ALL THOSE BUYING OFF LOTS, PLEASE READ!
3/25/05, 03:40 PM
#22
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This just goes to show why America is in the crap it is- there is a major lack of respect for everything and everyone! Certainly, there is a lack of respect for the American work ethic; regardless of what you get paid- do the best you can ALL THE TIME! This is what I've always taught my kids and I live by it!
3/25/05, 04:11 PM
#23
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Sorry, this got a little long.
I have to add my own story here. I worked at a Lincoln Mercury Dealer for a while, and as you know, the LS's are fun cars. I drove one kinda hard one time, but it was FAR from any kind of abuse. I respect people’s property. BUT, a new porter was hired a short time before I left . . .
The guy was an idiot. He was in his teens, and had a blue Mustang with loud exhaust. He would drive it through the shop (the "service isle" was in the shop as well, so customers where always in the shop) instead of going out the gate and through the parking lot. He would then lay a patch pulling out onto the street. He did this everyday. Nobody said anything to him. Then, within a week of him being there, he went out to get an LS's for whatever reason, and decided to get himself fired . . .
The car was parked right behind the rear of the shop, right next to the open overhead door. He got in, sat there and revved the crap out of it for a few seconds, then did a 4 grand neutral drop and a 50+ foot burnout!! :angry:
It's amazing he didn't hit anything, or anyone. He had to be flying when he got to a blind corner where there are a lot of cars and people moving around the dealer. Needless to say, the shop emptied, and most of us techs where ready to rip him a new one when he got back. It was one of the few times there where no customers around. If the owner of the dealer had been there, he would have literally picked the kid up and thrown him out the door.
That reminds me of something that happened back in college. I was in the auto tech building during a class, and we heard somebody doing burnouts behind the building. The instructor went out and found a kid in one of the college's Mustangs! He physically pulled the kid out of the car and dragged him to the office.
Not sure if he was kicked out or not . . . but his reasoning? "The car was going to get crushed anyway."
I have to add my own story here. I worked at a Lincoln Mercury Dealer for a while, and as you know, the LS's are fun cars. I drove one kinda hard one time, but it was FAR from any kind of abuse. I respect people’s property. BUT, a new porter was hired a short time before I left . . .
The guy was an idiot. He was in his teens, and had a blue Mustang with loud exhaust. He would drive it through the shop (the "service isle" was in the shop as well, so customers where always in the shop) instead of going out the gate and through the parking lot. He would then lay a patch pulling out onto the street. He did this everyday. Nobody said anything to him. Then, within a week of him being there, he went out to get an LS's for whatever reason, and decided to get himself fired . . .
The car was parked right behind the rear of the shop, right next to the open overhead door. He got in, sat there and revved the crap out of it for a few seconds, then did a 4 grand neutral drop and a 50+ foot burnout!! :angry:
It's amazing he didn't hit anything, or anyone. He had to be flying when he got to a blind corner where there are a lot of cars and people moving around the dealer. Needless to say, the shop emptied, and most of us techs where ready to rip him a new one when he got back. It was one of the few times there where no customers around. If the owner of the dealer had been there, he would have literally picked the kid up and thrown him out the door.
That reminds me of something that happened back in college. I was in the auto tech building during a class, and we heard somebody doing burnouts behind the building. The instructor went out and found a kid in one of the college's Mustangs! He physically pulled the kid out of the car and dragged him to the office.
Not sure if he was kicked out or not . . . but his reasoning? "The car was going to get crushed anyway."
3/25/05, 04:32 PM
#25
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I bought off the lot, but my car only had 2 miles on it. I was very thankful that a lot of the dealers in the Dallas area were not allowing test drives. When I found a car in dealers' inventories I would call and ask if they were allowing test drives. If they said yes, I moved on.
The local Ford dealer in my town called me the minute they got their first GT. I was able to go look at it and I was the very first person to drive it. I even got to take the plastic off the seat and steering wheel. I went with the salesman to get the keys from the back and he said "There's gonna be a lot of upset guys back here that you're going to be the first to drive it." When we got in the car he was disappointed that I wasn't hammering on it or anything. I simply replied that I didn't want to have to buy it in case anything happened since the roads were wet and I wasn't used to that much power. He asked if he could drive it back to the dealership so I pulled over and we switched and this guy took it up to 120 on the service road, making jokes the entire time. When we pulled back in the dealership he said "So, what do you think?" I said "I think I'm going to hold out for one that wasn't dogged first thing off the truck." I later spoke with the manager and let him know how unhappy I was with the salesman's behavior. I told him that it was unaccecptable for the salesman to disrespect a car that someone else was going to pay full price for not to mention his total disregard of a "potential customer". The manager basically told me that's what I got for looking at that particular car.
