Bought me a new car today...but I lost respect for my Ford dealer in the process.
Who wrote the law that states that car salesmen and their bosses have to purposely try to deceive people and make them uncomfortable?
I walked into my local Ford dealer, looking to buy a car. It was the most stereotypical bad car buying experience I have ever heard of!
First I get swarmed at the door, then, after 2 hours of sitting around waiting, the manager insulted me when I told him what payment I expected and how much I wanted for my trade. He said "I can't see why you need a payment so low. You can't afford $325 a month? C'mon! We're talking about a brand new car here."
I told the guy I wouldn't take less than $3500 for my Saturn, that I had no money to put down, and that I wanted my payments to be around $250 a month. He said "I don't have anything newer than a '99 that you can afford." This is for a car, mind you, not a truck. Their attempts to rip me off were completely transparent.
Anyway, long story short, I opted to buy another Saturn, and I got everything I wanted; I bought a 2004 Ion with 2 miles on it, and my payment is right where I wanted it to be.
Plus, the sales guy wasn't scuzzy like the Ford guys were. Geez. I think I'll go talk to the guy tomorrow and show him what a great deal I got...
BDV
P.S. I still love my Ford trucks...

 

Congrats on the new car.... sorry it was a Saturn

 

Yes, congrats to your new car....

Jens

 

...we had a similiar experience with the Ford salesman...We said we DONT like white..He said we could pinstrip it...we said we hate white vehicules....he said we could put harley labels on it...we said no way...he said what can he do to sell us this truck...we said Paint it red...then we walked out.
My G/F went out and bought a Dakota...got the deal she needed...

 

congrats on the new car!! I share your sentiments w/ the bad dealership.... Oh, I don't want to get started..I just wonder sometimes why car manufacturers ( as much as they spend in ads/promos and Research and Developments) don't do anything to upgrade their sales force..I am a people person and always love cars and a professional succesful manager w/ a strong sales and marketing background. I will sell cars/trucks in a heart beat had it not been for the way cars/trucks sales are handled by most dealerships...Now, I'm getting started!!! Congats again!!

 

Cristop,
Don't be sorry it's a Saturn. It's the third one I've owned, and for the price, I got way more features than I would in a Focus. I won't apologize for it.
And besides, even though Ford makes great trucks, their cars, especially the compacts, are terrible.
And as for car salesmen, they're easy to deal with. Tell them how much you'll pay and as soon as they step over that line, even by a dollar a month, or if they say they have to downgrade features, you walk right out the door. If they don't chase you begging you to come back inside, keep walking. If they do chase you, tell them you'll pay even less. And then as soon as they bring their manager over to intimidate you, you walk out again. The salesman depends upon you, not the other way around.
Another trick I've learned: never let them make you wait more than 5 minutes for anything. When they tell you that they have to go work something out, tell them they have 5 minutes and then you're leaving. It's amazing how flustered they get when they lose control over you.
Oh, and always haggle on a no-haggle price....
BDV

 

My favourite reply is:

"So how LOW can you get the price of this car down to ,for me to take it home today"

 

If you are happy with a Saturn, that is all that counts

 

Let me guess, you went to Lakewood Ford.......

 

Yep. A few weeks ago.
I don't know what compelled me to go in there, really, except perhaps that I live a few blocks away and they had some new Rangers facing Colfax. My intrigue quickly turned to contempt, however, and I'll never go back in there. What a bunch of Larrys.
Lakewood Fordland ripped my girlfriend off (before I met her). She's stuck paying on a 92 Camry that is on it's second bad engine, and they sold it to her for about $5000 over book. I still shake my head every time I think about it. (She should have known better...)
And yeah, Kingsun, you're right. It's amazing the way that cars are sold, how seedy and underhanded the whole process is, and how car manufacturers don't try to protect their reputations from that kind of crap.
The #1 reason I went back to Saturn of Denver a third time: they represent their product well, they are friendly and low-pressure, and they don't play silly games. Oh, and my loyalty was rewarded today: the detailers found my nice pocket knife in my trade in, and the salesman is holding onto it for me. That's real cool, in my opinion, because I thought I lost that knife a year ago, and I would have never known the difference. The sales manager called and left me a message that they found it.
Yeah, I know this is a Ford site...
BDV

 

never buy a vehicle based on what your note will be. they are setting you up. work out your best deal, then make them come down on the interest rate to get where you want to be, and never finance for more than four years or you will be upside down immediately.
neil

 

With a very recent interaction of the used card department for Lakewood Ford, I would rate them a -10 on a scale of 1 to 10. If you want to be mistreated, disrespected, talked down to, well then go see them. Truly a sad experience. Yes, Lakewood on Colfax.