Games People Play with Dealers

[tony1963]

As a licensed dealer for 20 years, I enjoyed a revenue stream from the vehicle sales as well as a repair shop.  Here are a few memorable moments about the games that people play.

We are looking at several vehicles like yours...

Thank you for your consideration.  Since you have found several vehicles of your liking, we suggest that you source one that best fits your needs.  There is no reason to check our vehicle.

We want to have it checked by our mechanic...

If you do not trust our inspection and service history, there is no point in completing the transaction.

My bank says the vehicle is not worth the price you are asking...

Have your skilled and highly experienced banker find you a vehicle.  

My wife says that the Lincoln LS is not a reliable vehicle...

We didn't realize that your wife is a design engineer for Ford.

What is your best price, cash...

Since all payment methods translate to cash, your cash transaction is not unique in any way.

We are looking for a good, safe vehicle for our son who is 16...

We would recommend a new Mercedes which is both "good" and "safe".

Garsh, that's a lot of miles...

Yup, sure is.  

[stainlessenginecovers]

We want to have it checked by our mechanic...

If you do not trust our inspection and service history, there is no point in completing the transaction

Wow, same thing the dealer I bought my Firebird from said; a dealer that sells $200k to $500k Porsches, Ferraris etc. and what I got was a rust bucket that wouldn't start (dead alternator, dead battery, dome light short, shifter came off in hand, 2 out of 4 front lights don't work, left blinker does not work, AC/Heat Blower motor does not work (and this was something I was adamant about knowing the answer to since we live in 120 degree Nevada).

And the dealer turned to be just a liar dumping a car 3000 miles away. 

What makes anyone think that 'YOU' are the ONLY honest dealer on the planet? 

I promise you there are 100x more dealers that 'play games' than there are buyers. 

[tony1963]

The simple fact was that I didn't care if you bought the vehicle, or not.  I played ZERO games and had enough feedback to show that my product was competitive and well serviced.

Also, when people indicated that they weren't comfortable buying a car online, I suggested that they close their eBay account.  After all, I didn't go looking for them, they came looking for me.

[fab_finds4u]

Gotta love those online tire kickers.

[soh.maryl]

They should close their eBay account just because they said they were not comfortable buying a car on line?

What about buying other things? We are not all shopping for cars here.

[tony1963]

I always enjoyed listening to the rationale that people would give.  They'd call and say "we're really not comfortable buying a car online" and I asked them why they called in the first place.  

Most of this was designed to get me on the defensive to try and "sell" them on the concept, but I didn't take the bait.  Instead, I shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

I sold every vehicle that I had and had someone else in line to buy it.  That's what people don't understand.  

Back in the early 2000s, I used to put the call on the PA system in the shop and give everyone a laugh.  I used to flush the toilet each time we got a call from a game player.

[titipeo]

Nice come backs. I like to play around with some of the comments I get as well. 

[tony1963]

We used to take bets in the shop what the caller would say.

One of my best ones was when I had a guy call and say "garsh that's a lot of miles" and I hung up.

It called back and said that we were disconnected.  I said, "No, I hung up on you."

Then we talked about the car, he bought it, drove it back to Wisconsin and was happy.

Games = go somewhere else

[ripsmc]

A dealer I used to work for (service, not sales) had a favorite saying. "The general public taught me every single thing I know".

It's easy to stereotype dealers I suppose but I've seen a mountain of garbage pulled by the general public.

The dealer sells a used car which develops a problem 2 weeks after purchase and the buyer just knows in their heart that the dealer "knew all about it and is a crook".

The general public often knows about a major problem and rather than fix it they will cram that engine they ran out of oil with STP oil treatment and trade it in knowing full well it's going to be a problem. A customer buys the car and when it throws a rod a month later; ergo, blame the dealer because of the "knew all about it..." scenario.

They will do the same thing on a private sale also.

[tony1963]

We used to refer to the "public" as the "pXbic" if you get my drift.  As a dealer, I had my own money in the operation and owned everything.  The product was a reflection of me and I sold a good product.  Even if I was difficult to work with, I wasn't selling my personality and didn't care.

I'm trying to remember but I think I had a few audio clips I shared here years ago of some idiotic questions I used to get.  I explained that the conversation would be used for "training" and yes, it was.  LOL

[fab_finds4u]

I would make a terrible car salesman. Ummmm, car saleswoman.

I lived in Virginia where it snows and roads were salted. I lived a mile from the ocean. More salt. Salt = Rust. 

I was moving to FL so I was selling a few cars, one was a 1969 Elcamino ss 396, never been wrecked. Low miles because it was a gas hog. It was  31 years old and unless you had a garaged kept Elcamino you didn't  drive in the snow or take to the beach it is going to have some rust. Mine had a little rust on the inside of the tailgate. But it wasn't bad.  

Meanwhile I put an ad in the Tidewater Trading Post and a guy called me right away from Philly and asked if I would hold it until he could get there. 5 hours. I did. He arrived informing me he had cash, showing me a roll of money like an idiot. 

Then it began, oh the paint's faded, the seat's worn, the rear view mirror has some black spots around the edge. Be needing tires soon. (No)

I was beginning to grit my teeth.

He cranked it up and it sounded good sitting there idling. I thought he wanted to go for a test drive.

Instead he let me know there was some rust on the tailgate he wasn't expecting,,,,,,,and let's  negotiate! 

NOPE.  I looked at his truck that was a whole lot newer than mine and saw rust on the bottom of the door panels and rear panel,  paint was not that great and he didn't even have a rear  view mirror. It must have fallen off. LoL he had the nerve to talk about some rust.

I said you don't have enough money to buy my truck, the price has gone up.  I locked up and went inside the house and  left him standing there. 

The next man that showed up bought it without trying to pick it apart.

I've only sold a couple of cars since then because now when I'm ready to let go of one I 

GIVE IT AWAY!  I hit a bad spot a few years after I moved to FL. My van was totaled and insurance jerked me around and someone kind was an angel and gave me a van. Ever since then I pay it forward. I hope I'll always be able to do that. 

[tony1963]

Good to hear you sent the guy home empty handed.  I did that a few times.  My favorite was a clean Volvo that the guy finally founds something and I said OK - sent him home.  

He drove all the way back to St. Louis empty handed.  

I agree with your approach - nice job.