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

[Pit Pony]

Would the best answer to how are you going to.pay for it? Be this;

I want the deal which gives you the most profit and commission, but at the lowest cost overall to me?

[Mexman]

Pit Pony said:

Would the best answer to how are you going to.pay for it? Be this;

I want the deal which gives you the most profit and commission, but at the lowest cost overall to me?

That would be finance then, at the lowest rate possible available to the dealer.

[silentbrown]

Mexman said:

That would be finance then, at the lowest rate possible available to the dealer.

On that topic, how many months PCP payments have to go through before you get commission? And Is there a commission clawback if the loan's settled early?

[Sheepshanks]

Pit Pony said:

Would the best answer to how are you going to.pay for it? Be this;

I want the deal which gives you the most profit and commission, but at the lowest cost overall to me?

On wife's Tiguan the pricing was done through CarWow with a localish dealer and I was taking PCP anyway to get the deposit contribution. I said I wasn't interested in the other stuff but which one was really important to him - he said paint protection.

So I said I'd take it of he more or less lost the price in the deal, which he did. Seemed to make him very happy.

[Wooda80]

silentbrown said:

On that topic, how many months PCP payments have to go through before you get commission? And Is there a commission clawback if the loan's settled early?

It varies according to the finance company and the contract terms that they have with the dealer.

The finance company pay commission to the dealer at the same time as the deal is paid or out, or at the end of the month in which the deal is paid out. Sales execs will usually receive their commission as part of the wages in the month following delivery, so May deliveries and finance comms are paid to sales execs at the end of June.

Clawbacks are part of the contract terms and can vary from no claw back at all, up to complete clawback if settled within the first 6 months. Sometimes there's a sliding scale as the early settlement date increases. Often commissions on agreements which are repossessed are debited back regardless of the time elapsed.

Whether the dealer deducts any debit backs from the sales execs' commission is down to their individual company policy.

[Swampy1982]

grant8064 said:

Best punt for a grey Jetta with Kesh.

Is that the hardest car to shift? I once had one and it went unsold for ages (private sale) until a film company wanted it for a TV program they were doing...

[talksthetorque]

Was wondering if you don’t take debit cards, because if you did, you’d have to take credit cards too and the associated charges.

[ChevronB19]

Given all this commission stuff, certain number of pcp payments required etc, how do you ever work out if you’ve been paid the correct amount in your salary?

[Hilts]

loskie said:

Mexman you always sound like you hate your job, your customers, yourself and that it's making you ill.

I know you've kind of rebutted this but every time you have a whinge about your job or a particular customer I think about this post which definitely seems to have a grain of truth about it.

Nevertheless if I wanted to ask you something about the trade I would like to think I could, whether you cordially reply or not I don't know but I think you would. Overall you seem a fair, no-nonsense, straight to the point character and we need more of those.

[FerrousOxide]

grant8064 said:

Also if a cars a real peach don't expect a discount...it's really hard to buy good stock.

The implication being that you wouldn't describe most of your stock as "good"?

grant8064 said:

Rewe said:

Have you ever felt so unsafe on a test drive that you made the customer pull over?

...Occasionally report the odd one or two that really shouldn't be on the road (only if they've not bought!) ...

This isn't doing the perception of those in the trade any favours.

Don't get me wrong - of course there are as many honest car salesmen as there are honest lawyers, or accountants. And I really appreciate you, Mexman and others for continuing to engage with this thread and give loads of really helpful insights in spite of the slatings. But surely you can see how comments like this make people think that you might compromise principals if there's a sale to be made?

[Mexman]

Hilts said:

I know you've kind of rebutted this but every time you have a whinge about your job or a particular customer I think about this post which definitely seems to have a grain of truth about it.

Nevertheless if I wanted to ask you something about the trade I would like to think I could, whether you cordially reply or not I don't know but I think you would. Overall you seem a fair, no-nonsense, straight to the point character and we need more of those.

