Evidently the dealership I bought my truck from has an energetic new salesman. He's cold calling previous customers.

Salesman: "Mr. 2000Z-71, I wanted to call and let you know that we have some fantastic rebates on our 2020 F-150's and now would be a great time if you were thinking of trading your current truck in."

Me: "You do realize I have a reserve in on a Bronco with your dealership and I honestly cannot see do anything between now and then."

Salesman: "Well with the current incentives, now would be a great time to get into a new vehicle."

Me: "You do realize my current F-150 is a 2019."

Salesman: "Well with the complexities of modern vehicle engines, turbochargers, electronics and transmissions, it does make sense to stay with a new vehicle and a warranty."

Me: "So you're telling me that my F-150 which is less than 2 years old is unreliable and I should be trading it in? Really? If Ford is making that much of an unreliable product should I consider trading it for a Toyota, Chevy or maybe even a Ram? If it's that unreliable should I cancel the reserve on the Bronco?"

Salesman: "Well, uh, no, um..."

Me: "I realize that you're trying to make a sale, but please don't call me again. I've already established a relationship there with a sales associate that I'll be working with on the ordering process of the new Bronco."

Salesman: "But don't you want to hear about the current incentives?"

Click.

Must. Not. Deviate. From. Script.

Maybe the current incentives would have changed your mind.

Fuckin lowlifes

Can't blame a guy for trying!

A Mazda dealer has sent me a couple notices by mail lately.

One was like your guy trying to trade. Real fancy package of info with big full color glossy photos of the entire Mazda lineup. Waste of their money but whatever.
The other was a service required notice.

They said I needed to bring in my 2017 Mazda for service because their records show it hadn't been serviced yet and I was in danger of damaging my car and my warrantee would be voided if I didn't bring it in right away! They included a coupon to use towards an overpriced oil change.

1) The car is already out of warrantee.
2) How in hell do they know if it has been serviced?
I didn't buy the car from them. I didn't even buy it here in Tennessee.

It only has 20k miles on it but I have changed the oil 5 times already myself, with official Mazda oil and filter.

PLUS, If they had looked, I have all my service records including milage, date and where I obtained the official Mazda supplies, even the four times I rotated the tires, entered online in the Official Mazda Owners service record database.

Dealer I got my Tacoma from calls and emails occasionally. My first question is always, “Is X still the finance manager or is he working there in another capacity?” The answer has always been yes and each time I tell them I won’t so much as buy a key chain there while that loud mouth arrogant son of a bitch is there.

Last year, I wondered what kind of pricing I might be looking at for a used Challenger through Costco. For a lark, I went through the website and thinking I was going to get to see some prices, somehow activated the launch sequence. I got several phone calls, text messages, and emails from some salesman out of the blue, every day, starting the following morning. “Enthusiastic” isn’t the word. Manic, perhaps. After a week of this shit, I finally answered the phone and told him I wasn’t interested and stop contacting me. He went high pressure to get me in the door, so I asked him for his manager’s name and phone number. I called the manager and gave him an earful and said “Ok here’s the deal: I’m never going to buy a car from that jackwad. If I do decide to do business with your dealership, I will contact you directly. If I get another phone call, text or email, I’m going to ask for your bosses’ name and phone number and rinse and repeat until you people leave me the fuck alone.” He apologized and that ended that.

Two weeks ago, I test drove some pickup trucks. The kid had been working at the dealership for about a week and a half. Same thing, phone calls, texts and emails every day for a week and a half. He finally gave up after asking me if we had narrowed it down and I replied “No, if anything, I’m considering more options.”

I think they train them this way. Probably a couple motivating seminars, a slap on the back and “go get ‘em, Tiger!”

It's their job. No big deal. I just don't answer the phone or reply to their email. Saves a lot of time.

