Went to one of the local dealerships here in Socal. My brother wants a new TV for his trailer. Looks like he is edging toward a 1500HD or a 2500. He doesn't want the dieselhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cry.gif, but does want the capacity, and the Quadrasteer. Well we went, and within seconds, we were bombarded by a salesperson. I told this person politely that we needed a few minutes just to look. Well he wrote his name on his card and proceeded to stay back far enough away to give what he felt "room", but not far enough for my taste. We walked around for a few, and stopped at one, and he gently stated that he could get the keys. I said no thank you and walked away. Walked next door to the chevy dealer (GMC & Chevy right next to each other) and we were bombarded again, told 2 different salespeople thanks but no thanks. 3rd (gotta give credit for fast thinking) says she can't leave us alone Dealership policy, but she will hang back so we can look unencumbered. She was slightly better that the last, but not by much. When we went around back, she just kind of disappeared, fine by me. Well, another sales person shows up, and this time I lose it and tell him to get the h away from me. We had words, but he left. We looked for about 10 minutes, and they really didn't have what we were looking for. On our way out, the manager came to us and asked why we had been so rude to the other salesman. Well I told him. He says " I don't think we have an agressive sales force and I don't think your actions were justified, and by the way, what will it take for you to drive of in a new truck today" I said 2 words and walked away. Why do some dealerships make the buying process so horrible? I called a different dealership (the one I got mine from) they were very happy to look and see what was out there, and work with us to find what we want. I know where I WON'T buy my next truck POWER in Manhattan Beach


Bill

Got lucky the day I bought mine. They only had two salesmen their and the guy that does Internet sales. The floor salesmen where busy so I got to go around with the Internet guy. Not pushy at all, he doesn't work off of commission like the others.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif They had one on the lot that was short only one option that I wanted (mirrors) so we cut a deal.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

Man that is how the business works. They think if they are pushy that you will give in and buy just to get them to leave you alone when in reality it is the other way around. Ask one next time you see someone you know that sells cars when they are not at work and they will tell you to go out greet them and then give them a card and go away, they will come to you. But on the clock at the stealership, they are all guns and running out the dorr. Last place I looked they had to have a hat to draw names on who got to help the next person who came through the door they had some many sales people there. Ridiculous.....

Just tell them you're working with the internet sales office. They just want to make a sale and if you're already spoken for they should leave you alone.


But you are right, these dealerships are loaded up on salespeople. A few weeks back I was going to the parts department and there was only one lonely parking spot and 3 sales people were standing there waiting for someone to pull in. What a life that must be.

When I went looking and saw a truck. Waited for the salesman and asked a few questions and then gave him MY business card and told him to call me with his bottom dollar. He called with in 15 min. It was a easy buy to me. .02

I just tell them I'm ready to buy when I find the vehicle I'm looking for, below invoice with every incentive possible applied. I let them walk up to me when looking at the sticker. I blurt out a number that's like $15,000 less and say.... that's the kind of deal I'm looking for.

Let them feel the pressure.

Like Saturday sales calls.... I ask for their full name... where they live, how's the weather, can you give me your home phone number.... so I can get back with you, maybe after I get off work..... say 2am?

Bottom line... if they don't get an early message to give you space... than ask for something they can't deliver. Turns the pressure the other way.

If that doesn't work, ask them something technicalhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif Edited by: hoot

Just tell them you are a GM employee, they'll leave you alone then. I tell them right off the bat, and that I will just write a check for the truck so I don't need financing (which is sometimes true, sometimes not but I do always get financing through my credit union and it's never been beaten by any other institution), they pretty much have nothing else to offer and will leave you alone.


Dennis

I've baught a couple cars in the past and have come to hate salesman. Walking onto the lot I felt like the only gold fish in a pool of pirahna. I think I've got it down to a science now though. Try this, don't shave for a couple days, wear your worst looking jeans and T-shirt (gotta have at least one visible hole), and ride in on a BICYCLE. It can't be any kind of bike. It's gotta be a crappy looking cruiser or a beat up 10 speed. Trust me they'll leave you alone. I rode up to one saleswoman and asked her how much the Corvette out front was. She told me she would go check and never came back. I was on the lot amost an hour and never got bothered except for one time when another salesman told me to try and keep my handlebars away from the car. Should'a seen the look on her face when I came back the next day to test drive and take it home.


BTW commision went to someone else......http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif


Rich.