I guess its no suprise these guys aren't selling any Mustangs, they've had the same ones on the lot for over a month.
The local Ford dealer in my town called me the minute they got their first GT. I was able to go look at it and I was the very first person to drive it. I even got to take the plastic off the seat and steering wheel. I went with the salesman to get the keys from the back and he said "There's gonna be a lot of upset guys back here that you're going to be the first to drive it." When we got in the car he was disappointed that I wasn't hammering on it or anything. I simply replied that I didn't want to have to buy it in case anything happened since the roads were wet and I wasn't used to that much power. He asked if he could drive it back to the dealership so I pulled over and we switched and this guy took it up to 120 on the service road, making jokes the entire time. When we pulled back in the dealership he said "So, what do you think?" I said "I think I'm going to hold out for one that wasn't dogged first thing off the truck." I later spoke with the manager and let him know how unhappy I was with the salesman's behavior. I told him that it was unaccecptable for the salesman to disrespect a car that someone else was going to pay full price for not to mention his total disregard of a "potential customer". The manager basically told me that's what I got for looking at that particular car.
I guess its no suprise these guys aren't selling any Mustangs, they've had the same ones on the lot for over a month.
3/25/05, 04:36 PM
#26
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Originally posted by KansasCityTim@March 25, 2005, 4:42 PM
Does anyone really wonder why the public thinks car salesman are the shadiest "profession"?
Does anyone really wonder why the public thinks car salesman are the shadiest "profession"?
I had people lie to me about their trade-ins, offering a nice car for appraisal and then substituting a different, pile of junk in the dark, near closing time the next night when they came to pick up their new car.
I had customers repeatedly assure me, "I'm taking bids and whoever bids lowest gets my business." I would bid in good faith and when I phoned a few days later was told... "Yeah... you were low... but I showed your bid to another dealer and he said he'd beat your bid by 100 bucks so I ordered from him instead!"
I had customers buy cars, drive 'em for a week and then sue us to take the car back because they "changed their mind" ... and won in a court of law.
I routinely had customers get their trade-ins bid and then bring them back with bald tires, no radio, a dead battery, etc. after having stripped everything of value from the car after the deal was negoatiated.
I saw customers abuse both new and used cars in every way conceivable on test drives and then say, "no thanks" after damaging the cars.
I had customers steal cars on more than a few occasions... taking them on joy rides or sometimes cross-country, abandoning them 1000 miles away so that we had to fly cross-country, pick up the car and drive it back with 2000 miles on it.
I even had a customer "test-drive" a new Mustang and return it to the load in a 4-wheel slide at 100+ MPH with 2 cop cars on his tail. They spread him over the hood of the Mustang, scratching it with his belt buckle while the engine overheated. Seems he had decided to rob a convenience store on his test drive and use our Mustang for a getaway car.
The list could go on for hours. Customers can be the most aggravating people on the planet and in more than a few cases they deserve whatEVER the dealer does to them!!
Unfortunately- it's the whole world... customers, dealers, accountants, assembly-line workers. Most people are only in it for themselves.
Steve
3/25/05, 05:24 PM
#27
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I work at a Lumber yard and a salesman who calls on us had to buy a 350Z his son wrecked at a dealership, his job was preping the cars off the truck and he took one out for a "test drive" after hours with his bosses okay. When he wrecked it the owner of the dealership told his dad he would have to report it to the police as stolen so insurance would pay for it so the dad bought the car wrecked to stop that from happening.
3/25/05, 05:40 PM
#29
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Originally posted by Horseowner+March 25, 2005, 5:39 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Horseowner @ March 25, 2005, 5:39 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-KansasCityTim@March 25, 2005, 4:42 PM
Does anyone really wonder why the public thinks car salesman are the shadiest "profession"?
Does anyone really wonder why the public thinks car salesman are the shadiest "profession"?
I had people lie to me about their trade-ins, offering a nice car for appraisal and then substituting a different, pile of junk in the dark, near closing time the next night when they came to pick up their new car.
I had customers repeatedly assure me, "I'm taking bids and whoever bids lowest gets my business." I would bid in good faith and when I phoned a few days later was told... "Yeah... you were low... but I showed your bid to another dealer and he said he'd beat your bid by 100 bucks so I ordered from him instead!"
