Calling into a Dealership just to pass the time....

[craigb84]

The dealers complain about time wasters but I can't tell you the amount of times I've walked into a showroom, credit card in hand ready to buy and they're just not interested (literally didn't even look at me never mind an "are you ok sir"). I won't name and shame but both were vw and Audi.....so I took my business to Ford where I was given the keys to the ST for test drive and ordered there and then.

It's what puts me off the VAG dealerships. Most of the 'salesmen' ive dealt with are so far up themselves it's unreal. In fact, it's enough to put me off buying from a VAG dealership altogether. I had a similar experience at a Seat showroom too.

[Deerfoot]

Opulent said:

Because you'll be seen as a time-waster to the salesman if you walk in, look around with no intention of buying?

Not if you make it quite clear from the outset that you are just looking.

I spent a good hour at Bristol Porsche chatting with the salesman.

[paddyhasneeds]

aka_kerrly said:

Indeed although I sometimes feel that dealers would be better off if they let people browse rather than try and pounce on them the moment they walk through the door.

It does seem odd that in nearly any other shopping environment you are free to browse and can simply tell a sales person you aren't interested and they will back off and let you be.

dave

I have some sympathy for dealers on that one tbh. Pounce and you're hassling customers, do nothing and "I had £20k to spend and they just ignored me", so they'll never please everyone.

Personally I've no problem with a "Hello, let me know if you need any help" but there's a point where no acknowledgement or contact at all just becomes ignorant IMO.

Going back to the OP's question, yes I do this a fair bit. Never had a problem but I'm always honest and be very clear that I'm just passing a little time.

[Big E 118]

I do this sometimes but always let the salesman know I'm only having a nose around. Depending on how busy they are some salesman will offer you a coffee and have a chat and some will just leave you alone. I haven't ever had anyone seem annoyed I was there.

It can be expensive though as I did just drop in for a browse with no intention of buying and ended up leaving after putting the deposit down on a new (to me) car!

[williamp]

I have only ever done this at the high-end dealerships- Aston, etc where I always ask if I can "just have a look around" and be prepaired for the no answer.

I get the feeling they are happy to let someone look around with no intention of buying providing they are not wasting their time- afterall, a busy lookling showroom is a more enticing place then an empty showroom, and they should know an enthusiast isnt going to damage anything or take up too much of their time.

[Fane]

JonnyFive said:

Let the salesman know you're only there for a look around and they'll be more than happy not to hassle you. Here, anyway.

Same here.

[Pickled Piper]

Busy job and two youngish children. The idea of doing something just to "pass the time" is an alien concept.

If I go to a dealership it's because I couldn't get some info over the phone or on the net. Actual visits are conducted like a military exercise- in and out in the minimum time.

pp

[TonyRPH]

Surely a good salesman will see anybody in his showroom as a potential buyer?

There must be loads of people out there, who wander into a showroom with no intention of buying - but then do.

[anonymous-user]

Deerfoot said:

Not if you make it quite clear from the outset that you are just looking.

I spent a good hour at Bristol Porsche chatting with the salesman.

Maybe I should try it then. I've never, ever been round a new car showroom, purely for that reason. In fact, I'd love to go car browsing, but don't for that reason.

Maybe I should stop being shy and self-conscious, and give it a go.

[ambuletz]

When i was little my dad used to run his own independant garage in bow (in the road next to the courts). To pass the time until he'd finish at 6pm I'd cycle around the area every day.
There used to be a mercedes-porsche dealership there, I always wanted to go in. One day dad took me in their and the salemen had no problem with me sitting in the cars etc.. telling my dad why doesn't he buy a nice classic 450SL.

Surely at a dealer a salesman would welcome you to find out that you're just having a wander around? That way they know not to bother you, and could bother the next person coming through the door (who might want to buy something).

[so called]

I try to avoid browsing as it always starts that familiar 'want to change the car' itchy feeling.

[andye30m3]

williamp said:

I get the feeling they are happy to let someone look around with no intention of buying providing they are not wasting their time- afterall, a busy lookling showroom is a more enticing place then an empty showroom, and they should know an enthusiast isnt going to damage anything or take up too much of their time.