I went through the same thing here in Florida Bill, believe me when I tell you, when it comes to bottom feeding aggressive car salesmen this state is full of them, my wife and I refer to them as Vultures, because of the way they seem to hover around the entrance to the dealership looking for something weak or dieing so they can feed on it, tell your friend to do what I did and that is call the Fleet or Commercial sales department at the bigger dealerships, no high pressure sales tactics or none of that crap like, this deal is only good today. Edited by: BuckeyeQuicky

There's an easy way to make salesmen leave you alone. Just take any available vehicle on hand for a test/death drive. I tend to do this when visiting people out of state and I'm bored.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Evil Smile.gif

I, too, got lucky with my salesman/dealer at Classic Chevrolet. The guy's name was Tommy Edrisi. The guy was super nice and totally hands-off. He pretty much left me alone with the truck after test-driving it. When I said I would be back the next day because I wanted to think it over, he said ok, no problem. No pressure at all and really helped with the financing since my credit was jacked. That dealership rocks.

I have been dealing solely at Banner Chevrolet, now called Serpentini Chevrolet of Orrville Ohio. This is the 3rd (third truck) and 1 car I have bought from them. Plus I had my folks get a car from them. They are a down home, country dealership that deserves as many people to go buy from them as possible. Am I any way connected to them NO. am I a satisfied customer YES. would I buy from them again YES. go talk to Ray H.


dave

My major peeve is the lot salesmen that we want to avoid by going online, are now coming online http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Angry.gif


I email'em in response to take their tactics back into the lot and leave the INET alone and emphasize that they are indeed the pox on the nose of free enterprise.

unfortunately the sales model is what the majority of the public will stand for. if everyone would push back and not deal with "commissioned sales people" then the model would change. unfortunately we have to deal with commissioned sales people. now a little defense of them they are being pushed on by management to make sales or are pushed out the door, they are also being pushed on by wife/husband to make sales so they can eat or get pushed out the door (you know what I mean) so it is way to easy to be too pushy/eager when a potential customer shows up. myself I want to go find someone when i am ready. i hate feeling like the proverbial t*rd that is in that saying about when salesmen are on you like flies on sh*t. and the t*rd hasn't even hit the ground and they are buzzing in from all directions. My wife gets so embarrassed about me talking out loud about how the salesmen are on us like flies on sh*t.


I deal direct with the sales manager. and as I said above and recommended, when you find a dealership that works with you, tries to make some money but at the same time is trying to get you the best deal, then you have to help promote them and keep them in business.


around here we have " Mr Big Volume " etc etc etc. I avoid those places like I avoid someone with the plague. I really avoid the places that have an ad on the radio and the "fine print" is whispered and spoken at about 1000 mph.

That's why I like the dealership in town here, the salesman I talk to is a cousin, and the sales manager is a buddy. So they come out and just talk about other crap while we look at trucks, then go get us keys for whichever trucks we like, and then they go bother someone else while we try trucks. Me and dad drove at least 30 other 3/4 trucks before we bought the ones we did. All at this same dealership. Although to be fair, when I found my truck I saw it friday night and I was in test driving it saturday morning. I just went to my sales manager buddy and asked him what deal he would give me on that truck as soon as I got there, then went and drove it while he played with numbers. Easy to deal with anyway..

Yah whenever I buy any Chevy's I go to my buddy who is the fleet man. Always a good deal and he isn't like those regular salesmen, who say "let me go and talk to my manager". A whole lot easier and comfortable.

UPDATE:


Went to the same dealer I got my truck from, spoke with the same salesman, and walked out with an 05 Summit White 2500 HD w/6 liter engine. SLT CC SB 4X4 for 33k. My brother is a happy camper!