I had customers buy cars, drive 'em for a week and then sue us to take the car back because they "changed their mind" ... and won in a court of law.
I routinely had customers get their trade-ins bid and then bring them back with bald tires, no radio, a dead battery, etc. after having stripped everything of value from the car after the deal was negoatiated.
I saw customers abuse both new and used cars in every way conceivable on test drives and then say, "no thanks" after damaging the cars.
I had customers steal cars on more than a few occasions... taking them on joy rides or sometimes cross-country, abandoning them 1000 miles away so that we had to fly cross-country, pick up the car and drive it back with 2000 miles on it.
I even had a customer "test-drive" a new Mustang and return it to the load in a 4-wheel slide at 100+ MPH with 2 cop cars on his tail. They spread him over the hood of the Mustang, scratching it with his belt buckle while the engine overheated. Seems he had decided to rob a convenience store on his test drive and use our Mustang for a getaway car.
The list could go on for hours. Customers can be the most aggravating people on the planet and in more than a few cases they deserve whatEVER the dealer does to them!!
Unfortunately- it's the whole world... customers, dealers, accountants, assembly-line workers. Most people are only in it for themselves.
Steve
[/b][/quote]
You are right...there are a lot of crappy people. But NOTHING makes it defensible to sell a "new" car that has been beaten to death to an innocent buyer. If they are not told, it is fraudulent, and the salesman should go to jail, and the dealership should be liable for thousands in punitive damages. Look up the definition of fraud. It does not have to be an affirmative misrepresentation, but it can be an omission of material fact as well. In the story you told, it was beyond egregious what the dealership did. And, as I said, it is a perfect illustration of why car salesman are viewed so negatively. The person who bought that auto did not deserve what he got, and it is only further evidence of the inability to understand right and wrong that the comment was made, "well they hurt us, so we will pass it on to him" (paraphrased).
EDIT: And another thing, there is a very simple way to negate customers doing crap like that to a car...ride with them. It seems common to me that most dealers send a salesman with the person. If the buyer is really interested, it won't change their mind. If the person doesn't want a salesman with them, it is a pretty good indicator that they are going to screw with the car, at which point they won't want it anyway.
EDIT #2: And yet another thing....in response to you stating that people lie about their trade-ins, that is in no way the same as the purchase of a new car. First, it is used, and the dealership has mechanics ON SITE!. I would never buy a used car without having someone check it out, because it is USED! Second, a new car on the other hand has the expectation that it has not been "used", hence the word "new".
3/25/05, 05:51 PM
#30
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
My mustang had over a hundred miles on it when I took delivery. But considering the dealership I bought it from was over a hundred miles away, I was okay with it.
3/25/05, 05:54 PM
#31
Shelby GT500 Member
All the things we're discussing here, while very upsetting and really offer us little or no warm and fuzzies, you just can't control it. I bought my car off the lot, it had 5 miles on it when I picked it up. The dealership manager told me no one had driven the car. However, the car had been prepped, so that wasn't a completely true statement. The car will be driven off the line, through the wash, into the lot, onto the trucks, into the rail yard, onto the train, off the train and into the holding lot, back on a truck, off the truck and into the dealership lot. This all happens before we get the car.
There really is little we can do about this whole process. Don't sweat the small stuff.
There really is little we can do about this whole process. Don't sweat the small stuff.
3/25/05, 06:00 PM
#32
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Originally posted by 97svtgoin05gt@March 25, 2005, 6:57 PM
All the things we're discussing here, while very upsetting and really offer us little or no warm and fuzzies, you just can't control it. I bought my car off the lot, it had 5 miles on it when I picked it up. The dealership manager told me no one had driven the car. However, the car had been prepped, so that wasn't a completely true statement. The car will be driven off the line, through the wash, into the lot, onto the trucks, into the rail yard, onto the train, off the train and into the holding lot, back on a truck, off the truck and into the dealership lot. This all happens before we get the car.
There really is little we can do about this whole process. Don't sweat the small stuff.
All the things we're discussing here, while very upsetting and really offer us little or no warm and fuzzies, you just can't control it. I bought my car off the lot, it had 5 miles on it when I picked it up. The dealership manager told me no one had driven the car. However, the car had been prepped, so that wasn't a completely true statement. The car will be driven off the line, through the wash, into the lot, onto the trucks, into the rail yard, onto the train, off the train and into the holding lot, back on a truck, off the truck and into the dealership lot. This all happens before we get the car.
There really is little we can do about this whole process. Don't sweat the small stuff.
