No wonder car sales people STILL have a bad rep.

Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2006
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5,269
Location
Midlands, UK
So,
i was looking to change my car and contacted the dealership where i got my current car from.
I told the guy EXACTLY what my requirements were and that if they coulnd't be met, within the budget specified then i wouldn't bother changing car.
He told me it would be best to come into the branch. To which i replied "Why? I've given you all the details you need to come up with a shortlist of what you can offer. Once you've got them email me the details, if any of them peak my interest then i'll pop in for a test drive. This will avoid BOTH OF US wasting time". He agreed (probably reluctantly)
Truly guys, what could have been a simpler statement?
I reiterated to him that on this occasion i was being fussy and that my criteria must be adhered to otherwise forget it.

Two days later i get an email from his saying:
I have had a look and am positive that we can get you into a new car.
When can you come down and see me?
I am in both Saturday and Sunday.
Now, given that he had all the criteria INCLUDING max budget, would you not think that he must have some deals for me?
Well, rightly or wrongly, i did. I was so enthusastic about going into the branch that i rearranged my whole sunday around the visit.

Got there, the sales guy was busy (fair enough, i'd not made a specific appointment) so a different fella took down all my particulars again (why they weren't on file, ill never know) then presented me with......ONE car.....ONE! And way over my budget.

I was incensed and had the wife not been there i would have kicked off big time.
What a total waste of my time.
Of course he tried the old "IF we can get the price down to within your budget, is this the car for you?" Pretty much word for word what was said to me 6 months ago when i looked for a change of car" If i took the bait, then the next line would have been "Can we shake on a deal today?"

We left angry and bewildered at such obvious bs sales crap that i honestly didn't thibnk existed anymore, not since Minder left our tv screens.
I sent an official complaint in detailing the whole farce, and 2 days later still not had even a courtesy reply saying they are looking into it.

Jesus, it's no wonder they still get a bad rap.

tl:dr..............car sales man tried to BS me, wasted my time and deserves a good kicking!!!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
29 Jun 2003
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34,513
Location
Wiltshire
They want you to go in, so you see all the shiny cars and low monthly payment amounts & get to sell you the car they want to, not the car you really want.

If you know what you want already, why go via a dealer any way?
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Sep 2006
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5,269
Location
Midlands, UK
I don't know what i really want. I gave 'must have' requirements like:
a/c
Cruise control,
etc etc
Was willing to entertain differenet makes/models
BUT had to be within my specified budget.

If they treat everyone that comes through their doors like idiots, then they'll get a lot more complaint than just mine.
 
Soldato
Joined
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23,738
Location
Lincs
What I don't understand is why you were so definite that you wanted an email with a shortlist of cars that fit your criteria before you bothered to go to the showroom, then you get an email without said list and just a generic 'come in and see me' - which you already rejected on the initial phone call - and you then went in...:confused:

Your just mad because you got suckered in again, stick to what you want next time :p
 
Man of Honour
Joined
19 Oct 2002
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29,508
Location
Surrey
When I bought my new(ish) car recently I just kept checking on the manufacturers website until one came up. Then phoned up that dealer to discuss condition etc. Then viewed it. It was a 3.5 hour drive each way but for the right car at the right price I think it's worth the drive. If you limit yourself to local dealers then you also limit the choice and increase the cost because if th dealer has a match then he already knows it's what you want and won't move on price as much.
 
Associate
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Loogabarooga
Many years ago I remember going into a VW dealership to look at a 2nd hand polo they had for sale. I offered to strike a deal right there and then if he included 6 months road tax in the deal, he refused so I walked away.
 
Associate
Joined
14 Mar 2012
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674
Could you not at least whittle it down by using something like Autotrader search? At least you get a feel what is out there for the amount you are willing to pay.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Jul 2008
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7,684
Ookaaay.
Not sure what you were expecting OP really. Just look for one yourself. Salesmen can't be expected to actually do their job.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 May 2011
Posts
10,199
What I don't understand is why you were so definite that you wanted an email with a shortlist of cars that fit your criteria before you bothered to go to the showroom, then you get an email without said list and just a generic 'come in and see me' - which you already rejected on the initial phone call - and you then went in...:confused:

Your just mad because you got suckered in again, stick to what you want next time :p

:p
 
Associate
Joined
14 Mar 2012
Posts
674
Many years ago I remember going into a VW dealership to look at a 2nd hand polo they had for sale. I offered to strike a deal right there and then if he included 6 months road tax in the deal, he refused so I walked away.

That's odd, I don't remember ever buying road tax on a second hand car, they've all had 12 months MOT and Tax. Even odder that he didn't want to do a deal for the sake of say £60-80
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,158
That's odd, I don't remember ever buying road tax on a second hand car, they've all had 12 months MOT and Tax. Even odder that he didn't want to do a deal for the sake of say £60-80

Are there some tax complications with including a road fund license with the sale?
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Sep 2006
Posts
5,269
Location
Midlands, UK
What I don't understand is why you were so definite that you wanted an email with a shortlist of cars that fit your criteria before you bothered to go to the showroom, then you get an email without said list and just a generic 'come in and see me' - which you already rejected on the initial phone call - and you then went in...:confused:

Your just mad because you got suckered in again, stick to what you want next time :p

I certainly am mad that i got suckered. I don't see why that's my fault though. I 'should' be able to trust the damned sales person to do his job. I received the email on my phone whilst out and about, so didn't really get round to replying to ask for details to be sent. BUT i did assume he would then have some deals to offer.

Regarding the dealer. I'm still in a finance agreement for my existing car with this dealer, so it 'seemed' to me that they'd offer me a better deal than any other dealership to change car and renew the finance.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2004
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22,594
Location
Devon, UK
I don't let the dealer decide for me. I tend to already know what make, model, trim level, and options at what price i'm willing to accept before I ever step foot on a forecourt. I also tend to have checked their website so I have a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of stock.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that there is ways to go in prepared.

That way when they try to sell you something else crap, overpriced, and underspecced you can just laugh and walk away.
 
Associate
Joined
14 Mar 2012
Posts
674
Are there some tax complications with including a road fund license with the sale?

For the trader? no idea (haven't experienced that for a private sale) - even if there was, you would have thought he'd knock off the money it would cost for the road tax and explain it to the buyer.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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10,163
Location
7th Level of Hell...
Regarding the dealer. I'm still in a finance agreement for my existing car with this dealer, so it 'seemed' to me that they'd offer me a better deal than any other dealership to change car and renew the finance.

Your finance is not with the dealer but with a finance company. They don't offer better deals that anyone else would simply because you, effectively, brokered finance through them.


When you said you wanted to "change your car", did you mean part exchange with the dealer?
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Sep 2006
Posts
5,269
Location
Midlands, UK
The dealer wasn't deciding. He was supposed to be shortlisting what vehicles they had that fitted my requirements, simple as that.
I let him know that if he presented vehicles that didn't meet my criteria then i wouldn't consider them.
Maybe it's just this dealer, as doing the same routine with a different dealer didn't cause this kind of issue.
 
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