I think everyone agrees that even a car salesman needs to make a living.
I think that giving too much information about your finances was the thing that soured the deal for the salesman and his manager.
The thing that bothers me is the ones that flat out lie through their teeth to pass a problem car off as the gem of the year. Or their attempts to try getting you into the offices so the manager can load more dung on the heap.
I took my mom car shopping once and the car she wanted…the AC didn’t blow anything but warm air. The salesman claimed that if we bought the car at a $100 reduced price he could have the air fixed, but that the bill might be more!!! My reply " $100 wouldn’t cover the diagnostics and it could be a $1000 to fix.". He had no good reply for that. I presume that it was already diagnosed and too expensive to fix and still make a profit.
My mom is the type that if she likes the car, she will go home and sleep on it and come back tomorrow with the cash. He claimed that if we went inside with him…so he could get a business card for her, she could call back tomorrow and they would hold the car. As he walked to the offices I pointed out to mom, his back pocket that had a perfect outline of a card case. Once inside he hurried to the far corner out of view…probably getting a card from his pocket…then escorted us to the door the long way around the showroom past the managers office. They both tried to get us to come in and sit to discuss the car, but we were too smart for that ploy.
Little wonder why in terms of “people you can trust” lawyers, politicians and car salesmen usually bring up the rear in the ratings.
I was in a Dodge dealership once and asked the salesman on the floor some simple questions about that model, and got no answers whatsoever. He told me he would get them when I came in to buy. On leaving the showroom, he gave me his “card”, which was that of a Pontiac dealership down the road with only the phone number crossed out and changed.
I felt compelled to look him straight in the eyes and asked him: “Are you sure you work here??”
The salesman doesn’t earn a dime until he sells a car and there’s a sword hanging over his (usually male) head every second. If the salesman had spent much time on a go-nowhere deal for the moment he could end up getting reamed good by management or at some point axed.
When he finds out the potential buyer has no way of completing that sale on the spot and has to listen to the “back later” routine which he’s probably heard 6 times already that day his tolerance for delays will be very skimpy as there are other fish to fry.
Mechanics run into the same thing. People go fishing for free fix-it advice, physical help, loaner tools, etc and all of which can dig into one of the mechanic’s most valuable resources; time.
Chatting on flat rate doesn’t put new shoes on the kids…
Like I said, I fully understand the plight of the salesman and don’t wish to waste their time nor mine. The second to the last car I bought, I just walked in cold to look at a car on the lot. In a few minutes I was doing a test drive and about a half hour later we had agreed on a price. That was about the first time we ever talked about how I would pay for it the next day. Of course they tried to push their own financing but I honestly don’t remember when if ever they looked at my license until we were doing the paperwork. I had planned on going from there to another dealer to look at a similar car but since they matched everything and the car was what I wanted there was no need to continue.
I try to be honest if I’m just looking around, but if I really just want to get a deal done with no fancy foot work, I expect that too. If they insult me or ask me what I can afford which is more than I’ll spend, I just don’t want to do business with them. If we are dealing adult to adult trying to come up with a mutual agreement we can keep on talking but I’ll be honest when we aren’t going to be able to come to an agreement. I guess I have just been used to dealing with professional equipment sales people that are as much business problem solvers as sales reps. I tell them my problems and they tell me how they can help without the game playing.
The salesman was a jerk. There is no need to bring your parents until you have negotiated a price.
You were a bad lawyer for your client! Would you give the opposing lawyer all your client’s personal/private information? There is no need to discuss finances until you have selected a vehicle.
I don’t understand how the salesman was out of line. There’s no mention of crudeness; only a matter of fact statement about someone not being allowed to test drive a car which they cannot purchase at that time. The OP was invited to return with the parents.
Put it this way. As an individual you put your own car up for sale. Someone you do not know shows up, shows interest in it, and wants to take it for a test drive.
While the possible buyer is looking the car over your next door neighbor comes over and puts a bug in your ear about knowing who the buyer is and that said buyer is not going to follow through.
So; knowing this would you allow that person to take off in your car for a test ride/joy ride/possible trip over the state line never to return?
I only mention the latter of the three because I’ve seen it happen.
We’re probably just not going to agree on this but what if the salesman would have just allowed the test drive, the OP liked the car, and then decided to put the $100-500 down for it? Then could have come in on Monday with the parents and done whatever needed to be done to finish the payment. I just think the guy lost a sale but maybe not-that’s the thing you never know. Everybody has to buy a car sometime including kids, tire kickers, people in overalls, etc.
I would think a newly minted Juris Doctor should be aware of how credit ratings, scores, and so on work and I knew how it worked when I was fresh out of high school.
What happens when a car salesman walks into a lawyer’s office for legal advice on a problem? Going to get a free pass or get hit for a billable hour…
There’s an old saying that a lawyer never, ever has to use the restroom. That time is billable as reviewing briefs…
Maybe rudeness is acceptable in your part of the country. I’ve only bought a handful of cars, but I have never been asked those questions before a test drive.
