Have you ever had a bad experience with Car sales person or dealer?

[City Guy997S]

I love "internet buying"......email dealership, ask for the best price, basically negotiate the deal from your home. I have had great success (10+ cars in the last 10 years).

I recently visited a Toyota dealer (needed to see the truck in person). Sleazy as sleazy gets. I asked for a 2WD Platinum......thats it, if it isn't 2WD and Platinum edition I'm not buying anything else.

Salesman: Sit here, I said why? If you don't have what I need then I don't need to stay (they don't have it).
Salesman: I want you to meet my manager, he starts with "what do you want your payment to be".......Once again, if you don't have the 2WD Platinum then there is nothing to buy! Payments are based on math, I can do the math!

They offer to get the vehicle if I leave a deposit.......Why? I can just go to the next dealer down the road and buy it from them!

Salesman has called me 3X, "I want to earn your business"........I finally told him that he had the fastest car deal possible walk in last Monday if you had the right truck. He decided to make a science project out of it and I told him I would never buy anything from him or that manager. Very simple......Do you have the truck I want? No.......then we have nothing else to talk about!

[KCZ]

Originally Posted by jackmccullough

Wouldn't it be simpler to just ask, "Have you ever dealt with a car sales person or dealer"?

Exactly, and the same goes for the journalist's question about whether you've ever felt you knew more about the car than the salesperson.

[Slytrix]

Recently bought a new BMW and had researched online car forums as to rebates and how much dealers were discounting.

I knew which car I wanted and the price I was willing to pay. At the dealership when I gave the salesman the number I was willing to pay and then we would have a deal. Salesman said not much chance of that happening. He came back with an approval a couple minutes later. Hit them low. Overall good experience.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Slytrix

Recently bought a new BMW and had researched online car forums as to rebates and how much dealers were discounting.

I knew which car I wanted and the price I was willing to pay. At the dealership when I gave the salesman the number I was willing to pay and then we would have a deal. Salesman said not much chance of that happening. He came back with an approval a couple minutes later. Hit them low. Overall good experience.

Depends on the model BMW......try to get an M3 CS for sticker or less!

I looked at one a few weeks ago, hand written note on a full sheet of paper in the window:

Car is sold

Paid for in full

Do not look at this car

Do not touch this car

Do not drive this car!

It made me laugh.....

[Ed_RDNC]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Depends on the model BMW......try to get an M3 CS for sticker or less!
I looked at one a few weeks ago, hand written note on a full sheet of paper in the window:
Car is sold
Paid for in full
Do not look at this car
Do not touch this car
Do not drive this car!
It made me laugh.....

It really does vary from place to place and car to car.
And BMW is a bit different, since all cars are pre- paid before they are built. (Those not pre- ordered by individuals are pre- ordered by dealers). I bought mine via a dealer, while it was still on the ship on the way over here.

I did an Internet & email sale and got a very good deal, (vs. similar cars, similar options, in that area).
I had to do a LOT of searching, but found a dealer with a salesperson who was willing to make a sales, for a small (but reasonable) actual profit, and all he had to do was maybe a man-hour of phoning trying to find the car for me.

I picked it up at BMW's distribution center son neither my car nor I were ever in the same town as the dealer.

But I also know of dealers that are happy to sell showroom beauties for 'sticker' to those who feel the extra cost is worth it, to have the car 'right now!' and not be aggressive in their research.