Bill

December of 2002 my wife decided she wanted a new Chevy Monte Carlo SS in red and loaded with everything. She happened to see it two blocks from where I work and since we do work for them I thought I would get a pretty good deal. I did not like the dealership and wanted to get one from my normal sales guy at a different dealership but thought ok, we'll give it a try. I stopped to look at it and talk to the saleman; ok so far but I need wife to stop tomorrow morning to test drive and look at our trade--ok with him. She gets there at 10 a.m. and drives the car and they want to look at our Pontiac (1998 GrandPrix GTP with low, low miles). She calls me a 1 p.m. and says she is still there and I want to know why? She says they are looking at the GTP and have not brought it back yet. How long? 2 hours! I flipped out--she needed to be a work by 2 and was still at the flipping dealership!? They were insisting that she take the new car home and we would work out the financial details later--yea right. I went over there, gave her my truck to get home and to work and demanded the GTP keys and owners card back. No dice; it's out being looked at by their appraiser. I don't care, it's been here for over 3 1/2 hours! Got to a manager. Want it back in 5 minutes or else. No dice, still not here! All of them in the dealership--salesmen, managers, other customers that you have 1 minute to get that car here or I'll call 911 and declare it stolen. Still no car. Dialed 911 on my cell phone--manager just laughed at me. Called 911 and explained to dispatcher what was going on and in 2 minutes there were four police cars in their sales lot with the lights on!!!! :) One of the officers was a friend of a good customer and sort of new me by face. Explained to him what was going on etc., etc. He spoke with the manager and my car was still not back. (They let the appraiser take it to a used car dealer to look at before I even traded it). Now there are 6 police cars in the lot. This was a first for the cops that a customer declared their car stolen while at the dealership. He started writing up the police report. Somehow in the span of 30 minutes the owner of the dealership actually showed up to speak with me. Cop still writing police report. My car finally comes back. Cop explaining the report, etc., etc. Owner begging with me to not sign the report. Cops are laughing and there are about 10 of them there now! :) I'm still livid! Owner asking what it will take to stop police report from being signed. Let's see, 2 grand extra on my trade above NADA value; and that brand new 2003 Monte Carlo with a sticker of $31,000 for $20,000!! :) (I'd be out $9,000 for a new car! yea!) Laughs at me. Sign report for cop and walk out of dealership and walk back to work. 3 p.m and missed two hours of work. Won't take their calls and my boss refuses to let them past the front desk of our company. Worked to 6 p.m.--salesman and owner are sitting in parking lot waiting for me to come out. Leave via a back door and get picked up by a friend for a ride home. Cop calls me at home and says that you have really got them by the seat of the pants and they have called him constantly to have him call me to drop the charges. NO DICE! He has been a cop for 20 years and never saw anything like it from a car dealership--he likes it says my next beer is on him for this one. Tried getting a similar car from my regular dealership but they don't have a red one and wife wants a red one. Avoid owner for two days and tell him my offer stands (still have not picked up the GTP). Says he can't do it. Fine. Police pull my GTP from the dealership and put in their impound yard. Cop calls me and says you got to do something, owner is calling him that he lost at least 5 sales blah blah b

Sprintmod1,



That's quite a LITTLE story. Doesn't make sense though why they
kept your trade for so long. You sure they didn't intend on using
it to do a criminal act. Been done before - "Doper" pays someone
at the dealer to use a customers car for big "deal". That
way if they get caught they don't lose their vehicle in forfieture
proceedings.

Everytime I talked trade w/a dealer, it was similar. They would point out the appraiser, they would walk over, give the keys, exchange words and then evaporate. Everytime. The saleman would lean against a pole, gaze at the clouds, whistle a tune (not kidding here). After an hr, I am my family are tired of it and demand it back and leave. They always gave it back on demand tho. EVERY SINGLE TIME ! ! I'm convinced its some sort of psychological ploy/tactic but I never ever step foot on the lot after one of those episodes. Its telling the customer they think we're dumb cows.


This and other tactics is why I'll test drive off their lot and yes they best buckle up because I test drive it my way as I know there will not be a conclusive deal/relationship. Then go to the internet ~ too frequently they take their saleslot tactics online and I cut them off real quick. They alienate customers from coming onto the lot and can't understand why. Make one wonder which are the dumb beasts.

Sprintmod1,


Great story. . . I noticed you didn't mention the dealership name. . .


Dennis

Dennis,


I still fume at that treatment I try to block it out!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif


Outten Chevrolet in Allentown, Pa.


p.s.--I have a friend whose father is a State Farm Claims Rep. and you should hear the stories about their body shop! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif

I thought you were omitting it on purpose. . .


There was a story here a few months ago about a guy that had a Mustang that was worked on that had some pretty serious problems with a speed shop. . . that was a doozy, you should check it out. . . it might make you feel better.


Dennis

Carsdirect.com. No salesmen, upfront price, same price at purchase (under invoice as confirmed on Edmunds.com). Don't know why folks will even walk on a car lot. The only thing those salesmen are thinking is "how can I get all this guy's money?".


BTW, here in SoCal there are several dealerships that are owned by Power. May be the same company. Seems as though even car dealerships are consolidating like everything else. But the tatics never seem to change . . Edited by: flivver

I'm not sure, we have some good dealers in the area. I have been buying my GM's from Bergey's Chevy/GMC in the Colmar (North Philly) area for a few years now. Between my buddies and me and a few customers we do business with, we have probably bought 25-30 new trucks in the last 30 months. They are a good dealership and we have been using 2 salesman and we usually end up at about 500-750 over invoice with hardly any negotiating. When he says "that's the money to feed my kids your digging at now" I know I have gotten all we are going to get.

sprintmod1,

Way to stick to your guns... BIG TIME!

I bought parts from Bergeys... Bill Bergey.. former Philadephia Eagle!

Fly EAGLES! Edited by: hoot

Any of you in the SouthEast who are in a purchasing mood need to check out Bruce Glueck Chevrolet and Marine in Jasper, FL. Prices are at invoice, no sales people to bug you, no pressure what-so-ever. You will most likely have order what you want but at least you will get exactly what you want. No more, no less. Bruce will, in some cases, talk you out of some otions that may have a negative value when you go to sell or trade the vehicle but will add them on to the order if you insist. Check out his web site.