Dude, the signs were there..

We do it all just to annoy you punters.

No but really they are probably trying to get a deal stacked by a business manager who is dealing with 3 or 4 different deals.

Hey we have his n’ her bikes. Two of the same makes things very practical.

No shame.

His and hers anything – into Room 101 you go.

When I do get my car there is going to be a big letter to them.

Wow. The big guns, eh?

Get your deposit back and get a car from soemwhere decent. You have all the evidence you need that they are hopeless, and you are still rolling over.

Butch up and go elsewhere

(image only relevant to those of a certain age!).

Two of the same makes things very practical.

Swapping components between cars??

Getting two of the same car is a fail. Are they the same spec?

This is a timely thread. I went (2nd hand) car shopping last weekend and actually quite enjoyed it. We visited 3 different show rooms and in all of them the salesman was friendly, not at all pushy and genuinely pleasant to deal with. We didn’t have a specific car in mind so they could have gone down the route of pushing some old stock on us, but didn’t. Impressed.

Then I let my guard down 🙁

I saw a car in the third and last showroom and it winked at me and I smiled back. The salesman saw this and must have known immediately that he had me hook, line and sinker. “Test drive? Of course, sir. Take it overnight and bring it back tomorrow.” I’m ashamed and appalled at my (lack of) negotiation skills the next day. I wanted the car. He knew I wanted the car. It was only a matter of time… 😆

Fiat 500 with eyelashes?

Sometimes the going and getting a price thing involves them phoning round a few other dealers to see if they’ll take the trade-in for re-sale. Quite common at main dealers etc. if they don’t want to market the trade-in themselves (too old etc.).

I quite liked my last car purchase. Female sales person, did run through figures on the Sales Managers’ computer first but it was all visible in the open plan area so easy to see it wasn’t just a delaying trick. Finance type people may know, is the software\finance website a licenced login so dealers only have a couple of copies? It must be a genuine thing as the Sales Manager was on holiday when I picked the car up and there was a sudden panic about checking some details were correct and only he could do it. I’d already committed by then so it wasn’t a tactic.

For the trade in they gave me a price, I was hoping for more but the gouges in the doors where bike forks had scraped, massive scrapes on the alloys and the bonnet mark where I had a lucky escape with Bambi running infront of me one morning kind of spoilt things. She did say that the car would just go to auction anyway and in my head I could see they’d make a profit but they weren’t screwing me over too much.

Tried selling me PCP on a new car rather than used and even when I said not interested it won’t work – do too many miles and chuck dirty mountain bikes in the boot for it to be cost effective, she went through the options with the Manager and he stuck his head out and told me I was right 🙂

I did get an exasperated look when the expensive polish was mentioned and I said I wasn’t willing to pay £250 for a £50 valet kit.

Came away with a car I was happy with at a price I was mostly OK with.

Dealers I’ve used for years though as they’re still an independent family business and have mechanics that do a good job.

Seems that BMW Harrogate are trying a whole new sales technique. Having sold me a friday special 2nd hand 1 series my wife has decided she wants a new car. As I was in the garage collecting our duff car after warranty work I took the opportunity to go through some figures for a new car with a sales man.

He arranged to call me today between 1-1.30 to give me some final figures on a finance deal but obviously couldn’t be bothered. Shame really as SWMBO has decided she wants an X1 now. Lloyd Colne BMW will be happy.