Dapster

I was speaking to a salesperson of "prestige" vehicles (Ferrari/Maserati/Porsche) and asked if he could differentiate between time wasters and potential punters easily enough.

He said the first thing he looks at is the persons shoes, then their watch!

He did say that he was happy to chat to genuine enthusiast who start the conversation off by saying "I could never afford one, but do you mind letting me sit in one of those please" than the total b*llsh*t merchants who talk nonsense for an hour just for a brochure.

Have any of you guys been blanked when genuinely interested or gone out for a pint of milk and ended up driving an F40 round the block on the blag?

MadGrip

I nearly gave up on buying my new car because dealers wouldnt take me seriously. I wasnt spending ferrari money, but even though i was looking at spending between 15 & 20K they seemed to think i wasnt serious.
Not really sure why, maybe because i was always looking after finishing work and was in my scruffs , the youngish looks and shaved head. I eventually handed over my hard earned cash to the only place that did make the effort to make me feel as if THEY weren't doing ME a favour

Dracoro

What if you go in bare-footed without a watch? Confuse the hell out of them!

I guess if you're serious and have the financial clout to buy one, you could 'prove' it easily enough even if you wear normal clothes etc. If you're not serious then don't expect to get anywhere.

A lot of these places you can't just ask for a test drive, you need to be 'invited'.

NACRO

"He said the first thing he looks at is the persons shoes, then their watch!"

That's quite funny, an ex-pat friend of mine who has a few quid generally wears sandals, shorts and no watch. He also owns a 911 Turbo and some other nice cars, I wonder whether our salesman friend would spot him for a potential customer or if he'd assume he was some kind of bum?

IMHO dealers should take everyone seriously- if they don't have the cash now, perhaps they will in a few yrs. Just another example of car salesman, who lets face it do a pretty scummy job, having their heads stuck up their asses.

ProperCharlie

Had the brush off big time by a certain BMW dealership. At the time I wanted to get a mini for the wife and was thinking of a 3 series for me. I went in with my business partner - he was wearing a tracksuit and I had jeans and a t-shirt. The woman was seriously disinterested it talking to us about anything. We seemed to be getting no-where, so I casually asked my associate if he could give me my xmas bonus as we didn't seem to be getting anywhere with trying to buy a car. He took about an envelope that had about 10k in it, counted out 4k and plopped it down on the coffee table in front of the saleswoman. I ask her if that will do for a deposit. I think she thought we'd just held up a post office.

Anyway, due to their attitude I never went back for the 3 series.

George W Bush

A farmer who sold his farm for £20 million to a property developer came into a prestige dealer I was working in to look at a Ferrari F355 the stuck up salesman looked down his nose at him...until he produced a satchel full of money....the look on the arrogant salesmans face was priceless and a lesson was learnt....I will never understand the mentality of car salesmen I have never met such a bunch of holier than thou tossers in my life....I used to sell cars and almost all of the salesmen were failed business men or pension salespeople with huge chips on their shoulders.

philz

Yep, same here. I've been to plenty of garages where the salesman won't even bother to come over and say "hello, do you need any help". It's their loss cos I choose to spend my money elsewhere.

ElliotP

As a general rule, avoid them all on Saturdays and Sundays. They consider them the "tyre kicker days". Vast majority of business is conducted during the weekdays - the general feeling being that the people lucky enough to afford the cars can take time off work any time they like, in order to visit the dealer.

ElliotP

Also, I absolutely NEVER dress up - Always look a scruffy ****

There's nothing worse than the "BMW dealer weekend family day out" types. Go to a BMW dealer, park up and just watch the visitors. 90% (if not all) of the women will have got specially tarted up for the visit. And they all look the same, in a plastic tarted up kind of way. It's terrible.....

MattW

Last weekend I took my sister to VW and Audi to look at a Beetle conv and a TT roadster. She doesn't have a budget, she is paying cash (+ part ex) and will buy the car she is more impressed with.

VW
Salesman approached and asked if we wanted help, I explained that my sister was the buyer, she has a part ex and is interested in VW Beetle convertible, new one. Also explained she doesnt have a clue about engines, she is more interested in leather seats and the colour of it.

Salesman explains the models to my sister, takes some details of the part ex and offers a test drive. off we go out in a 1.6 convertible.

At end of test drive, saleman explains lead times, offers to get best part ex price sometime this week. Sister explains that she is not in a rush to buy and will gladly wait for salesman to return call later this week.

Audi
Salesman wonders out of showroom while I am looking round second hand TT roadster outside. Asks whether we need any help. I explained sister is looking at TT, have already had a look at the Beetle, she wants to compare the two. I also comment that new 150bhp model available, and query price.

Salesman queries budget, in light of comparison with cheaper Beetle, i explain budget is not set, but is based on which is the more desirable car. Salesman waffles on about not being able to buy a TT for £17k, to which i again explain that the budget is fluid. Salesman handsover price list, suggests we go away and read it and come back if we want any more info.

Question is, which car was my sister more impressed with?

Kevin Mc

Condescening **** [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Always a shame when a perfectly good car is let down by the muppets selling them at dealers They must lose so much business with these sorts of attitudes......

ProperCharlie

I went in to the dealer on a weekday morning - the place was practically deserted but the attitude of "you do not deserve to own one of our cars" still prevailed.

MattW

Kevin Mc - exactly! unfortunately i prefer the TT (for a girl's car ) as the residuals, look, spec is better so have been trying to pursuade my sister to get one of them. Suffice to say we wont be using this particular one.

