Dealer stories

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Lynxis

I went in to pick it up the next day and the original sales guy I dealt with was there and if looks could kill, I'd be paste right now... I guess it's bad form to deal with a different sales guy because the one who closes the deal is the one who gets the commission.

Did the first guy have a way to contact you? If he really wanted a sale he would have called you up when the $2k discount hit (hell even before posting the price drop if he was in good with the manager) and landed you within a day or two of dropping the price.

I mean I get the concept, but this shit isn't hard. idk there's this weird expectation of loyalty from dealerships (both sales and service) like they're doing you some grand favor that just rubs me wrong.

[Cole]

Good experience with the dealer. However, I'll most likely never buy a Toyota again because of how the service manager and a tech have treated me.

Nothing like going for a ride with a tech to show him an issue (related to the TCM, with a TSB attached to it) and having him say "You're driving the car wrong". Interesting how after the TCM was reflashed, I've never had the issue come back. Then there's the whole issue of the service manager telling me I'd have to go back to stock suspension, wheels, alignment, etc for them to even consider diagnosing the problem. What a waste of time fighting Toyota Canada for nearly a year was when the problem was fixed in under 30 minutes when Toyota Canada finally told the dealership to go ahead with the TSB.

[sodjer]

tl;dr - Agree dealing with Internet sales is the way to go. Got held hostage at Toyota dealer for 4 hours, bought BRZ online and was in and out in 10min.

When I was looking at a new vehicle I wasn't considering a twin, but my friend convinced me to go check them out.

My experience with the local Toyota dealership was anything but good.

I was greeted by a sales guy before I even got out of my Explorer. First thing I said was "I'm not looking to buy today, I just want to try getting in and out of an FR-S" (being 6'5" I wasn't convinced I'd fit in one). I figured out the car on my own as the sales guy had zero knowledge of it. After realizing I fit fine I asked if I could drive it and fell in love with the car on the test drive.

Sales guy was pretty cool and as we were talking about the car his manager came over and asked if I'd consider buying if they made me an "insane" offer on my Explorer. Figured I had some time to kill and let them take it to appraise. The appraisal took nearly 2 hours and their insane offer was $1k less than the low end of NADA trade in value. The sales manager became belligerent when I balked at their offer.

Sales guy said he'd ask his boss for more and came back with that extra $1k and said he couldn't do more and started running numbers past me. They were all way too high and said he couldn't do anything with the price on the car. I asked for my keys back and the sales manager came over and started with the high pressure sales tactics. I should've just demanded my keys but let them re-negotiate the trade value with their boss again. They came back with a more favorable amount but still not enough and wanted way too much for the car. That was another 2 hours. I see the sales manager set my keys down on their little sales island so I thank the sales guy for his time and let him know his manager blew any hope of me buying a car from them. Walked over grabbed my keys and left. The sales manager actually followed me out to my Explorer yelling about how dumb I was to walk away from their awesome deal and my Explorer would never be worth more than it was at that second.

2 days later I find a BRZ in an on-line ad at a dealership a couple hours north of me. Sure it was used but it only had 3k miles, and was $7k below book value at the time. Emailed them pics of the trade and they came back with a realistic offer for it. Secured financing through my credit union and picked the car that Saturday. All I had to do was sign one piece of paper and hand them the keys to my Explorer and the check. Entire transaction took 10 minutes. Then it was

[Lynxis]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Did the first guy have a way to contact you? If he really wanted a sale he would have called you up when the $2k discount hit (hell even before posting the price drop if he was in good with the manager) and landed you within a day or two of dropping the price.

I mean I get the concept, but this shit isn't hard. idk there's this weird expectation of loyalty from dealerships (both sales and service) like they're doing you some grand favor that just rubs me wrong.

I don't really remember, it was over 3 years ago now. He definitely took my license and some other information when I test drove the car so he may have had my number but we didn't close the sale so I know that I didn't give him everything. Also, being fair, I was in there the day I saw they dropped the price and I was checking it daily so if he had days off in the middle of the week when they dropped the price, then he may have just not gotten the chance.

[Eckstrey]

Disclaimer: I am a car saleman. LOL.
I'll add my 2 cents for what its worth. Don't blame the salesperson. The days of making $1000 commissions are over. The mark up on Toyota's is tiny. maybe $1700-$2000 on a $30K car. The sales person makes 25% of the gross profit over invoice. So it the mark up is $1700 and you pay $1000 under MSRP. The sales person would make $175. Many dealerships have a minimum amount that they
pay. Something like $200.
Dealerships flood their lots with sale people so most sales people are making only 10 to 12 sales per month. They are treated as expendable because they cost the dealership practically nothing.
Plus Toyota dealerships as not a rare thing. In most parts of the country you are not more than an hour away from 2 or more dealerships so price wars drive the purchase prices down. If you walk into my dealership and say I'm here to buy a car and I'm willing to pay $200 over invoice I guarantee you my managers will sell you any car we have on the spot. BTW from my experience it doesn't matter if you deal with an internet sales person or a traditional sales person they still get the final numbers from a sales manager. That could be different at other dealerships.
As for comments about dealerships doing things like telling a customer they have given them the best price possible and them later calling you back to offer a lower price, that's called negotiating. If you could afford a $500 note and are willing to pay that much but you tell them you can only afford $450 and they believe you and sell you the car for $450/month you would walk away feeling like you won. But If the dealership holds back any info they are considered dirty and unfair. Funny how that works.