Thank you, ....I think!
No I don't hate the job, quite the contrary in fact.
I live, sleep and breathe the job, I'm on a week off currently and here I am discussing the job!
I've already been into work, 3 times this week for various things, including handovers and sorting what could have become a problem car, that is sold and the customer wants delivery asap.
If I didn't care, then I would switch my phone off, like I dare say some on here wouldn't think twice about doing on there weeks holiday, customers and my colleague would then have major problems come handover time, with cars not ready, things that I have agreed not being done etc, etc..
The only problem I have with it, is the constant slating that some people give us, because they think the job is easy and anyone could do it.
I dare say I couldn't do half the jobs that most people on here do for a living day in, day out, and I don't pretend that I could.
I am straight down the middle, and straight talking, I don't bullst customers and in return I don't expect bullst back.

[HTP99]

talksthetorque said:

Was wondering if you don’t take debit cards, because if you did, you’d have to take credit cards too and the associated charges.

Nope, we don't have to take one without the other, we'll take a max of £1000 with either but the final balance as a transfer this is due to transaction charges from both debit and credit cards.

[Mexman]

FerrousOxide said:

This isn't doing the perception of those in the trade any favours.

Don't get me wrong - of course there are as many honest car salesmen as there are honest lawyers, or accountants. And I really appreciate you, Mexman and others for continuing to engage with this thread and give loads of really helpful insights in spite of the slatings. But surely you can see how comments like this make people think that you might compromise principals if there's a sale to be made?

I think you have to understand, that sales is a commission based job, with targets and big brother looking over your shoulder constantly.
Don't sell, then you don't eat, simples.
Don't get me wrong, as previously mentioned, some sales are simply not worth doing because of the customers expectations or attitude, you just know that they are going to end up 'married' to you for the next 6 months, with constant phone calls, visits and slanging matches because they have had an indicator bulb blow 3 months later and want to make an issue of it.
Yes, believe me, there are people out there like this !

[Butter Face]

ChevronB19 said:

Given all this commission stuff, certain number of pcp payments required etc, how do you ever work out if you’ve been paid the correct amount in your salary?

Some people just go with what the sales manager works out at the end of the month, I prefer to be a bit more organised so I have a a spreadsheet which I just input amount sold, finance etc etc and it tells me what to expect. I’m normally within £50 of what I actually get paid and a few times it’s helped me spot a glaring error someone has missed which would have cost me a lot of money!

[Mexman]

Butter Face said:

Some people just go with what the sales manager works out at the end of the month, I prefer to be a bit more organised so I have a a spreadsheet which I just input amount sold, finance etc etc and it tells me what to expect. I’m normally within £50 of what I actually get paid and a few times it’s helped me spot a glaring error someone has missed which would have cost me a lot of money!

I bet that does not take long to work out then

[Butter Face]

Mexman said:

Butter Face said:

Some people just go with what the sales manager works out at the end of the month, I prefer to be a bit more organised so I have a a spreadsheet which I just input amount sold, finance etc etc and it tells me what to expect. I’m normally within £50 of what I actually get paid and a few times it’s helped me spot a glaring error someone has missed which would have cost me a lot of money!

I bet that does not take long to work out then

Not as long as others, but certainly longer than some

[Mexman]

Good answer. :

[Wooda80]

FerrousOxide said:

But surely you can see how comments like this make people think that you might compromise principals if there's a sale to be made?

What job do you do where you don't sometimes have to compromise your principles in order to achieve your objective? Unless you have no principles or no objectives?

I think the example offered was done in jest. Refusing to take a person's order because you don't like their driving is not going to solve the problem. Nor is running to your mum the authorities to report an isolated case of poor driving likely to produce a result.

[kelevraz]

SpeckledJim said:

kelevraz said:

Well, like i said in my post, its part of the reason that annoys me about phoning in advance, what business is it of theirs HOW im planning to pay. And to be fair, this only confirms what i said, that its clearly better to reach an agreed price BEFORE discussing how it will be paid, as oppose to letting the 'how are you planning to pay' be the driving force behind negotiations

As for why should i get a discount? To be fair, i have (Full) access to all the trading guides that insurers use when dealing with valuations, and i cant help but notice that most of the cars i see are priced at higher than these they are 'worth'. No i dont follow the whole 'its worth what your willing to pay for it', because thats a stupid way to view a investment lol

Maybe its because my car was nicked recently, but i don't fancy the idea of receiving 25% less for my car than i bought it for if its written off the second i drive away from the dealership, simply because ive paid more for the privilege of buying from a trader

From your post though, what i've taken away is that, i should be asking - how long have they had the car in stock for? As i imagine a car thats been sitting on the lot for 9 months probably ISNT getting enquiries left right and centre, compared to something they say has just come in

Edited by kelevraz on Wednesday 15th May 15:49

You might be the answer to yesterday's question!

booboise blueboys said:

Have you ever not wanted to sell a car to a customer?