I'm getting ready to buy a new vehicle. I'm not sure what I want yet so I have been looking around. I'm happy to talk to the car people seeking info but I am VERY clear about what I am doing and my time frame. I tell them all if I decide I want to proceed with their vehicle my next step will be to come and drive it. In the meantime do not call me. If and when I want to discuss anything I will call them. Some are intelligent enough to understand where I am and what I am doing. Others.....incredibly they are absolutely a pest. They are just too stupid to understand that because of their behavior when I am ready to do something it will not be with them.

The local Chevy dealerships have mailed me numerous invitations to test drive new vehicles. If I do, I get a Yeti tumbler or mug. This has gone on for most of 2020 but now seems to have stopped.
I now have many Yeti tumblers. And it got so bad that when I strolled through the doors, the receptionist just went and got a tumbler and gave it to me.
Thanks, Chevy!

 
iPhone, Silence Unknown callers. It sends them straight to voicemail without ringing.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
Dealer I got my Tacoma from calls and emails occasionally. My first question is always, “Is X still the finance manager or is he working there in another capacity?” The answer has always been yes and each time I tell them I won’t so much as buy a key chain there while that loud mouth arrogant son of a bitch is there.

I have found that same scenario. I've bought new cars and bought from a salesman I enjoyed doing business with. Then when I met with the FM , what jerks. They become really pissy when they find out I'm not financing or want the extended warranty or whatever else they apparently get a commission on. But later when I get an email survey from the dealer asking how my "expierience " was I burn the FM as much as I can. Had one tell me if I financed the car they would knock off another $500 on my deal. OK. How soon till I can pay it off without any penalty? Oh, you have to make 5 payments. I call the dealers finance company and ask the same question. There are no penalties for paying early. I get the extra $500 go home and write a check for the car and mail it in. Those guys are weasels.

Every time I bring my car or my wife's car in for service at the dealership we purchased them from this is what happens.
Right after I check in with the service adviser and sit in the waiting area someone starts calling my name, while walking around the waiting area .
It's not my service advisor so I ignore them. Then I get a call from my wife. She tells me that she just got a sales call to trade the car in that is being serviced. She tells them that she is not interested and we have a sales man we deal with, but they continue. As soon as she ask for their manager she is told they are not in. She ask for the managers number, they give it to her than say thank you and hang up.
I am friends with the service Manager and ask why this happens. He told me that their system automatically sends a message to the sales department that you are there when you check in for service. If you don't answer when they call your name while waiting in the service area they call the contact phone number they have on file.
I once watched someone rip the sales manager a new asshole for about 5 minutes because he did not like being harassed while waiting for his truck to be serviced. I assume when his name was called he went to find out why they wanted to talk to him. He was not to happy with the high pressure sale tactics they used. I heard him say something like "this is what you use on the weak minded"

The only reason I use the dealership anymore is they do buy one get one free oil changes. When I do the math it is cheaper than anyone else around me that does oil changes. They do this to try to up sell other services you may need. I can't fault them it's their job.

You gave them your phone number???

These situations are why a Google Voice number is invaluable.

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
You gave them your phone number???

I believe it’s a required thing if you test drive, at least it is this year. Salesman stays at the dealership, you leave a photocopy of your driver’s license and your contact info and take it for a spin. Socialist distancing and all that.

Anyway, today I’m making good on my statement to a salesman a few days ago. I told him “I like to reward low or no pressure sales.” He respected that, and as a result, we’re doing the paperwork as I type this.

One local Jeep dealer (now under new ownership) had been bombarding me with emails and snail mails for several years since I took my Jeep in for service, not my selling dealer but a lot closer to home and work. After getting my chain yanked about a warranty issue I stopped going there.

So I had been trashing all the snail mails and emails offering me a ten dollar Target gift card to come in and trade up. Like I'm going to buy from a dealership that blew me off, my selling dealer took care of it though. So imagine my surprise when I listen to a voicemail after I got home as I was on the bike when it came in, an invitation to come in for a special sales event (!). I called back, operator put me to a purported sales manager. I gave him my name and phone number and politely requested that my name be removed from the call list. He then asked my why, instead of telling him how his service writers and manager suck I just said "I am not interested in the near future" to which he replied "Oh yes you are, you just don't know it!"

