I get a kick out of car dealerships.

[DemoFly]

I am in the market for a small car around $15,000.

Me and the girlfriend are doing the rounds and test driving all the vehicles in that segment. The Kia dealership, Ford dealership and Mazda dealership were all relatively low hassle.

Then we get to the Honda dealership. There was a lady saleswoman who took us out in a Honda Fit and she didn't understand the word "no". So I decided to have fun with it. She took my keys and vehicle registration because I tossed around the idea of trading in the truck. (I mainly just wanted to see how appallingly low the trade in value they would offer me would be)

I started being really blunt about why I didn't like the car and why I preferred other cars in the segment. She had a pre-programmed response to everything, but this is the only one I specifically remember:

"The Kia Rio offers more standard features, better MPG, better horsepower and a 6spd for cheaper, with a 100,000 mile warranty."
"Yeah, but, Kia needs that 100,000 mile warranty."
"If Honda doesn't need the warranty, and it wouldn't cost you anything, why wouldn't you offer one to compete?"
"Honda has built a reputation for being a very reliable car."
"I would expect a reliable car to have at least a 6 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. At least the life of the loan."
"We've never had a complaint. We make excellent vehicles."

She then repeatedly forgot to get me my keys, and kept bringing back quote after quote for this Honda Fit. Specifically a model in a color I told her I did not want, that was more expensive than ordering a brand new tailored Fit.

What I learned is that my credit is amazing. The saleswoman eventually brought the sales manager to me in person and he asked me the question I was waiting for.

"What can I do to get you in a car, today."
"You would have to offer me 0 down, 0.9% for 72 months, no payments for 3 months and the ability for me to return it no questions asked, no strings attached after that 3 months if it turns out it's not a smart decision for me (just started new job, might not be stable). You also have to either take another $1000 off the car or give me another $1000 for my Dakota trade-in."

I was surprised at the response.

"We can do 0 down 0.9% for 72 months and we can offer you 1 month no payments, no questions asked, no strings attached if you want to return it. We can also take the car back up to 3 months. If you would like, we can do a delayed trade-in on the Dakota at 3 months, so you could keep your vehicle."

I had no idea car dealerships could do this. I was just being a smart-alec saying "you would have to basically give me the car for free for me to drive off with it today."

Oh well, just my day.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: DemoFly

"The Kia Rio offers more standard features, better MPG, better horsepower and a 6spd for cheaper, with a 100,000 mile warranty."
"Yeah, but, Kia needs that 100,000 mile warranty."
"If Honda doesn't need the warranty, and it wouldn't cost you anything, why wouldn't you offer one to compete?"
"Honda has built a reputation for being a very reliable car."
"I would expect a reliable car to have at least a 6 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. At least the life of the loan."
"We've never had a complaint. We make excellent vehicles."


LMAO! Yeah right. This isn't 1993.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: DemoFly
I am in the market for a small car around $15,000.

Me and the girlfriend are doing the rounds and test driving all the vehicles in that segment. The Kia dealership, Ford dealership and Mazda dealership were all relatively low hassle.

Then we get to the Honda dealership. There was a lady saleswoman who took us out in a Honda Fit and she didn't understand the word "no". So I decided to have fun with it. She took my keys and vehicle registration because I tossed around the idea of trading in the truck. (I mainly just wanted to see how appallingly low the trade in value they would offer me would be)

I started being really blunt about why I didn't like the car and why I preferred other cars in the segment. She had a pre-programmed response to everything, but this is the only one I specifically remember:

"The Kia Rio offers more standard features, better MPG, better horsepower and a 6spd for cheaper, with a 100,000 mile warranty."
"Yeah, but, Kia needs that 100,000 mile warranty."
"If Honda doesn't need the warranty, and it wouldn't cost you anything, why wouldn't you offer one to compete?"
"Honda has built a reputation for being a very reliable car."
"I would expect a reliable car to have at least a 6 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. At least the life of the loan."
"We've never had a complaint. We make excellent vehicles."

She then repeatedly forgot to get me my keys, and kept bringing back quote after quote for this Honda Fit. Specifically a model in a color I told her I did not want, that was more expensive than ordering a brand new tailored Fit.

What I learned is that my credit is amazing. The saleswoman eventually brought the sales manager to me in person and he asked me the question I was waiting for.

"What can I do to get you in a car, today."
"You would have to offer me 0 down, 0.9% for 72 months, no payments for 3 months and the ability for me to return it no questions asked, no strings attached after that 3 months if it turns out it's not a smart decision for me (just started new job, might not be stable). You also have to either take another $1000 off the car or give me another $1000 for my Dakota trade-in."

