Anyone Else Hate Car Buying?

inkkognito · Apr 18, 2008

I finally got rid of my beloved Canyonero (a 2002 Aztek) because things were starting to go wrong on it. I knew exactly what type of car I wanted and have a supplier discount price (set on the invoice), and the discount program also limits the doc. fee to $25. Should be simple, right? Heck no!

First challenge was finding a car without any options (the cheapest package is $775 and it's nothing I need). Second was finding a dealer who either didn't load the cars up with mop & glo (paint protector, tint, fabric coating etc.) or who at least would admit their worthlessness and remove it from the price. Third was finding one who would honor the doc. fee limit, since in this state they run from $300 to $999 and it's pure profit for the dealer.

One dealer actually let us walk, even tho' we were ready to buy that moment and already had financing arranging, over the $75 doc. fee (even tho' it's supposed to be pre-set) and the tint and other worthless extras. We were ready to buy and they let us go! Another got us to come out under false pretenses, and a third sounded good but didn't have a car that fit our criteria. We could have ordered it, but there was no guarantee the rebates would still be in force when it would be delivered.

Finally we were ready to give up but tried one more dealer. They had an almost perfect car (had $80 floormats, but okay, I can deal with that), and they agreed on the phone to toss out all the charges for the tint etc. it was packed with. But they'd only go as low as $75 on the doc. fee. We went out there anyway because I thought they might budge if we were there and ready to buy. Sure enough, we are now the proud owners of a new car at the proper price (same price the first dealer said no to...ironically, they have the same ownership as the one we bought from).

The dealer who had misled us to get us in the door was also one of those who lets you sit forever while the salesman "checks with the manager" for half an hour (I can just picture them playing cards or eating donuts). I told my husband afterwards, "I wasn't in a hurry, but I know an effective strategy to end that BS in a hurry." Sure enough, the last dealer had us sitting and I could tell it was probably going to stretch out. So we got up and went out to look at cars...before we even hit the door, they were there and agreeing to our number. I do have to say, other than the waiting the last dealer was really good.

But it's a shame it has to be a hassle where you visit places that lied to get you in the door and that try to charge you $500 for scotchguarding, $300 for a $20 pin stripe, and a $600 doc fee for literally nothing. I am anal retentive and do a boatload of research beforehand, but I pity the poor souls who go out there without a clue.

I'm sure we still made their day by buying an extended warranty. I know they're generally considered a rip-off, but in the past I've almost always used them and gotten more out of them than I paid in the long run.

I'm just glad it's all over!

DWSTXS · Apr 18, 2008

I will never again buy a crappy american made auto, and besides that, I will not buy from any dealership ofther than CARMAX. Have a trade-in? look up the blue book price and that's what they'll give you. NO hassle.
american car dealerships are full of jerks who do nothing but lie and play stupid games. Even at half-price, I will not deal with american cars on their lots.

foreign only. at Carmax. or from an individual seller.

Joe270 · Apr 18, 2008

I finally got rid of my beloved Canyonero (a 2002 Aztek) because things were starting to go wrong on it.

I'd say it went wrong from day one. Those were the ugliest cars on the road since the Pacer. Now they've been upstaged by the Element.

We have a saying when we see an Element, "they were out of their element when they bought that thing".

But it's a shame it has to be a hassle where you visit places that lied to get you in the door and that try to charge you $500 for scotchguarding, $300 for a $20 pin stripe, and a $600 doc fee for literally nothing. I am anal retentive and do a boatload of research beforehand, but I pity the poor souls who go out there without a clue.

I buy 'year old' cars. I've got my eye on a few 2007s that are still on the lot. One dealer has quite a few left, so I'm expecting a pretty good deal. I've seen one that listed for 16k that's out there for 7.5k. I just can't buy it yet because of my bankruptcy.

I hope that deal holds out. I don't know about buying a Korean car, I've always bought American cars, except for the Sterling.

That was an awesome car.

But I need the 30+ mpg. I get 15 with my truck, so I'll save about $400 a month on gas.

