Whats your best "used car salesman" or dealer story?

Dealers can be downright insane at times cant they? 

The best story I have just happened to me and a close friend.  (It happened a week ago)

He was searching for a c6 corvette.  Found one in Texas.   It was blue (we both love blue vettes) 2008 with 87,000 miles manual trans.  they wanted 18 thousand for it.    We live in Reno NV.   SO he called on it and bought our plane tickets.   He paid 350 to hold it (it was a dealer pretty safe bet).   The idea was that we would road trip it home.  (always better with a friend so I came along)

When we arrived the vette had been sold...Now understandably my buddy was upset and demanding the money back.   HOWEVER.  They had another c6 Vette on the lot.   Yellow manual 2009 (less mileage although I space on how much)  They wanted 21,500 for it.     

After a lot of haggling, they agreed to let go of it for the agreed-upon price of the blue corvette.   Basically they wouldn't give the deposit back without threat of a lawsuit.  

YOu would think the story ends there right? The road trip home in an ugly yellow Vette instead of a pretty blue one?  NOPE

After signing all the paperwork and talking more my friend reveals that he intends to daily this car. Not unusual for a corvette, BUT RENO HAS SNOW, and there was a winter storm warning on our way home...

Turns out this sued car dealer has a service and tire shop attached...(Can you see where this is going)   

THEY WOULD NOT LET US LEAVE unless winter tires were purchased and put on the car.  It was just too dangerous to drive a corvette in the winter.   Now before this car, my friend owned a 3550z.    A RWD car low to the ground...  A corvette is not that much lower to the ground.   But apparently this car is SO LOW and SO POWERFUL. you have to have winter tires.   

They locked us in the waiting room.  Yeah.   

Well, a threat to call the police for illegal detention and suddenly we were on our way.    2009 vette for 18,000 was a good deal for sure but DAMN it was like pulling teeth getting out.  

ANYWAY, ya'll got any weird car-buying stories? 

I'd have called the police way before you threatened.  Your buddy should probably examine the paperwork very closely.  

Hes an accountant im a law student.   As near as we can tell all the paperwork was normal.  

But I appreciate the heads up

AND BELIEVE ME, WE CHECKED AFTER THIS MESS.

I had a dealer crying about their utility bills and other overhead costs to me once.... I told them I didn't bring my utility bill to the negotiations to whine about it (I lived in military housing at the time = no utility bill, but still). 

Looking at a Porsche Panamera at the local dealer down the street. Nice clean looking car. V8 AWD non turbo. Black with a camel interior. The car was very well optioned and exceptionaly clean with no visible ware anywhere. I really liked it. Took my wife down to test drive it with me as I was looking at getting it for her. Anyway looking at it I found it needed tires as the inside of the rears were corded and the fronts were not far behind and the rotors were scored. Looked lije it had a pad slap recently.  
 

I pointed this out and told the sales guy it would need all this to pass inspection so they would have to take care of this before I would consider purchasing it.  The sales guy turns to me and said that I should not worry that they can put a sticker on it for me.  I then told him that so can I as I am an inspector and I take offense to them putting my wife in an unsafe vehicle. Sales guy turns white and goes scurrying off.  I am still holding the keys.  I walk around the car some more and the sales manager comes out. I don't say a thing and hand him the keys.  He then said we can take 1k of the price. I smile and say I was thinking more like 5k off and I don't mention the making it pass statement to the RMV Inspector the next time I see him.   He then offers 3k. I hold fast on 5k.  I tell him to think it over and call me.  I gave him my card.   He called me Saturday and said 4K off. I politely told him 5k off is my number.  He said he would speak with the owner of the dealership.  
 

So who knows I may end up with a Panamera.  I don't need one but hay if they meet my price it would be a very good deal. Had the tires and brakes been good there asking price was ok. 
 

On a side note it was a really interesting test drive. My Merc you feel like you are sitting down in the car with it wrapped around you. The window sills are about 4 inches below my shoulder. The Panamera you are sitting up in it.  It feels much smaller and more like a sports car. The window sills are almost at my elbows. Not bad and I fact it invites you to drive it aggressively.  Just a very interesting comparison between the two cars. Very similar on paper and yet completely different driving experience.

Judging from the new username and 2 threads created with the same title I think this is a weird canoe/bot.

Oh forgot to mention the sales manager asked to see my inspector license. I gladly provided it. I think he thought I was BSing him. After looking at it he got quiet and the sales man persona went away. 

clutchsmoke said:

Judging from the new username and 2 threads created with the same title I think this is a weird canoe/bot.

I have deleted the second thread

I didn't know the Panamera came with a v8 

I thought they were all turbo six.  

