Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

[Briank]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

"I can't sell you the car for less then $1700 over our cost you know we have our 401K to fund." Offered $1300 over cost and buy today on a 2002 RSX type S, walked out, went to the honda dealer and bought an Accord LX.

 

[Dewain27]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

I went to a Chevy Dealership and asked the salesman to open the door to an C6 Vette. The salesman said that they weren't allowed to open the door to the car unless I had been approved for the loan. I turned and walked away as he tried to talk me into a credit check.

I then went and bought my '03 NSX..... Thinking about driving back by there..

 

[nchopp]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

Looking at a '95 Buick Riviera a few years ago, supercharged. Salesman: "Yeah, the turbocharger on these is just great." Thought: "Why am I not surprised he doesn't know the difference between a turbo and a super?" Test drive: Super sounds like it's going to explode any mile. Question to salesman: "Do you know when the super was last oiled?" Answer: "You don't have to oil a turbocharger." Reply: "Thanks for your time."

 

[Hothonda]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

Purchased a new Nissan Titan for cash + tax and licence for X amount $$...
Salesman guided me to the finance office to pay and when the paperwork was done they added $300 to the amount owing, they said to cover a B & O tax - a business operations tax based on sales volume, due monthly to King County, by all businesses, in the State of Washington.

I said forget it and walked out of the office....they chased after me and said they'd waive it for me....I kept walking and bought elsewhere.

Unbelievable!

 

[DrVolkl]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

"That new '96 Mustang GT you ordered has over 300hp"

"They don't make a Maxima with LSD"

"These GTO's are hot selling cars, we're not lowering our price"

"We don't let people test drive the EVO, and $10k over MSRP is what we're getting for them in Bellevue"


I have yet to walk into a dealership and actually meet someone who knows more about the car I'm buying than I do. Usually it's scarey how little they know about the very product they're selling. Half the time they don't even get the # of cylinders right.

 

[Motegi]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

Recently at a Nissan dealer when I was helping a friend look at 350Zs:

I asked the salesperson to give us a summary of the key features of the 350Z:

"Well if you take a look here (opens the hood) the radiator is not made out of metal so it won't rust." - My friend and I were dumbfounded.

"The headlights are made out of plastic!" - How is this a special feature!?!

He couldn't say anything about the engine, suspension, tires, or interior features. When I started asking him about options and other details the only thing he could do was call the manager over. To add insult in injury the only thing the manager could do was open the brochure and point to the specs page and basically read it back to us. Talk about not having any interest or pride in your work... sheesh! You figure the 350z is one of their more noteable cars and one that brings in a lot of showroom traffic... wouldn't it therefore be important to at least know SOMETHING about the car?

Previously at the local Infiniti dealer (same ownership as Nissan dealer above) where I had a deposit on a fully loaded G35 coupe in 2003. Two months after the deposit, on the day the car is to arrive at the dealership I get this telephone call:

"I have some rather unfortunate news... Your car fell off of the transporter at the port. It was totaled"

I asked what we needed to do to resolve this issue. This was the reply:

"Well we can place another order at the factory and have it 'flagged' to expedite it here. We could have it here in 2 months. Or you could get one of the others here on the lot (different color, less options)".

I said it was not acceptable and that I would like them to search other dealers for the exact car I had ordered. They flat out refuse that request. So I call Infiniti North America headquarters and speak with their customer service representative. She takes down the information including the VIN of the supposedly "totalled" car. The next day she calls back and states that Infiniti has no record of any cars being lost at port in the time in question and that the VIN still checks out as being OK. I called the Infiniti dealer with this new information and they start waffling - I get passed from sales to management with each person having a wildly different explanation. At this point I can see that they are trying to backpeddle so I ask for my deposit back so I can go elsewhere. Two days later I get a call from the Infiniti rep who states that she just got a call from the "dishonest" dealer who pretty much yelled at her and her supervisor for "not being team players by not lying to the customer". She apologized for the dealer's behavior and hoped that it would not reflect negatively on their brand. The rep then gave me a list of dealers in the region who had or would have the exact vehicle that I wanted. In the end I did purchase a G35c but from a much more honest dealership. All I can figure was the G35 coupe was a hot commodity at that time. Although I was paying list for the car (in cash) I would assume that they would have been more than happy to sell it to someone else who would have added a few extra thousand... No matter, this particular dealer group will NEVER get any of my family's business (or any friends for that matter).