[TrackRider54]

What I've discovered from buying over 30 cars and at least a dozen motorcycles is that dealerships don't mess much with an informed consumer. It's the clueless consumer they really want. The one who pays for undercoating, paint protection, $1000 doc fees, engine oil treatment, etc.

I typically research to find a fair price for the car, I determine what options I want, and I start contacting dealers to see who will sell to me at the price I want. I've driven as far as 15 hours away to buy a vehicle because they gave me the best deal. I've heard every excuse in the book from salesmen. I've had a few try to dupe me. I drove several hours to buy a car AFTER receiving a written offer via email. When I got there, they took my keys so they could check out my trade. Then the sales guy tells me the numbers didn't quite match what they sent me. They added $5000 to the price. I asked to speak to the sales manager, showed him the offer I was sent via email, and asked, "Will you honor this or not". He said no...I asked for my keys back. It took them over an hour to give me back my keys. I had to threaten to call the police.

Best deal I ever got was when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. I wanted a diesel Jeep Cherokee and did an inventory search for leftover units. They weren't selling well and there were several in inventory all over the Southeast.

The one I wanted stickered for $36k. Through my research, I'd seen people buying them for as low as $24k. So I toss out my low offer of $25k out the door and figured things would go from there. A dealer in Atlanta said they'd do my deal if I could pick it up before the end of the money. I got the buyers order faxed to my credit union, picked up a check, hopped on a plane, and picked up the Jeep. I sold that vehicle two years later.....for $24k. That folks....is a win!

[Token11b]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If you sold cars you then you know the whole "we need inventory we will pay way more than it is worth" line is pure bullshit and just a way to get naïve people in the door so they can overcharge for another. If they need inventory there are much less expensive ways for them to get it than paying over blue book for a car they haven't even laid eyes on.

Like I said I made the appointment for shits and giggles. I bought my FRS from them about 2 years ago I really made the appointment because we are getting ready to get my wife a newer car. Her car is almost paid off and we've been entertaining the idea for a couple months now. If they do happen to offer me more money than is left on my current loan and I'll get another car I could possibly enjoy why not jump on it?

[Eckstrey]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Did the first guy have a way to contact you? If he really wanted a sale he would have called you up when the $2k discount hit (hell even before posting the price drop if he was in good with the manager) and landed you within a day or two of dropping the price.

I mean I get the concept, but this shit isn't hard. idk there's this weird expectation of loyalty from dealerships (both sales and service) like they're doing you some grand favor that just rubs me wrong.

As a buyer you are free to purchase from who ever you want. but there are unwritten rules within the sales department. basically if you have sold to the person before you own the account. If the customer shows up on a day that you are off someone else may sell to you but the commission is split between the two sales people. If someone attempts to sell to you but does not close the deal things are a little different. At my dealership if you return within 30 days or if the original sales person has documented contact with you within 30 days, the original sales person still owns the account. If you do not buy or if the sales person does not contact you for 30 days you become free game.
So if you come by to shop and tire kick and I spend a hour with you finding a car you like but you tell me you arent going to be ready to buy for another 3 months, You can count on a phone call from me a few times during that 3 months. Otherwise another sale person can catch you on the lot and close the deal and my hour was wasted. Not only do I not get paid for that hour of work but I may have missed another customer during that time that was buying. We are not making a killing doing this. We are trying to feed our families just like everyone else.

[why?]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Did the first guy have a way to contact you? If he really wanted a sale he would have called you up when the $2k discount hit (hell even before posting the price drop if he was in good with the manager) and landed you within a day or two of dropping the price.

I mean I get the concept, but this shit isn't hard. idk there's this weird expectation of loyalty from dealerships (both sales and service) like they're doing you some grand favor that just rubs me wrong.

Selling cars is hard. For some reason so many sales people think the only point of contact is when a random person walks into a dealership. I am sure the person had a way of contacting him, at a decent dealership they won't let you look at a car without getting all of your info, but stupid salesmen just "assume" you aren't going to buy. Some never ever maka any phone calls at all, and wonder why they cannot sell a car.