So that lit me up. I replied that was definitely not the way to get me into the showroom and to remove my number immediately, then hung up. About three months later, same scenario, they called again.

This time a nice long email to the General Manager. Gave him my story why I went to their store, how my request for assistance was ignored, my call to the sales department three months earlier quoting the day, date, and time the call was received and how that request to remove me from the call list was ignored. And any further calls would result in my filing a complaint with the appropriate government agencies that deal with unwanted phone calls.

Never a peep since.

Incident #1:

Sales guy: Hi M1Garandy, this is the salesman over at XYZ dealership where you test drove a truck the other day.

M1Garandy: Salesman, why are you calling me? I said I'd call you later today when I had a chance. Right now I'm on the way to a wake for my godfathers wife.

Sales guy: Oh man M1Garandy, my condolences, I'll knock off another $100 from the price...


Incident #2:

Finance manager: Ok M1Garandy, here is your total invoice including 1% home rule tax, $75-150 in document fees and dealer prep.

M1Garandy: I asked your sales guy for the total out the door price, all in including all taxes and fees before I drove 50 miles to buy this vehicle. That 1% tax and those dealer fees were not in the figures I was given and I am not paying them.

Finance manager: Sorry, he forgot, please sign this form and pay your money.

M1Garandy: Like I said, I'm not paying those extra fees. If you "forgot" to tell me about them when I asked, that is your problem, not mine, I only brought one check and it is already filled out on the amount I was told by your sales guy.

Finance manager: My sign on the wall here says that the this state makes me charge you $75-150 in document fees.

M1Garandy: You should really re-read your sign. It says that the state "allows" you to charge a doc fee, it does not mandate the charging of a doc fee. I'm not paying it.

Finance manager: Fine, we'll eat it the doc fee, sign this form.

M1Garandy: No, that is a State tax form and it has the old incorrect figures on it, I'm not signing that until you provide a corrected form and I'm not paying the other fees you didn't quote me on my "all in" price.

Finance manger: But we already put the plates on your new vehicle with the sticker, and if we redo the paperwork, we'll need to give you a different set of plates which costs us money!

M1Garandy: Not my problem.

Made it out the door and into the parking lot before they came around and ate everything not on my original "all in" quote.


Incident #3:

Service manager: Sorry we damaged your car that is still under warranty, we'll replace the transmission since third gear in your manual transmission disappeared while in our care for an unrelated issue.

M1Garandy: Ok thanks, when you have it apart, and on my dime, please remove the the pressure plate and measure the thickness of the friction disk and let me know how thick it is so if I feel it is warranted, I can pay for the replacement clutch since you are already in there.

Service manager: Ok, no problem.

M1Garandy: Great, thanks.

Service manager: Ok, it's all done, come get it.

M1Garandy: And the clutch?

Service manager: Uh, we forgot to do what was listed on our service order.

M1Garandy: So how did you manage to chip the paint on the top of both front fenders and scratch the hood with the engine cradle while changing the trans?

Service manager:............

The body shop at the dealership was even worse, they managed to tear the drivers door seal, break the center console and run a cart or a jack or something down the whole side of the car while they were repairing the hood and front fenders which meant that they got to paint the whole side of the car as well as both fenders and the hood. They did a terrible job and I retained the services of a lawyer shortly thereafter for that issue and others.


Don't even get me started about "We don't negotiate off sticker on our vehicles." salesmen/dealerships and the "Would you like this expensive extended warranty that specifically EXCLUDES coverage for every part of your vehicle as listed by name in the fine print of the warranty?" warranties.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:
These situations are why a Google Voice number is invaluable.

I had not heard of his: Can you expand? Maybe with a new post?