3/25/05, 06:41 PM
#33
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There likely are a few toads who drive dealer cars like they were Speed Racer (assuming any of those kids even knew who Speed Racer was!! 
). But here's a couple more things to consider. How do you think the tech's drive your car when you bring it in for service? Do you think they wear surgical gloves and drive 2 miles per hour through the lot? 
A loaded car with performance upgrades likely get driven hard by the techs. Why? Because it gives them the opportunity to see how the car performs with upgrades that they may be considering for their cars or for their friends. Imagine the draw of being able to find out how a particular CAI, underdrive pulley, or supercharger may perform on a particular car.
And I'll even give one further example of what DOES happen at dealerships. I know someone who works at a dealership where employees regularly strip cars that come in as trades. One incident I heard about was that one employee brought home a Vette that had been reposessed while left at the dealer for service. The individual stripped the car of more than $5,000 worth of Alpine video/audio equipment. When the finance company arrived to pick up the car they were simply told that this was how the vehicle was delivered. Tires and rims regularly got swapped too.
Bottom line is that there are some really stellar dealers out there and a few slime ***** too.
). But here's a couple more things to consider. How do you think the tech's drive your car when you bring it in for service? Do you think they wear surgical gloves and drive 2 miles per hour through the lot? A loaded car with performance upgrades likely get driven hard by the techs. Why? Because it gives them the opportunity to see how the car performs with upgrades that they may be considering for their cars or for their friends. Imagine the draw of being able to find out how a particular CAI, underdrive pulley, or supercharger may perform on a particular car.And I'll even give one further example of what DOES happen at dealerships. I know someone who works at a dealership where employees regularly strip cars that come in as trades. One incident I heard about was that one employee brought home a Vette that had been reposessed while left at the dealer for service. The individual stripped the car of more than $5,000 worth of Alpine video/audio equipment. When the finance company arrived to pick up the car they were simply told that this was how the vehicle was delivered. Tires and rims regularly got swapped too.
Bottom line is that there are some really stellar dealers out there and a few slime ***** too.
3/25/05, 07:34 PM
#34
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in my three years at a ford dealership, I have never, never seen anyone abuse a new car that way! When the cars come in, they are unloaded, fluid levels and tire pressure are checked and a one mile road test.
Im sure there are a few bad apples out there, but I dont know of any in my area. The mach 1 I bought was unloaded, this is before I had decided to buy it, and a few of the sales people tried to get the tech to "let it eat", but he laughed and shrugged it off. When I bought it, the same tech asked me to get on it, to which I dropped the hammer for about two seconds and that was it.
The majority of the time, its a customer who wants to sneak in, pretend to be interested, scam a salesperson out of a test drive and commence to abuse the car as much as possible. I had one guy do that to me when I first started working there. he got in a cobra pulled out and started power shifting the car! I told him to pull over and get out. We switched places and went straight back to the dealership. No more driving for that guy! Guess what? he didnt buy one.
just my .02
Edit: One problem I have seen is the theft of added accessories. We have an 03 Lightning with 99 F 150 headlights, taillights, and a 2000 Explorer CD/Cassette player in it. We are trying to find out where it happened. I saw the car come in as a trade, and it was all correct. After two days of sitting awaiting clean up and oil change, POOF, incorrect headlights taillights and stereo. We are ordering the correct stuff if we dont find out who did it and get it recovered. What a shame!
Im sure a clean up guy will be found responsible. Turnover in that job is probably 10000%
jr
Im sure there are a few bad apples out there, but I dont know of any in my area. The mach 1 I bought was unloaded, this is before I had decided to buy it, and a few of the sales people tried to get the tech to "let it eat", but he laughed and shrugged it off. When I bought it, the same tech asked me to get on it, to which I dropped the hammer for about two seconds and that was it.
The majority of the time, its a customer who wants to sneak in, pretend to be interested, scam a salesperson out of a test drive and commence to abuse the car as much as possible. I had one guy do that to me when I first started working there. he got in a cobra pulled out and started power shifting the car! I told him to pull over and get out. We switched places and went straight back to the dealership. No more driving for that guy! Guess what? he didnt buy one.
just my .02
Edit: One problem I have seen is the theft of added accessories. We have an 03 Lightning with 99 F 150 headlights, taillights, and a 2000 Explorer CD/Cassette player in it. We are trying to find out where it happened. I saw the car come in as a trade, and it was all correct. After two days of sitting awaiting clean up and oil change, POOF, incorrect headlights taillights and stereo. We are ordering the correct stuff if we dont find out who did it and get it recovered. What a shame!
