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Sterling, McCall Honda in Kingwood. TX: you can test drive a car if you plan to buy it

Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:03 am
Posted by HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Member since Jul 2011
29721 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:03 am
Took my kiddo to go look at cars last night, and he was interested in a new Honda Civic. He wanted to test drive one and they had a silver one available. He wants a black one so told them we would order one, but they wouldn’t let us test drive the silver one because we would not buy that particular car.

We told them that we had already secured financing through our bank, is that where I made a mistake by telling him that?

I don’t buy cars very often, is this the new norm?


This post was edited on 11/18/22 at 8:05 am
Posted by SG_Geaux
Beautiful St George
Member since Aug 2004
78114 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:04 am to
Go somewhere else
Posted by upgrayedd
Lifting at Tobin's house
Member since Mar 2013
135056 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:04 am to
quote:

I don’t buy cars very often, is this the new norm?

I assume due to a severe lack of supply they don't want to rack up a lot of miles on the few vehicles they have before they sell them
Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
39120 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:05 am to
That’s dumb. My son wants a Toyota GR86, but I assume we’ll have to order one to get the color and transmission he wants. I’ll be pissed if they don’t let him drive one before I plop down the money to order one.
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
84393 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:05 am to
For a while they didn't have new ones on the lot to test drive Bold move buying your kid a brand new car btw.
Posted by DevilDagNS
Member since Dec 2017
2691 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:05 am to
Something doesn't make sense here.
Posted by SelaTiger
Member since Aug 2016
18251 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:05 am to
Well lie and say you’re interested in the silver. Test drive. Say you changed your mind.
Posted by Saint Alfonzo
Member since Jan 2019
22362 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:06 am to
No, that's not something I've ever seen. Go buy a car from another dealership.
Posted by frankthetank
Member since Oct 2007
2314 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:06 am to
Sounds like they don't want to earn your business.
Posted by idlewatcher
County Jail
Member since Jan 2012
79434 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:07 am to
quote:

We told them that we had already secured financing through our bank, is that where I made a mistake by telling him that?


More than likely bc your bank is making points on that loan and not them. Only recourse now for the sales guy is to upsell you guys on needless options.
Posted by LSUFootballFANATIC
Way Up North
Member since Feb 2008
1028 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:08 am to
Just bought my daughter a 2022 civic. Craziest car buying experience I've ever had. And, my dad sold cars for 30 years, so I've seen a lot of car buying. Little to no inventory on any lot anywhere within 6 states. Absolutely ZERO price negotiation. I assume because of supply and demand issues. They WILL mark up your car $2500-4500 for some BS protection package, and they will not come off of that for any reason. Even if you order it. Good luck.
Posted by jbgleason
Bailed out of BTR to God's Country
Member since Mar 2012
18945 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:10 am to
Car dealers are assholes. Went to buy a Raptor a few years back (so glad that didn't work out) and they wouldn't let me test drive the used one they had on the lot. They said "If you want one of these you don't need to drive it first." I walked out, went across the street and bought a loaded out Suburban instead. It was a great vehicle for work and I have had three more since.
Posted by DarthRebel
Tier Five is Alive
Member since Feb 2013
21341 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:18 am to
Not the pre-covid norm, but we are in a different world.

They just do not have a glut of cars on the lot. Why risk something happening to the ones they have.

Everyone will say just go to another dealer, but you really cannot, they all are in a similar situation.

You just have to find one of those rare dealers that are nice and cool, they still exist.

Posted by sidewalkside
rent free in yo head
Member since Sep 2021
1755 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:22 am to
Dealerships know they have the more leverage over consumers than virtually any other time in car sales history. Car dealerships made every effort to lie, cheat and steal when they didn't have leverage. Now that they have control they will only act worse. They are going to put themselves out of business like Taxi companies to in relation to Uber.
Posted by Magnus
San Diego
Member since Sep 2019
1316 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:39 am to
dealers want u to finance with them. They want u to put little to no money down and some insane interest rate at 72 mo
Posted by SwampGar
Texas
Member since Jan 2020
908 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 8:40 am to
Definitely not. Weird AF.
Posted by bigberg2000
houston, from chalmette
Member since Sep 2005
70093 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 1:08 pm to
Thats pretty crazy to me. Would you have ordered it in black that day if he liked the way the silver one drove?


Also
Posted by SPEEDY
2005 Tiger Smack Poster of the Year
Member since Dec 2003
83466 posts
Posted on 11/18/22 at 1:16 pm to
quote:

but they wouldn’t let us test drive the silver one because we would not buy that particular car.


I would have told him frick off and I’ll buy from another dealer.

Dealerships are a dying business model anyway
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