Why do dealerships take cars home

[FA57REN]

vikingaero said:

I fully understand that cars are used by dealer staff and that they have days off etc.

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

[otolith]

Deep Thought said:

otolith said:

A1VDY said:

What possible difference does it make whether one owner or two??
Its how well a car has been looked after and overall condition.
One owner means nothing. One really bad careless owner or three fastidious owners?

I bet that's exactly what you say to someone who wants to trade in a car with a few owners...

I dont think CAP asks for number of owners? And i dont think any Approved Used schemes specify a maximum number of owners either.

Does CAP say you have to grimace and suck air through your teeth?

[832ark]

FA57REN said:

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

I assume it’s because running a separate fleet of company cars would be significantly more expensive than the small amount of wear/tear they put on stock/demos?

[vikingaero]

832ark said:

FA57REN said:

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

I assume it’s because running a separate fleet of company cars would be significantly more expensive than the small amount of wear/tear they put on stock/demos?

Yes it is a perk. Not sure what the problem is with that. The difference between a drill and a TV is that there is an established retailing channel for used cars whether that is main stealer or used.

It's also a way for sales staff to learn how the product operates. It's one thing to send out an email with instructions, or an hours team briefing.than to use it and know how it works.

[Deep Thought]

vikingaero said:

832ark said:

FA57REN said:

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

I assume it’s because running a separate fleet of company cars would be significantly more expensive than the small amount of wear/tear they put on stock/demos?

Yes it is a perk. Not sure what the problem is with that. The difference between a drill and a TV is that there is an established retailing channel for used cars whether that is main stealer or used.

It's also a way for sales staff to learn how the product operates. It's one thing to send out an email with instructions, or an hours team briefing.than to use it and know how it works.

And also its - for want of a better phrase - product placement. Any demo cars are the newest models, so good to have their presence out and about and be "seen".

Not the perk it once was though.

[Deep Thought]

otolith said:

Deep Thought said:

otolith said:

A1VDY said:

What possible difference does it make whether one owner or two??
Its how well a car has been looked after and overall condition.
One owner means nothing. One really bad careless owner or three fastidious owners?

I bet that's exactly what you say to someone who wants to trade in a car with a few owners...

I dont think CAP asks for number of owners? And i dont think any Approved Used schemes specify a maximum number of owners either.

Does CAP say you have to grimace and suck air through your teeth?

If you're dealing with a salesman who has fallen through a hole from the 1980s and does that then i'd remind him of the above, or more pertinently, i'd laugh and walk.

Granted, theres a very small percentage of cars where number of keepers could affect values, but for a typical car? Nope.

Edited by Deep Thought on Monday 29th June 15:22

[otolith]

Main dealers may be too corporate for that, but further down the foodchain it's still very much the 80's, IME.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

I always ask how many owners a car has had, and who they were. Mainly because I'm suspicious of a car that has been punted on by a high number of people for its age, and I would suspect it was because it was possibly a dog. That's what people do with crap cars, they get rid.

[Deep Thought]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

I always ask how many owners a car has had, and who they were. Mainly because I'm suspicious of a car that has been punted on by a high number of people for its age, and I would suspect it was because it was possibly a dog. That's what people do with crap cars, they get rid.

Yes, if a car has changed hands frequently or if it was owned privately from new but resold a few months later i'd be asking questions as to why. There is the odd lemon about that, if taken back by the dealer because of inherent problems, will end up on a forecourt again. I'd certainly be asking pertinent questions.

But as for say, a 3 year old car with three owners (one of which might be the main dealer) being worth less than one with two owners from new, i'd really be pushing back hard on that if a dealer tried to pull the grimacing and sucking through teeth trick with me (in fact i'd probably walk as it would get on my tits greatly)

Edited by Deep Thought on Monday 29th June 16:19

[Mexman]

FA57REN said:

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

I think its plainly obvious what the difference is.

[CooperS]

vikingaero said:

832ark said:

FA57REN said:

Staff in garden and DIY centres don't get to take power tools home to do a few odd jobs at the weekend. Sony Centre staff don't cart 60" TVs back to the pad for a football match. Airline pilots can't fill her up and go for a jaunt to France. So why do car dealers get to add wear and tear to the products they are allegedly selling?

I assume it’s because running a separate fleet of company cars would be significantly more expensive than the small amount of wear/tear they put on stock/demos?

Yes it is a perk. Not sure what the problem is with that. The difference between a drill and a TV is that there is an established retailing channel for used cars whether that is main stealer or used.

It's also a way for sales staff to learn how the product operates. It's one thing to send out an email with instructions, or an hours team briefing.than to use it and know how it works.

Its not rocket science.... The problem is if your told a dealership has a demo available to look at and it's not with another customer but being used as a perk for some middle manager.... This is fking annoying.

I don't want to look or drive the vanilla model I want to see and drive the spicy one. A car which I might be trying to convince myself so any barriers to make a rash decision is going to see me walk. I've bought 2 cars on a drop in and look see.

Also those sales people saying on the weekend you get chancers .... Well plenty of people who might buy a BMW/Audi/Merc work 8am - 6pm type jobs who can't just get down to the dealer on a random Tuesday just to enable your staff to get a nice perk.

Edited by CooperS on Monday 29th June 16:36

[Deep Thought]

CooperS said:

Its not rocket science.... The problem is if your told a dealership has a demo available to look at and it's not with another customer but being used as a perk for some middle manager.... This is fking annoying.

