Chevy refused a test drive

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family.


I dont know if your parents are around to offer advice, but as a 34 year old that's very good with finances, STOP BUYING NEW CARS, especially at 18 years old. What the heck were you thinking?
Ummmmmm A lot of kids in my class bought used trucks for 20K that had 100K miles on them or more. I bought a new vehicle for 14K that I plan to run for at least 150K miles. Im not sure what the problem is with that. I work full time and can more than afford it. I also plan on paying it off within 2 years....

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
The salesguy acted unprofessionally, however if you just answered "nope" then how is the guy supposed to know you are a returning customer or that you will be buying soon?


That “buy one today” question is a [censored] sales practice anyhow, Anybody ask me that kind of [censored] question gets branded swindler and gets a smart-alecky answer. Don’t want a stupid answer, don’t ask a stupid question.



Originally Posted By: umungus1122
What you should have done was explained to the owner/ manager how this salesman lost them your business.


Yep.

And Chevy didn’t refuse a test drive, a Chevy salesman did, not a very good one apparently.


I am not going to make up stuff just a test drive, sorry, that is how I am.

For me it is Chevy always, I don't see them as separate.

 

[DB_Cooper]

The core problem is the distribution model for selling new cars. Build a huge dealership multi-acre "new car palace"..staff it..insure it..taxes and utilities. Then put millions of dollars more in inventory of cars and parts. Then deal with the auto manufacturer for financing and inventory. It is a system that worked in the 1920s but not anymore. It is capital intensive and a complete waste of time and money. It is the reason many refer to your property as the "stealership"

So you get bottom feeder corporate owned or mom and pop distributors with lowly compensated salespeople, management and staff..without the skills or real desire to act professional. Most are on commission and the pursuit of the easy dollar fast.

And your beautiful multi acre "new car palace" attracts many "lot lizards" with little interest in buying your inventory..they just want to kill some time and play around in your new cars.


Tesla knows this...all Tesla dealership employees work for and are paid a salary by Tesla corporate..not some mom and pop local new car distributor commission plan...they have a car you can drive..sure, it is a brand new bit of engineering..then you pick from the meager new inventory, if thy have one, or more likely put down a deposit then place your new Tesla order and wait for your car to be built..it comes in and you changed your mind..no problem..forfeit the deposit and the next customer gets a shot at the car.

New cars now are like appliances anyways..the red truck is just like the blue truck....eBay sells millions of dollars worth of used cars without a test drive, a much riskier proposition..it won't be long before the distribution model for new cars is similar.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
I have generally found that salespeople reflect the climate of the dealership.
If he is on the floor and responded to you like that, management may be fine with that because they put him on the floor in the first place. You found out quickly that that dealership views customers as a mark.
However,you simply should have said " I'm going to drive the Ford and the Ram before I make any decisions, would you like me to consider a Chevy or not?" whether you were going to buy that day or not.
Car dealerships are a dime a dozen. Find one that is less sleazy. It is their job to please you, not your job to please them.


Amen, the bottom behaves as the top dictates.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family.


I dont know if your parents are around to offer advice, but as a 34 year old that's very good with finances, STOP BUYING NEW CARS, especially at 18 years old. What the heck were you thinking?
Ummmmmm A lot of kids in my class bought used trucks for 20K that had 100K miles on them or more. I bought a new vehicle for 14K that I plan to run for at least 150K miles. Im not sure what the problem is with that. I work full time and can more than afford it. I also plan on paying it off within 2 years....


I agree with the wisdom of not buying a new car but here are the problems:

1. IRS only allows me a 179 on a new vehicle
2. Most of neighbor's other car is a Tesla
3. and the last and top reason is yolo baby,

Anyway, my original plan was to build a tube kit car for my oldest.
My short list is:
1. Shelby Cobra
2. Rock climber/off roader, kinda baha, which we would run out west later

But work commitment will probably allow the above now :-(

So we will have to settle on a jeep rubicon probably

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: umungus1122
What you should have done was explained to the owner/ manager how this salesman lost them your business.


This. A letter or in person meeting with the owner of the dealership would be in order.

"I will be in the market for a vehicle very soon, and this buffoon that thinks he is a salesmen, just cost your dealership a $60,000 sale. I've never been more insulted in my life. I will NOT be buying a vehicle from your dealership. Thank your very rude and unprofessional sales boy."


