1989 Civic image from the brochure.
I have an unusual gift of telling a good vehicle from a bad one by “the seat of my pants.” Seriously, I can’t tell you how many cars I steered people away from potential buys, lucky to find out they were not decent vehicles. In fact, my wife would tell you that if I say it’s time to get rid of a car, you can take it to the bank. Once we had been driving a really nice ‘92 Oldsmobile 88 and it just didn’t feel right after two years of driving. We traded it in and the dealer, a friend, said he sold it only to have it towed back in with a bad fuel injection system and computer issues.
So I used to regularly help friends and family with car purchases. One example was a family friend, Charlene. Her dad had bought her a ’84-’85 K-car derived Charger. It was getting long in the tooth and her new job meant more driving, so she asked for some help finding a new car. She told me her budget ($300 monthly) and she must have equipment which was an automatic, A/C, good gas mileage and a cassette stereo.
I laid out my rules to help her: I’d give her advice, and if she didn’t like what she heard, I was off the job. I told her I did research first and that I never, ever went into a dealer saying “Oh, I must have that red one” because that’s when you’re hooked. Rather, I always went in asking this question: “What’s the most car for the least money with this equipment?” Most times, I would walk away with a car from the used lot that was what they call a “90 day unit” or a strangely optioned new car (I bought a new 05 Sierra for an additional $1500 off plus rebates because it had been ordered with no A/C and a manual transmission! They couldn’t give it away for 4 months!)
With this, we began the process. I knew many different people at the local dealers, so that helped. My mind went to Toyota, Honda, etc. However, Charlene called me at work two days later, asking me to meet her at a dealer. She claimed to have found a new car that she really liked, but didn’t peruse any sales numbers until I gave approval.
I agreed to meet her at a dealer known as Vista. In my mind, they were listed as a BMW dealer, so I couldn’t imagine what she’d found.
When we got there, several salesmen came out as Charlene is an attractive lady. She showed me a VW Jetta (Vista had added VW to their list) that was gray over gray cloth. But this car had a sun roof, automatic, dual mirrors, power windows and power locks; in other words, it was a lot more car than she said she wanted. A test drive was arranged, but I politely allowed her do that, though I knew that the money was not going right.
The salesman sat in the passenger seat and while we drove, I asked some apparently difficult questions, which stumped him. I asked what brand of tires it had -he didn’t know- I asked what the warranty was -he didn’t know- and I asked if all the front wheel drive components, such a CV joints, boots and such, were covered under warranty –something he also didn’t know.
I had an opportunity to look over at the odometer, and it read a little over 8300 miles. So I asked him, “Is this a brand new car?” To which he replied, “Yes, it is.”
When we arrived back at the dealer, we were led into an office. A binder was thrown across the table at me and I was told abruptly, “This will answer all of those questions you had asked me!”
With that, a sales manager and finance person entered and began to talk Charlene into this car, and tried to keep my mind occupied. But I was listening intently. When they told her the monthly payment would be $359 a month, I closed the binder, and told the salesman, “Those are Michelin tires; only certain parts of the front wheel drive are covered, and it looks like it is a 3/36,000 mile warranty.”
I then turned to the manager and asked if the 8300 the car already had was over the 36,000 warranty miles, to which he replied no. I then asked how they could legally sell this car, with this number of miles, as brand new. I was told there was a “loophole”.
I looked at Charlene and told her that we were leaving, reminding her that the monthly payment was much higher than she had in her budget, and that they were selling her a used car for a new car price. A knockdown, drag out fight ensued. The members of the dealer threatened to have me trespassed, and that “She would be buying that car because if she didn’t, she would regret that decision.” Folks, I cannot make this up.
I got up and walked out onto the sales floor, and the two men tried to block her in. I yelled across the room, “We are leaving. You are illegally misrepresenting that car as brand new and I will be calling VW to further look into this.” With that commotion being made, they came towards me. I walked out the door and saw her following me.
I had parked way out by the street. She came up to me and asked what was next. I told her to follow me to the local Honda dealer, where I knew a salesman very well.
