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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel dirty after visiting a car dealership?

113 replies

gownofdoom · 27/07/2019 16:15

Apologies if this is your profession or that of your best friend but AIBU to find the process of shopping for a used car a skin crawlingly awkward and unpleasant experience? Why do car dealers seem so shady? I really do need to get a new car but I find the process excruciating. Is it just me?!

OP posts:

crimsonlake · 27/07/2019 16:53

Read up on the brand you are looking for, lots of info out there. Compare the prices of what you are interested with other dealers online. I went for as new as possible , least amount of owners, low mileage. However you will then read about how it depends upon how those miles have been driven.

NoddyAndBessie · 27/07/2019 16:53

@contentedsoul - heaven forbid someone try and earn a living.

topcat2014 · 27/07/2019 16:54

Swiss Tony, anyone?

Original poster

gownofdoom · 27/07/2019 16:57

I’m glad it’s not just me! The dealership has a fairly good reputation but I feel I’m handing over a lot of cash and it might end up having lots of problems. Also they keep saying words like ‘turboboost’ and I have no idea what they’re talking about.

OP posts:

Lweji · 27/07/2019 16:58

I ended up buying a car from one of the few salesmen who didn't say "the ladies usually like...". It was the car I wanted, so this wasn't the reason, but it made it a more pleasurable experience.

I found it useful to trawl about dealerships to decide on the model, as I needed to judge things like space visually.

EssentialHummus · 27/07/2019 16:59

Have you tried CarWow OP?

EskewedBeef · 27/07/2019 17:01

In my experience, the 'car supermarket' places are a safer bet as a buyer. No pressure, no haggling, huge choice to browse and some comeback if anything goes wrong.

Otherwise I'd buy from a private seller. No comeback, but the price is usually better with no middle man markup.

lazyarse123 · 27/07/2019 17:03

The worst thing about dealerships is that they are always going off to "have a word with my manager to see what we can do" everytime we asked for a discount or extras. Last time I just asked to deal with the manager face to face as I didn't have all day to waste and they already know what their bottom line is.

Phineyj · 27/07/2019 17:04

Try CarGiant. A much better experience!

I8toys · 27/07/2019 17:06

Awful experience. Never take just looking for an answer, even my bitch face doesn't put them off. The women are just as bad as the men. So pushy and off putting. If they just talk to my husband we leave. Do they not understand that women also make the decision.

fiorentina · 27/07/2019 17:07

I understand what you mean. Also had the sexist salesman speaking only to my DP, despite him consistently saying I would be buying the car, paying, and it was for me to drive. Knew what I wanted, but no he kept telling me I wanted something different. I went elsewhere instead, somewhere where the guy was helpful, friendly and professional.

PettyContractor · 27/07/2019 17:07

I avoided negotiating with a dealer for a new car by just using a car broker. 12% off the list price and I never visited the dealership it was sold through. Just a few emails and a couple of short phone calls for admin and to make payment using a debit card, and car was delivered to my home by a man who does that for a living, and who stayed for as long as it took talk me through all the features.

BlankTimes · 27/07/2019 17:08

after the initial viewing we arranged for the AA to give the cars a thorough check

Great advice from contentedsoul tell the garage you'll give them a definite answer after the AA has checked it over.

jgjgjgjgjg · 27/07/2019 17:10

Last time we went car shopping they flatly ignored us. Clearly we didn't look 'right' for some reason. My husband had just left a job and handed back his company car so we were deadly serious about buying but it was a really hard slog!

pigsDOfly · 27/07/2019 17:28

When I bought my latest car I did take someone with me, a man, as it happens as I wanted someone with me who knew more about the inside workings of cars than I do.

However, I made it clear from the start that I was the one buying the car and I did all the talking.

The salesman, knowing I was the one paying the money dealt with me. He didn't talk down to me, he was businesslike but friendly, as was I.

I was more than happy with his attitude. Had he been in anyway smarmy or creepy or made me feel he was trying to patronise me in any way, I'd have walked away and gone somewhere else, as I have in the past when the salesman started going on about the lovely colour of the car and other such crap; but that was a number of years, and several cars, ago.

They're quite a large dealership and I get my car serviced with them. Never found any of their staff creepy.

So whilst I agree some car salesmen can be creepy, if you go somewhere that isn't stuck in the 1970s you'll get treated like a serious customer rather than a 'little woman'. Just choose your dealership carefully.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/07/2019 17:28

If it’s a big dealership they probably going off to a business manager to ok the deal.

IAskTooManyQuestions · 27/07/2019 17:31

Also I haven’t got a clue about cars and feel strongly at a disadvantage.

Try reading up, internet at your finger tips. Really, playing to such stereotypes, its quite puerile. Its like saying all X colour are... , or X nationality are… , or X gender are....

ForalltheSaints · 27/07/2019 17:36

The two largest purchases most people make are sold by some of the nastiest professions, if you can call them that (the other is estate agents).

fedup2017 · 27/07/2019 17:43

We bought a new people carrier a few years ago. When we went to the ford garage the salesman didn't talk to me ( I'm the main wage earner and I knew what we wanted.... DH was just along for the ride). We also wouldn't tell us how much it would cost because "I'm not going tell you a price today as I can see your not going to buy it. You commit to buying it and we'll sit down and talk about it". We went next door and bought a Kia from someone who was not a wanker.

Blueoasis · 27/07/2019 17:44

Were you at Arnold Clark by any chance?

Ivegotthree · 27/07/2019 17:50

I bought a new car recently and rang up first and got an awful sleazy salesman called X. He was asking me loads of questions when all I wanted to ask was did he have several of the model I was after for me to look at. He spoke very patronisingly despite being half my age and I couldn't wait to get off the line.

Then I went there and the receptionist said are you here for anyone and I said no and she gave me salesman Y who was charming and straightforward. While I was chatting to him Mr X came in and said oh I thought you were coming to see me, obviously v pissed off as he wanted the sale. I kept my head down and he went away thank fuck.

Some of them are awful - the sales patter kills me.

Timandra · 27/07/2019 17:53

I was car shopping recently. I was uncomfortable with the assumptions that I knew nothing about cars and that DH was making the decisions (the car was for me).

The strategy of finding out your first name and using it in every other sentence was irritating too.

Owen66 · 27/07/2019 17:53

Where on earth are your going? You must use a main dealer. You can buy clothes from John Lewis and be treated properly or buy them second hand from a flee market and meet Mr Shady.
Buy cheap, buy twice.

CatsDolls · 27/07/2019 18:16

The last car dealership we visited had dimmed lights, loud music, flashing lights. Just like a car themed night club. I almost began to look for the bar to order a vodka and tonic!

Not really the kind of environment that I wish to discuss a large purchase in so walked out again. I prefer to be able to concentrate on what I need to ask and the answers I'm given.

PooWillyBumBum · 27/07/2019 18:19

Not just you. Hate it. Makes me feel kind of itchy....yeurgh.

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