I have a cousin who is a top engineer there and a college buddy who is an exec, I think I will mention it next time we get together for polish food in Detroit.

 

[raytseng]

the internet has greatly streamlined the ability to gauge interest and filter the customers.

If someone makes an appointment they are indicating interest. if they did not, they are not as good of a lead. making an appointment costs you nothing.

if you want to be treated better, dont play coy, you need to display interest, aka make an appointment.

you might as well be shocked if you go to an airport and ask to buy a plane ticket at the counter for a flight leaving in 1hr and they tell you its sold out and then you turning into a Do you know who i am?

 

[carguy996]

I used to sell cars in the early 2000's. The dealer I worked for told us flat out that we never say no to a test drive, the only way to sell a car is to get someone behind the wheel and drive it. That philosophy worked incredibly well. Yes, there would be some 16-18 year olds coming in just to play around, but all in all it worked well. Some of those 16-18 year olds bring Mom or Dad back to look at the car and you make a sale. Bottom line is, you never know if that person on the lot is going to buy or not so treat everyone like a buyer!

 

[Vuflanovsky]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
The salesguy acted unprofessionally, however if you just answered "nope" then how is the guy supposed to know you are a returning customer or that you will be buying soon?


How is a customer supposed to know if he wants to buy one if he hasn't test driven it yet? Part of buying is looking. Stupid on the salesman's part.


This is all shoulda, coulda, woulda. All I was saying is that if OP provided a bit more information besides "nope" he could've gotten that test drive. Also the salesman could've followed up with a question "if not today then how soon?" or something like that.
I never implied that OP did something wrong. The salesman on, the other hand, lost a potential sale, so he should probably smarten up and treat the customers better.


Gotta agree with this...but if I'm interested in a test drive, I'm going to give a plausible story along with it and not a simple "nope" and subsequently blame the dealership. While this salesman was extremely unprofessional, who knows how many idiot effs come into this dealership and want to play with the "man candy" instead of having a legitimate interest in buying the vehicle.

I don't like salespeople, but by the same token I'm not going to have an expectation of a spur of the moment test drive based on putting your cards on the table that you wouldn't be buying one...and just give the impression of an interest in one ( as you're waiting for servicing to be done ) versus being a serious buyer. I don't know if that was the case but that's what it sounds like. If the sales guy is busy and short of his quota, he'll be weeding out scenarios that will make it harder for him to hit goal, but he obviously could have handled it much better.

Personally, I don't feel "entitled" to a test drive unless I've made arrangements where they know I'm interested in the vehicle and have spoken with someone there. Excluding this sales idjet, blaming the dealership for not obliging a "whim" really doesn't hit home to me.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family.


I dont know if your parents are around to offer advice, but as a 34 year old that's very good with finances, STOP BUYING NEW CARS, especially at 18 years old. What the heck were you thinking?
Ummmmmm A lot of kids in my class bought used trucks for 20K that had 100K miles on them or more. I bought a new vehicle for 14K that I plan to run for at least 150K miles. Im not sure what the problem is with that. I work full time and can more than afford it. I also plan on paying it off within 2 years....
Good luck with your new car and I mean that in the most sincere, well-wishing way; absolutely no snark or sarcasm. I hope that your new car gives you good, reliable service because you'll want a reliable car for the crucial ten years to come in your life.

 

[Kool1]

Originally Posted By: stockrex

He asked if I was going to buy one today, to which I was truthful and said nope.
The sale guy then became very short and started shouting that he is not going to let me "joy ride" in a $60k truck.




This salesperson is a here today, gone tomorrow guy. He is his own worst nightmare.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: Dorian
There are dealers that I will never set foot in again due to some of the sales staff. When we were looking for our new car I spent quite a bit of time online looking for vehicles, just to go to the dealer and have nobody assist me. I am sure that being 21 did not help the situation. However, considering we NEEDED a new car it doesn't matter what your age is, or in this case what the value of the vehicle is. If it were a new Camaro ZL1 or the like I would understand. There are numerous situations where people go in to have their car serviced and drive off in a new vehicle. Keeping your eyes open and simply seeing if you like that vehicle is a good idea. That salesman is clearly not a good one!
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family. However they ever talked to me like that I would have told them I would be calling corporate. Thats unacceptable.


You are 18 so can be forgiven but it is good practice to remember there are two sides to every story and zi am guessing the salesman might have a different interpretion.

End of the day, if I am looking at a vehicle, I am going with best price tag. If one salesman is rude then I simply ask for a different one.

