Dealer tactics

[EB#]

Last time I tried to buy a new car I gave up after the barrage of BS from a few salesmen.
It just made the experience unpleasant rather than enjoyable, as it should be.
Who knows.... I might try again this year !

The rough plan is to set a fair price for myself, based on carsales.com listings, pick about
3 dealers to speak to, only chase a car that is on the lot (as opposed to an order) and
then see how I go.

If all else fails, I'll enlist the services of a good mate who is a dead-set ruthless haggler
and quite enjoys the game !

[rors]

Originally Posted by kaniSS

Watch an Aussie movie called "The big steal" you will be in stitches.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099138/

Have you seen the classic film 'Suckers'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199054/

[FGXR]

Originally Posted by flappist

Was the one you bought identical?
As in same year and same options and not a demo etc.?
And was there a trade involved?

They were extremely similar (same year exact same options) the only difference was the car i bought had 15k less km. With trade both dealer offered about the same money for the car. It was just the salesman who wasnt prepared to make a deal even though i was ready to buy on the spot.

[SXR6]

I bought my BA XR8 when I didnt have a licence. It was low K and immaculate, I said to the dealer if he takes me for a test drive and I like it, I will buy it today.
He thought it was odd that I wanted to buy a car without a licence and declined to help me. So I spoke to the sales manager, explained my situation, he laughed and took me for a spin. I bought the car, called dad, mum dropped him off, he told me off for buying another car blah blah, got in the car and drove me and it home.

Same XR8, just recently traded for an FG GT, all done over the phone with a dealer thats 3 hrs away. I sent him pics of my car, I saw pics of the GT, we negotiated on price and trade price and the deal was done, finance was done, faxed paper work between eachother with all the signatures needed. I owned a car and had to wait 3 days to drop my car off and pick up the new one. No deposit, no time problems, no worries. Was a first for me, but i'd happily do it again. Even when I showed up, sat me down, have a chat, relax, have a coffee and biscuit, showed me around their newly renovated office. Gave me alot of discount vouchers for various things. Was really good.

Before doing that, I drove into Penrith Ford, was in my work ute and in fluros, was walking around a couple of FG GTs and a few FG GS's, not one person came to talk to me, plenty of them looked. Until I walked into the office and asked do you actually have any sales people here? I got the look of 'you can't afford' anyhow one gimp came out and asked what I wanted, told him I wanted an FG GT manual in vixen, or a FG GS manual in shillouette and I have a BA XR8 to trade blah blah. He straight up said, don't waste my time and walked off!! Politely told him what I thought of him and left.
I have since been back in my Vixen FG GT manual, parked in full view of their office and walked in to look at buying a FPV jacket(excuse to rub in his face lol). Again, didnt really want to help me.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by FGXR

They were extremely similar (same year exact same options) the only difference was the car i bought had 15k less km. With trade both dealer offered about the same money for the car. It was just the salesman who wasnt prepared to make a deal even though i was ready to buy on the spot.

So they were not new?

You cannot compare two second hand cars and then suggest the dealer is ripping you off. You have no idea at all of the cost prices and what other expenses may have been involved correcting any problems that were accidentally forgotten to be mentioned the original person who traded it.

[kaniSS]

Originally Posted by rors

Have you seen the classic film 'Suckers'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199054/

No but I will for sure now... Thanks bud...

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

tell me about it mate . we considered HOLDEN/HSV drove to 3 dealers with a GT to trade in , NOT ONE DEALER HAD A CAR FOR US TO DRIVE , they all said theyll order ne for us if we put down a deposit , we considered it too hard to buy a holden and went straight back to ford , ts not as if we didn t try the competition , one HSV was inthe showrrom , a black clubbie with leather , for same price as GT , BUT WE COULDNT DRIVE IT CAUSE IT WAS UNREGISTERED , A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE gt the dealer rang to tel us it was now registered , i dont know why he bothered calling .

Probably cause that HSV dealer would have around 20 requests for test drives each day by motoring fans wanting to form their own opionion on high performance cars they could not afford. Sad but true, there are more tyre kickers than genuine buyers so dealers have to really qualify their customers throughly. Have you tried to test drive a Mercedes SLS? $10,000 deposit before you can take it for a spin around the block. I know it's a tough one but can understand how dealers dont want to get used up.

[MercurySilver]

i think thats called the power of the pussy

happens at my house too
im driving a 5 grand tj magna and the misses gets the turbo
go figure

[XBROO]

Yeah I ride a bike my missus gets the near new Narvara.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

Probably cause that HSV dealer would have around 20 requests for test drives each day by motoring fans wanting to form their own opionion on high performance cars they could not afford. Sad but true, there are more tyre kickers than genuine buyers so dealers have to really qualify their customers throughly. Have you tried to test drive a Mercedes SLS? $10,000 deposit before you can take it for a spin around the block. I know it's a tough one but can understand how dealers dont want to get used up.