When we arrived at Moody Honda, Craig immediately welcomed us. He asked how he could help me. So I explained that my friend needed a new car, what she wanted on it, and I asked about a Civic hatchback. He said he had several and we went to look. Craig, being no-nonsense, took Charlene’s keys to get her car appraised while she and I went for a drive in a burgundy Civic hatchback. It had exactly what she wanted and even had the right hand mirror, which she didn’t ask for. It showed 10 miles and drove excellently, like any Honda should.
When we got back, Craig told us that with her trade and the discounts they were offering, her monthly payment would be $269. She was absolutely over the moon happy and I asked him to “Throw in a set of floor mats!” He wasn’t happy, but agreed to do that if she’d take deliver that night, which we agreed to.
Craig, being a great salesman, sent her some flowers and a card thanking her for the business. He sent me a $50 gift card to a local restaurant, thanking me for bringing her in but asking me next time not to ask for floor mats after the numbers, as he had to pay for those out of his pocket!
I never called VW and I never set foot in that Vista dealer again. Sadly, it was before things like Google reviews were available.
At the end of the day, Charlene got a great car, one she drove for 7 or 8 years, and it felt good to my heart to have helped her out. And I still give the same advice today; never go into any dealer and say, “I really want that one!” They’ll hook you every time!
The same is true today as it always has been; never tell a dealer what your monthly payment budget is. Do your math homework in advance based on the selling price and always use that as your starting point.
I would have reported the dealer not only to VWoA, but more importantly to whatever local authority dealt with overcharges and misrepresentation in retail sales (which varies by jurisdiction). I don’t imagine much would have come with it, since it would have been a your-word-against-theirs situation, but it would be a useful reminder.
I looked at Charlene and told her that we were leaving, reminding her that the monthly payment was much higher than she had in her budget, and that they were selling her a used car for a new car price. A knockdown, drag out fight ensued. The members of the dealer threatened to have me trespassed, and that “She would be buying that car because if she didn’t, she would regret that decision.” Folks, I cannot make this up.
This reminds me of an urban legend I once heard of. Of a dealership known as the 911 dealer. Not because they sold 911’s but the story goes that some poor lady was so intimidated, pressured and harrased she wound up calling 911.
True or not, I do not know.
And then there is the absolutely phony “Documentary Fee”! I always negotiate on the bottom line so all the phony wax jobs and crap is on them. Sometimes it works.
Here in Houston we had Landshark Chevrolet and Gunpoint Dodge. Stories like yours were common. Both dealers are long gone but for a few years they did a lot of business
Subscribed to learn all the horror stories I know are coming .
-Nate
Maybe, but I’d bet the FI & computer issues on the ’92 Olds were relatively easily and inexpensively resolved, they are well known to be reliable and durable cars, and worth a bit of effort if required I’d say. And frankly how many car salesmen could tell you what brand of tires were on a car? though I’d have never been shopping at a VW dealer to start with. Those were well known NOT to be reliable and durable.
I love the “let’s gang up on the buyer” approach to sales. Surrounding a buyer with three knuckleheads of increasing authority is the path to success. Intimation warms the heart. In-person buying and leasing is best accomplished on the last day of the month about an hour before the dealer closes. Having a pile of comparative price paperwork or tablet loaded with info helps. Completed my first online car purchase in 2002. It was a blessing.
Wow – what a story! And you’re also a great friend. When I saw your headline and the lead image, I assumed the article would contain a nightmarish scenario from a Honda dealer – in those days, Honda dealers seemed to have the worst reputation. I was surprised to read that Honda were the good guys in this story.
That VW dealer story is awful, and I assume since the dealership tried those tactics on you and Charlene that they this wasn’t the first time they’d done this sort of thing. Trying any one of those things on less savvy customers would probably shock them into buying a car. Truly sad.
And the floor mats – I remember my father (who was a very shrewd and hard-nosed customer) would buy cars by working with a few dealers simultaneously and negotiating each offer down a little bit further. At the end the difference would come to just a few dozen dollars, and when he’d finish, he’d usually say “Throw in a set of floor mats for me.” It always worked.
I’m in Seattle, and I gather you’re in Florida. If you were local to me, I’d want to hire you as a consultant on my next car purchase.