Car Dealerships.... *Ford/Hyundai Spinoff*

[mmmmm...beer 807]

About 3-4 years ago I was a car salesmen for a Ford Store. It's a decent sized dealership and I can honestly say all the sneaky underhanded sh!t you think about a car salesmen is ABSOLUTELY TRUE in my first hand opinion.

 

It was worst fricking job I've ever had in my entire life.

 

A little background: I was an anomoly... I was hired to do the Federal Police job I'm doing now... but if you know anything about being a cop, especially in the feds, they're a LONG LONG ass background they conduct on you before you actually get a start date. I found out I got this cop job in October and didn't start until March.

So I was waiting for this start date even though I already knew I had the job. I needed an income in the interim so I got a job with the Ford people selling cars.. they didn't care if I'd never sold anything in my life. So... I really didn't care about the job as I knew my other job was going to call me very soon to give me the start date. I think people found it very refreshing that I actually had their best interests in mind. I really wanted them to get the best deal for the money.

 

Here's what I learned at the Ford store. The markup on used cars is absolutely unbelieveable. We'd give someone a rediculously low number for their vehicle.. say 3k.. and turn around and sell it for 13k. There are all kinds of promotions going on to sell these used cars. There was a list of like 10 cars that had been around a bit. If you sold one you got a free trip Hawaii for two and 500 cash to spend. There was that much money in markup. I don't care what anyone ever tells you... the dealership NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER took a loss on a car... EVER.

 

It would make me sick to my stomach... we'd get an elderly woman come park in the lot and like 10 focking piece of sh!t sharks would be running to pounce on her. I remember a woman on a fixed income buy a car and after she walks out the salesmen and manager CHEER!~! They were bragging to everyone they just FOCKED her for 10 GRAND in profit!! WHOOHOOO!!! I wanted to focking puke. They did the same stuff over and over.

 

I don't know... maybe that's all part of it... get as much profit as you can regardless if it's not the best thing for the customer. Hey as long as the customer has the wool pulled over their eyes and they think they did ok... feel good about yourself. BAH.. it was discusting.

 

Oh and let me tell you about the salesmen. Out of 22 salesmen... 6 were CONVICTED FELONS. Ranging from BANK EMBEZZLEMENT to KIDNAPPING/SODOMY. I'm not focking sh!tting you in the slightest. The other half were dope fiends. 3 of the salesmen would go out in the back lot... smoke a few doobs then come back and take people on test drives. Guys seemed to be tweaking now and again as well.

 

It was a focking scary lot. These guys had NO morals... it was all about getting the money.... ALL about the money. Management knew all about it.. because they were the same way. The owner didn't give a fock as long as the money was coming in.... it was so unscrupulous.

 

It was absolutely the worst focking experience of my life.. and it removed any veil I had at all about dealerships. This was a focking big FORD store.... not some podunk johnnys used cars.

 

If I can help it.. I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy a vehicle from a dealership again.

 

I made minimun wage the whole time I was there... if you don't sell a certain amount of cars with big markup you get minimun wage. I was a terrible salesmen it seems. I sold a hell of a lot of Hyundai's though. To bad they really didn't have any markup. After two months I transferred across the street to Hyundai (the guy owned both places) and it was like a breath of fresh air. You couldn't lie.. you couldn't mislead.. the car's had to speak for themselves. I was ok with that job... I still didn't make any money.. but at least I could live with myself.

 

Oh and by the way.... in my humble opinion never ever buy a car from V a n c o u v e r F o r d in Vancouver, WA, buy a Hyundai across the street.. they really can't fock you with one of them.

 

I will say there were probably about 3-4 guys out of the 22.. myself included that would actually do right by a person. I would trust to buy from that salesmen... but they got b!tched at and belittled by the management because they weren't moving the high markup cars and not making the management enough scratch.

[Ravens 03 0]

Confirms my suspicions.

[davebg 0]

I could have told you all of that.

My POS father is a car salesman.

[veebs4 2]

Confirms a lot of what THIS GUY TALKS ABOUT AT HIS WEBSITE.

 

I have only bought 2 cars at a dealership, and this website helped, but due to time constraints, I still got a little hosed, especially on the most recent one.

[paulinstl 296]

That reminds me of when I took a job as a salesman for a Siding/Window replacement company. Point of demo sale only, because if they didn't buy right then, another company would come along and blow your bid out of the water. Some scams they ran were pretty devious:

 

1. 10% for allowing a company sign in your yard.

 

2. Telling the customers they could get a huge discount because the boss feels like their house is key to the neighborhood, and will make neighbors interested in his company.

 

3. Calling "Time and Temp" while in front of the customers and pretending to barter with the boss for a better deal for the customers.

 

4. Factory Inventory Clearance. Hear those words, run!

 

One day the same thing about fleecing an old lady on a fixed retirement income happened. Two salesmen came back from her house with a contract she signed for 4 small vinyl replacement windows for the amount of $9000.00. They showed it to the sales manager, and he high-fived them. I went to the boss and immediately quit.

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Isn't it hard for dealer to markup new cars with the dealer costs posted all over the web? i took the cost sheet in with me when i negotiated the last 2 I bought.

[Chronic Husker 85]

Isn't it hard for dealer to markup new cars with the dealer costs posted all over the web? i took the cost sheet in with me when i negotiated the last 2 I bought.

Yeah, dealers don't make near as much on new cars.

 

ETA, that doesn't mean that you're getting a better deal buying a new car.

[D_House 0]

anyone have any experience with carmax.com?

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

Yeah, dealers don't make near as much on new cars.

 

ETA, that doesn't mean that you're getting a better deal buying a new car.

 

What it means is that you could be getting screwed more on a used car. Are there any other items that are bought and sold where someone makes money on the sale EVERY time?

[spork in the road 2]

What it means is that you could be getting screwed more on a used car. Are there any other items that are bought and sold where someone makes money on the sale EVERY time?

 

Antiques.