This is what you risk allowing every second ******** off the streets with a 50HP brain behind the wheel of a 400 HP car .

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...=Watson+Holden

[MercurySilver]

i wouldnt give a deposit
i would show him ten grand
but i wouldnt put a deposit on a car before buying it

why on earth would you ffs??

[XBROO]

So if you don't like the car, do you get the deposit back? Or are you tied to the sale?

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

i wouldnt give a deposit
i would show him ten grand
but i wouldnt put a deposit on a car before buying it

why on earth would you ffs??

I suppose if you had the bugs bunny to buy an SLS a 10k deposit subject to a satisfactory drive would not be an issue. You dont front to a house auction and put your hand up if you aint got the depo ready. I suppose an SLS is near the price of the average house in australia.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by XBROO

So if you don't like the car, do you get the deposit back? Or are you tied to the sale?

You do get the deposit back. The whole idea is to make sure someone who wants to test drive a car, really wants one.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

i wouldnt give a deposit
i would show him ten grand
but i wouldnt put a deposit on a car before buying it

why on earth would you ffs??

And how would you do that?

100 of $100 bills?
200 of $50 bills?
This won't fit in your wallet very easily.

You often carry $10,000 in cash in the city?
If so expect to be either robbed or detained for questioning.

Buying an SLS (or Ferrari/Aston/Lambo etc) is played by big boys rules......

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by flappist

And how would you do that?

100 of $100 bills?
200 of $50 bills?
This won't fit in your wallet very easily.

You often carry $10,000 in cash in the city?
If so expect to be either robbed or detained for questioning.

Buying an SLS (or Ferrari/Aston/Lambo etc) is played by big boys rules......

Nah just a roll held together with a rubber band.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by flappist

Buying an SLS (or Ferrari/Aston/Lambo etc) is played by big boys rules......

absolutely right Flappist. They are big boys toys and you gotta play by their rules. However you could walk into that same Benz dealer and drive a C200 no worries. I suppose the point I'm trying to make here is, on aspirational vehicles like HSV's, FPV's even Focus ST's, the amount of test pilots out there who have no intentions whatsoever in purchasing a vehicle have brought most dealers to the point they have to qualify really hard before a demo release.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by XBROO

Nah just a roll held together with a rubber band.

Yeh right.

Try it one day. Just use $5 bills and see what happens........

I have moved some significant amounts of cash over the years and it is HEAPS bigger than you see on TV.

Biggest single amount in my pocket was $14k and that completely filled a pocket in my jeans and stuck out the top. (I had a Glock 26 in the other pocket so I was not all that stressed).

The biggest single lump of cash was $248k which basically filled an attache case.

Now for the benefit of the paranoid, wowsers and conspiracy theorists these were grey nurses back before internet banking and when carrying a handgun for protection was legal. (early '90s QLD)

[XBROO]

Until I read your last sentence flappist, I was going to start calling you the godfather.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by flappist

Now for the benefit of the paranoid, wowsers and conspiracy theorists these were grey nurses back before internet banking and when carrying a handgun for protection was legal. (early '90s QLD)

I used to work with a girl and her father was high up in one of the Sydney city banks. He would be in his 70's now.

Anyway, he used to have to gopher large mounts of cash out of the branch. He was given a hand gun to carry generally in his pocket or in the bag.

How times change!

[F6E]

What's the big deal about needing to test drive a new car ?

You have already made up your mind long before you buy, that's why your looking at that particular car, you've done every iNet search, read evey test drive article, your a fully informed & researched buyer...what I find is you know soooo much more about the car than any of the sales mupetts, a test drive is just a buying sign, you believe you should be able to try before you buy coz it's a lot of $'s. So are houses, you don't ask for a "test live" before you sign on a home ?

Who test drives a new SS, XR, HSV, FPV ...brings it back to the dealer and says "...Nah, that's sheet, hate it " ?

I've never test driven a new car as part of the buying process but I have driven many, many cars just for the hell of it, with absolutely no desire/intention to buy.

Euro Marques have it down pat by supplying you loan vehicles ( when yr in for service, etc) that they think might be on yr buying radar ( always drop that you might be getting out of your current ride )

when in the BM , I've had - M3, 535i, 550i, 650i, X5 3.3, z4 vert and a 325 vert all as FOC loaners......

