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Are car salespeople actually getting better?

Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:30 am
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
41646 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:30 am
My entire life, I have despised everything about the car buying experience. You walk in, and some dude runs up on you and starts with the "so what car are you buying today" line. They then want to ask you 67,000 pieces of information, get copies of your DL if you want to do a test drive, and not want to have prices displayed on the vehicles. All the while, asking me "what do you want your monthly to be" 600 times. This was true even 2 years ago.

Well, recently, we started up the car shopping gig again. Did a lot of research and the wife (no pics) narrowed it down to three vehicles: GMC Acadia, Nissan Pathfinder, Dodge Grand Caravan. Went to probably 10 dealerships looking at cars, test driving etc.

Most of them, we were on the lot for a few min before the salesman came up. All of the salesmen were dressed basically in polos and looked relatively normal. Most asked very few questions, none asked about "monthly" or budget. All of the prices were displayed. All but one of them let us do test drives without giving them our DL.

Eventually we settled on one - she decided she wanted a 2019 Pathfinder with little mileage but not new. Kept checking websites and eventually found one she wanted in the right colors, trim, mileage, etc, and a price that seemed very good.

Went and drove it. Easy experience. Went to negotiate. I'll spare all the gory details but we got it for about $1,000 less than the "internet price" and about $2,000 less than what websites were indicating the value was.

The term "monthly" was never even used, period. When we get to the finance office, we give them our pre-qualification (which we had never mentioned before, nor had they asked). They are unable to beat those terms. They tell us about all the various packages, but there is absolutely no pressure. It's just, here it is, do you want it or not?

From the time we stepped onto the lot, until we were driving off, was less than 3 hours.

Edit: Since some of you seem butthurt that I mentioned the place I purchased from, I removed it from this OP.
This post was edited on 7/30/19 at 11:13 am
Posted by OleWarSkuleAlum
Huntsville, AL
Member since Dec 2013
10293 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:31 am to
Great advertisement m, but no one cares. Consumers are infinitely more educated now due to the internet so it’s much harder to use the old tricks.
Posted by Fusaichi Pegasus
Meh He Co
Member since Oct 2010
14716 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:32 am to
quit pandering "Felo"
Posted by BobLeeDagger
In Your Head
Member since May 2016
7519 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:32 am to
Dear Yelp
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
89374 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:33 am to
Some are. But the same way that there is still a generation of people keeping taxi cabs in business when Uber/Lyft are much better, there are still predatory dealerships full of sleazeballs.
Posted by castorinho
13623 posts
Member since Nov 2010
88337 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:33 am to
That's what competition does. People got tired of the bullshite, you don't change your ways you get left behind by those who do.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
68603 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:34 am to
quote:

Consumers are infinitely more educated now due to the internet so it’s much harder to use the old tricks.

Some are for the reason you stated but most are dumber than a bag of hammers bc they don't understand basic economics. All of the info is out there for someone to make an educated decision.
Posted by OleWarSkuleAlum
Huntsville, AL
Member since Dec 2013
10293 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:34 am to
quote:

quit pandering "Felo"


What’s Felo’s immigration status?

Posted by Cdawg
TigerFred's Living Room
Member since Sep 2003
62212 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:35 am to
So Felo is your son-in-law?
Posted by ShoeBang
Member since May 2012
22344 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:35 am to
Playing the long con eh? 10 years, 16000+ posts, all leading to this moment of advertising.

Gotta admire the commitment, really.
Posted by Y.A. Tittle
Member since Sep 2003
111638 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:35 am to
quote:

Consumers are infinitely more educated now due to the internet so it’s much harder to use the old tricks.




This. There nowhere to hide the ball anymore.
Posted by Mingo Was His NameO
Brooklyn
Member since Mar 2016
37536 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:36 am to
quote:

I'll spare all the gory details


You sure about that?
Posted by OleWarSkuleAlum
Huntsville, AL
Member since Dec 2013
10293 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:37 am to
Lastly, anyone trying to buy a Dodge Grand Caravan in today’s market is a complete moron. That van is complete shite. Get an Ody or Pacifica for God’s sake.
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
41646 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:38 am to
quote:

You sure about that?


I could have written all about the exact negotiation process, or about all my thoughts on the vehicle, or all the dealerships we visited, etc.
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
41646 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:39 am to
quote:

Lastly, anyone trying to buy a Dodge Grand Caravan in today’s market is a complete moron. That van is complete shite. Get an Ody or Pacifica for God’s sake.


Wife (no pics) drove one for a while, a while back. She didn't want a minivan but was willing to consider that one because she had experience with it. But, it was eliminated from contention.
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
41646 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:40 am to
quote:

Playing the long con eh? 10 years, 16000+ posts, all leading to this moment of advertising.

Gotta admire the commitment, really.


Bwahahaha. People ask for suggestions and reccomendations all the time. If I can help out a fellow TD poster, then great.
Posted by Displaced
Member since Dec 2011
33054 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:42 am to
No. They are working a job.

If I ask a salesman something about a car on the floor, the answer should never be "I don't know, I'll go check".

That is the answer you get 80% of the time.
Posted by The Spleen
Member since Dec 2010
38865 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:42 am to
Internet has changed the game. Most people go to the car lot having already researched the car(s) they want and get there knowing the dealer has that particular car on their lot. And they know what a fair price is, and know that if that dealership won't offer that, they can hop on the internet to find the same car at a dealership down the road to try and get them to meet that price.
Posted by Tiger Prawn
Member since Dec 2016
26324 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:44 am to
quote:

Are car salespeople actually getting better?

No. I just had to hang up 30 minutes ago on the Ford dealership I bring my truck in for service because its conveniently close by, but I ended up driving an hour and half away to buy the truck because the local dealership had their head up their arse on price and wasn't willing to negotiate. But they have nerve to call at 8:15 in the morning with a pitch about how the service department noted that my truck was still in such good condition when I brought it in a few weeks ago and her sales manager asked her to call me with some offers I might be interested in.
Posted by momentoftruth87
Your mom
Member since Oct 2013
86110 posts
Posted on 7/30/19 at 8:54 am to
quote:

If anyone is wondering, Ross Downing GMC in Hammond was the dealership, and "Felo" was the salesman. Would highly recommend.


Nope, wasn't wondering. Is Felo a citizen, or short for Felon?
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