Common sales trick used by many car dealers

[MGV6]

I went to a local Honda dealer today to test drive a car (possibly a 2nd car) and I noticed a common sales trick used by so many dealers.

They say to you "we have someone else who is also interested in this car looking to come on XXXX (whenever)"

Whilst it is fair to say this could be a genuine and honest comment, I have found in my experience at least, that by the time this Joe Nobody arrives on XXXXX, the car is still there a week later or so. Not for the first time but 12 times now I have experienced this in total.

Like I said, on some occasions it may well be true but I do believe that a lot of these salesman do lie a lot just to further push and tempt customers to buy the car.

From a business point of view not a bad thing to do but where is the honesty?????? :thinking:

[richy rich]

yes they do this day in day out :greedy: /applaude

[TAR]

they must learn at the same school as estate agents /Grrr

[Kieran]

they must learn at the same school as estate agents /Grrr

Oh yes, first house we went to look at the silly bint from the Agents was on the phone the next day!! /grr

[bradc]

Just get a black marker pen and write on there

"we are just making this up because we are pushy arseholes and we don't deserve your business"

if the card is on the inside and you can't write on it, the windscreen is a perfectly good place to substitute :)

[MGV6]

Yes and these dealers who do this regularly you can only imagine what they must be like when servicing your car and this is precisely the reason why we need people like WRD :)

[WildCards]

I wouldn't dare get out of bed in the morning if I were you.

[Xeroid]

Just say " That's ok, I'm just a tyre kicker anyway "

I got them figured though. If you're REALLY interested you have to be prepared to walk away. I reckon if it doesn't fall your way them it wasn't to be and there must be a better one waiting for you round the corner. I got a house once by bidding to below reserve, then switching to another house that was at the same auction ( THAT threw them ) then passing on that and then being prepared to drive away from it all when I wouldn't go any higher for the first house. Saved nearly $100,000.

Don't let them pressure you, you're the one with the 'money' ( even if you haven't got any !! ). Make head shaking noises and back turning movements and start walking and they crawl and change their tune.

[Brunty]

"Don't get done, get Dom" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/beonashow/shows/dontgetdom.shtml)

[stuey]

You said car dealer & honesty in the same post "!!!! He He.. !

[d i c k i e s]

agree wif xeroid! but i havent done it with a house yet, not ready to setlle in just yet. but ive done it with the cars. yes they do come running. they even ring you!

[MGV6]

UPDATE:

I caught them red handed - blantantly lying!

2 day before I went for test drive, I was told by them that someone from Leicester is coming down (to Greenford in London) to see the car. They told me if I wanted to secure the car - put a deposit (refundable if you dont like the car). I insisted. How can you put deposit if you havent even seen or tested the car? Anyhow, I was told the car could be sold on that day when these so called "Joe Nobody" will come down.

Ok so 5pm that evening I got a call. I was told these Joe Nobody have brought the car but Manager is not 100% happy with the finance taken out by this Joe nobody and they will go through another 2 finance approval companies to accept their elibility.

Ok so at this point, one wonders, so how have they brought the car? Even if they have put deposit they havent purchased it yet but anyway.........

2 days later, I turn up in their showroom, the car is still there and i am told their finance didnt go through and still awaiting results from other 2 finance companies. BUT I am then told someone else is also interrested in the car and coming down on Sunday and they told me these are not the same as the leicester people. Ok test drive done - good but I inisisted I want to wait until these other people have done their business. Monday arrives (today) car is still there and I am told by a different staff that only 1 person came down last week and the leicester guys came on Sunday but it didnt go through so ....

who was these other so called "Joe Nobody" that came on Sunday?

and did they really except someone to beleive someone came down from Leicester twice to London just to discuss a Finance agreement??????????

Two conflicting stories from 2 different people and add to that today they called me to say car is still available so I can put deposit on it. I told them to stuff it you lying sods . :)

No urmm...I just havent answered their calls now. I just ignore them. I dont want to buy a car from untrustworthy ****s.

