Well, SCs have to work somewhere

[draftermatt]

Well, that salesman called me back, and you'd think I'd just shot his dog. He went off on me about how he had done all this work for me, arranging financing, working out a deal with his manager to get me the Neon, which technically my credit wasn't even good enough for, and I was seriously abusing our relationship by not 'holding up my end of the deal'. Basically, he was acting like I had already agreed to buy the damn car.

I should introduce that man to my Uncle. When he's looking for cars he makes them go over every piece of paper, every option, etc. And then normally says "thanks" and leaves.

I guess that could make him an SC, so to keep with the theme of this thread he drives a dump truck.

[Polenicus]

I had one experience with a dealership, and it convinced me to TAKE TRANSIT rather than buy another car.

My beloved Chevy Tracker croaked, and I was torn between giving up my second job (Which I needed a vehicle to commute to) or buying a car. So, I toddled off to the dealership near work to see what they had.

They had two vehicles which seemed decent, and in my price range, a Dodge Neon (Ick) and a Toyota Corolla. The Toyota was cheaper, and seemed nicer, felt better on the test drive, and generally was my choice. I inquired about financing, and filled out the paperwork for a credit check. The salesman said he'd get back to me.

Well, he called back and left a emssage, saying he couldn't finance me for the Toyota, but he could for the Neon, and gave me a 'rough quote' that was WAY outside my price range. My credit wasn't the best, I still had some debts from my move to Toronto to pay off, and it just didn't seem feasable. So, I regretfully quit my second job, and called the dealership and left the salesman a message that I was very sorry, but I just couldn't swing a vehicle purchase right now, but that I would certainly look them up in the near future when I could.

Well, that salesman called me back, and you'd think I'd just shot his dog. He went off on me about how he had done all this work for me, arranging financing, working out a deal with his manager to get me the Neon, which technically my credit wasn't even good enough for, and I was seriously abusing our relationship by not 'holding up my end of the deal'. Basically, he was acting like I had already agreed to buy the damn car.

I just kinda stammered into the phone, completely flabbergasted. First off... yes, you're commission, but I was under the impression that all that stuff you did was part of your job. I didn't realize a test drive obligated me to buy from you, and I didn't realize it gave you the right to select the damn car I was going to buy, either.

Eventually, I had to cut off his tirade and say 'Look! I. Can't. Afford. A. Car. Right. Now. I'm sorry, but I can't buy what I don't have money for. Goodbye!'

I still haven't bought another car. Shedding that expense was a huge load off my finances. I'll get one soon, but on my terms, not some entitled salesman.

[bainsidhe]

I know a lot of people are talking about car dealerships, so I thought I'd put my story in the mix. I was looking for a used import to replace my dying Mazda (damn I loved that car) and I test drove a couple cars. The salesman didn't really talk to me, just handed over the keys and let me do my own thing. There was a 2002 Corolla stick shift that I liked and I asked what could be done as far as negotiating price. I'd never bought from a dealership before, but you always hear about pricing tactics. The guy just turned back to his paperwork and told me they don't negotiate prices. I was confused and although I fully intended to do more shopping around before committing, I wasn't expecting that. Afterwards I realized he probably thought I wasn't worth his time.

I later went to Hertz and got a fair price on a 2004 Corolla with the bells and whistles I wanted. I took a larger loan than I originally wanted to, but it was still within my price range and I really liked the car. Great thing about Hertz is they tell you up front they don't negotiate prices. The guy was very helpful and didn't pressure me into anything that second. This gave me a chance to check out insurance rates, brand/model quality, bluebook value, etc. I'd recommend Hertz again. And to this day, I've still never bought from a car dealership

[STEELMAN]

Was eating lunch with my family at local restaurant. I had ordered a chef salad and had eaten about half of it when I noticed a large dead cricket. I pointed this out to the waitress and told her that I didn't want anything else when she asked. When the bill comes I see that the salad is on it. When I point this out she says that I had eaten half of it so I needed to pay. It took me telling the manager that I didn't care if they called the police, I was not paying for a salad that I couldn't eat before they finally took it off.

[draftermatt]

He kept pressuring me to make a commitment right then and there, to not contact my dad about it, just sign the paper and put some money down, the car might not be here tomorrow, much less next week!

