I can understand dealerships that deny demo drives on super-high end $100,000+ cars, (it makes perfect sense) but I don't think a Nissan 350Z qualifies....

I like to think I'm a positive person and I'm happy to talk to anyone, and most people do like me... but every once in a while, someone just rubs me the wrong way, and I do not want to deal with them. Especially if the person is a busybody who thinks they own the world, and they announce that they are going to shop around, blah blah blah.. okay so you want me to run around and cater to you, and then you are going to grind me to the point where my commission doesn't cover my lunch??? piss off. :)

Or sometimes a person comes in on a busy saturday and wants to demo drive 3 suv's, but their lease isn't up for another 6-12 months. Ooookay then, basically you want me to pass up all the other customers and spend 2 hours with you in which time I will not earn a single penny. LOL. I definately do not ask that person to 'piss off' but there is a diplomatic way to earn that future business without wasting each other's time!!

My point here is just to show that there are two sides to everyone story. It's hard to understand what's going on in a salesperson's head until you've been through it yourself. The movies and stereotypes are not entirely accurate. You can actually make a decent living without being a liar or ripping people off! :)

In my case, it's what the salesman DIDN'T say. While I was test driving a Mazda6, he FELL ASLEEP in the passenger seat!

the dumbest thing a used car salesperson ever said to me was the time that i went in to checkout an old DC2 ITR, and they walked up to me, and saw me pulling in mind you (in my DC5) and asked if i knew what an integra was, and how much lineage behind it and all that. After his giant spiel, i told him that wasn't a type-r, and just a badge on it, and he was all like FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

The sales lady didn't comment on the prior ownership of the car. She commented on its prior usage.

Selling an ex-rental car on the basis that it was "lightly driven by old people" has an element of misrepresentation.

What if you dont know that its a shitbox?

Great thread.

not really what he said, more like what i saw him do

fucking jumped on the tire iron while the car was on a jack

I do agree. It should be immediately made obvious to all customers that the vehicle is an ex-rental. it's nothing to be ashamed of, but it does need to be disclosed right away. It's in big bold letters on the window stickers of all of our used cars that are ex-rentals.

Even if it was only a rental for 6 months, and then used for 10 years by an old couple, it still needs to be disclosed that it was a rental at some point.

I am 23 and I have been doing car sales (new and used) since I was 18. Most of the younger guys know their stuff (not all though) but theres also alot of older guys that are just $ hungry, know the old straight 6's and V8s but dont study the new features etc especially on used when any type of car can roll in (not like they are selling 1 brand and have it memorized) but ya think that would stop em from saying dumb things like a Stealths a Viper and that a 16 Y.O. cant afford a car for a few grand this day in age, Any ways the things were told to say just to wrap up a sale or do in some cases is just CRAZY! I stopped a couple years ago cause your literally controlled from up above money hungry jerks. My advice, Dont EVER buy a car from a dealership! They say they will give you $4000 for your beater but your also paying $29,900 for the car that they paid $18000 for and then gave a $150 detail which they say went "threw the shop and had a 150 point inspection" PLUS their rip-off "DOC" fee when they should be happy you stepped foot in there dealership any ways, I mean really they want you to pay another $500 on average for paperwork. Isnt the Thousands there making off you enough allready? THEN theres the double the tax! - This goes for NEW CARS TOO! Why buy something fopr $40,000 and then 10 secconds later after you drive away its worth $29,000?!?!!? Buy one a year or two old (one thats allready takent he depreacheation hit) Unless your loaded BUY Private! Find a real deal! (causeyou never find a "deal" at a dealership) REMEMBER THAT!

^ Can you please write in paragraphs? It's hard to read. :/

Hilarious thread :haha::haha:

was looking into a used S2000(2001 - 2004) at the Honda dealership on kingsway last year, the salesman told me "it has a V6 engine, the same engine as an accord." I just turned around and walked away....

i don't know how to deal with documentation fees. i remember fighting tooth and nail over fees that totalled something like $350 that the sales manager said was not negotiable, and i walked... but i couldn't find a similar car with those options so i had to suck it up and go back... sure enough the car was sold :(

the worst one is the serial number etching they do on the windows. they did it to someone i knew without telling him about it and then tried to slip it under him when it came down to signing the agreement... if he hadn't read through the costs he would have missed it completely.

funniest thing was a salesman said its a really nice car as a lot guy backed a truck into it lol

are salespeople more inclined to sell new or used cars? Are the commissions the same?

Depending on which dealerships, I think that used cars are probably more profitable than say new cars.

Although a generalization, margins on used cars are typically much higher than new.

I've heard this one a few times actually.


Back in the day when I was in the market for a Integra Type R, I had a salesman keep an eye out for me.

Got a phone call one day to come in to discover I was looking at a GSR- which he said was a superior car and even had leather seats and a sunroof which the Type R never had.

Next time he called me- I made sure that he checked to see big "R" stickers on the door. I forget sometimes that they're just salesman- not car enthusiasts.

"If you want to test drive this car, I want a $5000 deposit"

It was a beat up 9 year old BMW 8 series

"good as new..." ?

this sort of happened to me as well at technique auto sales (the salesman is no longer there)... i wanted to test drive an m3 and he wanted me to put down a 4-digit deposit :eek:

A Toyota salesman said that the MKIV Supra Turbo was comparable to a Ferrari.

I'm serious.:haha:

It depends. I sell motorcycles, and some new bikes have terrible commissions... like pretty much every Yamaha, whereas sometimes you get used bikes in for a great price and sell them at a great margin. For me though... any sale is a good sale. If you just work hard and just sell whatever you can it works out better in the long run. People that try to only sell one specific unit with a large margin may make a big commission but sell less units. In the long run someone selling 5 units at a lesser commission will make more.

We do that. For some new BMW motorcycles. If we don't have a demo, and a customer wants to ride a brand new bike (take the new S1000RR for instance) we require a written deal with deposit pending the test ride. It separates those who just want to joyride with legitimate buyers. And you would be surprised how many people do write a deal prior to the ride and end up buying it.

Why do I want to put KMS on a new bike, just so you can ride it and not buy? Then the next person who is legitimatley interested will grind you on the fact that is now has 40kms on it or something trivial like that. It de-values the bike. For used bike, I don't mind sending anyone out. I just make it clear ahead of time what the price is. I would LIKE to go over everything before hand but not everyone wants to do that and I understand. Sometimes people will come back from a test ride and offer 3k off the asking price. That's just silly, and you wasted my time.

this was a used car... same thing applies still?

usually they just ask me for my driver's license, sometimes my credit card as well, but this was a first for me.

yes it could still apply to a used car.

However, we don't do it at our dealership, because we feel we can determine whether or not the person is a buyer without having to ask for a deposit first.

when you come on my lot, I get the bullshit out of the way first:
1: welcome
2: my name is Rich, yours is?
3: have you been here before, have you dealt with another salesman here before? (avoids drama with other salesmen!)
4: what kind of vehicle are you looking for?
5: what is your time frame for buying a vehicle (today or sometime this month?)

It's pretty rare that someone would LIE and sit through 10-15 minutes of my welcome and interview process just to take a 5 minute joyride. And if it's a couple of young kids wanting to take an F150 harley or mustang gt on a demo, i'm a bit more careful in how I approach it, because sometimes they are time wasters and sometimes they have rich parents!!!!