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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:

IfNot · 28/07/2019 12:26

Yes car dealerships are horrendous. I have never used them. I buy private, or from mechanics I know and trust who have got a fixer upper and done the work to sell on.
Never had a lemon yet, but I do my research.
I can't flipping beleive some people don't haggle though!? That's the fun bit!

IfNot · 28/07/2019 12:33

Oh and I have never spent over 2 k!

Roomba · 28/07/2019 12:37

I've also had the experience of car salesmen aiming all their sales pitch and questions at my ex, despite me clearly saying the car was for me! My ex didn't even have a driving licence ffs and I was the one paying, but that didn't seem to compute in their brains. I hope this has improved over the last couple of years but doubt it.

CreekyBeaky · 28/07/2019 12:41

They are shady, creepy and live up to the stereotype in my experience. I have been to buy a car and tried to be talked out of it by the dealer because it’s “too big” for a woman! Also tried to charge me more than what was on the online advert until I showed it to them and then they said the price was an error but they’d “honour it”. Unbelievable.

Ofalltheginjoints · 28/07/2019 13:04

Like every profession there are good and bad salespeople.

When I got my new car earlier this year I’d narrowed my choices down to two choices, different makes but both estate cars.
I’m a motability customer so the drivers seat is the most important thing about the car to me, if it’s too much of a bucket seat I can’t comfortably get in and out the car, took my dad with me as he would be the other named driver and had to be present when I placed my order (I’m in my 30’s)

Garage one (national chain) was awful, despite explaining the situation and that it would be my car the salesman spoke to my dad first for every question, even when my dad also explained that the order was nothing to do with him, seemed to only think I was interested in the colours available rather then discussion of more important things like petrol/diesel for the mileage I do a year and didn’t think the seat thing would be a problem but didn’t have a car with the same seats to try.

Garage two was brilliant, dealt with me as I was the customer, listened to what I said and answers my questions

Ordered the car at garage two and had excellent customer service all round (Kia)

ChiaraRimini · 28/07/2019 13:09

I bought my car brand new from a Nissan dealership and the 12 year old who sold me car was actually not too bad.
I knew the car I wanted and when it came to negotiating the price I just handed him the quote I'd got online and asked if they could match it. He did in the end but only by giving me his "friends and family" discount
I've been impressed with Nissan so far, good customer service and got me an excellent price on new tyres when needed.

hellodarkness · 28/07/2019 13:45

I just don't like the lack of transparency.

Just advertise your best price, and let me buy it at that best price.

But no, as with buying a house, you must haggle or be taken for an absolute mug willing to overpay by hundreds or thousands of pounds.

And they tell you that you've screwed out every last penny of profit, that you're getting a great deal, but you're never really sure if you are or not.

"The trouble with carwow is that people use it to get every penny of profit and more out of the car."

Well yes. Dealerships don't feel guilty about maximising profit, and customers shouldn't feel guilty about maximising savings. It's not compulsory to be on carwow, many dealerships don't subscribe.

SlothMama · 28/07/2019 14:04

There are good and bad sales people, I got alright with the sales man that I bought my car from. However the issues happened after it was delivered to me, he hadn't bothered to follow through with the promises we'd agreed on. The car was delivered without the bodywork being repaired, no fuel when he promised a full tank. And more annoyingly I discovered no one had bothered to activate the 5 days free insurance so I'd been driving an uninsured car.

He was pathetic and the after sales service he gave was appalling, I work in sales myself (not the automotive industry) and if I treated a customer in the way he treated me I'd have been sacked. I'll never go back to that large franchise again, as when I complained they didn't want to know.

DragonNoodleCake · 28/07/2019 19:16

@StCharlotte

No I was very extravagant last year (after redundancy and getting a new job immediately) and got a C'eed GT line S
Love it
We have had family c'eed sportswagon and carens too but this time it was my choice!

LordRudolphVII · 28/07/2019 19:22

Not just car salesman (maybe this is the 'used car salesman' trope rubbing off on you).

I find work agencies just as bad (I'm self employed so sometimes take jobs from them) and when I was in the corporate world I'd get loads of calls from recruiters and data companies etc.

It's salespeople in general. They know that you know it's an act, but they still need to earn a salary and fact is you'd probably be more annoyed if they were arsey than over enthusiastic

LordRudolphVII · 28/07/2019 19:23

They're usually less friendly when you start knocking the price down. 😂

PsuedoSatisfactionBaby · 28/07/2019 19:34

Car dealership I got my car from was horrendous. Kept asking if I wanted my husband to come look at it (DH couldn’t give two shits about cars..he drives an old banger and is entirely disinterested in what I choose to drive as long as it’s roadworthy!). I told the salesman i was perfectly capable of making my own mind thanks. Came to the paperwork and he asked about income and refused to believe my salary. Dishevelled heavily pregnant and massively pissed off lady couldn’t possibly early 6 figures. At this point I told him to get on with it or he would lose the sale. On the day I picked up the car, DH dropped me off and in and uncharacteristic show of vehicular interest he came in with me. The salesman was all over him like a rash and DH walked off mid-fawning in part disgust and part horror. Salesman was like “wow! You are really not wrong...he DOESNT like cars” I took the keys and walked out! I won’t go back there.

LadyRannaldini · 28/07/2019 20:03

i find sales people at audi/mercedes etc much less slimy and more genuine

Or they're better at it!

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