Hero's Q & A on Auto Dealerships

[Ignatius]

Alright folks, I've decided to start this thread on the premise that I'll take on any and all questions anyone has about Automotive Dealerships. I myself have worked at a few different dealerships in my life - some good, some bad, some you'd shoot yourself in the foot if you got suckered into buying a vehicle from

If you need some advice on car buying I'll gladly help with that! I'm open to any questions regarding automotive pricing, common dealership pratices, policies (this may get fishy!), types of salespeople/management, and/or anything else anyone can come up with Also, if you'd like to bring in something you've read on the internet as far as "car buying tips" or something similiar, I'll gladly analyze it and give you my thoughts.

Now I won't sit here and drum up some big line of BS or try to make you think I'm the all-seeing, all-knowing guru of the automotive world... I would just hope that I can provide any professional advice, assistance, analytical views, etc on the industry in my capacity based on what I've seen and worked around.

The floor is open and you have the microphone, so fire at will!

[Boxxerace]

OK, I'll Bite:

Q: What should a purchaser expect to pay for, besides the vehicle in and of itself. Please include an example of "extra" options, add. warranty's, dealer costs, advertising, etc. Just a generalization will do. Please tell us what is "normal" to pay for and what is not.

[Ignatius]

That is hard to answer in itself, the two main things to consider are if you have a trade and also the dealership itself. Every dealership is different and the ALL operate differently, asking me to generalize the pricing policies of all dealerships... well you might as well be asking me how the universe was created as there is no definative answer

I really just can't nail that one down as there truly is no clear-cut answer that I could give anyone. As far is what is "normal" to pay for, the best advice I could give is that if you think it sounds fishy... it may very well be. Like I've said though, it does depend the dealership and sometimes what brand of vehicle you're looking to purchase.

[JazzyMT]

Originally posted by Hero
I'm open to any questions regarding automotive pricing, common dealership pratices, policies (this may get fishy!), types of salespeople/management, and/or anything else anyone can come up with

Hero, I think we'd all appreciate a more honest evaluation of what dealer practices to look out for and which practices are striaght up. You obviously have experience with both breeds & I understand your reluctance to "open up" the floodgates for car salesman trash talk, but if you want to help, we need the whole picture...generalities are nothing new.

[Boxxerace]

You said something that interests me. You said sometimes it can depend on what brand of vehicle you are looking at.

Do you find that the car manufacturer's and distributors have a large affect on what kind of approach and attitude the dealers take? What kind of influences do you have from the top?

Q:Once you are at the dealer what is the best approach a buyer can take once they step out of thier car if they more or less know the car that they want. What should a potential purchaser say or not say to get started into "the deal"?

[Woodstock20723]

Originally posted by Boxxerace
You said something that interests me. You said [I]sometimes it can depend on what brand of vehicle you are looking at. [/B]

I have found this to be true. Up and coming brands finding a niche in the marketplace tend to be less pushy and more friendly in my experience. Since '95 I have bought from Chevy, Saturn and Subaru. While researching all my purchases I shopped at Honda, Toyota, VW, Nissan and a couple others.
I found Toyota salesmen to be the most obnoxious of all. I swear I heard the phrase "what can I do to put you in this car today?" more times from those guys than anyone else in my life.

[snowon]

Originally posted by jazzymt
Hero, I think we'd all appreciate a more honest evaluation of what dealer practices to look out for and which practices are striaght up. You obviously have experience with both breeds & I understand your reluctance to "open up" the floodgates for car salesman trash talk, but if you want to help, we need the whole picture...generalities are nothing new.

did you change your reply?? the first one was funny!

[Boxxerace]

Let's let what rest's rest - Instead, lets get this thread going! Post your questions boys + girls. Obviously, try to be specific as possible.

[Ignatius]

Originally posted by jazzymt
Hero, I think we'd all appreciate a more honest evaluation of what dealer practices to look out for and which practices are straight up. You obviously have experience with both breeds & I understand your reluctance to "open up" the floodgates for car salesman trash talk, but if you want to help, we need the whole picture...generalities are nothing new.

You simply cannot just plain generalize pricing policies as a whole, it is far too subjective. I don't want to say something to someone based on my previous experiences with the SPECIFIC dealerships I've worked for and lead them to believe that thats the way it will be at whatever dealership they go to. Bad PR for me and I'll loose credibility with the people I'm trying provide help to by making this thread

Originally posted by Boxxerace
You said something that interests me. You said sometimes it can depend on what brand of vehicle you are looking at.

Do you find that the car manufacturer's and distributors have a large affect on what kind of approach and attitude the dealers take? What kind of influences do you have from the top?

Q:Once you are at the dealer what is the best approach a buyer can take once they step out of their car if they more or less know the car that they want. What should a potential purchaser say or not say to get started into "the deal"?

The manufacturer/company has about 80% influence on how the vehicles will be sold. They create their own training plans for dealership personnel to follow and usually enforce it in a stringent manner. Now thats not to say that the dealership's salespeople and management can't change things here and there to meet their needs. Its more of just the automaker saying, "Learn our way and implement it in doing things your way."

The best approach any customer can take when going into a dealership is to BE HONEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the general public has a radically distorted view on how atrocious car salespersons are. I'm not going to sit here and get ultra-righteous on everyone, but I truly did my best to be as absolutely honest to every single customer I've ever dealt with and so have been just about every single other car salesperson I've worked with.

I would say that any given customer will blatantly lie to me 1000 times before I would consciously consider lying to them. I'm saying that as a matter of fact as it seems most customer's lies come back to haunt them during a deal, many times the deal is broken therefore and GUESS who the customers blame??? The salesman, the dealership, God, Allah, GW Bush, Bin Laden, WHOEVER it may be... but its a very rare occasion that I've seen ANY customer take responsibility for their falsities and admit the truth. Why do they care? They're dealing with the most rotten swindlers on earth!

Sorry for the long rant, it is just so frustrating Automotive sales is not easy by any means Understand that I was the ultimate hardcore shopper on anything I was buying (especially cars) before I became a salesman. Now having sat on the other side of the table I see just how difficult it is, even if you're making a ton of money!

I'll start a new post...

[Ignatius]

Seriously everyone I'm not saying this to make you all sympathetic to automotive sales personnel, but honesty truly is the best policy when buying a vehicle from a dealership. I mean really folks, do you like when someone lies to you over a serious matter? Do you not think its a waiste of their time and your's as well? I think the biggest thing that neither party likes (customer or salesperson) is the negotiating process. I despised haggling the customer and I do believe the feeling was mutual in just about every case I've had. Here's my absolute best advice on negotiating:

1. NEVER NEVER NEVER accept the first offer a dealership will make you! You will be throwing you're money away if you do, every deal I've worked has always started with a VERY conservative offer from the dealership. Its the simple tactic of letting the dealership show how much better they can do with the second offer!

2. NEVER NEVER NEVER accept the second offer either!

3. Now you're starting to get aggravated because you think your salesperson and their manager are just jerking you around and waisting your time. Be patient and hang in there because this is when the real deals start to happen. Right now you need to slow down and honestly consider EVERYTHING surrounding the purchase of said vehicle. Consider if you can realistically afford the offer they are presenting you. If you can afford it, then take it and save yourself a larger headache!

Really folks, its highly unlikely that you'll find another dealership that will make you some mythical spectacular deal like you may have been thinking. If you want to buy then buy, if not you're just waisting your time and that of many others.