I'd tend to agree with that, a friend of mine was having a look around the Bentley dealership, when the sales guy came out he quite honestly admitted that he was just dreaming and having a look, they guys response was 'when you've finished out here pop in for a coffee and a look at the new one's inside'

After all you never know when someone may come into so money and have the funds, I know if he ever had the cash and the genuine intension of buying a bentley he'd go back to that dealer.

[bicycleshorts]

williamp said:

afterall, a busy lookling showroom is a more enticing place then an empty showroom

Depends if you're in a tracksuit in a Porsche dealership

[read5458]

A dealership I went to recently, wasted my time.

I had the intention of buying an R32. The sales chap told me he didn't have one there. He then mentioned he had a better deal for me though for better value.

He took me outside and showed me a 1.6 Mk 5 golf with scrapes, bump marks and 37k on the clock. Tolf me there and then, part ex my VR6 and he could sell for 12k.

I told him an R32 would be the only thing he sold to me if he could get one there for a test drive and look about. He tried showing me a diesel and got pretty annoyed when I said it was not what I wanted.

So, I decided to ask him to ring me ehen one arrived.

I havn't bothered pursuing yet because a week after, he phoned to tell me that he'd taken delivery of a low milage 2L diesel and wanted to do a deal. I told him he had wasted my time.

It isn't just customers that waste time. Though I guess I had one bad experience out of hundreds of good ones for other people.

[aka_kerrly]

^^^ The above sounds like the salesman has lost the plot. To me that shows that he/she has no understanding of the products and a complete disregard of the customer's desires/needs or perhaps there really are people out there who would fall into the trap and end up buying a 1.6 mk5 to replace their VR6.

[RenesisEvo]

williamp said:

a busy lookling showroom is a more enticing place then an empty showroom

I agree with that. When I wandered into the local Ford dealer to see the Mk3 Focus, there was no-one there, not even a dealer! It was almost unnerving. Eventually someone appeared and asked me if I was ok - said I was just looking, and they left me alone.

[markmullen]

aka_kerrly said:

Indeed although I sometimes feel that dealers would be better off if they let people browse rather than try and pounce on them the moment they walk through the door.

It does seem odd that in nearly any other shopping environment you are free to browse and can simply tell a sales person you aren't interested and they will back off and let you be.

dave

In a main dealer though this is how it needs to work, with the majority of customers who aren't as focussed on a particular model as the average PHer a potential buyer would wander about without buying until they got to the dealer who did pounce on them and sold them a car. Most car buyers aren't like PHers, for most people the car is just a tool, it matters very little if it is a Megane, or an Astra, or a DS3 or whatever.

williamp said:

I get the feeling they are happy to let someone look around with no intention of buying providing they are not wasting their time

I'm an enthusiast, I love spending time talking to people about cars, as long as they're not pulling my chain.

[J4CKO]

Some car dealers treat you as a time waster just by walking through the door, almost goading you to put a deposit down so they will take you seriously !

I never go in car dealers iunless I am going to buy really, the one time we did we nipped in to look at the new Galaxy and the salesman at the Ford dealers was so helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the product it sold the car to us, we werent in a position to buy right then but when we were we went back and bought one from them, he remembered us and knew as soon as we went in that the work he had done last time had paid off.

I remember working at a used car place and the contempt for the customers was astounding, rude, agressive and lazy bunch, why anyone bought from them I will never know, turns my stomach when I happen upon it now when I remember back, proof there is no god that these jokers made the vast wedges of cash they did.

[melvster]

I always go into dealers especially Ferrari/Maserati, Porsche, BMW, Audi, a lot of the time, they dont mind, at the end of the day, your only having a look, what is wrong with that.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Truckosaurus said:

Does anyone from here, as a motoring enthusiast, ever just turn up at a car dealership just to have a nose around the latest models without any intention of buying?

Yes. I always ask a salesman at the outset if it's OK to have a look around and make clear I'm not shopping for a car at the moment. They always say "yes" and it avoids any suggestions of being a time-waster.