I will never again buy a crappy American made auto

I've always had great luck with the trucks I've purchased. I had an Olds Intrigue (with the autobahn package) which was the best car I've ever had. I loved that car, but we got t-boned on Christmas Eve.

A suburban was doing 55 and hit us from the driver side post, across the back door all the way through to the trunk. He never touched the brake, distracted while dialing his cell phone. We did two full 360s before coming to a stop. My kids weren't hurt at all, not a scratch.

None of the windows broke. The plastic tail light wasn't even broken. It did push the post in, which broke several ribs on my left side. I drove the car to the left turn lane, pointed the wrong way, so it would be next to the remains of the suburban.

The suburban was toast. The front wheels where splayed out about 60%, the engine was on the asphalt, windshield shattered, dashboard cracked. It was, quite obviously, totaled.

When the cops got there they were pissed that my car was parked there. One of them approached me:

"Izzat your car?"
"Yessir."
"Well, you gotta get that the hell out of here."
"I'm not sure if it will drive anymore."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Well, that suburban there t-boned it."
"Bullshit."
"Here, look." So I take him around to the other side.
"Holy crap. This car did that to a suburban and that's all the damage there is?"
"Yessir."
"Guys, commeere. You gotta see this. . ."

Damn. I loved that car. The frame was bent, so they totaled it.

Perhaps you're looking at the wrong American cars.

DWSTXS · Apr 18, 2008

Perhaps you're looking at the wrong American cars -
Joe270

*************

well, I am referring to the new cars. When I was growing up (60's and 70's) the cars and trucks (U.S. made) were good vehicles.

The first car I ever owned, in high school (I can't believe my Dad bought it for me) was a used 1969 Ford Custom Police Interceptor that the police department had turned back in to the local Ford dealership. The only thing they;d done to it, was to take off the insignia and bar roof lights.
That thing would scream. LOL

MichaelDeVere · Apr 18, 2008

I was going to buy a new Scion SC, but I settled for 1968 Karmann Ghia instead.

Joe270 · Apr 18, 2008

I was going to buy a new Scion SC, but I settled for 1968 Karmann Ghia instead.

SWEET! (especially sweet if it's a covertable)

MichaelDeVere · Apr 18, 2008

Unfortunately no. It's just a lowly coupe. But it's my lowly coupe.

inkkognito · Apr 19, 2008

Joe270 said:
I'd say it went wrong from day one. Those were the ugliest cars on the road since the Pacer. Now they've been upstaged by the Element.

Therein lies their appeal to me! When I first saw one on Survivor, I said, "I'd never, ever own one of those butt-ugly things." I dislike SUVs in general, but it got to the point where I felt like an ant among elephants on the road and knew I'd better get one or get crushed. Getting the most eye-searing car possible was a way of thumbing my nose, plus the Tek is actually very well equipped and fun to drive and you don't have to look at it when you're inside.

I've never been one for fancy cars. To me, it's strictly transportation and I accept that it's going to get dented and dinged so the looks don't mean a thing to me. Uglier is better because then I don't care when has its first shopping car collision or door ding.

We have another car...an Element! (Surprise, surprise.) It was stickers that say "Hummer Escape Pod" and "Element: Screw Aerodynamics). I bought it based on its toaster looks, but it feels cheapo and drives terribly so I'd never own another. I'd have bought another Tek in a minute if they still made 'em.

Sadly, the Vue isn't hideous-looking but it drives much better than the Element.

Perks · Apr 19, 2008

It's a desperate hassle, but oh how I'd love a new set of wheels.

Want this -

But would settle for this and allow the children to keep their legs.

lakotagirl · Apr 19, 2008

The trick is to find a salesman that you like at a dealership that you trust. We've been using the same salesman at the same dealership since 1989. We were actually one of his first customers back then. We were struggling financially. He was struggling financially - but he wasn't pushy. He got us a very good deal. The dealership bent over backwards to make us happy. If we had a complaint about something, they would get us in the service department and take care of it (there were very few problems). But they handled every one of them with a smile.