Whats the benefit of getting in a tizzy and storming out?
And the threat of calling corporate sort of reminds me of a kid who says he is going to tell his mom.
If you don't correct someone's BAD behavior it will just continue. I see NOTHING wrong with what Bronco Jetta wrote.

Tell his Mom - really?! Reverse Ageism there, Arctic.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
I have no love for dealer salespeople but if you don't have an intention to buy, you're just wasting their time asking for a test drive. Yes he was unprofessional with his reaction but just asking him in the first place was somewhat pointless.
So you have to "buy it today" to get a test drive? That's throwing all your bargaining power down the drain. When you give give away your right to go elsewhere it's not going to be "discount city" where you are.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
It does seem odd the sales guy didn't just toss him the keys and a plate? How long does that take?

Usually dealerships and sales people are eager to get you test driving a vehicle. On the other hand, some sales-folk do get tired of some customers who just want to come in and drive, say, a Corvette or ZL1, etc., you know, merely out of curiosity. They are caught between wasting time or losing real customers.

Example: Last month I test drove a Tesla Model S. I was really stopping by to discuss putting $1,000 down to be on the 2 year waiting list for a Tesla Model 3, but the salesperson asked if I'd like to drive a Model S. I said there is no way I could buy one at $80k, and he still insisted I drive one! So I did, and it was a blast. Fun fast awesome silent car, autopilot feature weird. An absolutely useless test drive from Tesla's perspective though. (I decided not to get on the Model 3 waiting list, BTW....)

Another time, 4 years ago, Audi sends me an offer in the mail to drive an Audi for a day. So I do. Not much chance I would have bought it. Salesman was not pushy at all. They just handed me the keys and I borrowed it for a day.

Once I put my new BMW in for service at the dealership, and walked into the showroom. I wanted to merely open the hood of a Z8 on the showroom floor. Salesman open the hood for me. Really anemic.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
the internet has greatly streamlined the ability to gauge interest and filter the customers.

If someone makes an appointment they are indicating interest. if they did not, they are not as good of a lead. making an appointment costs you nothing.

if you want to be treated better, dont play coy, you need to display interest, aka make an appointment.

you might as well be shocked if you go to an airport and ask to buy a plane ticket at the counter for a flight leaving in 1hr and they tell you its sold out and then you turning into a Do you know who i am?
It's a retail sales operation and BETTER be ready to deal with walk in buyers. An APPOINTMENT to look at a car while the sales boys sit on their thumbs? I suggest you read
"Confessions of a car salesman" an Edmunds article about the car business in which they retained a car writer to get get hired by a couple of car "stores" as they like to refer to themselves, when they are not making appointments, that is. BTW what's it got to do with an airport?

 

[ArcticDriver]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: umungus1122
What you should have done was explained to the owner/ manager how this salesman lost them your business.


This. A letter or in person meeting with the owner of the dealership would be in order.

"I will be in the market for a vehicle very soon, and this buffoon that thinks he is a salesmen, just cost your dealership a $60,000 sale. I've never been more insulted in my life. I will NOT be buying a vehicle from your dealership. Thank your very rude and unprofessional sales boy."


"Never been more insulted in your whole life" !?

Letters to Owners and Corporate have more traction when they are not prone to extremism. Such a claim makes it look like the author is a little whacky when being told he can't joyride a truck he said he was not interesting in buying is the biggest crisis in his whole life.

Maybe it was a busy day at the showroom.
Maybe they were understaffed.

Maybe the salesman was doing a bit of triage.

Given the OP I think its not unreasonable to think he may have been over-emotional.

Or maybe my real world just has much larger and more complex challenges in a day than if whether I was allowed to go play in a truck to kill some time.

My apologies if I sound insensitive.

 

[HemiHawk]

Dealers have an inflated sense of purpose. They are middle men.

Story: I was with my father at a BMW dealer about 10 years ago. He had mostly owned American cars up to that point. After waiting for awhile with no one asking if we needed help, we finally initiated the conversation. The saleswoman asked if we had an appointment? What? We're here that means we're looking. Well she said we needed to wait as there were appointments ahead of us. As we were about to leave a salesman heading out for the day asked if he could help us with anything, my father pointed and said "yea I want that one". We left with one of the more expensive cars on the showroom floor. As we were doing all the paper work one of that first saleswoman's "appointments" left with nothing.

