-30's pulled onto the lot packed in a battered old compact pickup with the name of an out-of-town construction company, "BPR" on the side. They were dirty and covered in paint. The men started to look at a used F-350 Super Duty Diesel 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed monster we had on the corner. Of course, I was shoved towards them.

    They did not speak very good english; basically all I could get was that one of the men, Bernadino, needed a larger truck. So I let him drive it and when he liked it, took him inside to talk about the price.

    He had $10,000 cash in a bag and said he'd bring the rest (also in cash) back the next day. He was Bernadino Pena Rosendez of BPR Construction.
  • typhon1991typhon1991 Member Posts: 64
    you are right about wasting time. It was a slow thursday night. It may have turned out different if it was a busy Saturday afternoon. But an experience salesmen can talk to a customer and in 5-10 minutes, have a good idea of what they can or can't do. You just have to spend the time and not ignore them. thas all.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    That Sales Managers like to tell.

    The "you never know" kind of story.

    In my case, my instincts are usually right on target.

    Yes, an experience salesperson can usually tell after a few minutes if they have a non vs. a serious buyer on their hands but by then, they can be stuck.

    And, even then, they can be wrong.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    You only hear one side of the story (the hobo bought a Ferrari from me side), becasue you never know how many real buyers you drop-kick, if they just go elsewhere to buy.

    It's all about resource allocation. In this case, it's the salesmans time that's the resource. Of course, this brings up a point that I find interesting:

    -what's good for the Salesman vs. what's good for the dealer.

    That is, the salesguy wants to maximize sales per contact, so they profile to (hopefully) increase the odds they make a sale. But, the dealer wants all the sales, even the % of drop-kicks that are legit.

    it actually seems like giving the marginal prospects to the greenpea makes sense. It's a low-cost employee, hopefully generates a few sales, and gives the pea some hard-knocks experieince to cut their teeth on.

    isn't that why some places seem to be overrun by salespeople? Throw enough on the wall, and hope some stick?

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

  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    That and the fact that at most stores salespeople are a free comodity. They work strictly commission so there isn't much expense outside of benefits. If they don't sell cars they don't make any money and won't continue to work in most cases.
  • typhon1991typhon1991 Member Posts: 64
    isell I think I work in a store similar to yours family owned and virtually no salesman turnover. I have been selling cars for 9 years and half of this job is pure luck. Sometimes you get a stroke and sometimes you get a buyer. It just depends on which straw you draw.
  • kurtamaxxguykurtamaxxguy Member Posts: 677
    Ok, here's a simple scenario and question:

    Customer X goes to his friendly dealer (persian bazaar, no haggle, whatever), gloms onto a favorite car, discusses price, buys the car. Dealer Sales unit then makes its profit from that and other sales (won't go into what is "reasonable" or not here).

    Now, does any of this SALES profit go to the SERVICE department? Or is the latter a stand-alone operation that makes __its__ profit from efficient warranty processing and/or after warranty service and parts sales?

    Also one general comment: most "Professionals" (the ones that get college degrees, etc - not that it makes us "professional" __all the time__, but that is what we are classified as) despise dishonesty in a car dealer. Example: If I go to a dealer and agree to a reasonable price, then I expect that to be the price and not get jerked around at the last minute by finance or others at dealership.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    I can't speak for every dealership in the world, but sales and service are usually separate entities. Service makes the money while sales gives it away. It seems sometimes that the only reason that we sell cars is so that we can service them. The overhead in the sales department is huge compared to that in the service department.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    Think of a dealership as a number of different businesses..

    1. new car department
    2. used car department
    3. service department
    4. parts department
    5. body shop
    6. rental department

    when the used car department sends a car into the shop the used car department is often charged close to retail for their work...when the new car department wants a tube of touch up paint they are often charged the same or close to what joe blow pays off the street....when I get a loaner car for a used car customer who is in for service the rental department charges the used car department..... etc
    so when a sale is made...the profits stay in the sales department but they might get charged by the service department to clean it.

    essentially its like a bunch of business that operate under one roof and they all stand alone and often don't get along.. (you never find a used car manager who likes the his/her service department, lol) Of course, there are exceptions and variations to this at each dealership but it gives you and idea.
  • kurtamaxxguykurtamaxxguy Member Posts: 677
    If sales is truely separate from Service, it sets up this senario::

    1. Find a good local service department for your proposed car (BBB, referrals, forums, etc),

    2. Find another dealer, anywhere you can get to, that will not "play games" with selling you the proposed car.

    In some (rare ?) cases, you may find 1 and 2 are at the same location.