I had a similar one. My wife (then girlfriend) and I went looking for a new car for her. We found one we liked but I wanted my Dad to look at it, and got that same speech.

I just said "well I guess it wasn't meant to be then"

To which he repiled "well sure for you, but I can tell she really wants the car"

We left and came back, and lo and behold it was still there! Got everything squared away, and despite the promises that "we'll get the payments below $200" the payments came out to $220.

I told them I didn't appreciate being lied to. I know interest rates are lower than they were when we bought the last vehicle, and we are financing less than we did with that one. Make it below $200 or we walk.

The finance guy told the salesman to find the manager to get more for our trade in. I watched the salesman walk the floor nervously never once talking to anyone, and walk back saying "he said no"

So out we walked, never been back to that dealership.

[blas]

Most recently, I heard one of my bar buddies went to the Buckle because that is THE store to go to if you're into those UFC shirts (you know what I'm talking about right? Yes, I know....The Buckle of all stores selling them...and these clothes are NOT cheap! I thought spending $60 on a pair of nice jeans was bad, my bf just bought a pair a few months back for over $100!!).

Anywho, my buddy is a bigger guy. Brick shit house, nearly 6 and a half feet tall and about 250-300 lbs of pure steel...err muscle. He was in search of one of those "awesome" shirts.

The stupid little anorexic bimbo working closest to the entrance told him "I really doubt we have anything that will fit you here." She didn't even try.

Funny thing about The Buckle...those people work on commission. It isn't like all the other clothing stores where losing a customer doesn't mean anything. They get paid extra for selling clothes. Most of the time, the associates there are like flies on dog shit trying to sell you clothes, offer free alterations, different sizes and colors, etc. And that stupid bitch just denied him right then and there.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Okay, I'm going to assume you're female. I don't know many males that do the whole lip gloss thing.

My reaction would be, "I'm here for one product and one product only. It's that lip gloss. You don't have anything here worth purchasing. Furthermore, your approach is rather rude and I demand a manager."

If they get the manager, tell the manager the situation, express that you were greatly insulted and felt accused of being a thief. Then demand to be taken into the back room and be searched. Make sure you dump your purse in front of them and make them pick it all up!

If they're going to be rude to you, you might as well waste their time and possibly embarrass them in return.

Heh, I might well do that next time I go there, if that happens again. XD I have plenty of lip gloss, so that may be a while. And yup; I'm female. ^^

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I once went into a Torrid store with my cousin. Now my cousin is a large girl and she's into the styles they sell there. I, on the other hand, am very thin and I have a penchant for pastel 30's style dresses and heels. The large goth girl behind the counter sneered at me when we walked in and said to me "Your kind aren't welcome here!" (I think she thought I was of either the cheerleader/popular girl or preacher's daughter/religious girl social groups) My beloved cousin, who is half Mexican and has a fiery temper, nearly took this girl's head off over that.

[powerboy]

My parents had a car salesman tell them they "didn't belong on his lot" after they told him the payments they were looking at.

I got that when I went to buy one of my other cars. I had only $1,500 on me. I made enough monthly to make $1,000 payments. And I was looking at a cheap used car. When I told them that, we filled out the paperwork. And the guy just looked me dead square in the eyes and said that my credit was not good. Back then, I had perfect credit. Fuckers. I went to another dealership and found a newer used car for cheaper. They also agreed that my credit was perfect and that the other guy was a jackass.

[Blade_Raver]

What's the rudest person you have ever encountered while shopping or at a restaurant? The waitress who ignored me for ten minutes was pretty rude, but the worst person ever was this shop assistant who went up to me in House of Fraser and said bluntly, "Pardon me, but you don't look as tho you can afford to shop here."

Okay, I'm going to assume you're female. I don't know many males that do the whole lip gloss thing.

My reaction would be, "I'm here for one product and one product only. It's that lip gloss. You don't have anything here worth purchasing. Furthermore, your approach is rather rude and I demand a manager."

If they get the manager, tell the manager the situation, express that you were greatly insulted and felt accused of being a thief. Then demand to be taken into the back room and be searched. Make sure you dump your purse in front of them and make them pick it all up!

If they're going to be rude to you, you might as well waste their time and possibly embarrass them in return.

