Dealers, test Drives and general pushiness.

[brucemillar]

1) When people like you? They will want to do business with you.
2) When they also like your product? Then you have a win, win.

Sadly, what some believe is, number (2) on it's own is enough to make the sale. That can be fueled by the internet age. Where shoppers do their searching with people but their buying on-line, and this includes cars.

That said. A good salesperson with a good company should be able to sort the wheat from the chaff. Reputation is still King for some out there. Reputation and recommendation, are what I would always try and go with when looking for cars to buy.

No test drive would simply turn me off before I got through the front gate.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I apologise from drifting away from the thread but regarding doing a P/X has anyone else on here been downright insulted by Autotrader for their valuations? Who are these idiots running this site? They are most definately on the side of the dealer and NOT the potential buyer that's for sure. Gave me a valuation of less than half bottom book on Glasses Guide, £850 absolute insult and never again.

This has long been a gripe of mine.

I can take what some perceive to be rude dealers, I don't mind them selling to me assertively, I can give as good as I get. I'll have a little whine about dealers advertising cars that don't exist but the single thing that winds me up is dealers bidding me in the balls for my part ex.
It's a pretty seamless process for them, they have already underwritten my car with a trader mate, they discount my new purchase by the value of my trade in and a couple of days later their mate gives them the cash so why offer no discount on the car I'm buying?
It's not like it's some huge inconvenience or risk to them.

 

[adz87kc]

The initial salesman in the MB showroom I visited was almost dismissive when my partner and I inquired about a test drive of the car.
Claimed they got "lots of people trying their luck to get a shot of a car like that" and it was only after I mentioned that I had an appointment the following day to drive a M3 at the garage next door that his attitude changed.
The lad that took us out in the car couldn't have been more different; genuine enthusiasm for the job and the product and much more laid back.

I don't think there's any need knobbery especially in a sales role. No doubt the car would've sold if I hadn't bought it but he made me feel almost embarrassed for the test drive.

 

[wemorgan]

I think you're absolutely right, Rory and I fully understand. I think that is exactly the way they work.


So in that case, where do we test-drive a ten year-old car?

Private sellers are more generous.

 

[kdh]

1) No test drive would simply turn me off before I got through the front gate.

I've spoken to two dealers from Autotrader today and BOTH have said that they would prefer me to go to a main agent, take test drives using their petrol, decide on the car and then come back to them when we have made up our mind exactly which model we like.

I get what they want (a bloody easy life).

Problem is, Main Agents don't sell ten year-old cars.

One guy said that if the car was exactly what we wanted then there would be no reason not to buy it that day. I still feel pressured with this approach.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The initial salesman in the MB showroom I visited was almost dismissive when my partner and I inquired about a test drive of the car.
Claimed they got "lots of people trying their luck to get a shot of a car like that" and it was only after I mentioned that I had an appointment the following day to drive a M3 at the garage next door that his attitude changed.
The lad that took us out in the car couldn't have been more different; genuine enthusiasm for the job and the product and much more laid back.

I don't think there's any need knobbery especially in a sales role. No doubt the car would've sold if I hadn't bought it but he made me feel almost embarrassed for the test drive.

I experienced something similar when I called into MB Birmingham a few years ago. Nobody took an interest in us so we sat in the new ML63. That got a salesman's attention though, as he wanted us out of it!

When he came over and asked "Would you like to buy this ML63 AMG?" in a rather condescending way, I answered "No, just thought I would try it on for size. I'm here to look at an A-Class". He didn't like it.

I said I had spotted an A45 AMG in the car park and hoped I could take it for a test drive. The salesman was full of excuses why I couldn't, and even said it was a customers car, even though it had a sign hanging from the sun visor!

:fail

He asked which car I had and when I told him that I had a C32 AMG he then suggested that maybe he could arrange a car for me to drive afterall, and surprise surprise it was the car I had spotted.

He asked us to sit down whilst he took details from my driving license. Trying to defrost his frosty start he went on to ask Mrs D "So do you like the AMG product?", which was a strange way of phrasing the question, and Mrs D of course said she did.

He went on to ask "Which one would you like to have?", and Mrs D said "I have an ML63 so perhaps another one of those". His face was a picture. He completely changed his tune and couldn't have been more different. Too late though, I had formed my opinion as soon as he had. He got his wrong though.

I did have a go in the A45, and it was a great car, but I decided it wasn't right for me at that time me, and went on to buy something else.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I've spoken to two dealers from Autotrader today and BOTH have said that they would prefer me to go to a main agent, take test drives using their petrol, decide on the car and then come back to them when we have made up our mind exactly which model we like.

I get what they want (a bloody easy life).

Problem is, Main Agents don't sell ten year-old cars.

One guy said that if the car was exactly what we wanted then there would be no reason not to buy it that day. I still feel pressured with this approach.

