Edmunds.com Buying Tips - Confessions of a Car Salesman

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 2:42 pm

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:51 pm

It took me awhile to read and absorb all of that. I knew allot of the facts presented in the article but, it should be required reading for everyone! My stepfather was a "lot lizard" and it just amplifies my emotions about the gentleman. Hopefully most buyers would not fall for such antics provided by the "majority" of "used" and "new" car salesman.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:15 pm

Great article for the car buying initiate.
I applied to a couple of dealerships a few years ago for sales jobs. one was like the first in the article not as pushy but still hard to get a good deal. The second had a no haggle price that paid it's salesmen on a sliding commission depending on how many cars you sold in a month.Neither paid more than minimum wage if you didn't sell anything and that only lasted for the first couple of months (sort of an advance on future earnings). When I bought my crew I knew the tricks, was prepared for the push toward financing and know how much my trade was realistically going to fetch. I walked out with no payment and a fair deal.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:23 pm

Oh! one thing they didn't mention was that most dealers will hire on new salesmen when it has become apparent that too many of the current salesmen will be hitting the performance bonus levels, IE: if commissions double after 15 cars in a month the dealer will hire just enough salesmen so that only one one or two can make the bonus. The one dealership I was interviewing had a board behind the desk showing the sales for the month 3 salesmen were about to hit the bonus point when I applied for an open position.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:30 pm

One thing I had not thought about was the "bugged" Office. It is way too easy to leave the phone on speaker when they leave the room to talk to "their boss".
I am careful to guard my conversation, but that one can be easily used against them. I will have to remember that one.
I am pretty good with numbers and generally go well armed.
It really is kind of fun playing the game.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:51 pm

The bugged office routine is, at least, 30 years old. It was exposed somewhere, sometime in the media. The salesman goes to talk with the sales manager leaving the young couple in his office and then monitors their discussion.

They are truly low life LOT LIZARDS!!!!!!!!

BADs Crew · Post by **BADs Crew** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 6:36 pm

"The car lot handshake is sometimes combined with the confident demand, "Follow me!" If you employ this method you turn and begin walking into the dealership. Do not look back to see if they are following you. Most people feel the obligation to do what they are told and they will follow you, if only to plead, "But I'm only looking!"

................................................................................................................

I read this before I went shopping for my crew. I told my better half about this tactic before we even hit our first lot. The salesman was younger, maybe 25. The truck we where looking at wasn't what I was looking for and I told him so. He said “Let’s go inside and I can check our inventory". I had seen the whole lot and unless they had an inventory in the basement of the dealership following him when he turned and walked away wasn't necessary. We turn back towards our Blazer, got in and drove away. As we where pulling out of the lot we saw two older salesmen laughing at him as he took the long walk back to the showroom without us.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 6:53 pm

I've gotten plenty of practice shooting the lizards down when I have had to drop off a vehicle for service and am waiting on my ride. My twisted side seems to surface in such scenarios

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:02 pm

I love going in to the dealership where I have the Crew serviced. One of the places I applied to work actually. I love it when they come out to help me and I know more about the vehicles they have on the lot than they do.

kermit · Post by **kermit** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:57 pm

04crewvt wrote:I love it when they come out to help me and I know more about the vehicles they have on the lot than they do.

I went with my mom to help her find a new car last August. While she was looking at cars, I was talking trucks with salesmen... and they didn't know anything about their trucks.

One salesman at Nissan dealsership wouldn't leave us alone even after we told him she told him she was going to get a Pontiac G6. He kept saying "If that's what you really want, I can probably get you one from one of our other dealerships." We ended up going to a GM dealership other than the one that she test-drove the G6 at to buy it, and paid invoice for it. It's just like the article says... they have to be in control, they hate it when you make them wait on you.

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:17 am

kermit wrote: they have to be in control, they hate it when you make them wait on you.

Even more than waiting for you, they hate looking fo you. My favorite counter tactic is to wander off every time they leave me alone while they go talk to the manager.

WVHogRider · Post by **WVHogRider** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 4:03 am

Well, mine is always pretty simple. Research the vehicle and then go see my best friend at the dealership. My buddy was just a salesman, but is now the finance manager at a GM dealership. Plus now that I work for PPG, I can get the automakers employee cost for the vehicle, since we make the glass, paint, fiberglass, etc. for GM, Ford, Mitsubishi, etc, etc.

However, in buying the CC, I looked at the Nissan crew first. Then went and checked out the last S-10 CC my buddy had on the lot. I actually wanted the Avelanche, but was also trying to buy a house at the time, so S-10 crew it was. Took the then pregnant wife

but now ex-wife

to hangle prices with my buddy, (salesman then), and his finance manager. All I had to say to my buddy & his manager was "I'll go buy the Nissan right now if she doesn't like your deal". She told the finance manager how the deal was going to go---ended up even getting the rust proofing/undercoat, 100K/6yr warranty, and first 3 oil/lubes all for free. The manager even said when we picked the truck up that he wasn't about to PO a pregnant lady that already had an attitude.