I was surprised at the response.

"We can do 0 down 0.9% for 72 months and we can offer you 1 month no payments, no questions asked, no strings attached if you want to return it. We can also take the car back up to 3 months. If you would like, we can do a delayed trade-in on the Dakota at 3 months, so you could keep your vehicle."

I had no idea car dealerships could do this. I was just being a smart-alec saying "you would have to basically give me the car for free for me to drive off with it today."

Oh well, just my day.


So basically they gave you what you wanted. Are you gonna buy it now......

 

[DemoFly]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: DemoFly
I am in the market for a small car around $15,000.

Me and the girlfriend are doing the rounds and test driving all the vehicles in that segment. The Kia dealership, Ford dealership and Mazda dealership were all relatively low hassle.

Then we get to the Honda dealership. There was a lady saleswoman who took us out in a Honda Fit and she didn't understand the word "no". So I decided to have fun with it. She took my keys and vehicle registration because I tossed around the idea of trading in the truck. (I mainly just wanted to see how appallingly low the trade in value they would offer me would be)

I started being really blunt about why I didn't like the car and why I preferred other cars in the segment. She had a pre-programmed response to everything, but this is the only one I specifically remember:

"The Kia Rio offers more standard features, better MPG, better horsepower and a 6spd for cheaper, with a 100,000 mile warranty."
"Yeah, but, Kia needs that 100,000 mile warranty."
"If Honda doesn't need the warranty, and it wouldn't cost you anything, why wouldn't you offer one to compete?"
"Honda has built a reputation for being a very reliable car."
"I would expect a reliable car to have at least a 6 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. At least the life of the loan."
"We've never had a complaint. We make excellent vehicles."

She then repeatedly forgot to get me my keys, and kept bringing back quote after quote for this Honda Fit. Specifically a model in a color I told her I did not want, that was more expensive than ordering a brand new tailored Fit.

What I learned is that my credit is amazing. The saleswoman eventually brought the sales manager to me in person and he asked me the question I was waiting for.

"What can I do to get you in a car, today."
"You would have to offer me 0 down, 0.9% for 72 months, no payments for 3 months and the ability for me to return it no questions asked, no strings attached after that 3 months if it turns out it's not a smart decision for me (just started new job, might not be stable). You also have to either take another $1000 off the car or give me another $1000 for my Dakota trade-in."

I was surprised at the response.

"We can do 0 down 0.9% for 72 months and we can offer you 1 month no payments, no questions asked, no strings attached if you want to return it. We can also take the car back up to 3 months. If you would like, we can do a delayed trade-in on the Dakota at 3 months, so you could keep your vehicle."

I had no idea car dealerships could do this. I was just being a smart-alec saying "you would have to basically give me the car for free for me to drive off with it today."

Oh well, just my day.


So basically they gave you what you wanted. Are you gonna buy it now......

Really, really tempted. But I didn't like the Fit that much. I wish I could get this offer on a car I like, but Honda doesn't have one. I never asked them to give me quote after quote.

 

[dgsbikes]

The manager probably sensed that you were not going to buy and was probably playing with you! Especially on taking the car back. There's always a catch which comes surfaces later in the transaction process.

I would not be surprised if they back out under some pretext if you were to proceed!

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: DemoFly

"The Kia Rio offers more standard features, better MPG, better horsepower and a 6spd for cheaper, with a 100,000 mile warranty."
"Yeah, but, Kia needs that 100,000 mile warranty."
"If Honda doesn't need the warranty, and it wouldn't cost you anything, why wouldn't you offer one to compete?"
"Honda has built a reputation for being a very reliable car."
"I would expect a reliable car to have at least a 6 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. At least the life of the loan."
"We've never had a complaint. We make excellent vehicles."


LMAO! Yeah right. This isn't 1993.


So annoying. You should buy our vehicle even if the competitors' vehicle is nicer and a better value just because we claim it's more reliable. Sounds like how one would sell a cult lol.

 

[demarpaint]

I had a similar thing happen when we were shopping for our Jeep. My wife wanted to try a Toyota FJ Cruiser and while she was test driving it I asked the salesman what the vehicle would cost me out the door. When he told me he'd have to "determine fair market value, and typically they sell above sticker" I began to laugh. I sold cars and knew he was green, and figured I'd have some fun. When I got done systematically tearing his vehicle apart, I told him I wasn't feeling the love for the FJ Cruiser. When we went back to the dealership and his manager started the hard sell, he asked what it would take to make the sale. I told him he'd have to give it to me, and then I'd sell it because I didn't like it. He walked away.