The salesman is a jerk, because he dismissed a potential buyer and left the OP with a bad taste in his mouth. The OP is going to tell his family and friends to stay away from that dealership. Maybe leave a comment on Yelp about the experience.
Now on the flip side, if the salesman had spent a 1/2 hr on showing the car and doing the test drive, the OP would have had a positive experience. The OP would have told is family and friends about his good experience. The salesman would have increased his goodwill and increase his potential sales.
There is no reason you couldn’t have driven the car. Their reason was he won’t buy today so he won’t drive today.
Whenever The dealer plays 20 questions with me before I drive the car I always tell them will drive it first then get interrogated.
They need to ask those questions but IMOO its none of their business until its time to deal.
Over the years I’ve had the questionable pleasure of meeting all forms of car salesmen. I like the ones that team up and loudly emphasize to me how much money they can save me. My stock answer is that I know how I can save many thousands more… just don’t buy the car!
If the op has stated the facts correctly and completely, this salesperson has flunked sales 101. As a former salesperson, finding out the needs and doing a little schmoozing can go a long way. Sales are about building relationships and finding out what the customer needs 1st and foremost. I ,nor my dealership management team, EVER did a credit app without the customer consent. General information was shared with the prospective client so that all parties could move forward with the same goal in mind (i.e purchasing a vehicle). I would not return to that dealership after that experience. In this day and age, dealerships ( and most businesses that care) rely heavily on surveys and rating websites such as yelp. Sounds like a really poor salesperson. I find no fault with the upfront honesty of the prospective buyer.
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember years ago legislation being passed in NH prohibiting a credit check without the customer’s consent. Or perhaps it was just voted on. Mike, I know you’re a fellow NH resident, do you recall anything about this?
As regards the salesman, most of them lost their jobs in their former fields and are just trying to make ends meet… and the dealership teaches them some awful things about how to sell. Few are actually their by choice and fewer still actually know something about sales.
I’d make a horrible car salesman. I can’t smile to someone’s face and tell them a bald-faced lie. And if they ask about a truth, like “doesn’t this car have a terrible reliability record?” I have to simply acknowledge it. I cannot spin the truth.
I agree with idiot. That was very low class of the salesman. Over the years when I have been treated rudely by low class salespeople, there is always someone to tell me that I must see it from the view of the salesperson. NO I DO NOT!
If I am not happy with how i was treated, I walk. That is salesmanship 101.
Part of car sales is you have a certain percentage of people who are starting the purchase process. They need to look around and compare. This clod basically says you come here to buy now today or don’t come here at all. Easy fix! Don’t go there!
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember years ago legislation being passed in NH prohibiting a credit check without the customer's consent. Or perhaps it was just voted on. Mike, I know you're a fellow NH resident, do you recall anything about this?
You must have the persons written consent. I’ve never obtained financing from the dealer so there would be no reason what-so-ever of them running a credit check. Actually I haven’t financed a car in almost 30 years. I have co-signed a couple though.
A credit check is a report card with lots of vital information. I have seen them be used in constructive ways when the owner of the report was uninformed about negative reporting on her/his report, and that information impacted the person’s ability to make a purchase, or had incorrect data . Credit reports are only as good as what has been reported to those bureaus, just like CARFAX. And allowing the dealership the opportunity to offer financing is also good. Please consider the fact that the dealership has a strong working rapport with multiple lending institutions, possibly the one you want or will be working with, and can sometimes negotiate a lower rate than you can simply because of that relationship. Getting several different bids is never a bad idea.
And allowing the dealership the opportunity to offer financing is also good. Please consider the fact that the dealership has a strong working rapport with multiple lending institutions, possibly the one you want or will be working with, and can sometimes negotiate a lower rate than you can simply because of that relationship.
I’ve always been able to get MUCH BETTER financing then what the dealer offers…usually 2-3 points lower. I cosigned a loan last year for my middle son. Dealer - 4.2%…Credit Union 1.49%. Your best bet is to get pre-approved BEFORE you make a deal. Then if the dealer can BEAT that rate take it…but from my experience they can’t. And DON’T fall for the bull that they need to run a credit check before they can give you a rate
You just have to check but sometimes the manufacturers rates are lower than the bank or credit union. Back in 86 GMAC was 7% and the bank 12%. Now the credit union is around 3% and Honda 1-2%. Once you get down to 3%, the actual dollar difference starts to get pretty minimal.
I still think that the number of times your credit history is accessed can be a red flag, so people should not be wily nily checking your credit for no reason and I do believe they need written authorization to do it. Now back in the old days which wasn’t all that long ago, before trans union, credit histories used to be kept at the county level. Three people worked upstairs checking the papers and recording information on people in the county. The banks and businesses reported to them and member could get information back again. Visa would have to check with the county credit bureau and it was virtually impossible to steal someones identity.
What a farce with the current national system. Credit should not be granted unless they can identify for sure who the person is.
I get a financing quote through my credit union and then tell the dealership what my rate is. They always beat it, and I’m always surprised. I can go in with a 1.5% quote and the dealership will beat it. They won’t beat it by much, but they’ll beat it.