[Silver Supra]

I have not bought a FR-S - yet - so only dealer story related to the twins is with the local CarMax. Guy was nice, low-pressure, let me take it for a spin with my wife (about 30 mins), no pressure when we got back.

However - two other stories about dealers:
1. Looked at Armadas when they first came out. Went to dealer on December 31, 2003 to drive and then "negotiate". After picking out colors, options, etc., my negotiation was an "out-the-door price, take-it-or leave it (it was fair). Twice they tried the "let's see what my manager can do" and twice I marked out their price and wrote mine back in. 3rd time, the manager wrote "Merry Christmas" and accepted my price! Friend for life.

2. Took my Supra to local Toyota dealer to check out their service department. Young salesman trotted out the door toward me, looked at my car, and then said "What is that?" Great start!
Told them my car had a CEL, and could their techs diagnose? (I already knew the code and problem). Tech could not pull the code on the OBDI car and gave up. They did not get my business!!

[Braces]

The whole car buying process seems antiquated. Dealerships should be eliminated. Sorry.
Dealerships should be about selling cars, but that is only one part of the scheme. They push you to buy all these dealership added extras which is $$$ for the dealership. They push their corporate financing which doesn't benefit you. If you break it down into parts. There is only two: the car and the repairs.

The Tesla online ordering process and repair facilities seems like the way forward. Skip the middle guy.

[TrackRider54]

Originally Posted by Braces

The whole car buying process seems antiquated. Dealerships should be eliminated. Sorry.

I agree. It's 2017. You no longer need a salesman to hold your hand through the process. You can easily research the vehicle, make an appointment for a test drive, and do the purchase online. This would cut overhead tremendously. Dealerships like Carvana are already doing this. Here in Nashville, we have the Carvana "Car Vending Machine".



It still amazes me that it takes HOURS to buy a car. There have been times where I have been at a car dealer for 8 hours....yes.....8 hours. Sitting and waiting. I would prefer to do all the "paperwork" electronically online, including scanning in required docs which could be indexed and put in the doc set electronically. Sign everything electronically, show up, get my car.

[Eckstrey]

As a relatively new salesman I agree that the process needs to be quicker.
Negotiating is part of it and unfortunately it is not going away. Dealerships/Manufacturers have tried the no negotiation pricing and it has always been a failure. Tesla has a bit of a different model. More like Apple. You will pay the same price no matter where you purchase from. But as long as there is another dealership willing to under cut the no-negotiation price people will buy else where.
My frustration is with the finance process. At my dealership, you have the option of filling out an online credit app before coming to the dealership. But many people are wary about doing this before they have agreed one a vehicle and purchase price. Most people prefer to wait until we have agreed on purchase details before signing a credit app. I take the info and put it into the system, print out the app and have them sign it. I give it to my sales manager who reenters the info into a separate program to pull up the credit history. If the person looks like they will qualify (Many do not) he pushes it over to the finance managers system. I bring the paperwork to the finance guy who then submits it to multiple banking institutions. It is true that dealerships do make money on the finance side of things. Think of it as a finders fee or a commission paid to the dealership by the bank for selling a loan for them. Once he gets an approval from the bank he plugs in the bank/loan info into the deal. I wish the customer could electronically sign the app and then the info would auto populate into all the other applications and Im sure other dealerships have a smoother system. We do use a docupad device so all of the signatures are electronic and this does save a lot of time in the signing process.
The finance manager also is responsible for selling extended warranties and gap insurance etc. there are multiple options and levels of coverage, so this sales pitch adds a few minutes to the process. I know many people think of this as unnecessary up-sales but many will not buy a car without it. So we do offer these products. I personally bought an extended warranty on my 860.
I am fortunate to work at a dealership that frowns on high pressure sales tactics. Sure we do try to sell you the vehicles that we have in stock and we do try to sell "today". Thats just common sense sales 101. But If you are truly just shopping we will let you shop. I have found that like most other careers its more important to earn customers respect and build relationships rather than try to force a sale.
Of course the inside joke is if you want the sale to go quickly come in with cash and don't negotiate the price. I'll have you out the door in no time at all. LOL

[Silver Supra]

Originally Posted by Eckstrey

....
Negotiating is part of it and unfortunately it is not going away. Dealerships/Manufacturers have tried the no negotiation pricing and it has always been a failure. ...

Thanks for your input - since you are on the opposite end from most of us.
I do have to disagree with the statement above, however, based on my experience. As far back as 2011, I took offers for purchase of a new car (provided total specifications) and got six bids from the Atlanta area. The range ($28K to $34K) was considerable and the lowest was a good bit less than the others.
I have also dealt with two dealers since then that do 90-100% of their deals online. I bought a low-mileage 2014 Equus earlier this year from one of these dealers with an online offer and two phone calls. I did not lower my price, since it was fair.

Dealers that sell like this rely on volume and reduced labor costs. It would not work in all (or maybe many) cases.