Best way to screw the dealer post deposit

[Dave8878]

Guys my bad - I always thought 30 was what was targeted. My figures of $64k were based on the salesman being on target and paid only the minimum $100 per.

Are you saying that salesmen bust their ass all month, sell 10-15 cars and make less than $65k a year?

Thats exactly right - 50 hours a week for about $50k a year!! oh well back to thinking about the Spa

[Dave8878]

I should add to that previous post that I don't mean that in a negative way as we all have choices in this world and I chose to work where I do and am quite happy about it - The pay could always be better but I get to sell a fantastic product, the team I work with are awesome, my manager is tops and Central Coast Motor Group are a great company to work for. I live in a modest but nice house on the lagoon (no spa yet) with a hot wife and 2 beautiful kids. Life is good!

[triode12]

YES - And that is what makes reading post's such as this one all the more depressing sometimes. There used to be a time when selling cars was fun, mostly because people ENJOYED the buying process and the excitement of getting a new car.

These days it's mostly people out to the get the cheapest price and whatever they can get along with it. There is no fun, no enjoyment, no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, and NO FEEL GOOD FACTOR for either party.

Im am 100% in favour of getting a good deal. But I’m am utterly shocked by this thread title, and the attitude of it's author.

Dermot,

This "loss" of the "feel good factor" is ALL the fault of the dealers. You guys play the game (apparently invented by the salesmen in the states) - i.e. employ several methods to wear down the customer. We customers don't trust you guys anymore.

Just recently, I had a frustrating experience at CCC. The salesguy would agree on a price which he then had to "ask to the manager to approve". This went on for a whole day till we were so pissed off that we eventually bought the car somewhere else.

The role of the junior sales guy is try and get the customer into a position to commit to a figure. But when he does, the sales manager sabotages the deal, so as to frustrate the customer to agreeing to the price that the manager wants to sell it for. They will take you to the cleaners if they see that they can.

They even employed the tactic of raising the price of the car that we wanted because they knew we had our hearts set on it.

So don't come here acting like you guys are angels because you guys certaintly are not by my experience.

[Allegiance]

YES - And that is what makes reading post's such as this one all the more depressing sometimes. There used to be a time when selling cars was fun, mostly because people ENJOYED the buying process and the excitement of getting a new car.

These days it's mostly people out to the get the cheapest price and whatever they can get along with it. There is no fun, no enjoyment, no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, and NO FEEL GOOD FACTOR for either party.

Im am 100% in favour of getting a good deal. But I’m am utterly shocked by this thread title, and the attitude of it's author.

Why do you think customers have the attitude that they just want to get the cheapest price? It's because it is common knowledge that there is no such thing as best price straight up (except for one example of that in this thread).

You have to bargain with them. If consultants where honest, and gave you a fair price up front then the consumer wouldn't have this attitude. (I am NOT saying that all consultants/dealers are this way!)

If you have read my previous posts then you would see that now I would change a few things about this thread. I didn't relise it was such a sensitive issue.

However at this point I cannot change anything about my original post/thread title.

[Allegiance]

Dermot,

This "loss" of the "feel good factor" is ALL the fault of the dealers. You guys play the game (apparently invented by the salesmen in the states) - i.e. employ several methods to wear down the customer. We customers don't trust you guys anymore.

Just recently, I had a frustrating experience at CCC. The salesguy would agree on a price which he then had to "ask to the manager to approve". This went on for a whole day till we were so pissed off that we eventually bought the car somewhere else.

The role of the junior sales guy is try and get the customer into a position to commit to a figure but when he does the sales manager sabotages that to frustrate the customer to agreeing to the price that the manager wants to sell it for.

They even employed the tactic of raising the price of the car that we wanted because they knew we had our hearts set on it.

So don't come here acting like you guys are angels because you guys certaintly are not by my experience.

Thankyou!

