Trying to find a friend of mine a used Jeep Liberty or Ford Escape around the 2006 year model. Pattern I see is 16 salesmen per inch of floor space and they could give a rats behind to even talk. If they do show a vehicle and you do not buy it, seems like they are butt hurt or call you every 5 minutes after you drive away from the dealership.


I guess tactics changed over the years, last vehicle I bought the salesman was just a kid and he had to show my offerings to the King at the podium. Laughable and Entertaining but I bought what I wanted at the price I wanted, the finance manager cried like a little girl because I paid out cash....


Going to Craigslist and buy from an Owner, screw these guys...


Dealers only buy at wholesale prices no matter the condition and the sales department is just a dead man walking to show you around .... They all set behind computers and the lot is full of Auction vehicles. What gives?

 

Used car shopping is painful as hell. Not worth the effort.

 

New or used Tim, we all have to deal with them sooner or later....

 

As a former used car salesman as you might imagine I have a different take.


Mostly get over it, that's capitalism, don't like capitalism then go to China. Used car salesmen do a very hard job and do it for commission. They aren't there cause they want to hang out with you and spend 40 hours a weekend walking around a car dealership. You are not paying for their time, so they are doing what they need to do to make as much as possible in the time they spend there. Don't like it don't go, pay a broker to shop for you. Dealerships provide one heck of a service, a lot full of clean, serviced, etc. vehicles that you can try out, get informed about, etc. and all the services you need to buy one. Name one other place where you can get so much for free?

 

Craig's List. Isn't Craig that A hole who meets you in a lot somewhere and has his buddy knock you in the head and take your money then light you on fire? I'd rather deal with the salesmen.....

 

Thanks for the take on the other side Brute. What kills me, you and I talk, if you have to run it over to the manager, that is not sales. If you cannot sell it to me, why are we here..... Then comes the manager and things get heated. Several years ago when they brought these high pressure tactics in from Cleveland Ohio, I actually grabbed the sales guy by his neck tie one day and drug him across the desk to let him know I was leaving....


If you get up, I am out the door, we...need to talk. This week, I walk in the door and not one of the salesmen even looked or wanted to talk... I don't get it. A few years ago I drove 4 hours to look at a vehicle that was listed online, when I got there the drivers side looked like it had been used as a golf ball stop. I made an offer because I worked in a body shop years ago and they said the price is the price. I just drove 4 hours for nothing.

 

Never had any problem or let myself be in a situation like that, this is corn country not LA.....

 

I hear your sentiment and agree with some. Back in 1989 I sold cars for about 8 months while I was in between my Navy and Coast Guard careers. Yes, it's a tough job and it can get stressful as you near the end of the month and still haven't made your sales goals or covered your commission draw.

It's the nature of the beast. The benefit that car sales people have over D2D sales, B2B sales and internet sales is that people come to their lot / property and it's up to the sales person to do the rest.

The sales person is more like a subcontractor for the dealer who is a franchisee of the manufacturer.

When I bought my 2011 f-150, I went to the dealer right after having done some yard work. My shoes were a mess, my shorts had a hole in them and my t-shirt was filthy. I did this for a reason.

My credit app was done already and all I needed to do was to pick out a truck and do the paperwork. Everyone but one guy pre-judged / pre-qualified me and assumed I couldn't buy squat. Two hours later I was rolling. Shame on the sales staff for being so negligent.

 

I'll play the grumpy old man here---a role I was born to play!

ANYTIME I'm buying ANYTHING I decide what I want/need, set my own price I'll pay and go looking for it. IF I encounter a slick talking person trying to sell me something I don't want or at a price I won't pay I simply walk away. No long conversations, no negotiating this or that, none of these shenanigans were my sales person feigns they're not fully authorized to make the deal right there on the spot. Any hesitation on their part and I'm gone.

I don't need to think or sleep on it---I'm ready to buy something from someone and if the guy in my face won't co-operate---he/she is far, far from the only game in town. I'm also paying fully in cash on the spot which seems to confuse so many in the sales games these days.

Same approach with selling, for the most part anyway. I fairly price my stuff for what it is and its condition. A full listing of any known issues is part of the sales--pretty much a full and complete disclosure that almost doesn't need explanation or further questions---IMHO anyway. I'm happy to answer questions but tend to find all too often "people" don't read the ad.

Generally my mindset is as a buyer of something in plentiful supply its my call when, what and if to buy. I'm not necessarily rude or an *** but too much conversation turns me off towards that particular sales person or gimmick.

While I'm sure a lot of car sales people believe they work hard that's probably due the usual BS built into car sales. Used cars are a fixed and known quantity--it is what it is IOW so what's to discuss? A new car purchase would be different but I'll never buy new so that's a moot point. Most sales people almost always fail to realize they've lost my sale at the time it happens but because most are intent on hearing themselves speak too often I'm long gone by the time this is realized.

Yes I sound stubborn, set in my ways, a real PITA to deal with but I'm not. Its my money therefore my choice and because I live simply about 99.99% of my purchases aren't all that important, walking away isn't a problem at all.

That's how I approach it---good thing I'm not in the majority huh?

 

This I completely agree with, trust me most sales people wish it was like that to. Simple truth is most dealerships don't trust the salesmen, the salesmen isn't actually selling the car, the sales manager is, the salesmen is more of dealership guide.


When I was selling at a Ford dealership that worked like that I broke the rules a lot. The internal price/cost list of the used cars was a big secret, they'd fire a salesmen for having it. Well I was screwing one of the office girls, so I had the information I needed to take control. After some time, a few fights with managers, etc. We came to understand each other and things went great.


Some dealerships really are many of the stereotypes you here. The stories I could tell, wow. I suggest renting the movie Suckers.


For the most part there are two methods of negotiating price, 4 square and cost plus, the vast majority are variations of these. In a dealership that does 4 square the salesman generally has more discretion. They are also typically more old school dealerships and have many other aspects you'll hate.

 

You got it figured out and I'd have been the guy that grabbed you. Good salesmen like so many other things know that things aren't as they appear. You're not alone in the looking bad tactic, MANY very wealthy people do that, while many poor people dress up for the dealership. Me I'd have been paying the most attention to what you drove in.

 

You and me both brother.

 

I have no doubt that whomever wrote this movie spent years in auto sales, it really nails it. Yeah with the internet things are changing but not that much.




I even once used my evil sale skills for good. A guy in his 30s came in and after becoming his buddy he told me he wanted to get a car that would impress his 11 year old neighbor girl. I sold him a brand new car, and to make sure I sealed it and ruined him financially at the same time, I didn't use auto financing. I got him to give me every credit card in his wallet and I maxed out every single one. Then after he left googled his address, found the neighbors and called them.

 

AHHHHHHHH...what a surprise...another "All Car Salesmen Suck Thread". Perhaps they can be automatically combined into one. I wonder if there is a salesman out there that is worth a damn???

 

If you got screwed then the salesman is "worth a damn" that's his job.