[protege]

...and I thought *my* experience at the Mazda place some time ago was bad. At the time, my much-loved Tercel was having engine issues. Meaning, it was burning some oil. After having the oil light come on *again* one night, I decided it had to go. Sad, since it was a great little car...but by then I was the second owner on a 10-year-old car, that the previous owner hadn't treated kindly.

Anyway, when I finally went to look at the Protege, the first salesman I encountered...nearly got his ass kicked. As I'm looking over the car, sitting in it, etc. he started going on about how I needed to budget my money in order to afford it. Keep in mind that I'd just come from work, and still had my suit on.

My reaction? Are you fucking kidding me? Last time I checked, you're on commission--are you willing to take the chance that I'm not only going to leave, but complain to your manager? He's just lucky I liked the car, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it there.

That salesman got what was coming though--turns out he'd pissed off several other customers, who complained. He's no longer a salesman--instead, he got "promoted" to some meaningless desk job. Last I heard, he's no longer there


Compare all of that with my experience at the Toyota place last year. They were literally kissing my ass. I told them what I wanted (the Corolla), how I was going to pay for it (trading in the Mazda aka "the heap," savings, and finance the rest), and they took care of it. Surprised the hell out of me that they got the car read on my birthday, instead of a week later. Of course it helped that my parents have bought about 8 cars from their Saturn branch...and dad knew the sales manager. Still, I was freaking ecstatic

[smileyeagle1021]

-snip-
So I went downtown to another dealer, -snip-.

that wouldn't happen to be Mark Miller was it?

If so if I ever decide to get rid of Nismo I may go there then.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I responded "after getting everything signed we'll be back within an hour with a certified check to pick up the car" ... I couldn't make this up, the sales guy looked at my mom and said "ma'am, you should be ashamed of yourself allowing your son to waste our time like that with this little joke of his... there is no way in hell that kid has 8 grand in an account that he can get a certified check by this afternoon, how is he really going to pay"...

If I were in the salesperson's position, I would have simply assumed that either you had the money (who am I to assume you don't) or that it was coming out of your mom's account. Plenty of teens work and save their money, and plenty of parents buy their kids cars (or some combination of the two). As much as I see parents let their kids get away with crap these days, I would never believe that a parent would actually involve him/herself in a "practical joke" like that.

I did the exact same thing when I bought my car ('02 Hyundai Elantra, bought at the end of the model year so the '03s were starting to come out). They held my personal check for 15 grand (like they'd ever be able to cash that ) and my dad and I went to get a cashier's check the next day. (Granted, I was in my mid-twenties when I bought my car, but my dad came with me.) I had insurance money from the accident that killed my previous car, took half of the balance from my savings account, and "financed" the remainder through my dad (we went to the credit union, transferred the money from his account to mine, and then got a cashier's check; I paid him back over two years, and he charged me interest equal to what he would have been getting on his savings account [read: $1.54 a month on $150/mo payment]).

[prb]

I had that when I went and bought my new car (08 scion tc ).

Scion's are nice.

I'd like a tC, but they aren't approved by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles. So I can't bring one into Canada. Actually, the 2008 is, but would be too expensive for me. The stupid RIV has the list saying 2002 to 2009 Scion tC, if manufactured after September 2007.

I might pick up a used xA or xD. My neighbour has an xB, which I'd love, but I can't get or they'll think I've copied them

[Fenrus]

I had that when I went and bought my new car (08 scion tc ). The first salesman I tried to go through kept telling me I could do this, no problem, but almost every week, I'd get another call saying they were gonna need another 500 bucks, or they couldn't release the car, every week for a month, they needed another 500 bucks, and I hadn't even officially bought the car yet! IT was still being shipped from the factory (yay custom orders)

So I went downtown to another dealer, told the saleswoman my dilemma, she looked at the paperwork I signed, basically said I was paying out my ass for something, and they had that exact car on the lot, sans a couple customizations they'd do in house... I went back to the first dealership, told them they better have a check for all I'd given them (and I brought a bank statement, so they couldn't short me), then bought it that day from the other dealership. Never looked back...

The second dealership was great, though... I got a call about 2 weeks after I bought it from the saleswoman, making sure I still loved the car, and if there was anything she could do for me otherwise. I'm definately going back there if I get another car.