First rule of sales should be anyone could be a potential buyer. Treat them like one. Don't treat them like a burden. They are there to serve you. There should be no explanation of why you wanted to drive that truck. I've seen dealers since pull this stuff "well we only want to work up the numbers if you are buying today". How do I know I will unless I see all the numbers? Dealers pray on the weak.

 

[ArcticDriver]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: Dorian
There are dealers that I will never set foot in again due to some of the sales staff. When we were looking for our new car I spent quite a bit of time online looking for vehicles, just to go to the dealer and have nobody assist me. I am sure that being 21 did not help the situation. However, considering we NEEDED a new car it doesn't matter what your age is, or in this case what the value of the vehicle is. If it were a new Camaro ZL1 or the like I would understand. There are numerous situations where people go in to have their car serviced and drive off in a new vehicle. Keeping your eyes open and simply seeing if you like that vehicle is a good idea. That salesman is clearly not a good one!
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family. However they ever talked to me like that I would have told them I would be calling corporate. Thats unacceptable.


You are 18 so can be forgiven but it is good practice to remember there are two sides to every story and zi am guessing the salesman might have a different interpretion.

End of the day, if I am looking at a vehicle, I am going with best price tag. If one salesman is rude then I simply ask for a different one.

Whats the benefit of getting in a tizzy and storming out?
And the threat of calling corporate sort of reminds me of a kid who says he is going to tell his mom.
If you don't correct someone's BAD behavior it will just continue. I see NOTHING wrong with what Bronco Jetta wrote.

Tell his Mom - really?! Reverse Ageism there, Arctic.


I was actually thinking the OP throwing a tantrum was equally immature so nothing against the 18-year old.

I raised my kids to sort out conflict or miscommunication by desling with it through the chain of command instead of running to me every time they don't get their way. I look at this as a miscommunication that could be resolved with the manager. If the manager says pound sand (which I find highly unlikey) then if you want to go to Corporate and spend 30 minutes penning a letter over a truck you did not intend to buy then have at it.

There just seems to be alot of prima donna posts today.

Time to Cowboy Up.

And the first step there is to recognize there are two sides to every story and give someone a chance to make things right.

 

[ArcticDriver]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted By: Dorian
There are dealers that I will never set foot in again due to some of the sales staff. When we were looking for our new car I spent quite a bit of time online looking for vehicles, just to go to the dealer and have nobody assist me. I am sure that being 21 did not help the situation. However, considering we NEEDED a new car it doesn't matter what your age is, or in this case what the value of the vehicle is. If it were a new Camaro ZL1 or the like I would understand. There are numerous situations where people go in to have their car serviced and drive off in a new vehicle. Keeping your eyes open and simply seeing if you like that vehicle is a good idea. That salesman is clearly not a good one!
I just bought a brand new car at 18. Yep, I talked to numerous dealerships and told them my situation. Some told me to go shove it. Others didn't care, and treated me like family. However they ever talked to me like that I would have told them I would be calling corporate. Thats unacceptable.


You are 18 so can be forgiven but it is good practice to remember there are two sides to every story and zi am guessing the salesman might have a different interpretion.

End of the day, if I am looking at a vehicle, I am going with best price tag. If one salesman is rude then I simply ask for a different one.

Whats the benefit of getting in a tizzy and storming out?
And the threat of calling corporate sort of reminds me of a kid who says he is going to tell his mom.
Wow, you apparently have never worked for a corporation. Chevy will be VERY upset if they find out a potential customer was told he cant "joy ride" a new truck. GM spends MILLIONS on advertising new Chevys so im sure they would be [censored] to find out that a customer was told that.
Also if you just go to a different sales person, most likely they are all douche bags if the employer accepts that kind of behavior.
Also my age has nothing to do with this. Im still a legal adult at the end of the day. I have a full time job and go to school fulltime. When I go car shopping looking to spend a big chunk of change, im not happy when im looked at as a young guy that is just here to [censored] us. I have worked quite a few 60 hour weeks, something that im sure that not a lot of 18 year olds have done in this country.


Lol...have you got quite a bit of experience at the management level of Corporations Mr 18-year-old?

Good lesson in life:

"Don't sweat the small stuff...and its all small stuff".

hats off to ya on your work ethic and logging the big hours to get ahead in life.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
There just seems to be alot of prima donna posts today.


+1, I noticed this as well. All of them coming from one poster, ArticDriver(sp).