They treated us this well when we were so poor that most our meals were macaroni and cheese (with a little ground beef thrown in when we had a few extra dollars).

As years went by, we gained our footing and their service didn't change. We've bought 7 vehicles from them since '89. Our kids have bought three more. And our siblings have bought at least five more. They treat everyone great.

When the new mustangs came out, my hubby wanted one (I bitched and complained until my sister reminded me that at his age, all men wanted either a hot new car or a hot new girlfriend - which would I prefer?). I called our favorite salesman and asked what they had. We went over and test drove one, but hubby didn't like the color or the options.

The dealership ordered one like my husband wanted and then let us be the first to test drive it before they put it on the lot. (It's in our garage now).

Last August, hubby wanted a new pickup. So I called the salesman and told him that we were coming over on Saturday and hubby wanted a new truck -- if he was going to get a new truck, I wanted it to be a Lincoln. Please park the new Lincoln right at the front so hubby would see it first. He did. He liked it.

While we were there, I looked at one of the new Veracruz's. I told the salesman that if they ever got one in with all the options, to call me. He called me last Friday. They had ordered one to my specs and were driving it off the truck right now. They would hold it for me if I wanted to come pick it up for the weekend to see if I liked it. If I didn't, they would put it on the lot.

I picked it up on Friday and went in and signed the papers Monday.

This dealership and this salesman know what we want. They don't try to sell us anything that we don't want -- and they go out of their way to ensure that we are happy.

They aren't doing this because we can afford it. They treated us this way when we couldn't afford it.

Look for a dealership - not a car. Establish a relationship. You won't be sorry.

Siddow · Apr 19, 2008

My husband is a car salesman, and I'm with Lakotagirl; you do better buying when you have an established relationship. Oh, they'll still take your head off, but they'll be so nice about it, you won't even notice.

What really gets him is when customers come in and expect the dealership to make no profit. When my husband was selling Nissans, his minimum commission was $100. He sold an average of 15 cars a month. At all loser deals, that would be $1500 a month for our family of six. Not enough!

He sells Porsches now, though, maybe 5 a month, for way, way more than $100 commission.

Funny how them rich folk don't haggle a whole lot.

inkkognito · Apr 19, 2008

Yeah, I know it's a rough life. I felt bad for our salesman as I was wondering if it would be a mini deal for him. Not that we took up much of his time; we came in with a printout from their inventory, said "This is the car we want, this is the price we will pay, we talked to the internet manager and were $75 off so it's just yes or no." But he was a really nice guy and tried to be as helpful as possible. There should still be some okay profit built into the supplier deal, but I don't know if the salesman gets dinged because we wouldn't pay for the mop & glo extras (we had already gotten the manager to agree to that on the phone). I know the finance person liked us because we bought the extended warranty, which is a nice commission for her. She was actually very nice too and no obnoxious pressure. Hubby was already 80% sure he wanted a warranty just for the added piece of mind, even tho' we know they are overpriced, so all she had to do was show the brochure. They didn't try to sell window etching or any of that other BS.

We don't tend to be brand loyal so it's hard to build a relationship with a specific dealer. But I would definitely buy a car from that same place if we get another Vue, and I will recommend them to friends. After several bad experiences, it was refreshing to find a helpful, straightforward place. They'll be getting my service business too even tho' it's kind of a far drive. I'd rather go somewhere I trust.

Joe270 · Apr 19, 2008

To me, it's strictly transportation and I accept that it's going to get dented and dinged so the looks don't mean a thing to me.

Too bad more folks don't have your view of vehicle ownership. We'd have a whole lot fewer gas-guzzlers on the road and gas would still be below $2 a gallon.

Siddow · Apr 19, 2008

Just to make you feel better about the salesguy, ink, he'll get a piece of the warranty pie, too.