I don't want to look or drive the vanilla model I want to see and drive the spicy one. A car which I might be trying to convince myself so any barriers to make a rash decision is going to see me walk. I've bought 2 cars on a drop in and look see.

Also those sales people saying on the weekend you get chancers .... Well plenty of people who might buy a BMW/Audi/Merc work 8am - 6pm type jobs who can't just get down to the dealer on a random Tuesday just to enable your staff to get a nice perk.

Edited by CooperS on Monday 29th June 16:36

Just ring in advance and make an appointment. Simples.

[Mexman]

CooperS said:

Its not rocket science.... The problem is if your told a dealership has a demo available to look at and it's not with another customer but being used as a perk for some middle manager.... This is fking annoying.

I don't want to look or drive the vanilla model I want to see and drive the spicy one. A car which I might be trying to convince myself so any barriers to make a rash decision is going to see me walk. I've bought 2 cars on a drop in and look see.

Also those sales people saying on the weekend you get chancers .... Well plenty of people who might buy a BMW/Audi/Merc have 8 - 6 jobs who can't just get down to the dealer on a random Tuesday just to enable your staff to get a nice perk.

Demos ran as company cars has been happening since the dark ages.
The company I work for has 6 directors that OWN the 3 site dealerships and all of its stock outright, no stocking loans, nothing.
They all drive very nice top of the range demos, registered to THEIR business.
If you thing that someone such as a director, who OWNS the business, is gonna buy or use their own personal car for business or pleasure, then you are deluded.
New car salespeople have a demo as a company car, it's one perk of the job which has been happening for ever, and in part makes up for the st basic wage.
They OWN the cars, not you and can do what the bloody hell they want with them, they have bought them and paid for them, not you.
It's always been the way, get over it.

Edited by Mexman on Monday 29th June 16:42

[CRA1G]

I remember a few dealerships as an incentive would allow the best performing salesman of the month to have the top model demo to use the following month which made it all very competitive.... Big Motoring World still do it today with a top model Range Rover (not a demo) with the registration BIG 1 as their incentive......

[CooperS]

Mexman said:

CooperS said:

Its not rocket science.... The problem is if your told a dealership has a demo available to look at and it's not with another customer but being used as a perk for some middle manager.... This is fking annoying.

I don't want to look or drive the vanilla model I want to see and drive the spicy one. A car which I might be trying to convince myself so any barriers to make a rash decision is going to see me walk. I've bought 2 cars on a drop in and look see.

Also those sales people saying on the weekend you get chancers .... Well plenty of people who might buy a BMW/Audi/Merc have 8 - 6 jobs who can't just get down to the dealer on a random Tuesday just to enable your staff to get a nice perk.

Demos ran as company cars has been happening since the dark ages.
The company I work for has 6 directors that OWN the 3 site dealerships and all of its stock outright, no stocking loans, nothing.
They all drive very nice top of the range demos, registered to THEIR business.
If you thing that someone such as a director, who OWNS the business, is gonna buy or use their own personal car for business or pleasure, then you are deluded.
New car salespeople have a demo as a company car, it's one perk of the job which has been happening for ever, and in part makes up for the st basic wage.
They OWN the cars, not you and can do what the bloody hell they want with them, they have bought them and paid for them, not you.
It's always been the way, get over it.

Edited by Mexman on Monday 29th June 16:42

Haha..... it's no skin off my nose what the directors want to do nor how they choose to insentvise they're staff who are on poor wages.

I don't need to get over anything nor am I deluded in my thoughts. I'm the buyer. You (sales) seem to think you're doing me the favour. It's buyers keeping you guys in a job and the directors pocket full.

[Mexman]

If you can't handle the truth.......its the way it is, get over it.

[otolith]

Can't imagine why so many people find Tesla's sales channel refreshing!

[Mexman]

Deep Thought said:

CooperS said:

Its not rocket science.... The problem is if your told a dealership has a demo available to look at and it's not with another customer but being used as a perk for some middle manager.... This is fking annoying.

I don't want to look or drive the vanilla model I want to see and drive the spicy one. A car which I might be trying to convince myself so any barriers to make a rash decision is going to see me walk. I've bought 2 cars on a drop in and look see.

Also those sales people saying on the weekend you get chancers .... Well plenty of people who might buy a BMW/Audi/Merc work 8am - 6pm type jobs who can't just get down to the dealer on a random Tuesday just to enable your staff to get a nice perk.

Edited by CooperS on Monday 29th June 16:36

Just ring in advance and make an appointment. Simples.

That does not compute for some people, turn up unannounced and get the hump when things dont go accordingly.
This only applies to very nearly new cars, which you would assume would be demos and are normally advertised as such.
"Ex demo"

[Mexman]

otolith said:

Can't imagine why so many people find Tesla's sales channel refreshing!

Is that you and Jamoor then?
I'm pretty sure Tesla will only book test drives by appointment.

Edited by Mexman on Monday 29th June 17:06

[HTP99]

CRA1G said:

I remember a few dealerships as an incentive would allow the best performing salesman of the month to have the top model demo to use the following month which made it all very competitive.... Big Motoring World still do it today with a top model Range Rover (not a demo) with the registration BIG 1 as their incentive......

I'd deliberately not be top dog if that was my incentive, such cringe!!