[Rikki]

In fairness it all sounds like little white lies, like a typical salesman :thinking: would be different if he was lying about the car.

You can not honestly think that salesmen tell the truth do you?? :speechles

When i went to buy my car, i was told that there were others interested, just so he looks good. when i went down, as expected, the car hadnt been moved and no one had been interested in it. still bought the car cos it made no difference whatsoever to it, plus i managed to knock him down.

[MGV6]

Yes, I think when buying a car (or anything else), you can not trust the words of a Salesman. You have to do your own research. These people are sales-driven and will do anything to sell it regardless of whether something is right or not. Most of them work on comission so that explains it. In the case above, its a different story but still lying like they did all the way - its just so pathetic and silly.

[Spirit]

Having been in sales for 21 years, I would agree with the advise of doing your own research and getting what you want and not what they want to sell you.

In defence of the car salesman, many are in a position of having to do anything to make a sale. As some of you know, I worked as a business manager for a VW dealer for 18 months. You may be a little surprised to know that the basic pay for a salesman there is just £8k per annum, £10k if you were a department head (e.g new or used). OTE is approx £25-30k, but the rest is commission.......so if it was you, what would you do ?

I wouldn't really accuse the car dealership you spoke to GTZ as blatant liars. As a business manager I had to try and keep tabs on 6 salespeople, so I knew most of what was happening, but one salesman did not know what the other was doing half the time so maybe other people did come down to look at the car when they were at lunch or day off etc. With regards to the finance, I dealt with several companies and the timespan for an answer ranged from "instant" over the phone, to sometimes 3/4 days for a company who dealt with less creditworthy clients.

[MGV6]

Having been in sales for 21 years, I would agree with the advise of doing your own research and getting what you want and not what they want to sell you.

In defence of the car salesman, many are in a position of having to do anything to make a sale. As some of you know, I worked as a business manager for a VW dealer for 18 months. You may be a little surprised to know that the basic pay for a salesman there is just £8k per annum, £10k if you were a department head (e.g new or used). OTE is approx £25-30k, but the rest is commission.......so if it was you, what would you do ?

I wouldn't really accuse the car dealership you spoke to GTZ as blatant liars. As a business manager I had to try and keep tabs on 6 salespeople, so I knew most of what was happening, but one salesman did not know what the other was doing half the time so maybe other people did come down to look at the car when they were at lunch or day off etc. With regards to the finance, I dealt with several companies and the timespan for an answer ranged from "instant" over the phone, to sometimes 3/4 days for a company who dealt with less creditworthy clients.

Spirit, I agree with what you say. Their basic wage is usually low and the rest is all dependant on OTE which is usually in the form of comission.

I'm not sure what I would do if I was a saleman but I can see what is required in order to make sale. In business terms, what you said is absolutely right but I do believe when most of these salesman say "we have someone who is also interested in the car" they do lie most of the time just to push a customer to make that all important sale.

In my case, I am certain they are doing just that. I just had a voice message on my phone just an hour ago and the same dealer has said someone has just called and are interested in the car. So thats the 14th time Ive heard it and yet on 13 occasions that car was still there weeks later and I am pretty sure it will be the same again.

The real question I suppose is where does one draw the line between making money and honesty?

[Nutter_John]

Well let me throw this into the pot , maybe the salesmen get pissed off with being run around by knobheads who will not buy the car just talk about buying it .

At the end of the day people stretch the truth , we all do it no matter what we do for a living . So why should they be any different

Bottom line is you buy a car or you don't , you listen to there bull**** or you don't , lifes to short to worry about it

[d i c k i e s]

UPDATE:

I caught them red handed - blantantly lying!

2 day before I went for test drive, I was told by them that someone from Leicester is coming down (to Greenford in London) to see the car. They told me if I wanted to secure the car - put a deposit (refundable if you dont like the car). I insisted. How can you put deposit if you havent even seen or tested the car? Anyhow, I was told the car could be sold on that day when these so called "Joe Nobody" will come down.

