From: wallich@ncd.com (Ken Wallich)
Newsgroups: ba.general
Subject: Re: Comments concerning Toyota of Palo Alto?
Date: 12 Jan 93 02:17:29 GMT
Reply-To: wallich@ncd.com (Ken Wallich)
Distribution: ba

roland@quadsys.com (Roland Besserer) writes:


>I would never even consider buying a car from a dealer pulling
>'the usual 4 hour nonsense' on me. As long as people accept this kind
>treatment nothing will change. [...]

Allow me to whole-heartedly agree.  When I bought my first new car
some 10 years ago, I was inexperienced at haggling, and got ripped by
the dealer (I'll never buy another new Honda after that experience,
since American Honda didn't really give a damn when I complained to
them).  Anyway, after that demeaning experience, I decided if I *ever*
bought a car from a dealer again, it would be on *my* terms and for
*my* price, or they could stuff it.  I also decided I'd never spend
more than 30 minutes debating price, otherwise I was out of there.

Well, this determination has made all the difference.  I've walked out
of several dealerships that gave me the standard crap, even before
talking about a deal.  When it became obvious what type of
salesmanship they were using, I'd simply state "I'm becoming very
unhappy, and if you don't agree to this price, I'm walking".  Of
course, I'd done my homework, and I knew what the car was worth, and
what would give them a reasonable profit before going in.  I've only
ended up walking out a few times when making it clear they would loose
the sale *now* if they didn't cut the crap.  On the positive side,
I've bought 3 cars from dealers since then (and 4 motorcycles), and
I've been happy with the deals I got on all of them, and I never sat
around for more than an hour before driving off in the new car.

All you need be prepared to do is to actually walk if they aren't
prepared to give you a reasonable deal.  You don't *need* *this*
vehicle.  There are others, and someone will sell one to you for a
fair price, without the bullshit.  Don't go in preparing to invest 3
hours, once you're there for 3 hours, they know it's less likely that
you will walk.  If you go in, and tell them up front what you will
pay, and get up and leave if they disappear for an extended period of
time, or if they start stringing you along, you are much more likely
to get what *you* want in the timeframe *you* specify.  Be aggressive,
don't ever put up with being talked down or allow them to act as if
they are in control.  *You* are the customer.  *You* pay the salaries
and rent.  *You* are in charge.

This doesn't mean to be offensive and rude, just confident and in
control.  If they start pissing you off, leave.  Don't argue, don't
get mad, just tell them they just pissed you off, and you're going to
take your business elsewhere.  Keep track of the good and the bad
places, and let everyone you can know about them.  Get the good folks
more business, let the bad ones rot in retail sales hell.

Since I'm on a roll:

Let me recommend Courtesy Chevrolet (they've changed management, and
many people had problems with the old management, I probably got the
one honest, low-pressure salesman there.  Of course, I was buying a
big truck, not a sports car), Fremont BMW (they must have another
name), California BMW, San Jose BMW (also under new management),
Fremont Honda (Kawasaki and Harley).  I also liked the people at the
Honda automobile dealership in Santa Cruz (Coast?  Pacific?), but I
didn't buy a car from them, and the Harley dealer in San Jose was also
pretty cool, even though I haven't bought anything from them either.
Many of these may have slimey salesman in them, but the guys I talked
to or made a deal with didn't get in my face, gave me an excellent
price (Fremont BMW (the car, not the motorcycle) took my first offer,
which I thought was about $1k too low (and well under the sticker)).
I liked some of the folks I talked to at the S.F.  auto-plaza place.
I don't know if they or it is still there.  It seemed pretty cool, at
least for the SAAB's I was looking at at the time.

On the other hand Stevens Creek Chevrolet (they probably have another
name), Honda Peninsula, Fremont Honda, the SAAB dealer in Oakland, B&B
SAAB in the south bay, all these are evil, or at least they have been
in the past.  Others may have had better or even good experiences with
them, and they could have gotten better over the years.

-- 
Ken Wallich

wallich@ncd.com ~ ken@wallich.com ~ kmw@al.org ~ [...]decwrl!vixie!amber!ken