Why American car companies suck - Page 6

Wagner · #1 03-15-2009, 06:26 PM

TATE BMW told me, and I quote:

"You can't afford the BMW X5, how about we look at the X3 instead?"

Then I drove away in my new M3. Dealers can simply suck.

B-Line · #2 03-15-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wagner

TATE BMW told me, and I quote:

"You can't afford the BMW X5, how about we look at the X3 instead?"

Then I drove away in my new M3. Dealers can simply suck.

Wag, you make an interesting point but allow me to clarify. We called the salesperson and told her we were coming in for a test drive, she said, "price first." So we called back and asked to speak to the manager. The manager, the guy who runs the store, the head honcho on Saturday, said, "No" not until we have a deal in place.

It's one thing for a salesman to act like an asshole, it's another thing when a manager does the same thing. It's three times as bad when you call a second dealership and they repeat.

And since I have never had any such problem in any dealer I have been to in years, I have to put my astonishment on the brand, not the individual dealer, manager or salesman. It happened repeatedly on the same day.

If you go into one BMW dealership and they call you a cheap Jew, you blame it on a single salesman. You go into two BMW dealers and two people call you a cheap Jew, then there is something off about their hiring and staffing practices..

This issue is much bigger than one jerk at one dealership.. Our economy is in shambles, car manufacturers are crumbling and asshat tells me I can't test drive a car until he tries to pork us for some extra interest points!!!????!!!

E61Silver · #3 03-15-2009, 06:27 PM

B Line did you read my post some dealers are just jerks, however it does not hurt to walk the walk and show a little bling to get what you want.

Its not about the brand its about the dealer.

B-Line · #4 03-15-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x54.4blue

B Line did you read my post some dealers are just jerks, however it does not hurt to walk the walk and show a little bling to get what you want.

Its not about the brand its about the dealer.

If what you're suggesting is that I should go home, get my bling, and return to the dealer to justify a test drive allowance, I will not now nor will I ever.

Nothing is more offensive than when a salesman asks:
How do you plan to pay for the car?
How much do you owe on your current car?
What can you afford as a monthly payment?

Those are fishing questions. And the salesman is fishing to see how far he can milk you. And I'm not going to wear a shiny piece of jewelry to tell the salesman, "Hey, I'm milkable"...

If you walk into a BMW dealership wearing a ripped t-shirt and jeans, they assume you are there to buy a car.
Clearly if you call into a Cadillac dealer and try to arrange a test drive, you are just some poor slob off the street that can't really afford the car anyway.

It's a prejudiced way to do business and it pains me that it's the American car companies that do it. I've walked into Porsche wearing sandals and shorts and they throw me the keys to anything...

I don't need to showcase my wealth to "earn" a test drive from some Cadi dealer... I'd rather drive a Schwinn.

B-Line · #5 03-15-2009, 07:00 PM

Other than the friendships one of the reason why many people visit this forum is for information. Clearly we live in a buy/sell economy where a vehicle purchase can easily be labeled, US vs. THEM.

Why? Because it's the people without information that are often put into deals, finances, leases, etc. that are not only bad financial decisions, if they had the right information they would see, they are being ripped off by professionals.

I spend a great deal of time and energy trying to educate people on forums about how to and how NOT TO buy cars. I have written volumes on it. And one of the principals of those posts directly focuses on things like:
A) DO YOUR RESEARCH
B) DON'T DO DEALS IN PERSON
C) ALWAYS CHECK and CROSS CHECK numbers to make sure that finance managers and such aren't "taxing" you with extra points to line their own pockets.
-- This is the mantra by which all car buyers should live to. This is how you prevent spending an extra $3k - $5k for a car because you didn't do your homework..

So suggesting to people that any form of dealer attempt to pre-negotiate before a test drive, or negotiate in person without research is as irresponsible as telling someone to go buy a timeshare.

It is this exact type of negligence that has lead to people buying homes they could not afford, credit debt they could not maintain and an overall blase attitude regarding high cost purchases at the bequest of a cheap salesman with a smile and a MILLION DOLLAR HOME or a CTSV.

So while you may think I need to grow up, I would argue that defending these types of business practices from a company that is begging for tax payer dollars during the worst economic crisis since the great depression is nothing less than playacting to an already abysmal system that treats it's customers like shit and forces consumerism to foreign brands..

I suggested that anyone who condones that behavior is an asshat. But personalize it if you want.

JCL · #6 03-15-2009, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Line

I suggested that anyone who condones that behavior is an asshat. But personalize it if you want.

But you are the one personalizing it, you are the one who was denied a test drive and got upset. Read back over your first post.

Nobody here has suggested that your dealer is one they want to do business with. Some of us appear to think you may be misdirecting your wrath. Several of us have pointed out that you are mad at the dealer, but you continue to drag Cadillac through the mud. Your dealer didn't ask for a bailout, GM did. They are separate entities. I don't condone your dealer's behaviours, and I would never deal with them.

Wagner got turned down for a test drive at a BMW dealer. I got turned down for a test drive at a Porsche dealer (I drove up in an X5, wearing a dark suit, I was planning to pay cash, and I asked for a test drive after two previous visits and discussions with the same sales rep. They said they had to drive it, I could be a passenger, on a predetermined course. I didn't buy a Porsche.) It isn't the manufacturer, it is the dealer.

Did you even ask the dealers why they have this policy? Might have been interesting to find out.

Juanted · #7 03-15-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Your dealer didn't ask for a bailout, GM did. They are separate entities. I don't condone your dealer's behaviours, and I would never deal with them.

Exactly! B, again... I understand your frustration, but this has nothing to do with GM or Cadillac. It's about a lousy dealer.

FSETH · #8 03-15-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaefer

Exactly! B, again... I understand your frustration, but this has nothing to do with GM or Cadillac. It's about a lousy dealer.

It sounds like it happened twice to him by two different dealers. It may be bigger than one dealer and more of a Caddy/GM thing.

Wagner, I would have never given that dealership a penny if they said something like that to me. I don't care if I had to drive an hour or two out of my way to the next nearest one.