Ok so 5pm that evening I got a call. I was told these Joe Nobody have brought the car but Manager is not 100% happy with the finance taken out by this Joe nobody and they will go through another 2 finance approval companies to accept their elibility.

Ok so at this point, one wonders, so how have they brought the car? Even if they have put deposit they havent purchased it yet but anyway.........

2 days later, I turn up in their showroom, the car is still there and i am told their finance didnt go through and still awaiting results from other 2 finance companies. BUT I am then told someone else is also interrested in the car and coming down on Sunday and they told me these are not the same as the leicester people. Ok test drive done - good but I inisisted I want to wait until these other people have done their business. Monday arrives (today) car is still there and I am told by a different staff that only 1 person came down last week and the leicester guys came on Sunday but it didnt go through so ....

who was these other so called "Joe Nobody" that came on Sunday?

and did they really except someone to beleive someone came down from Leicester twice to London just to discuss a Finance agreement??????????

Two conflicting stories from 2 different people and add to that today they called me to say car is still available so I can put deposit on it. I told them to stuff it you lying sods . :)

No urmm...I just havent answered their calls now. I just ignore them. I dont want to buy a car from untrustworthy ****s.

totally agree... but in my case it was true. the day i saw my legnum i wanted it. salesman had said that others were lookin at it. (this is ture) the other person lookin at it was my girlfriends friend from work at the time. when we got the car he saw it and saw us in it and said were you the other person... i said were you that other person... he was gutted! when it was sold... till this day i dont think hes got a new car that i know of. :thinking:

took me 4 days to get my car. took em a whole day to get the cambelt done. and then 3 days to put the alarm in. (they said it was difficult!)

[Throbbe]

The real question I suppose is where does one draw the line between making money and honesty?

It is a bit of a game, and to be honest as a customer I play the game too. I certainly wouldn't let on that I was desperate to buy a car, or that the one on offer matched my needs exactly.

Salesmen do get into trouble for blatantly lying about the product, so couldn't make up performance figures, mpg etc.

[Rikki]

It is a bit of a game, and to be honest as a customer I play the game too. I certainly wouldn't let on that I was desperate to buy a car, or that the one on offer matched my needs exactly.

Salesmen do get into trouble for blatantly lying about the product, so couldn't make up performance figures, mpg etc.


its funny you should mention that actually. one year i went to see about a MGZR, this was before i got my 2nd Galant, and the salesman told me that the 105 version had 108Bhp. I corrected him instantly telling him it was 103, but then he said "No, this model is 108 out of a 1.4", and then I walked away as I got the impression he didnt know what he was talking about. Although interestingly enough, Parkers now states the power at 101 :thinking:

[MGV6]

its funny you should mention that actually. one year i went to see about a MGZR, this was before i got my 2nd Galant, and the salesman told me that the 105 version had 108Bhp. I corrected him instantly telling him it was 103, but then he said "No, this model is 108 out of a 1.4", and then I walked away as I got the impression he didnt know what he was talking about. Although interestingly enough, Parkers now states the power at 101 :thinking:


Parkers guide isn't 100% accurate. For example, it says Galant 2.5 V6 Sport has 161bhp and Elegance 158bhp. This isn't true as the offical Galant brochure from Mitsui says max 158bhp for both.

[Rikki]

Parkers guide isn't 100% accurate. For example, it says Galant 2.5 V6 Sport has 161bhp and Elegance 158bhp. This isn't true as the offical Galant brochure from Mitsui says max 158bhp for both.

I believe that the V6 is 161bhp, in all guises, unfortunately I have a manual out a v6-24 (did the sport ones get updated??) and havent bothered to read Mits's quoted power.

[Nutter_John]

Ok valid points GTZ101 ( by the way what is your name ) but can you tell the difference between 158bhp and 161bhp becasue I don't think many people would be able to .

[MGV6]

Ok valid points GTZ101 ( by the way what is your name ) but can you tell the difference between 158bhp and 161bhp becasue I don't think many people would be able to .