LG John

When I was 18 I picked up Autoexpress and looked for the fastest car listed from 0-60 that was even reasonable to blag a test drive in. At that time the VTS was the winner at 7.7s so off I went to the Citroen garage. I walked in and asked to drive one and the guy took a copy of my license chucked me the keys and said be back in a few hours I spend 2 hours ragging crap out of a VTS round edinburgh and had the time of my life. 3-4 years later I finished uni and wanted a hot-hatch. After a lot of thinking I settled on the VTS and guess what, I walked straight into that garage and didn't give any other garages a visit. It may have taken them four years to get my business but they were good to me so I was good to them in turn.

What goes around comes around and thats why I feel very sorry for a number of Edinburgh garages that are on my revenge list [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Now that I'm going to be getting rid of the scooby there are a few cars I want to blag a drive in (elise & M3 in particular). Whats the best way to leave a blagged test drive as I don't like saying, 'cheers for the drive but I didn't like the car' as I know I'll probably love both and I'm a crap liar!

davegtt

I went to buy a car recently with the misses she was only loking at fiestas/saxos/fiats/clio etc small cars and the dealers couldnt have been more helpful. When ever I walk into a place to look at scoobys or anything remotley expensive I find dealers to be arrogant people who even when u go to them for info etc they still dont want to know even thought he place is dead and they have no other potentiol buyers on the forecourt. does my head in, puts me off looking at cars.

RS Grant

"Thanks for the test drive (maybe chuck in a couple of compliments about hte car), I have a few other options I am considering (be prepared with a list of cars ) at the moment and will get back to you"

That always seems to work for me!!

Cheers,
Grant

LG John

I figured that would probably be the best approach

LG John

I figured that would probably be the best approach

pottsy

Went to look at some Porsches with a friend who bought his 911 at 19! When he went to the same garage the first time they completely ignored him - so he bought one privately. When he turned up in a 911 a couple of years later they were all over him.
Rule No. 1 for test drives: Turn up in a comparable car, no matter how old it is, no matter if its yours, no matter what you are dressed like and they will be all over you.
My plan now is to somehow get a test in a Z4 or something and go around all the other garages I want to blag a test drive from while on the test drive!

NACRO

Saxo do exactly as advised above- after all in another 3 yrs you'll probably be in there buying one anyway. Just like the Saxo.

LG John

That much is true! I also have a list of Edinburgh garages that I like and would buy from if going for their brand

What goes around comes around - shame they don't seem to realise it

Kevin Mc

Must admit the reception was fine with me when looking at Seat, Renault, Ford and VW. Not so good (surprisingly) with Skoda. Mind you I was in my work gear, and seriously looking for a company car. Ford and Renault were the best - I went for a VW in the end - don't rate their aftercare / service though - but that's another thread.

I'll be doing it all over again next spring - I'll have to go in my scruffs!

Student Phil

Car salesmen, considering their position, are particularly judgemental. Never forget the tale of Jimmy Saville of 'Jim'll Fix It' fame who, having been unimpressed with the attitude of a salesman the previous day, walked into a garage, tipped a suitcase full of notes on the floor and said 'I'll take the Ferrari.' Never judge a book by its cover.

On the other hand, I was very impressed with my local BMW dealership who were helpful, friendly and knowledgeable despite my particularly student-esque appearence. I was even willing to order from them and wait a little longer for delivery on the basis that their service was excellent.

Olly

Only ever bought 2 new cars, (Impreza's), and both were bought over the fax machine from good old Gertjan in Holland. If every salesman was like him, there would be a 1000% increase in new car sales.

Probably a good job he never saw me, as I would get escorted to the door straight away.

Thing is I own an expensive watch. Why should I wear it when I go to look at a car?

I also own an expensive pair of shoes. Why should I wear them either?

I also have access to expensive cars. What is the need to pull up outside? Who am I trying to bull****?

Case in point: Mum 'n dad have just ordered a new Cayenne. They ordered Sunday, the Wilmslow dealership required a bag of sand as deposit on Monday. Old man is busy, I am passing, so I call in with the envelope. Old T shirt, ripped jeans and Docs on as usual. Screech up, parked the Transit directly outside the door, and wandered in. All sales and service staff busy with customers in suits dropping off Boxters, but ALL clock me. Kick the tyres of a GT2 in the window (on purpose, for effect). Wait, and wait, and wait for assistance.

Eventually one of the service staff SHOUTS over the full showroom to me from his desk "Can we help you at all?" I shout back: "Here to pay a deposit for the Cayenne". I swear my feet never left the ground, and within seconds I was on a squishy leather settee with coffee in my hand, and surrounded by a hareem of salesmen who called me "sir" a lot.

What would have happened if I was there to VIEW a Porsche, or heaven forbid actually demand a TEST DRIVE?

sebastian

I always find that a very pointed look at the time on my Rolex does the trick with salesstaff....that and my impeccable public school accent. It also helps being rather tall, elegant and distinguished looking.

It boils down to a class issue.

ProperCharlie

those who need to wear a rolex....

...and those who don't

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

I've only ever been to three car dealers in the UK, two of them twice.

One was a used car dealer in Watford. They had this really nice mr2 I wanted to have a look at and on both occasions I went in, they did not bother even coming out of the office to ask me if I was alright... Never bought anything from them, of course

The Renault garage in Croydon was at least nice enough to ask us if we needed some help, but we were only looking so didn't buy anything anyway. Still nice of them to ask, though

The last one is Adams in Aylesbury (and Milton Keynes?). Went in a year or so back to have a look at the 2002 WRX and get some brochures. Didn't even go in for a test drive but still ended up having a go with one of their salesmen. Can't remember the salesmans name, but he was a youngish lad. Didn't really like the car, but the service was good none the less.

Went in again at end of June to have a look at the new WRX, and had a test drive in ripped jeans and a scruffy t-shirt. Again, service was excellent and really, really liked the car. Signed the papers the same day

Moral of story: Be nice to your customers and they might come back