DWSTXS · Apr 19, 2008

To me, it's strictly transportation and I accept that it's going to get dented and dinged so the looks don't mean a thing to me.
******

exactly! Once you decide to get your 'ego' separated from your car, it's makes everything about car ownership a lot easier.
I have a 2001 Honda Passport. I drive less than 2 miles to work.
I have less than 65k (original) miles on it.

I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. Don't care what it looks like. To me, it's just a tool, like a hammer or a screwdriver.

lakotagirl · Apr 19, 2008

DWSTXS said:
I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. Don't care what it looks like. To me, it's just a tool, like a hammer or a screwdriver.

25 years ago, I couldn't afford a car unless the wheels had already fallen off. I was divorced with a kid. Worked 3 jobs. The only car I could afford was your cast off. Yep, that was me driving down the road with a cloud of black smoke trailing behind.

Yep, the same one that broke down on the interstate and forced me to walk 3 miles in the pouring rain with my seven year old. Sure, someone stopped and offered a ride, but I'd always told him never get in cars with strangers.. And these guys were STRANGE!

One thing I always promised myself was that someday I wouldn't have to worry about breakdowns, or clouds of smoke, or walking into a bar and asking if anyone had jumper cables.....

Now I don't.

KTC · Apr 19, 2008

I just trade my Saturns in for new Saturns every 4 years. I hate problems with cars more than buying cars. We have a sedan and a Vue. They get to 4, they go back and we get new ones. Simple as that. We find a colour we like and ask them to bring it in. Has to be power everything and have air.

Perks · Apr 19, 2008

DWSTXS said:
exactly! Once you decide to get your 'ego' separated from your car, it's makes everything about car ownership a lot easier.

I think some people crave certain cars for some sort of ego boost, but some enthusiasts appreciate the design, the attention to detail, the sound of it, the push of it, etc. for what it is - the end result of someone else's dream and ingenuity.

I cannot afford to pay homage as I'd like, but someday, I just might.

inkkognito · Apr 19, 2008

Siddow said:
Just to make you feel better about the salesguy, ink, he'll get a piece of the warranty pie, too.

Thanks...that's good to know!

And if I can convince my hubby to put our Element up for sale, the salesman might just get another sale out of us. The Vue is SO superior and the Element still has good resale value so with the current rebates a Vue wouldn't cost too much more. I'd bet the dealer would love a sale so easy that it's, "Just look up my paperwork, get me the same car in one of these colors at the same price, and we've got a deal."

lakotagirl · Apr 20, 2008

Good luck! His and her Vues would be cool!

Dawno · Apr 20, 2008

Moved to Office Party from TIO - Please read "The Difference Between TIO and Office Party" for the reason

cethklein · Apr 20, 2008

For reference, federal law mandates that doc fees MUST be the same for all customers at a given dealership .They CANNOT be negotiated up or down. Now they can offer money someplace else to compensate but the doc fee must remain the same. In fact most dealers have them pre-printed on deal sheets.

Lakota is right, having an established relationship helps. If you don't have one, bring a "car lawyer". But be careful, make sure they don't say much as this pisses off some salespeople. Just have them "be there" it intimidates most salespeople and makes them less likely to lie.

truelyana · Apr 20, 2008

Why did you want a car in the first place?

Jenan Mac · Apr 20, 2008

Joe270 said:
Too bad more folks don't have your view of vehicle ownership. We'd have a whole lot fewer gas-guzzlers on the road and gas would still be below $2 a gallon.

LOL! My brother in law is a citrus grower and likes his Cadillacs. The first thing he does with a new car is drive it down the rows between the orange trees. Then he has peace of mind and doesn't have to worry about it getting scratched-- because it already looks like hell on toast.

johnnysannie · Apr 21, 2008

I must be in the minority because I enjoy buying vehicles. But then I have not bought a car with payments in the last fifteen years - I buy any car I own outright. Being able to buy rather than finance makes the entire process much simpler.

I also spent some time in my formative youth hanging around a used car lot with my dad (who had a friend in the business) and I learned a lot about how to deal for a car.

Anyone Else Hate Car Buying?

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