I wouldn't know (WRD might), usually minor differences in bhp changes the top speed on the vehicle, one might be faster then the other but in our case, Mitsubishi say both are capable of doing 137mph top speed (on manual 2.5 V6 Sport/Elegance) however again, Parkers guide has got it wrong and is saying 140mph for Sport.

oh , my name is Gurj. :)

[MGV6]

I believe that the V6 is 161bhp, in all guises, unfortunately I have a manual out a v6-24 (did the sport ones get updated??) and havent bothered to read Mits's quoted power.

I saw it from a 2001 brochure. It wasnt mine, I only had a quick look at it.

If I get hold of it again, I'll try photocopying it and put it in library section.

[Kieran]

.....This isn't true as the offical Galant brochure from Mitsui says max 158bhp for both.

Err.... Which brochure is that Gurj?:book:

[g6acb]

OK, lets put the BHP thing to bed..... When the Galant was launched in the UK they had to comply with EURO II emmisions testing, and some point in 2000 the updated EURO III standard came into force requiring testing from the moment the engine starts, not atfer 40 seconds idling as before....

To meet EURO III, the fueling needed a little tweek - resulting in the slightly lower 'official' power figures 2.0 16v down to 131 from 134, v6-24 down to 158 from 161

I wouldn't worry about it too much though, these figures came from the sample engine / engines sent by mitsu for compliance - I doubt the many thousands of engines produced output exactly the same power, I wouldn't be surprised if a variation of +- 3bhp is out of specification anyway

[MGV6]

Err.... Which brochure is that Gurj?:book:

It said 2001 on it (both the Elegance and Sport model). It was my mates copy. I will try to copy it, scan it and post it in the library section sometime this week so everyone can see it.

[Eurospec]

OK, lets put the BHP thing to bed..... When the Galant was launched in the UK they had to comply with EURO II emmisions testing, and some point in 2000 the updated EURO III standard came into force requiring testing from the moment the engine starts, not atfer 40 seconds idling as before....

To meet EURO III, the fueling needed a little tweek - resulting in the slightly lower 'official' power figures 2.0 16v down to 131 from 134, v6-24 down to 158 from 161

I wouldn't worry about it too much though, these figures came from the sample engine / engines sent by mitsu for compliance - I doubt the many thousands of engines produced output exactly the same power, I wouldn't be surprised if a variation of +- 3bhp is out of specification anyway

I'm off topic here, but interesting nontheless.

I have dyno'd quite a lot of cars and i notice that once the cars are a few years old the variation is normaly -ve and its normally a lot more than 3bhp. Bear in mind that in the main of course i am not dynoing new cars, but cars of varying age and mileage. New cars, i would agree, seem to come in within a very small range of the book figure. Normally between 2 or 3 at most.

I do have one exception- i recently dyno'd an absolutely standard GTO - not even an air filter or an Exhuast on it. It made 285bhp and 320ftlbs of torque at 12 years of age and 60k miles! Of course it was a car subject to the 280bhp watershed, but many say the Mk2 cars make 320bhp and 300ft/lbs. Eitherway, the 320 ft/lbs is impressive!

Cheers,

Ben.

[bradc]

benh, at the dyno day in NZ a lot of the stock VR-4's were putting out 160-175kw at the wheels, some as low as 140kw. The ones at 140-145kw were making the stock boost of 8psi, the others were as high as 11psi. They were all 100% stock, so I think there is some room for movement within specs.

[Rikki]

I wouldn't know (WRD might), usually minor differences in bhp changes the top speed on the vehicle, one might be faster then the other but in our case, Mitsubishi say both are capable of doing 137mph top speed (on manual 2.5 V6 Sport/Elegance) however again, Parkers guide has got it wrong and is saying 140mph for Sport.

oh , my name is Gurj. :)

well i for one know that the top speed on the V6 is above both those listed. i dont remember 137 being stated anywhere about the v6 though, 135 was the stated top end on the 2.0.