7 hours ago, sdw215 said:

I hate when they do that! Take no for an answer and move on.

 

I know, right?! 
 

I forgot about when my wife got her new Corolla. She traded in her old one for it after beating them down on a price. When they said they were going to take it around back to detail it she told them the Michelins better still be on it. Turns out they swapped the tires out on her old Corolla when they detailed it. I never knew. ?

In the 80's as a teenager I worked at a Ford dealership as a detailer and porter. On more than one occasion we, the porters were told to disable the trade in's if the salesmen were having issues closing the deal, by pulling a wire off the distributor. If they couldn't get the sale, they would still get the customer for some cash having their mechanics "take a look at the problem". I was long gone at the time but the dealership was eventually shut down and people were removed from the dealerships in handcuffs. It's very possible the Chicago Crime Syndicate had their hands in the dealerships cookie jar. The dealership was located across the street from Horwath's Restaurant which was Sam Giancana's hangout. Sam had already been the victim of a mob hit in the late 70's. One of his hitmen was taken out in the restaurant parking lot in the 80's during the time I was working at the dealership. The restaurant is long gone as is the dealership. 

22 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

I married an accountant…

 

She does the number crunching and sits back while the dealer talks to me. We have been at dealerships for hours before we get the price we are looking for. 

It took 2 weeks of me leaving 3 times before I agreed on the price of my Super Duty. What's real funny is, when the vehicle shortage began, I was getting postcards weekly to sell back the truck. The numbers they were talking on the postcard were more than I had paid for the truck. I stopped off one day after work. Truck had 50K on the odometer. They didn't offer me more than I paid but, they did offer me what I paid. Truck now has 75K

On 10/21/2022 at 9:19 PM, GReb said:

I love buying new cars and hassling with the salesmen. Makes me feel alive! 

You should become a buying agent for people who hate it. Even for a modest fee you would make money and enjoy doing it. 

I did a test drive on an El Camino back in the 70s. Left the dealer that night after I decided it wasn't what I wanted. The next night the salesman called me and asked when I was coming to pick it up. I hadn't signed any paper work and told him I wasn't buying it. He was not happy when that conversation ended.

 

I did buy a Ford F150 from Carmax one time. They were new in town and I had not dealt with them before. I had them bring the truck in from another state so I could check it out. It was what I wanted. Good condition and low miles. They made so many mistakes on this deal I should have walked away. Needles to say I will never deal with them again.

6 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I did a test drive on an El Camino back in the 70s. Left the dealer that night after I decided it wasn't what I wanted. The next night the salesman called me and asked when I was coming to pick it up. I hadn't signed any paper work and told him I wasn't buying it. He was not happy when that conversation ended.

 

I did buy a Ford F150 from Carmax one time. They were new in town and I had not dealt with them before. I had them bring the truck in from another state so I could check it out. It was what I wanted. Good condition and low miles. They made so many mistakes on this deal I should have walked away. Needles to say I will never deal with them again.

I don't ever see me dealing with a dealership I am unable to negotiate a price with. Carmax or these online companies like Carvana. I could never do it. I'd much rather deal with a commissioned salesman. I am one myself. 

On 10/22/2022 at 7:42 PM, NYWayfarer said:

I married an accountant…

 

She does the number crunching and sits back while the dealer talks to me. We have been at dealerships for hours before we get the price we are looking for. 

im an engineer and a bit of a math head so when we were going to lease my wife’s glc back in 2016 in the UK I built an excel spreadsheet that calculated the lease payments down to the penny. We knew we wanted that specific vehicle and what options she wanted after two visits and some test drives. I then went myself after work one day to make the deal (she just wanted to pay the full price after the second test drive).  I flopped my computer right onto their desk and was calculating the payments faster than they could. I let them keep the extended care package, kept the downpayment low so their financing was better, and had all of the goodies in the car.  I had them price each of the add ons up front before they figured out what was going on.  Once we beat the price of the car down, I stripped out all of the margin adders and bumped the downpayment up by £10k.  Three years later when the lease was up the sales associate (Sarah, who was actually a really awesome person) told us that they were still telling that story to new associates.

My wife was looking for a car recently. We ended up buying a good car from an individual. While looking at lots, we pulled into one, and we're looking at one of the cars out front. A salesman came rushing out and said," I think they're working a deal on that one now, if your interested you better move quick".                                                   I told him," we'll, that means the cars sold already. We're outta here". Theyll tell you anything to sell a car.

Two things I do before walking into a lot, aside from research; secure financing from my bank or credit union, and sell or arrange to sell old car elsewhere.   Remove two big variables that dealer considers aces.  Although,  I have done the dealer financing for a couple months before moving the loan to my bank or paying it off.

   Related..... We have absolutely loved dealing with Webuyanycar.  Not sure if they are nationwide,  but if in your area check them out before selling.  We have gotten far more than what a dealer can offer and the process is so fast and hassle-free.

Good Day!

I have experienced many of what you all have cited at various dealerships (some may have more colorful terms for those organizations). I will say that our local Toyota dealership has excelled in communication and professionalism. Throughout my over 30 years doing business with them I have purchased both new and used vehicles from them and always receive professional equitable conduct throughout in sales and service.

 

During the sales portion, all statement are documented and clearly annotated for the transaction. They politely inform me they must present the following, at any time if I decline they will move on. They have been honest about that. They also make time to clear any confusion or issues along the way.

 

They are not often the lowest price on service. They are the highest quality service. They have done that for Toyota products and other makes too. 

 

Our small town dealership does very well in treating customers with respect and honesty. I have compared my experiences with friends and family in some of the larger communities. The Toyota dealerships appear to make an effort to uphold professional values.

 

It would be interesting to hear of other experiences if folks have found dealerships that are professional in conduct. Cheers!

 

Seeing @Mobasser post about buying a car from an individual reminded me of this. One time we bought a car from a dealer. When I called the insurance company to let know about this they asked if I bought from a dealer or an individual? They said if I bought it from an individual they would have to send someone out to inspect it before they would insure it. The only time any insurance company ever told me that.

 

One time we were buying a vehicle and going through the paperwork. We always have vehicles in both our names. They already had my drivers license info. When they asked to see my wifes license I asked why. They said it was now a state law you couldn't have your name on a car title if you didn't have a license.