 

[KrisZ]

Arrogant Honda dealerships around my area were the reason I bought my Mazda 3. Funny thing is that I never even considered a Mazda, I wanted a Honda just like a lot of other people I guess, hence dealership arrogance. The difference with me is that I was not willing to pay through the nose just to drive a Honda, so I went shopping for something else.

No regrets what so ever and Honda is pretty much the last on my list if I were to go car shopping now.

 

[gregk24]

Huh, Im kind of surprised...when I went car shopping it was opposite, the Honda dealer and Dodge dealer were very low haggle, the others were all in my business following me around on the lot, very annoying. Guess it just all depends on what dealer you are at.

 

[Tdbo]

LOL! They certainly pulled out all the stops on that one. Musta been a slow day.

Don't believe any of that garbage unless they put it in writing. Even then, before I would entertain any of it, I would have an attorney review it.

They had every step of the process so commingled that they could make your potential screwing pleasurable to you on the face at least 56 different ways to Sunday.

Best way to buy a car is via email in at least a 50 mile radius of your residence and then finish the deal over the phone. Mention no trade until the deal is sealed. Then, you get a somewhat clean appraisal of your trade.

 

[HerrStig]

Edmunds (the car publications firm) hired a professsional writer to get hired as a car salesman and then write about it for them. Just Google "confessions of a Car Salesman"

 

[Falken]

Careful, you may end up liking the Fit to boot.

I can't seem to find a reason, he'll or high water, to get rid of mine.

And if I wanted to sell it, to be fair about depreciation, I would have driven the car for three years for the peanuts I'd loose on the sale.

The Fit has won almost every award and every comparo for other cars in it's segment since the car was released in North America.

It is ugly as sin tho.

So there is that.

 

[JavierG]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Arrogant Honda dealerships around my area were the reason I bought my Mazda 3. Funny thing is that I never even considered a Mazda, I wanted a Honda just like a lot of other people I guess, hence dealership arrogance. The difference with me is that I was not willing to pay through the nose just to drive a Honda, so I went shopping for something else.

No regrets what so ever and Honda is pretty much the last on my list if I were to go car shopping now.

Oh please. Like only Honda dealerships do this. The most pressure I ever got was from a Ford dealership but I didn't hold that against the salesperson. And it certainly isn't the reason I didn't buy a Ford.

 

[dishdude]

Too bad you weren't into the Fit, sounds like you had a motivated dealer! End of the month, maybe they were 3 cars away from hitting quota and getting double commission! I love dealing with someone that wants to negotiate.

 

[andrewg]

Sounds to me like you were purposely wasting the time of the dealership and it's employees. I'm not trying to be rude toward you, but I think in essence, YOU were the dishonest one....especially when the dealership offered you your terms. While many of us despise dealerships in general, I've never had a bad experience at a Honda dealership. Since you are in my area, what dealership did you go to? Regardless, what was so unusual or poor about what the Honda dealership said to you? All dealerships have the goal in mind of selling you a vehicle. Just stepping onto the lot of any dealership sets the wheels in motion....it's normal and should be expected. And once you handed them the keys to your own vehicle, that kind of tells them that you ARE serious and willing to deal....doesn't it?

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Arrogant Honda dealerships around my area were the reason I bought my Mazda 3. Funny thing is that I never even considered a Mazda, I wanted a Honda just like a lot of other people I guess, hence dealership arrogance. The difference with me is that I was not willing to pay through the nose just to drive a Honda, so I went shopping for something else.

No regrets what so ever and Honda is pretty much the last on my list if I were to go car shopping now.

That's a shame that one dealership spoiled the whole idea of ever purchasing a Honda. You should send the manager an email and explain that to him/her.
Were I live I have a Honda dealership I've been buying cars from for 15 years or so. I know what to expect when I go there....but they are certainly NOT arrogant. Yes, they act proud of the product they sell (as should any salesperson), but they aren't like a Lexus, Mercedes, or BMW dealer might behave.

 

[757guy]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Sounds to me like you were purposely wasting the time of the dealership and it's employees. I'm not trying to be rude toward you, but I think in essence, YOU were the dishonest one....especially when the dealership offered you your terms. While many of us despise dealerships in general, I've never had a bad experience at a Honda dealership. Since you are in my area, what dealership did you go to? Regardless, what was so unusual or poor about what the Honda dealership said to you? All dealerships have the goal in mind of selling you a vehicle. Just stepping onto the lot of any dealership sets the wheels in motion....it's normal and should be expected. And once you handed them the keys to your own vehicle, that kind of tells them that you ARE serious and willing to deal....doesn't it?


