Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.

[Butter Face]

Fast Bug said:

I can imagine the threads on here now...

"Dealer asked to see a bank statement before I could have a demo!!!!!"

Yes I can imagine all of the ‘how dare they ask me to prove it’ type threads.

[Theguy5]

Sometimes I feel like doing just that! I NEVER get a test drive. Is it bad practice to just walk in to a dealer and see someone about a car? A lot of the comments from the salesmen on here talk about people ringing up and booking appointments, I didn’t even know this was a thing!

[Wooda80]

When I'm telling someone they've crashed and burned I'm not thinking "Ooh, you can't afford it," I'm thinking "Ooh, you don't pay your bills"

[Butter Face]

Theguy5 said:

Sometimes I feel like doing just that! I NEVER get a test drive. Is it bad practice to just walk in to a dealer and see someone about a car? A lot of the comments from the salesmen on here talk about people ringing up and booking appointments, I didn’t even know this was a thing!

I can’t see how people ‘never’ get a test drive, do you ask for one?

Be better if you call ahead, book an appointment and a test drive, makes the process smoother but you can always just rock up and see if somebody is free to help you out, we sell lots of cars to walk ins.

[Wooda80]

Theguy5 said:

Sometimes I feel like doing just that! I NEVER get a test drive. Is it bad practice to just walk in to a dealer and see someone about a car? A lot of the comments from the salesmen on here talk about people ringing up and booking appointments, I didn’t even know this was a thing!

As a customer I'd view it a bit like going to a restaurant. You could just rock up and see if they have a table free, or you could call ahead and make arrangements.

As well as giving the sales person the opportunity to prepare for your visit it also helps the customer to decide whether you are going to be dealing with a kn*bhead or a professional salesperson (ahem) and whether or not you should pursue your enquiry.

ETA - Butter Face got there before me!

[Fast Bug]

When we bought Mrs FB's car we booked an appointment. It's easier than rocking up and waiting ages if everyone's busy, especially with 2 youngish kids in tow

[Butter Face]

Fast Bug said:

When we bought Mrs FB's car we booked an appointment. It's easier than rocking up and waiting ages if everyone's busy, especially with 2 youngish kids in tow

As a dad myself it always amazes me how people will just rock up with small kids in tow, I couldn’t do it.

[Theguy5]

Butter Face said:

I can’t see how people ‘never’ get a test drive, do you ask for one?

Be better if you call ahead, book an appointment and a test drive, makes the process smoother but you can always just rock up and see if somebody is free to help you out, we sell lots of cars to walk ins.

Just get fobbed off ‘there’s no one free at the minute’ or they ask me a few questions and come to the conclusion I’m not buying and lose all interest. I feel like I have to be buying there and then to get taken seriously, the reality is I’m not 100% on what car I want and want to drive a few of my favourites but I must give off the impression that I’m a ‘test pilot’.

[Mexman]

Theguy5 said:

Just get fobbed off ‘there’s no one free at the minute’ or they ask me a few questions and come to the conclusion I’m not buying and lose all interest. I feel like I have to be buying there and then to get taken seriously, the reality is I’m not 100% on what car I want and want to drive a few of my favourites but I must give off the impression that I’m a ‘test pilot’.

There's your mistake I think.
"Not 100% on what car I want and want to drive a FEW of my favourites"
That screams of test pilot and unsure 'buyer' to a busy commission based salesman.
Your coming across as you wish to drive half a dozen different cars, which will take up a good few hours of someone's time and there may not even be a decision at the end of it all.
It the meantime, the salesman could have spoken to and dealt other people.
Sorry, but that statement you made is screaming out of the screen at me that you are a totally unsure/not ready to commit tyre kicker who is shopping the world.
I think you need to change your approach if you want to get somewhere
Someone else from sales may disagree with me, but that's how its coming across??

[James_33]

Mexman said:

There's your mistake I think.
"Not 100% on what car I want and want to drive a FEW of my favourites"
That screams of test pilot and unsure 'buyer' to a busy commission based salesman.
Your coming across as you wish to drive half a dozen different cars, which will take up a good few hours of someone's time and there may not even be a decision at the end of it all.
It the meantime, the salesman could have spoken to and dealt other people.
Sorry, but that statement you made is screaming out of the screen at me that you are a totally unsure/not ready to commit tyre kicker who is shopping the world.
I think you need to change your approach if you want to get somewhere
Someone else from sales may disagree with me, but that's how its coming across??