 

[rickysals]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

circa 2004: "Just wait til next year and you can order the Celica convertible" - Toyota Salesman while I was browsing the used Celicas on the lot

 

[NsSeX]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

Stopped by a nissan dealership awhile ago (when I still had my 99 NSX) to test drive a 350z and was told
"We don't allow test drives due to the fact these cars are rare"

Same salesman:

"How much horsepower does you NSX have? Aren't all Yellow ones superchared?"

 

[nchopp]

Stopped by a nissan dealership awhile ago (when I still had my 99 NSX) to test drive a 350z and was told
"We don't allow test drives due to the fact these cars are rare"

Same salesman:

"How much horsepower does you NSX have? Aren't all Yellow ones superchared?"

It's a freaking 350Z, not a Skyline. Who the hell's gonna buy a car they can't test drive? Sheesh.

 

[The Kid]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

To all of you that get mad at dealers that dont let them test drive EVO's, 911 Turbo's, Z06's, Enzo's and whatever else.....Please, please, please, please come to work at my dealership for one day and rethink your way of thinking.

Everyone comes in and just wants to drive, I keep a file of all the things that have gone wrong on test drives due to aggressive and over anxious drivers. We specialize in Sports Compact Cars and im sure you could imagine some of these scenarios. Can you walk into an Acura Dealership and ask to test drive a new NSX? Lets say the car has 30 miles and it and 2 people test drive it, now it might have 65. The next potential customer doesnt want a car with miles and thinks that since this is such a collectable car, it shouldn't be driven. Or Im dont want anyone else to drive it except for me.

We have customers buying TSX's and RSX's and they wont even let us PDI the car and gas it up, or clean it, or they buy a swapped in car with 75 miles on it and refuse delivery.

 

[Daedalus]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

A buddy special-ordered a Titan and specifically, in writing, told them exactly which options he did and didn't want. In a follow-up email, they confirmed his order, but stated it was coming with mudflaps, which he didn't want. He immediately called and told the saleswoman to remove the mudflaps from the invoice. The truck finally showed up 2-3 months later. He went down and right away noticed the bed rail system option, which he wanted and which was a large reason for him choosing the Titan, was not installed. The saleswoman said it was his fault, that by removing the mudflaps, the rail system automatically fell off the invoice. He walked away and called up NNA, which confirmed she was completely full of it. He bought a Titan a bit after that from somewhere else.

 

[wtgonnsx]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

Told a used cars salesman that I was a sales manager in my line of work (many moons ago) and just give me the simple rough prices as I am familiar with the routine. He started his run of sales talk. I then started naming the sales techniques and the tapes it was off of. He walked away and left me on the lot...go figure?

When looking for my MR2 Spyder...I felt the dealership was a bit shady in their deal with me which I had a deposit to get it at MSRP (first shipment on East coast) but they neglected to put down price. "I have some doubt on your deal for no more than MSRP and would like for you to write it down for me. He said "No problem" and wrote FMV instead (Fair Market Value) I walked away quietly. I called to tell him the next week I wanted my deposit back and he told me that I would not be able to get the car elsewhere! I said I already bought one :tongue:

Went into a Hyundai dealership with a girlfriend (back when I wore a mullet). The salesman started hitting on her HARD and in front of me. I told her quietly to just run with it and get the deal as I went to the lobby. She signed a great price...and then he asked her for her phone # and he told him basically to piss off :biggrin:

 

[NsSeX]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

To all of you that get mad at dealers that dont let them test drive EVO's, 911 Turbo's, Z06's, Enzo's and whatever else.....Please, please, please, please come to work at my dealership for one day and rethink your way of thinking.