It's all about margins; main dealers price in the time they spend with those just out for a jolly.

And contrary to what some posters seem to think on here, independent traders are not charities, and although that particular trader in your OP sounds a knobhead, I can see where he's coming from; pretty much everything you've said to him smacks of being a time waster.

Not saying that you are a time waster, but the amount of time wasting car buyers who don't know what they want and the "just need to check with the wife" types who are never seen again would turn even the most trusting man into a very cynical one.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Gave me a valuation of less than half bottom book on Glasses Guide, £850 absolute insult and never again.

There's no law forcing you to take the valuation so I don't really see what the issue is?

 

[Darrell]

There's no law forcing you to take the valuation so I don't really see what the issue is?

Maybe it was down the the naff chrome arch covers.

 

[kdh]

pretty much everything you've said to him smacks of being a time waster.

I told him on the phone before we visited that I wasn't a time-waster but that I wouldn't be buying the car today.

He said fine, come over and have a look.

I went with my wife and son and explained that it was a car for them and that we weren't sure whether we wanted an automatic or a manual without having a test drive.

He asked if we found a car we liked, would we be buying it today?. I said no, as I told you on the phone we wouldn't be buying the car today. We'd like time to think it over. We'd never buy anything on the spur of the moment.

That's when he got sulky.

Sulky and a fool because I would have more than likely gone back to him early this week and bought it for the full price. It was a nice car and (I imagine it drove well...

Knob and a Big Girl's blouse.

Do some work for a living.

 

[JohnDavies]

There's no law forcing you to take the valuation so I don't really see what the issue is?

So if an estate agent for example valued your house for less than half the market value, you would not feel a bit peeved. I shall just leave that there.

 

[JohnDavies]

Maybe it was down the the naff chrome arch covers.

Well we like them and so do most other people, each to their own.

 

[Dryce]

So if an estate agent for example valued your house for less than half the market value, you would not feel a bit peeved. I shall just leave that there.

It's the cost of the deal not the value of the partex that you judge.

So if I'm selling a house or a car simply as a sale then yes - the price is important.

But price on a car being put in for a partex? Nah. You judge the overall deal. The partex price may be an invention - just like list prices - depending on how the deal is negotiated.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

So if an estate agent for example valued your house for less than half the market value, you would not feel a bit peeved. I shall just leave that there.

Leave what where? The valuation is an opinion, you're not bound to it so why get het up?

And if the part ex price is that far off why not sell the car yourself and then you can be the one to deal with the low ball offers, time wasters and no-shows?

 

[Doodle]

So if an estate agent for example valued your house for less than half the market value, you would not feel a bit peeved. I shall just leave that there.

That assumes he's the only estate agent and/or you take his word as gospel. He might not be interested in the car - dealers will frequently give a lowball offer because they don't want it as p/x, rather than just saying they don't want it.

I prefer to hear the latter approach but some people take that as a personal slur...that said, the same people probably take a lowball in the same manner.

If after multiple quotes everyone's offering the same, then either that's all the market will stand at the moment or you can decide they're all wrong and just being insulting.

 

[JohnDavies]

It's the cost of the deal not the value of the partex that you judge.

So if I'm selling a house or a car simply as a sale then yes - the price is important.

But price on a car being put in for a partex? Nah. You judge the overall deal. The partex price may be an invention - just like list prices - depending on how the deal is negotiated.

I get that, thanks.

 

[JohnDavies]

That assumes he's the only estate agent and/or you take his word as gospel. He might not be interested in the car - dealers will frequently give a lowball offer because they don't want it as p/x, rather than just saying they don't want it.

I prefer to hear the latter approach but some people take that as a personal slur...that said, the same people probably take a lowball in the same manner.

If after multiple quotes everyone's offering the same, then either that's all the market will stand at the moment or you can decide they're all wrong and just being insulting.

Good point, i've got it, thanks.

 

[Scott_F]

I told him on the phone before we visited that I wasn't a time-waster but that I wouldn't be buying the car today.

He said fine, come over and have a look.

I went with my wife and son and explained that it was a car for them and that we weren't sure whether we wanted an automatic or a manual without having a test drive.

He asked if we found a car we liked, would we be buying it today?. I said no, as I told you on the phone we wouldn't be buying the car today. We'd like time to think it over. We'd never buy anything on the spur of the moment.

That's when he got sulky.

Sulky and a fool because I would have more than likely gone back to him early this week and bought it for the full price. It was a nice car and (I imagine it drove well...

Knob and a Big Girl's blouse.

Do some work for a living.

Don't let it worry you so much.

It's not personal, it's just business.

 

[kdh]

Thanks.

I was just explaining it again to SPX.

 

[Darrell]

Well we like them and so do most other people, each to their own.

Do they?