Im sure a clean up guy will be found responsible. Turnover in that job is probably 10000%
jr
3/25/05, 07:45 PM
#35
Humm when I took out a Gt for the first time he said go ahead Punch it out ? I'm like hello this is not my car and if it was I would not unless absolutely needed , also I threw in the Ppolice always sit up this road ah thats ok we sell them a lot of cars they'll pass it. and at the Grocery store tonight I was talking to a friend that got cout doing 10-15 kilometers over a SCHOOL ZONE posted limit got a ticket and lost them for 4 months . Noop Total lack of disrespect and up above if I caught a person at a Dealership doing that to my car I would take him out Deep diving and he would NOT return. :angry:
3/25/05, 07:48 PM
#36
Originally posted by Shannon@March 25, 2005, 5:35 PM
I bought off the lot, but my car only had 2 miles on it. I was very thankful that a lot of the dealers in the Dallas area were not allowing test drives. When I found a car in dealers' inventories I would call and ask if they were allowing test drives. If they said yes, I moved on.
The local Ford dealer in my town called me the minute they got their first GT. I was able to go look at it and I was the very first person to drive it. I even got to take the plastic off the seat and steering wheel. I went with the salesman to get the keys from the back and he said "There's gonna be a lot of upset guys back here that you're going to be the first to drive it." When we got in the car he was disappointed that I wasn't hammering on it or anything. I simply replied that I didn't want to have to buy it in case anything happened since the roads were wet and I wasn't used to that much power. He asked if he could drive it back to the dealership so I pulled over and we switched and this guy took it up to 120 on the service road, making jokes the entire time. When we pulled back in the dealership he said "So, what do you think?" I said "I think I'm going to hold out for one that wasn't dogged first thing off the truck." I later spoke with the manager and let him know how unhappy I was with the salesman's behavior. I told him that it was unaccecptable for the salesman to disrespect a car that someone else was going to pay full price for not to mention his total disregard of a "potential customer". The manager basically told me that's what I got for looking at that particular car. I guess its no suprise these guys aren't selling any Mustangs, they've had the same ones on the lot for over a month.
I bought off the lot, but my car only had 2 miles on it. I was very thankful that a lot of the dealers in the Dallas area were not allowing test drives. When I found a car in dealers' inventories I would call and ask if they were allowing test drives. If they said yes, I moved on.
The local Ford dealer in my town called me the minute they got their first GT. I was able to go look at it and I was the very first person to drive it. I even got to take the plastic off the seat and steering wheel. I went with the salesman to get the keys from the back and he said "There's gonna be a lot of upset guys back here that you're going to be the first to drive it." When we got in the car he was disappointed that I wasn't hammering on it or anything. I simply replied that I didn't want to have to buy it in case anything happened since the roads were wet and I wasn't used to that much power. He asked if he could drive it back to the dealership so I pulled over and we switched and this guy took it up to 120 on the service road, making jokes the entire time. When we pulled back in the dealership he said "So, what do you think?" I said "I think I'm going to hold out for one that wasn't dogged first thing off the truck." I later spoke with the manager and let him know how unhappy I was with the salesman's behavior. I told him that it was unaccecptable for the salesman to disrespect a car that someone else was going to pay full price for not to mention his total disregard of a "potential customer". The manager basically told me that's what I got for looking at that particular car.
I guess its no suprise these guys aren't selling any Mustangs, they've had the same ones on the lot for over a month.
3/25/05, 08:09 PM
#38
Originally posted by 78Mach1@March 25, 2005, 9:02 PM
one lot attendent at the dealership I worked at filled the customers new diesel F350 with unleaded!
one lot attendent at the dealership I worked at filled the customers new diesel F350 with unleaded!
3/25/05, 08:34 PM
#40
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I may have a soulution for this problem. Can a dealer "download" the engine history (redline, throttle position, ect) from the ECM computer? I know the service departments can access that information when they do repairs on the car.
If so, have the dealer download the engine history before you take delivery. If the download shows any abuse, you will know it right there. Then you can refuse the car if you wish.
I would go even further and negotiate this process into the deal when you place your deposit.
That is assuming the service department can acess this information......anyone out there know the answer?
If so, have the dealer download the engine history before you take delivery. If the download shows any abuse, you will know it right there. Then you can refuse the car if you wish.
I would go even further and negotiate this process into the deal when you place your deposit.
That is assuming the service department can acess this information......anyone out there know the answer?