My story is a good one. I bought my i3 from a local BMW used car department. I went there after work to check the car out, and by the time we were finishing they were about to close. I go to the finance guy to put a deposit down, so I can go to the bank the next day and get a check, and he asks how much I want to put down.

I say, how much can I charge on my credit card?

He says, as much as you want.

And that's how I bought a car with a credit card!  Wife and I used the points to treat ourselves to a dinner out.

I did the credit card thing years ago. I had negotiated a Pontiac 6000STE down to $12K from an ask of $14K, and got them to replace the rear tires. I specifically had them match the fronts for size and brand. I show up the next day and there are two off brand rears. Fix that or I'm walking away. I come back again the next day and the car is as negotiated. All through the process I never said how it would be paid for, so they send me to see the closer person, who is a drop dead gorgeous blond. She tries to get me to a loan, I insist I'll pay the car if full right then and there. We sign all the paperwork and then I produce two credit cards. She went on and on about getting dinged for the 3% fees, so I just stood up and headed for the door. Of course she wasn't going to lose the sale and I got the car on my terms. About six months later the dealership makes the local news for being charged by Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs for 50 or 60 violations relating to sales practices. They eventually went bankrupt.

In reply to Dave M :

I tried to buy my M2 on my cash back credit card.  No luck ;).  

TrulySpooky said:

I didn't know the Panamera came with a v8 

I thought they were all turbo six.  

You know I never actually looked under the hood. I was going by what was written on the windshield.  Another thing I should look at if they get back to me.
 

thanks!!!   I 

Late 1990, a year left in the Navy.  Desert Shield is going on, we were scheduled to leave the end of December for a 6 month Med cruise anyway, we knew we were going to head for the Persian Gulf...  My Camaro was almost paid off, figured I pay it off early, drop insurance, no bills the last 8 months in the service!

Then I see a slightly used Firebird Formula 350 on a fly-by-night lot.  Ok, I'm curious, my plan was above, but I really liked these cars.  Let's go see what happens.......

Almost empty fuel, we barely go around the block (in heavy traffic), and now he wants to talk $$.  Fine.  He tells me the $, I counter with my plan above and a counter offer.  He says he needs to go talk to his manager.

He walks down the hall, I can still see him out of the doorway.  He stands in the manager's office, who isn't even looking up.  He says loudly, to no one in particular "COME ON BOSS, I REALLY NEED THIS PRICE!!".  Boss never looks up, sales idiot comes back "well, my boss is being a real hardass, but he said we could..."  I laughed and got up, said thanks for your time, and calmly walked out the door.

1.  I'm 21 years old and I'm driving my Datsun around and the new 1983 VW Rabbit GTi is at the dealer for me to take a test drive.  Problem is they're busy and they force me to drive it with another lady and the sales tool.  
 

I do some spirited driving around a few corners and freak out the other two passengers.  This is almost a sports car, right?   They were unhappy and made me go right back to the dealership.  
 

2.  I stopped to see the PT Cruiser when it came out and they had a price on it a $1000 over sticker.  I chuckled with the guy and he tells me it's a hot car and will get it.  Somebody has to live with the fact they paid over sticker for a PT Cruiser for the rest of their lives.  

ZOO said:

In reply to Dave M :

I tried to buy my M2 on my cash back credit card.  No luck ;).  

I purchased a new Mercedes for a friend of mine. This was back in the late 80s. She asked me to go get it for her and gave me her credit card. The idea was to put it on the card so her husband would not see the purchase pre the gift.  Anyway they started complaining about the 5 percent they were going to loose (about 4K) and wanted to add it to the price. I walked to the door of the dealer and pointed to the MasterCard sticker.  The sale went through. The funny part was they never blinked at the fact that it was not my name on the card and that the registration was in someone else's name.  
 

Got to love the 1980s. Easy money without the instant verification by technology. 

Dave M said:

He says, as much as you want.

And that's how I bought a car with a credit card!  Wife and I used the points to treat ourselves to a dinner out.

That's surprising.  In my experience, they have a limit.  It was $2k on the last VW I bought.  I guess the used car dept has more flexibility (profit).

dean1484 said:

TrulySpooky said:

I didn't know the Panamera came with a v8 

I thought they were all turbo six.  

You know I never actually looked under the hood. I was going by what was written on the windshield.  Another thing I should look at if they get back to me.
 

thanks!!!   I 

It's complicated. There are v8 models and V6 and turbo v6 and turbo v8 just depends on the model and year. The 2010-2012 "S" and "4S" have a v8, the 2013+ "S" and "4S" have a twin turbo v6. The Turbos all have V8 twin turbos. The GTS all have a v8, which is twin turbo'd in 2019+.