    To me, this is ridiculous. Most other retail businesses do sales __and__ service, with the two complementing each other. How the car business got so screwed up here is beyond me. But what is, is what is.
  • typhon1991typhon1991 Member Posts: 64
    for being a college educated professional you seem to lack common sense. Sales and service do work together but for accounting they are seperate. This is no different than any other business with a sales side and a service side. You can buy a car and take it elsewhere if you want but if my customer is having a problem with the vehicle that I sold them, I will go back and talk to the tech and get with the service manager if necessary to rectify the problem. Modern cars have so much technology in them that the old fashioned repair shops have started to go out of business. for example the new C6 Corvette has 17 computer on board. I wouldn't trust anybody but a factory trained tech to fix it.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Not a firsthand story, but still illustrates the buyer side of the equation.

    Several years ago, my wife's stepfather's mother passed away, leaving a bit of an estate. Said stepfather decides to replace my mother-in-law's car.

    Goes to the Cadillac dealer one Saturday in fairly grubby clothes. Salesman, like those who post here, sizes him up as a potential sale. Buys an Eldorado ETC for cash (IIRC, something like $40K).

    A year later, he does the same thing at the Jeep dealer with a Grand Cherokee Limited for himself. Cash deal, grubby clothes.

    Now, this was in Cheyenne, WY, so I'm not sure that he was dressed out of the ordinary for the town. :D
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Yes, luck has a huge part in it.

    I think there are three kinds of customers.

    1. Buyers. These people are out to buy a car.

    2. Strokes/Non buyers...Thse are either joyriders, flakes, time wasters, bad credit or too buried in their trades to do anything.

    3. Casual shoppers.

    These are the people where the abilities and people skills of the salesperson can make or break a sale.
  • grelcargrelcar Member Posts: 2
    I am beginning to look for a new car. I have a number of cars I am considering. I have researched these cars on the internet. I plan to see the models I am interested in person. When I narrow my search to a few cars, I plan to test drive each of them.

    What is the best way to approach this with a dealer? I have been to a few lots and told the salesman who greeted me that I was just looking. They have handed me a card and said to let them know if I have any questions. I'm okay with this. If I do have questions but have no intention of purchasing a car right then am I wasting their time? Will I also just be wasting a salesman's time when I have narrowed down my choices and want to test drive a few cars that I have no intention of buying at that time? What sort of information should I be obligated to give a salesman or dealership in order to be allowed to test drive a car?

    Once I decide on the model I want I will try to locate the car with the options I want and contact that dealership with that car and then try to make a deal. If we are unable to come to terms I will try another dealership with the same or similar car.

    Is there anything wrong with this approach.
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    Yeah, it just amazes me that some people will spend so much time with a salesman. Not that I don't like salesmen, but I usually go into a dealership either to see a car (which doesn't require a salesman, and by that time, I've researched it enough where I don't have any questions), to test drive it (where I just want to drive it, again, no small talk), or to discuss purchase.

    I just don't understand some customers wasting their and their salesmen's time with silly questions that they can easily read on the web or in a brochure...

    I guess I'd get pretty frustrated if I had someone waste my time and then walk away...
  • typhon1991typhon1991 Member Posts: 64
    there is nothing wrong with telling the sales person of your intentions up front. You will find that if you are upfront with them, they will return the favor. One thing that we do ask though is if you are just "looking" please don't stop in during peak times say Saturday between 11am and 4pm. You might want to contact someone in the sales department via phone or email and set up an appoinment time with them. If you can't make it, please call and let them know. Most salespeople won't take a customer if they are expecting someone to come in and see them. If you blow them off, it could cost that salesperson money by them not taking another customer.
    Also if you like your salesperson, let them locate the specific vehicle that you want. It is alot easier for us to do than you. We do it every day. Good Luck to you.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I would just add, don't test drive cars you know you wouldn't buy. That's a waste of everyone's time.

    Just be upfront, tell your salesperson you have several cars on your list and you want to make the choice that's best for you.

    And, don't do this until you are really ready to buy. the quickest way for a salesperson to lose interest is when they are told the purchase is a month off or more.

    Ask your friends and neighbors for a referral if possible.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    "If I do have questions but have no intention of purchasing a car right then am I wasting their time?"

    In this case, I think it is OK to ask questions, but keep them short.

    "Will I also just be wasting a salesman's time when I have narrowed down my choices and want to test drive a few cars that I have no intention of buying at that time?"

