The story of the 'hobo' going into the dealership to buy....
Discussion
As a slight alternative , my old man went into Reg Vardy's at their head office dealership years ago , he enquired about a car that they had in stock , he tried haggling with the salesman who not only told him there was no discount that in fact they wanted above list because they were in short supply.
He walked out , despite buying plenty of premium brand cars since he's never set foot in there despite the fact that Vardy sold out years ago.
He still moans about it to this day.
He walked out , despite buying plenty of premium brand cars since he's never set foot in there despite the fact that Vardy sold out years ago.
He still moans about it to this day.
9mm said:
Jasandjules said:
samvia said:
It's funny that it's always a "mate" involved in these stories, and is never the actual person teling the story.
Well, I've told my experience on here before, but here it is again, in brief.When I was younger I fancied a little MR2 T-Bar. I went to the dealer in jeans/t-shirt. This was not because I wanted to show him how important I was, but because that is what I wore when not at work. I also used my 1.1 Fiesta to get there because, well that was my car..
I was looking at the car when the chap came over and said "you can't afford it mate". This was before I'd asked about her.
So I went to my fiesta, got the envelope of cash (I think about 1k more than the cost of the car as I was going shopping later), and showed it to the car dealer. Then said words to the effect of "that's as close to my money as you will ever get". And drove off.
I bought a T-Bar elsewhere.
"You can't afford it" is one of the oldest sales tricks in the book, along with "do you need to check with the wife?" and "are you sure you'll be ok with all that power?".
The male of the species is a simple thing to mug.
Years ago in a Porsche dealership, a white guy with dreadlocks, ripped jeans, wooly jumper and purple DM's walked in and bought a brand new 911 on the spot. Turns out he owned an industrial lighting/special effects company that supplied stuff for major films. Multi millionaire.
A story I was told by a salesman, was that a swarthy looking bloke in a track suit turned up with a couple of other similarly dressed guys. Spoke little English. A few of the salesman ignored them, but one, an arsenal fan, recognised him as Jose Antonio Reyes, who had just moved to the Premier League. He got the sale.
A story I was told by a salesman, was that a swarthy looking bloke in a track suit turned up with a couple of other similarly dressed guys. Spoke little English. A few of the salesman ignored them, but one, an arsenal fan, recognised him as Jose Antonio Reyes, who had just moved to the Premier League. He got the sale.
Wasn't there a story of a young lad (probably only 14-15) inherting a ridiculous sum from one of his dear departed family members back in the 80's and being refused the opportunity to buy an F40 in a Beverley Hills dealer because he turned up in jeans and a t-shirt (and obviously so young too).
Was going to be kicked out of the dealership until another salesmen realised who he was and subsequently sold him the car?
Was going to be kicked out of the dealership until another salesmen realised who he was and subsequently sold him the car?
A friend of my dad was a car salesman in the 1970s. He sold British Leyland when Mini 850s and Allegro 1.1s were sold alongside Triumph Stags and Jag XJ5.3Cs. He had a few stories about scruffy buggers (workwear though, not full on tramps)coming in with bags full on cash looking for expensive cars. Jags in particular were very popular with builders, scrappies etc. He never was rude but learned an important lesson when he sent the sales junior to deal with one scruff (probably because he was busy trying to punt a Terry and June lookalike couple an Austin Princess. Sales junior came back with a cash sale and at a premium price of their XJ demonstrator as matey boy needed a car by the weekend for a continental holiday.
Edited by Tannedbaldhead on Monday 13th October 19:43
h0b0 said:
My own example, from the other side of the fence, was when working for a Bang and Olufsen shop in Cheshire. I used to install the TVs but on busy Saturdays I would help in the shop. It would be very common for footballers to come in looking like scruffy 20 year olds. I had no knowledge about football and so had no idea who they were. This meant that everyone through the door got treated the same, professionally. Having spent an hour working with one person he said he was going to buy the system. The shop manager would write up the bigger orders and said "I know your name and it is a pleasure meeting with you. But, Mr Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. How do you spell it?"