I think if someone's potentially going to spend thousands of pounds on a car then they are well within their rights to test what they need to to get the right car??

Last thing i would want to do is spend thousands on a car for me to hate it when i got it home all because i didn't want to waste the salesman's time?

[Mexman]

Like I said, that's how its possibly coming across and how I am reading it from the outside.
Not saying its right or how it should be, just how it is sounding.

[Fast Bug]

James_33 said:

I think if someone's potentially going to spend thousands of pounds on a car then they are well within their rights to test what they need to to get the right car??

Last thing i would want to do is spend thousands on a car for me to hate it when i got it home all because i didn't want to waste the salesman's time?

Sales manager- did you deal that bloke after spending 3 hours with him and giving him a demo on 4 of my cars?

Salesman - no boss. He wasnt sure what he wanted, he's still not sure and is off to VW to try a Golf, a Passat and an Arteon before popping over to BMW to try a 3 Series, then maybe to Ford to look at the Mondeo.

Sales manager - you didn't qualify him enough, your closing ratio is bks. This is your last warning

Bit extreme, but seen it numerous times sadly.

[Sheepshanks]

James_33 said:

Last thing i would want to do is spend thousands on a car for me to hate it when i got it home all because i didn't want to waste the salesman's time?

What are you going to learn from a typical test drive anyway - it's not like you can explore the car's limits? I sit in cars in the showroom, make sure I'm comfortable, look at blind spots etc.

My wife never even did that on her current car. It's got a DSG box and neither of us had driven one of those until it arrived.

[mcdjl]

By that measure lay time I bought a car I wasted 3 salesmen's time. I tested a Jag, Merc, ford and BMW. I bought the last one. All the were right the same price (actually the Jag was about half the price) and estate cars. My last car had died the weekend before so I was buying one of them but didn't know which. Do sorry to those three guys for wasting their time.

[syl]

What proportion of PCPs reach fulk term?

Order what happens to most PCPs that reach full term:

Bought for the GMFV
Handed back
Traded in (for more than the GMFV)
Traded in (for less than the GMFV, but you made it look good on paper)

[Sheepshanks]

mcdjl said:

By that measure lay time I bought a car I wasted 3 salesmen's time. I tested a Jag, Merc, ford and BMW. I bought the last one. All the were right the same price (actually the Jag was about half the price) and estate cars. My last car had died the weekend before so I was buying one of them but didn't know which. Do sorry to those three guys for wasting their time.

I guess they were used? Apparently you're supposed to know which car you want and only be road-testing before doing the deal it to make sure it hasn't got any faults.

[Lily the Pink]

James_33 said:

I think if someone's potentially going to spend thousands of pounds on a car then they are well within their rights to test what they need to to get the right car??

Last thing i would want to do is spend thousands on a car for me to hate it when i got it home all because i didn't want to waste the salesman's time?

You fail to realise that the salesman's time is worth much MUCH more than your time. Whenever they buy a new house they only ever look at one and buy that one; they never waste Estate Agents' time by looking at more than one.

[Cloudy147]

Why do dealers price their cars witg weird numbers? Example: £4874. What happened to the simple £4999?

I assume their is some sales phycology in it but I can't work out what?

Thanks

[itcaptainslow]

Cloudy147 said:

Why do dealers price their cars witg weird numbers? Example: £4874. What happened to the simple £4999?

I assume their is some sales phycology in it but I can't work out what?

Thanks

Evans Halshaw do this to indicate at a glance how long the car has been in stock for-the last digit being how many weeks it’s been in, if memory serves.

[Pommy]

itcaptainslow said:

Cloudy147 said:

Why do dealers price their cars witg weird numbers? Example: £4874. What happened to the simple £4999?

I assume their is some sales phycology in it but I can't work out what?

Thanks

Evans Halshaw do this to indicate at a glance how long the car has been in stock for-the last digit being how many weeks it’s been in, if memory serves.

So the price goes up the longer its in?