Obviously it's a flawed tactic as I sold the M5 and bought the F6....

[Trav199]

I brought my recent car Fg xr6t ute from a dealership.. Went extrememly well.. they did try and up sell on a heap of crap i didnt want but thats part of there job.. Walked in one day drove it out the next.. Was great..

In saying that my old man went to purchase a FPVGTE locally.. They wouldnt commit to a price till he signed up.. So he emailed a FPV dealership down south and brought one for 10k cheaper then what the local dealership would do.

[Dusty1]

F6E, I drove a Mondeo before I bought one, as Ford had a special day for registered people, but I didn't test drive the Territory, nor did I test drive a BA before I got that.

[ebv8]

when i was in the market for the fiesta dealers would not let me test drive unless i put a deposit down, plus my local dealer was so pushy i felt uncomfortable so i walked away. anyway i saw a good price on carsales and after doing a online form i found they were too far away but he said he'll throw in some extras. but i drove past kinghorn in nowra they had 2 black CL's, it was saturday and he was run off his feet but he said he would match the price and deliver to my door and i didn't have to put the deposit on until 1 hour before it was delivered...no pressure at all and did most of it over the phone...too easy
p.s. they did not have a single falcon on the lot

[ebv8]

when i was in the market for the fiesta dealers would not let me test drive unless i put a deposit down, plus my local dealer was so pushy i felt uncomfortable so i walked away. anyway i saw a good price on carsales and after doing a online form i found they were too far away but he said he'll throw in some extras. but i drove past kinghorn in nowra they had 2 black CL's, it was saturday and he was run off his feet but he said he would match the price and deliver to my door and i didn't have to put the deposit on until 1 hour before it was delivered...no pressure at all and did most of it over the phone...too easy
p.s. they did not have a single falcon on the lot

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by rors

Have you seen the classic film 'Suckers'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199054/

Looooooooooooool....................

[b2tf]

If any Ford dealers are reading this and have a PK Ranger sitting on the lot theyre interested in moving let me know. Yes I do have a trade and I'm in NSW.

[Agent86]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

i think thats called the power of the pussy

happens at my house too
im driving a 5 grand tj magna and the misses gets the turbo
go figure

Nah, she can have it. Its nice, but i prefer my old BA. all it needed was the 6spd auto.

Mrs is a good one though, she did buy me a dirtbike for my birthday last year

[MDS69]

Originally Posted by F6E

What's the big deal about needing to test drive a new car ?

You have already made up your mind long before you buy, that's why your looking at that particular car, you've done every iNet search, read evey test drive article, your a fully informed & researched buyer...what I find is you know soooo much more about the car than any of the sales mupetts, a test drive is just a buying sign, you believe you should be able to try before you buy coz it's a lot of $'s. So are houses, you don't ask for a "test live" before you sign on a home ?

Who test drives a new SS, XR, HSV, FPV ...brings it back to the dealer and says "...Nah, that's sheet, hate it " ?

I've never test driven a new car as part of the buying process but I have driven many, many cars just for the hell of it, with absolutely no desire/intention to buy.

Euro Marques have it down pat by supplying you loan vehicles ( when yr in for service, etc) that they think might be on yr buying radar ( always drop that you might be getting out of your current ride )

when in the BM , I've had - M3, 535i, 550i, 650i, X5 3.3, z4 vert and a 325 vert all as FOC loaners......

Obviously it's a flawed tactic as I sold the M5 and bought the F6....

Not necessarily true. I drive a MN triton supplied by my company and whilst it isn't a bad vehicle there is no way I would buy one as it is not something I would outlay $35k on to keep in the driveway for 6 years. There are other dual cabs out there and you need to see what is best for you and you can't tell that from the internet. As I don't pay for it I put up with it.
We bought a VX wagon new in 2002. Test drove it and the equivalent Falcon wagon. The choice was up to the missus as she had to drive it and she liked the way the Commodore drove. I agreed and that is what we bought. Came time to sell that and we were looking at 4WD's. Test drove the Pathfinder and petrol and diesel Prado. Again as the wife would be driving it most she preferred the petrol Prado. That is what we got. After driving the Pathfinder it felt cramped and the Prado roomier but also a better driving position, personal choice.

[gtfpv]

im afraid if i buy any car i wont be proving i have the money . you dont have to prove you have the money to look at a display home , you dont have to give a holding deposit to look at a $10000 tv . and as far as im concerned a demo is a car thats on display so people can consider buying them and see what they look like . i am very happy for a dealer principle or car salemen to make less income that month because he thinks a demonstration car is a privelige . UP YA CLACKA WITH A CRACKA