[Pharkus]

The enjoyment I get when going out to buy a new car is knowing that the dealer has presented me, based on all available information (and there is a heap of it on this forum) with a "fair" deal. Now this may mean that the price fluctuates from person to person. Person A may not care about what the price is but needs the car immediately fully optioned up etc. Whereas Person B will base their decision on price alone. You, as the buyer have to be satsified with the price you are offered. You have the choice not to take it and look elsewhere or even for a different car (if you can't afford it then don't go QQ'ing on a forum about how to rip more money off a dealer).

The dealer also has the right to refuse any price you put on the table.

Personally, I would rather the dealer takes what I consider a fair profit from the sale and treats me with the service that I expect afterwards (servicing, problem resolution etc.) than screw them out of the last dollar. Think of it this way, the less dealers there are the less bargaining power we as buyers will have.

Further, I also appreciate that building a relationship with a dealer will yield me far better "savings" in the future when I go back to purchase another vehicle. I'm informed by reading forums and other articles on the internet, I know what I want and pretty much just want to get down to the point of purchase. No use wasting hours of my time and the dealer with a price that neither of us are willing to accept.

In terms of aftermarket fitment, I think Mav has summarised it quite concisely for you. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

In summary, if you do your research before hand you should at least have a ball park estimate of what things should cost. Otherwise its a tax on people that don't do their homework.

The worst behaviour I have seen is people bargaining with one dealer on a GREAT price driveaway, only to turn around and travel to the next dealer cos they'll match it less $50.

[Rocket36]

While I don't think the attitude of "screw the dealer" is all that great, this made me chuckle a bit: "These days it's mostly people out to the get the cheapest price and whatever they can get along with it. There is no fun, no enjoyment, no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, and NO FEEL GOOD FACTOR for either party."


I LOVE the whole process of buying a car, I enjoy it, I get excited about it, I feel I've accomplished something AND I DEFINITELY feel GOOD about it. But at the same time, I won't buy a car from someone who isn't willing to negotiate and give me the best deal they can. I'm more than happy to walk away from a dealer and go to another one. No skin of my nose. So of course I'm going to haggle and make them crunch the numbers. Dealers will NEVER sell a car unless there's a profit in it regardless of how much they complain about a buyer wanting too much of a so called "discount". If they agree to a deal, they're still making money.

[Allegiance]

YES - And that is what makes reading post's such as this one all the more depressing sometimes. There used to be a time when selling cars was fun, mostly because people ENJOYED the buying process and the excitement of getting a new car.

These days it's mostly people out to the get the cheapest price and whatever they can get along with it. There is no fun, no enjoyment, no excitement, no sense of accomplishment, and NO FEEL GOOD FACTOR for either party.

Im am 100% in favour of getting a good deal. But I’m am utterly shocked by this thread title, and the attitude of it's author.

Dermot,

Can you honestly say in your entire career in car sales that you have not taken advantage of (even to a small degree) a single customer?

[Frankenstrat]

No one is forcing them to work in that business. They must do it for a reason?

Yes, they probably thoroughly enjoy their work, but there is bound to be a downside; occasionally they'll find themselves dealing with certain members of the public who have a low opinion of sales staff.

I'm not particularly interested to know how much a dealer earns, nor how much commission they make, I don't regard that as any of my business.

One thing is for certain, I would not want to walk out of a dealership with the staff glad to see the back of me, ultimately I feel that I would have done myself a disservice. I can't see the point of driving a hard bargain, or entering into protracted negotiations, nor playing off one dealer against another. To me, that would be a hollow victory. I may well be in the minority with this attitude, but there again, I'm old school.

[Rocket36]

Dermot,

Can you honestly say in your entire career in car sales that you have not taken advantage of (even to a small degree) a single customer?

No need to "take advantage". PLENTY of people would walk in off the street and pay list price, no questions asked. Plus so many people get talked into those pathetic "paint protection" options for a couple of thousand dollars when for a few hundred dollars you get a better finish and better protection from a professional car detailer. Then there's fleet sales. PLENTY of money to be made their. Hagglers would be the minority of buyers.