    If you think you may buy a car like that in the future (even a year from now), I think it is fine to test drive it. Don't waste much of the sales person's time. Be very straightforward and tell the sales person you are not buying a car that day.

    "What sort of information should I be obligated to give a salesman or dealership in order to be allowed to test drive a car?"

    They own the car. You need to give them whatever they ask for - a birth certificate, $10000 deposit, Paris Hilton tee shirt, whatever. If you don't like their policies, go somewhere else. Usually we just let them copy our driver's license.

    It takes us a long, long time to decide what kind of car we want to buy. Before we bought our last car, we spent over a year thinking about the color we wanted. Yeah, that's right - over a year.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >Usually we just let them copy our driver's license.

    Do you let them scan the magnetic stripe on your driver's license?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • stulujustuluju Member Posts: 8
    I would like to buy my wife a minivan. Preferably a 2006 Honda Odysey when it comes out. However I wanted her to test drive it first to see if she could get used to driving a minivan. They only have the 2005's in now. While I dont want to waste anyone times by test driviing a car that i wont buy, i feel it would be helpful for our future purchase.

    I spoke with one Honda Dealer and all he did was try to sell me the 2005(Without even a test drive) and wouldn't even tell me when the 2006 comes out. I dont want to go through the same experience again when she test drives a car and I'm there for a long time with them trying to sell me the 2005. What the best way to approach a dealer with what I want to do so I can get the information necessary for 2006 purchase. It seems they are just interested in an immediate purchase. I dont want to waste his time or mine.

    Any advice would be appreciated
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    They want to sell what they have in stock now. If you really want to wait to buy a 2006, just wait until they come out and then go drive one. this will probably happen around September.

    They won't drive one bit differently than a 2005. If you drive a 2005 now, you will have forgotton how it drove by the time the 2006's are out.

    So, yeah...it would have been a waste of both of your time.

    Why not a 2005?
  • jayellesevenjayelleseven Member Posts: 150
    Customers normally make the car buying process difficult not the sales person.

    How?? Customers just want a car at a good price. Dealers and salespeople are the ones that want to push sales and want every customer to buy the fully loaded car...
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    When a car goes through the auction line (such as Manheim) and it is a dealer buyback ( I was told in an earlier post on this forum that a dealer buyback is a manufacturer "lemon" buyback)...does the auction have to disclose to you (the potential buyer of said vehicle.... that it was a "lemon" car... and if so, what the problems were on said vehicle????
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    How is it possible, after you buy a car, if you decide you don't like it, to take it back to the dealer and get your money back?

    The reason this came up is one of my co-workers recently had her minivan stolen. It was recovered, but totaled out. Her insurance man said he knew someone who could help her find another car at a good price, but she got impatient and went out and bought one on Thursday nite...a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer. Well, on Friday, her insurance guy said that his man found one for her, another '02 Mountaineer, with less miles, for less money. She said she'd take it if she could do an even swap.

    But then, our supervisor chimed in and told her to just take her Mountaineer back to the dealer and say she wants her money back, and that the most she might lose is maybe $100.00. Is that true? I know there's no such thing as a "72 hour law" applied to cars, although it does get perpetuated. I brought that up, and my supervisor simply said that he's done it twice, himself. But, naturally, he wouldn't give us any details as to the circumstances.

    For example, I'm sure if he took a used car back and decided he wanted something more expensive/higher profit, then they might actually beg to take it back. Or if he'd been such a great customer, generating plenty of referral business for them, they might be willing to do it.

    And I know some used car places will actually LET you bring a car back within something like 3 days or 150 miles, if you change your mind. But I was always under the impression that that was just something they happened to offer, and not actually required to do.

    So, is there a "reasonable" way to take a car back and get your money back, or is my supervisor probably just blowing smoke, or leaving a few important details out of his transactions?

    Personally, the way I look at it, if my co-worker was stupid enough to buy the thing, then she needs to live with it. It's not the dealer's fault that she went out and made an impulse buy!
  • weno2weno2 Member Posts: 38
    I'm ready to purchase, and I'm going to do it by sending e-mails to the respective dealers.

    What (and how) should I ask them for a quote. Total cost (w/TT&L, etc); Price of the car?

    Some things are constants (sales tax, registration, etc.), so maybe I don't need to have that rolled into the price.

    I know I'm going to buy at the end of the month, so should I mention this in the e-mail?

    Thanks :confuse:
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