Everyone comes in and just wants to drive, I keep a file of all the things that have gone wrong on test drives due to aggressive and over anxious drivers. We specialize in Sports Compact Cars and im sure you could imagine some of these scenarios. Can you walk into an Acura Dealership and ask to test drive a new NSX? Lets say the car has 30 miles and it and 2 people test drive it, now it might have 65. The next potential customer doesnt want a car with miles and thinks that since this is such a collectable car, it shouldn't be driven. Or Im dont want anyone else to drive it except for me.

We have customers buying TSX's and RSX's and they wont even let us PDI the car and gas it up, or clean it, or they buy a swapped in car with 75 miles on it and refuse delivery.

I can understand your point of view, BUT for my family and I, we like to test drive our cars before we purchase them. I was looking at a brand new 05 NSX before purchasing my 03 and the salesman asked if I wanted to take it out for a spin, saying how he and his fellow employees enjoyed taking the car out every once in awhile for a quick spin

Usually, when I or a member of my family test drives a car, it means that we're serious about purchasing the car given we get the deal we want. The BMW dealership that my family purchases from bends over backwards for us:biggrin: since every time we stop by we end up purchasing a car. Salesmen watch out for us so they can have a easy sale since the GM personally sees to it that we are happy with the purchasing experience:tongue:

I don't like my time being wasted nor do I like wasting someone else's time unless they are a complete AHole:biggrin:

 

[avalon96]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

E46 M3 test-drive request:

Salesman: "Are you considering a 6-speed or an SMG?
Me: "I would like to compare the two"
Salesman:

"We can't put any miles on such a coveted high-performance car. Think how you would feel if you bought this car with a lot of miles on it. However, I can take you out for a ride in it..."

brilliant!

BTW:

I went with the 6-speed...in NSX

 

[NsSeX]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

E46 M3 test-drive request:

Salesman: "Are you considering a 6-speed or an SMG?
Me: "I would like to compare the two"
Salesman:

"We can't put any miles on such a coveted high-performance car. Think how you would feel if you bought this car with a lot of miles on it. However, I can take you out for a ride in it..."

brilliant!

BTW:

I went with the 6-speed...in NSX

lol my salesman couldn't have thrown me the keys any quicker when I went to go test drive and purchase my M3:biggrin:

 

[AU_NSX]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

To all of you that get mad at dealers that dont let them test drive EVO's, 911 Turbo's, Z06's, Enzo's and whatever else.....Please, please, please, please come to work at my dealership for one day and rethink your way of thinking.

Everyone comes in and just wants to drive, I keep a file of all the things that have gone wrong on test drives due to aggressive and over anxious drivers. We specialize in Sports Compact Cars and im sure you could imagine some of these scenarios. Can you walk into an Acura Dealership and ask to test drive a new NSX? Lets say the car has 30 miles and it and 2 people test drive it, now it might have 65. The next potential customer doesnt want a car with miles and thinks that since this is such a collectable car, it shouldn't be driven. Or Im dont want anyone else to drive it except for me.

We have customers buying TSX's and RSX's and they wont even let us PDI the car and gas it up, or clean it, or they buy a swapped in car with 75 miles on it and refuse delivery.

I understand what you are saying but isn't that why they have demonstrators???

I would not buy a car without a test drive! And I would not buy a car from a salesman who treats me like a 17yr old with no money!

 

[Jin1976]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

C70 is FWD right?

A Volvo salesman asked if I was interested in their SUV. I said no. I was just looking for my wife. I told him I was looking to get a sporty car like the NSX and Volvo doesn't have anything in that category. He said "C70" with a smile!

 

[rickysals]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

in my brief experience, I've been way more knowledgable about the cars than the salesperson (I've been present in most of my friends/families purchases). Aren't a majority of salesmen business graduates? Which means they are there to sell you a car... and seems some don't take the time to learn about their product.

I say some ofcourse, because I have met a few who blew me away with knowledge that i later checked to be correct.