I trust that Ole was nothing but a gent. Absolute hero if you're a United fan such as myself.Pints said:
J4CKO said:
A good salesman can, very quickly ascertain whether someone is a potential sale, so many things make it up, the type of car in question, what they arrive in, how they speak and maybe, a small percentage is what you wear.
Not disagreeing with you but I think good salesmen are seemingly in short supply in car dealerships. 
If a prospect is aged 30 to 70, owning a shiny car, shiny suit / dress, shiny watch / shiny handbag, shiny shoes, and a strong voice, he / she will almost always be treated differently to a 25yo in a tracky and Nikes. C'est la vie. Humans judge by sight and sound.
When I picked up my r8 from Blackburn audi, a big fat hairy smelly f3cker walked in covered in dirt and oil. He was staring and caressing the r8 gt they had just got in. I looked at the salesman in astonishment as he got in it!! The salesman could see I was stunned and told me what the deal was. He owned an oil recycling firm up the road and had purchased an r8 spyder just to get on the gt list and was keeping both, the gt was his. I looked on in amazement as he walked outside and got in to said spyder.
I'd have asked him to leave if it were my place and I didn't know him.
Just goes to show, book and cover and all that.
I'd have asked him to leave if it were my place and I didn't know him.
Just goes to show, book and cover and all that.
F1GTRUeno said:
h0b0 said:
My own example, from the other side of the fence, was when working for a Bang and Olufsen shop in Cheshire. I used to install the TVs but on busy Saturdays I would help in the shop. It would be very common for footballers to come in looking like scruffy 20 year olds. I had no knowledge about football and so had no idea who they were. This meant that everyone through the door got treated the same, professionally. Having spent an hour working with one person he said he was going to buy the system. The shop manager would write up the bigger orders and said "I know your name and it is a pleasure meeting with you. But, Mr Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. How do you spell it?"
I trust that Ole was nothing but a gent. Absolute hero if you're a United fan such as myself.Swanny87 said:
I went into an Audi showroom a few months ago to have a look at the new S3. There was no way could I afford to buy one but I'm a petrolhead and we do things like this that normal people don't understand. Anyway, I was dressed pretty reasonably, t-shirt, jeans and converse and I always keep my self well groomed. Not one person said anything to me... It was like I was invisible. I got more attention when I visited Porsche & Bentley (In one day 
) dealerships wearing pretty much the same outfit. I mean its f
king Audi for Christs sake, what if I wanted to buy a poverty spec A1 (not that I would ever waste my money on a tarted up Skoda Fabia)????
can't say I've ever been sad enough to walk into a dealership with the intention of not buying a car and going just because it's "what we do". Lol) dealerships wearing pretty much the same outfit. I mean its fking Audi for Christs sake, what if I wanted to buy a poverty spec A1 (not that I would ever waste my money on a tarted up Skoda Fabia)????Edited by Swanny87 on Monday 13th October 13:52
A few years ago my brother in law told me the story of someone he was doing some work for. Apparently said chap was a plumber who made it big, sold up for a very tidy sum and retired at a young age. He went to a ferrari dealership in Manchester to buy a 599 (bil says it was a gto but I'm not sure, along with the whole story) but is refused to be taken seriously because of how he is dressed.
So he goes to one in London and buys the car but has it delivered to the dealer in Manchester. Upon delivery he is quizzed by the manager as to why he didn't buy the car from them. Plumber chap turns round shouts 'because that man there wouldn't sell me a car' pointing at the chap who had previously refused him.
Could all be BS but my brother in law is a honest guy.
So he goes to one in London and buys the car but has it delivered to the dealer in Manchester. Upon delivery he is quizzed by the manager as to why he didn't buy the car from them. Plumber chap turns round shouts 'because that man there wouldn't sell me a car' pointing at the chap who had previously refused him.
Could all be BS but my brother in law is a honest guy.
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