Oh, why's that? Because my goal isn't to walk into a dealership and make THEM money, but instead to save myself money? Im sure the salesmen love and make plenty of you. But i'm not looking to the salesman's best friend. I just want to have my sh*t in order before i go in, hence me posting on here. Not to mention, i guarantee you, there are plenty more buyers who 'didn't want to buy a car from that salesmen', than vice versa. Chances are that if a salesman doesn't want to sell to you, there's another one right there who'd be more than willing

I'm an extremely polite buyer. But the fact i have braids, tattoo's and wear tracksuits on the weekend, tends to give salespeople the impression that i'm there with my money to be taken for a mug and have no idea i'm doing. Going from your comment, your probably the same kind of person

Anyway, another question to a salesman - assuming its not a brand new car purchase, and there wont be any dealer contributions or anything - is it considered 'bad form' to agree a price, and then 'change your mind' that you actually want to just pay cash? And in situations where this happens, how likely is it for the salesman to then backtrack and say - oh, this price was only if you were going to finance

To put it simply, the car i'm going for is 17k, which i have ready to pay. The dealer indicated there could be some 'wiggle room' on the price, but this only came after he bugged me tell him how i'd be buying as i'd try avoid the question, because i don't really like lying. Eventually i just said 'okay mate ill probably finance it, we'll see'

After saying my deposit would be 13k, he quoted me on what he described as an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT!! I then worked it out for myself. Despite this 'amazing quote' - what he's offered me actually works out at more than double the interest i've been offered on a personal loan thats already approved, with funds transferred subject to completing paperwork (Again, for those who are in the habit of making money for the dealer, thats good for you, each to their own, i'd rather avoid this route though)

So if i get in front of him and we start going through the finer details, and he eventually agrees to let's say 16.5k, if i then turn around and say actually i'll just pay cash, how likely is he to go change his mind about the selling price?

[kelevraz]

Mexman said:

FerrousOxide said:

This isn't doing the perception of those in the trade any favours.

Don't get me wrong - of course there are as many honest car salesmen as there are honest lawyers, or accountants. And I really appreciate you, Mexman and others for continuing to engage with this thread and give loads of really helpful insights in spite of the slatings. But surely you can see how comments like this make people think that you might compromise principals if there's a sale to be made?

I think you have to understand, that sales is a commission based job, with targets and big brother looking over your shoulder constantly.
Don't sell, then you don't eat, simples.
Don't get me wrong, as previously mentioned, some sales are simply not worth doing because of the customers expectations or attitude, you just know that they are going to end up 'married' to you for the next 6 months, with constant phone calls, visits and slanging matches because they have had an indicator bulb blow 3 months later and want to make an issue of it.
Yes, believe me, there are people out there like this !

Can i say, and i don't mean this 'personally' to anyone - i get that you've given a really a simple example, an indicator bulb blowing isn't something necessarily worth the fight, but...

If you sell me a car with defects, that become obvious relatively quickly after i buy the car, why shouldn't i be on your back to fix them?

When i bought my ST, within about 6 weeks of leaving the dealership (i had driven less than 300 miles in it) , i started hearing this weird 'knock' from underneath - i had AA cover (and their parts and labour option), they came, towed the car to a garage, and found that i needed a new rear anti rollbar link (or whatever its called), my rear coil spring was on the verge of snapping and i had a minor exhaust leak.

The garage made it clear in no uncertain terms (based on the condition of the parts in question on my car) that i couldn't have caused this damage with the amount of driving i had done - fortunately, i'd managed to bargain a six month warranty into the deal when i was buying - but if not for what warranty, the dealer would have literally done nothing for me at all. In what world is that fair?