Surely you jest...

Like dealerships have NEVER wasted my time by lowballing, estimating repairs 3 times what they should cost at an independent shop, trying to upsell products that I never need like an extended warranty, paint sealant, and rustproofing.

When a salesman starts playing those games with me, I don't get mad, I get even by wasting his precious time.

Bottom line: treat me with respect and not like some idiot that has more money than brains. There are plenty of outstanding dealerships out there - just move on until you find one you like.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: 757guy
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Sounds to me like you were purposely wasting the time of the dealership and it's employees. I'm not trying to be rude toward you, but I think in essence, YOU were the dishonest one....especially when the dealership offered you your terms. While many of us despise dealerships in general, I've never had a bad experience at a Honda dealership. Since you are in my area, what dealership did you go to? Regardless, what was so unusual or poor about what the Honda dealership said to you? All dealerships have the goal in mind of selling you a vehicle. Just stepping onto the lot of any dealership sets the wheels in motion....it's normal and should be expected. And once you handed them the keys to your own vehicle, that kind of tells them that you ARE serious and willing to deal....doesn't it?


Surely you jest...

Like dealerships have NEVER wasted my time by lowballing, estimating repairs 3 times what they should cost at an independent shop, trying to upsell products that I never need like an extended warranty, paint sealant, and rustproofing.

When a salesman starts playing those games with me, I don't get mad, I get even by wasting his precious time.

Bottom line: treat me with respect and not like some idiot that has more money than brains. There are plenty of outstanding dealerships out there - just move on until you find one you like.

No.....I'm not jesting. Just trying to make the point that he was purposely wasting the time of the folks at a dealership when they did NOTHING but try to sell him a car. He even got a fantastic offer with terms he thought were never going to be met....then they were. Why does this dealership warrant being treated dishonestly or with the disregard that you think it deserves?? If he wants to waste the time of a salesperson, I'm sure that plenty of used car lots are FAR worse when it comes to dishonesty. I just don't see where this Honda dealer did anything out of the ordinary. If the OP felt like it was a poor dealership...why give them the keys to your car and continue toying with them? I would have much better things to do with my free time.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: 757guy


When a salesman starts playing those games with me, I don't get mad, I get even by wasting his precious time.



Same here, and having been on the other team I learned from the very best how to treat and deal with salesmen. I give them the benefit of the doubt right up until they try and screw me over. Then its fun time. OTOH when I go shopping for a car I have a pretty good idea of what I want to buy. In the case of the Toyota it was something my wife wanted right up until she drove it.

 

[Bladecutter]

AndrewG,

I take it you either are currently, or have been in some form of sales at some point in your life, to react the way that you have?

Seems a bit extreme to blame someone for not buying a vehicle simply for walking onto a car dealership lot. He's in the market for a vehicle, but is trying to determine which car suits him the best out of everything in his vehicle segment.

He's allowed to go to as many car dealers as he feels the need to until he finds the right combination of both vehicle and dealer that makes him happy with the transaction process.

When I was shopping for my CX-5 earlier this year, I visited 3 different Mazda dealers, and had three entirely different experiences. Only one of them got my business, and I won't set foot on the other two dealers lots again for the rest of my life.

And the interesting part is that these three Mazda dealers are not the one that I bought my RX-8 back in 2011. They didn't have the car I wanted in their inventory, unlike the other three that I shopped at. One of the dealers (the closest to my house) actually had the exact vehicle in the color that I wanted on their lot, with a second on it's way, but it had a couple options I didn't want (roof rack, wheel locks, etc) already on it.

Their trade in value "appraisal" was such an insult, that was the end of the whole process with them. When a dealer has the gall to tell you your car has a $12k trade in value, and they were being generous offering me $13,200 for it. First trade in offers at the other two Mazda dealers was above $17,500, and we even went as far as having CarMax facility appraise my car, and they also came back with $17,500. I wound up getting $19k for the RX-8 at the end of the story.

So, unlike your opinion, it's not a waste for a consumer to walk into a dealer, and not walk out immediately with a car. If you can't agree with that, then that leads me to believe you're in sales, and then I can understand why you would be upset that a person doesn't just immediately give you all their money as soon as you request it, but that doesn't make you right.

BC.