This story is a good one,not the typical sleazebag sales guy stuff. In 1976 I bought a 1975 Ford Granada, 250 six, 3 speed manual, no power anything. The sales manager spied me looking at it and was standing next to me in about 3 seconds. Now, this is small town Quebec, I know the guy well, I had graduated from university 6 months earlier and already had a Datsun 510. I didn't need that Ford. but it was an unsellable turd and we both knew it. He tells me the price and I wish him "Good luck". He keeps going lower until it's getting pretty enticing, but I tell him I only have half the money . No problem, he can get me a loan. I don't want a loan and told him I'd come back in a few months because he'd still have the car anyway. At this point he offers to let me sign an IOU. So, I did. The IOU was to him personally, not the Lincoln/Mercury dealership and it took me three months to pay it off. That kind of transaction wouldn't happen today.

In reply to Dave M :

I did the same thing this past summer on a bike. I was surprised they let me do it because I hammered them on the sale price

My friend was looking at Isuzu P'ups many years ago and the salesman told him if he bought it today, he'd throw in the "roller bars" for free.

Always great when salespeople don't know jack about what they're selling.

Due to a sudden exciting work offer, my wife and I needed a 4WD Denali XL. It would get snow tracks for a few months of the year.

We drop in at a local dealer that has one. Old salesman comes out and starts babbling about the options. We know about the options. He then goes off on a tangent about his grandchildren and how amazing the Denali has been for years for his family. 

My wife says "I don't care about your grandchildren, I'm here to look at a car." Salesmen is offended, and says "I guess you're not going to buy a car today!" Wife replies "Well, I'm not NOW."

I work at a dealer, and a rather good one all things considered. But car salespeople have earned their reputation and some are truly shining stars in their field.

We had a salesperson who was a real treat. Loud, brash, forward, pushy... Sold lots of cars. Lots. Never had happy customers when the deal was done. Many many many instances of "But X told me the car had Y feature!" Things like a towing package, backup camera, heated seats, blind spot monitoring. Lots of cases of "We told X we wanted to add leather and it was put into the financing...." only to find out that no, it wasn't. But X sold cars. Sales outweigh sins. Nevermind that X was always late and almost always strung out. A real pain in the ass and I don't even work in the sales dept.

Anyway, one day X is in a car with one of the lot techs (think 18-20, shuffling cars around between service, sales and detail.) X is "medicated". X makes a very physical sexual advance on the young kid while in the car and if the kid is aggressive he shouldn't need to work for a few years. Anyway, X is no longer employed here and was last seen delivering sandwiches for a local chain.

Even at good dealerships there are bad car salespeople.

*edit. As of tomorrow I will not be employed at the dealer either though for very voluntary reasons. Such excitement!

Mine may be a bit different.

It was a Friday a couple of years back around this time of year, I was driving past a tiny used lot and I saw a 2006 NC Miata sitting out front. I stopped and took a look, it was a 6 speed Sport, so I went inside to talk to the guy. We talked a bit, he copied my driver's license and tossed me he keys. I took it for a drive- the car was in good shape, drove well, etc. I sat down, we talked numbers and they were... good. He tole me this that was the pre-tax season, convertible in winter time price. They had dealer financing there, but the dealer advised me that their financing was catered to sub-prime buyers and I could probably get a better rate elsewhere. Ok. Am I in the twilight zone, here?

The guy was good. The car had sold when I called them up on Monday. I'd have bought it.

That tiny used lot is still there, while a number of them have come and gone in the area. 

We bought a SAAB from a dealer in Madison Wisconsin. A 1-man shop. At the time, the guy was ONLY selling used SAAB's, Honda Elements, and an occasional Toyota. I think now he is mostly retired and just sells about 2 cars a month.

We were going to Rockford Illinois to look at another SAAB. Dealer called us 30 minutes before they opened, told us they had received a deposit on it the night before (I don't think they were lying). So we turn right and head to Madison where we had this one lined up. Got a real good feeling from this guy. He said that he had bought the car at auction when it came off lease, and sold it to a UW Professor. They traded it back in when her knee didn't let her drive 3 pedals anymore on an automatic SAAB. We Didn't even haggle with him, it was exactly as advertised.

About 2 years later, the engine went all Swedish on us. Oil sludge. GM will replace the engine under extended warranty if we can produce maintenance records. So we call up the salesman. 2 days later, he's gotten in touch with the PO's and we have complete service history on the vehicle. 

Anyone looking for a Honda Element should look up Mike Wenkman. Good guy.