Confessions of A Car Salesman

[sajawebb]

Some dealers are just plain ass. We have this local Toyota dealer, that was sited and find recently, that I guess they would tell you something like, for example, say this 2002 Celica GTS is $20000. then they will give you $5000 for your trade in, so you finance for $15000+tax(8%)=16200 with whatever the APR is basicaly came to something like $475 or something like that. so lady said okay, and she was just about sign the paper when she realized that on the final document, it said the her monthly was $550! abviously she questioned, and sales manager told them that something like "oh trade in had some dmg, have higher milege yada yada yada... "so they had to give her less money.which is fine, except they did not bother to tell her about it, and just changed number on the paper. If she signed paper, she would have been screwed. she reported that.
this was about 2 years ago. dealer lost franchize from toyota, was bought by someone else, they got huge fine, everything else. I hate car sales people. they only sees people as Dollar sign. I'm well aware that they are there to make money. but most are out to take full advantage of you.

Your right Some dealers are @sses...but so are Some people in general. Hating car salesmen won't get you a good deal. An extremely large percentage of the guys huddled together on the car lot need you to spend as much as possible, so their cut is decent. And while I believe the dealership should make a fair profit, I think being informed is where the savings are. Internet is the ONLY way to go, i.e., CARSDIRECT.COM or one of the other direct services. My 2005 GT will have a Carsdirect sticker on it. Be informed---don't hate!

 

[sajawebb]

Nowadays, only stupid people buy new cars buy going into the dealership showroom. Do all your shopping via the Internet, you'll probably get the car for invoice, and then you just drop in long enough to give them a check and pick up the car. Never again will I deal with a new car salesman...

By stupid...you probably meant uninformed, ill-advised, or extremely naive. Because stupid means knowing about internet shopping and going to the "lion-pit" of dealers anyway. There's no need to deal with car salesmen ever again (at least for me).

 

[sajawebb]

sounds like you've had a bad experience buying a car.

To call someone "stupid" for walking into a dealership, test driving a car, having a proper demonstration of the car's features and history is rediculous.

Though, being a saleman myself, I wouldn't mind having ten people a month walk in, leave a check, and pick up a car...my job being only to hand the keys over. I'd be in heaven.

Mike

The only stupid thing would be after the test drive to walk into the cubicle!!! Stay out of the office! Would your cut be decent if you sold 10 cars a month near MSRP? Would that really be heaven??? By the way what kind of deal are you offering?

 

[sajawebb]

Yep, I learned some of that stuff the hard way. I got ripped a new one when I bought my green 97 v6 a couple years back. I dealt with them on a montly payment basis and that wasn't so wise. It was also an impulse buy where I had originally just planned to look at cars, I ended up driving one home.

Now when I got my GT, I shopped around online for about 3 months and found a good deal on this one. I had to get a ride 3 and a half hours to pick it up, but I got it for 2500 under book. I probably could have got it for a bit less (he said yes to my first offer) But I still feel like I got a good deal. $12,500 for a 2001 GT with 43,000 miles.

You made the typically classic mistake with your 97...they got you with the "how much do you want your monthly payments to be". Stangnet members don't fall for this!!! But it looks like you got a good deal on your 01.

 

[scottie1113]

The only stupid thing would be after the test drive to walk into the cubicle!!! Stay out of the office! Would your cut be decent if you sold 10 cars a month near MSRP? Would that really be heaven??? By the way what kind of deal are you offering?

Ooh, and sajawebb delivers a sucker punch to Signal_12's jaw. That was really uncalled for. I've known a few really good car salesmen and women over the years.

While most just want to take you down the road to their highest profit, a few actually care about their customers and help them make good deals, whether over the internet or in person. The funny thing is that they end up getting a lot of repeat business from referrals.

Signal_12 can tell you that a salesman makes a whole lot more money by selling a used car than a new one. Do you guys know what a four pack is? So what?

 

[Wylde]

This was bark in the dark ages before Al Gore invented the internet.

I remember when that was said on the news....it was the biggest joke of all time.

We can't buy on the internet in Canada yet (unless it's available now and I don't know about it)...I sure wish we could. I have bought so many cars...I think I can handle any saleman. I think the best thing anyone can do is be very well informed before you go to the dealer. Research everything and be prepared. I have never been screwed buying a new car and I have bought many. Even before Al Gore's best invention..."that's a howler".

 

[The Brahma Bull]

Just feel like adding my bitch story about dealerships.

My friend was looking at Mazda 3's so while he was talking with the salesman I was off looking at RX8's. After a bit my friend came and got me and we went back inside. They talked for a bit and I was again looking at an RX-8 in the showroom. My friend and the salesman shook hands and on the way out he kinda chuckled and told me to keep dreaming about those RX-8's. I looked at him in disbelief and told him I made over $34k a year and had talked to another salesman and was in the process of buying one, but now thanks to his rude comment I am no longer intrested in that car or in anything his dealership sold. You shoulda seen the look on his face.

 

[sajawebb]

Just feel like adding my bitch story about dealerships.

My friend was looking at Mazda 3's so while he was talking with the salesman I was off looking at RX8's. After a bit my friend came and got me and we went back inside. They talked for a bit and I was again looking at an RX-8 in the showroom. My friend and the salesman shook hands and on the way out he kinda chuckled and told me to keep dreaming about those RX-8's. I looked at him in disbelief and told him I made over $34k a year and had talked to another salesman and was in the process of buying one, but now thanks to his rude comment I am no longer intrested in that car or in anything his dealership sold. You shoulda seen the look on his face.

I'll bet 35k goes a long way in that part of the country, but here in the rip off capital of the nation (Los Angeles) he wouldn't have been fazed by that amount. I should road trip to the carolinas to p/u my stang!

 

[itsgreat2bme]

You shoulda seen the look on his face.

Yes, I loooove it when people underestimate me or my abilities, it feels so good to just say "actually . . . . . . " and shut them up right then and there. I get crappy service almost anywhere I go because people assume I'm a broke student and have no money to pay for the things I'm looking at, needless to say I'll be taking along a few of my burly looking car buddies when I go car shopping, even though I shouldn't have to

-Sarah

 

[The Brahma Bull]

I'll bet 35k goes a long way in that part of the country, but here in the rip off capital of the nation (Los Angeles) he wouldn't have been fazed by that amount. I should road trip to the carolinas to p/u my stang!

Well it doesnt go a long way, but its more than enough to afford a car payment on an RX-8.