 

[GOTTSPD]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

My dad to Ford salesguy (during testdrive): Not sure I'm interested because its not AWD.
Salesguy: Sure it is, just turn this switch.
Dad: 4WD does not = AWD
Salesguy: sure it does, in 4x4 mode, all 4 wheels have power.
Dad: Ugh..... Test drive over.

 

[heathbar0]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

2 wks ago:
Me: I would like to look at the GS350,
I'm looking at the GS, MB E320CDI, Audi A6, Acura RL, Infinity M35.
Salesman: We're gonna be at least a thousand more than all those cars.
I didnt buy a Lexus...

 

[beckertb]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

You probably can't afford that................

 

[SilverOne]

It's a freaking 350Z, not a Skyline. Who the hell's gonna buy a car they can't test drive? Sheesh.

I've had exact experience with the 350Z when it first came out. I was told by the sales guy as rare and limited produced. And unless I make a committment to buy, they will not let me drive it.

I happen to have the NSX with me, so I pointed over at my car and asked them if it was as limited as the NSX? If not, then probably not worth the $ or my time to bother.

They handed me the key, but only allowed me to go around the block. I didn't even get out of 2nd gear. Came back to the dealership, the sales guy and manager came over and asked me to go inside to start the paperwork. I laughed and told them.., "I just didn't feel it. Thanks! Buh Bye"

 

[nchopp]

To all of you that get mad at dealers that dont let them test drive EVO's, 911 Turbo's, Z06's, Enzo's and whatever else.....Please, please, please, please come to work at my dealership for one day and rethink your way of thinking.

Everyone comes in and just wants to drive, I keep a file of all the things that have gone wrong on test drives due to aggressive and over anxious drivers. We specialize in Sports Compact Cars and im sure you could imagine some of these scenarios. Can you walk into an Acura Dealership and ask to test drive a new NSX? Lets say the car has 30 miles and it and 2 people test drive it, now it might have 65. The next potential customer doesnt want a car with miles and thinks that since this is such a collectable car, it shouldn't be driven. Or Im dont want anyone else to drive it except for me.

We have customers buying TSX's and RSX's and they wont even let us PDI the car and gas it up, or clean it, or they buy a swapped in car with 75 miles on it and refuse delivery.

Yes, but would YOU buy a car without driving it first? Particularly a car that's such a luxury item?

 

[Carguy!]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

My dad to Ford salesguy (during testdrive): Not sure I'm interested because its not AWD.
Salesguy: Sure it is, just turn this switch.
Dad: 4WD does not = AWD
Salesguy: sure it does, in 4x4 mode, all 4 wheels have power.
Dad: Ugh..... Test drive over.

I am not exactly sure what you are talking about either. Your dad wasn't interested because it wasn't AWD (All wheel drive)? My MDX was AWD, meaning it would switch over to 4wd if necessary because it sensed slippage. I believe it is actually only two wheel drive one of the front wheels and one of the rear wheels can slip.

I have a Ford F350 truck that has a 2wd or a 4wd high and 4wd low selector, I think this is very similiar to AWD, only you have to select it yourself.

 

[GOTTSPD]

Re: Let's hear your stories, what was the dumbest thing a salesperson has said to you?

I am not exactly sure what you are talking about either. Your dad wasn't interested because it wasn't AWD (All wheel drive)? My MDX was AWD, meaning it would switch over to 4wd if necessary because it sensed slippage. I believe it is actually only two wheel drive one of the front wheels and one of the rear wheels can slip.

I have a Ford F350 truck that has a 2wd or a 4wd high and 4wd low selector, I think this is very similiar to AWD, only you have to select it yourself.

4WD is definitely not the same as AWD. In an AWD vehicle, there are 3 differentials, but in a 4WD there are 2. AWD vehicles are designed to apportion power between all 4 wheels irrespective of the vehicles speed, where it is generally considered unwise to drive a 4WD in 4WD mode at highway speeds nor for an extended period...