Had a very awkward/somewhat awful dealership experience yesterday

"sellphones2493" (sellphones2493) 10/29/2014 at 11:13 • Filed to: None

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So I've recently been potentially in the market for a new car to replace my S60R. I love the R like nothing else, but it needs new suspension and a new clutch. I'm looking at $5,000+ in repairs for a car worth 11K, tops.

Yesterday, I went to a Mazda Dealer in Connecticut (which shall remain unnamed). I've already test-drove the 6 Touring Manual at another dealer, but I didn't really like the dealer, so I thought I'd give this one a chance.

I was approached by a salesguy before I even got out of my car. He looked like your stereotypical car sales guy. What bothered me the most was that he wouldn't look me in the eye - he'd stare directly at my forehead. It kinda creeped me out.

Right as I sat at his desk, he asked for my full name, phone number and address. I refused to give my address since it was pretty much useless to him. I hadn't even told him why I was there yet. He became standoffish, saying that all dealers have to ask for your address, and there's nothing he can do without it (lie #1).

He went on to say things, such as the following:
"The 6 is faster than your Volvo since it weighs less" (he's comparing a 300HP Turbo to a 180HP i4 - my 0-60 is like 5.9 and the 6 is like 7.5)

"It's just a Volvo, who wants a Volvo?" ( ME - I'd buy another Volvo if they made new ones in stick)

"The Mazda is weighted to perform better than your current car in the snow" (I'm driving a manual, heavy, AWD Car with General Altimax Arctic Winter Tires - I'm damn confident my Volvo is better in the snow than a FWD car with All-Season's)

"When Ford owned Volvo and Mazda, they took all safety features from Volvo and put them in the Mazda. The Mazda is much safer than any new Volvo"

"Mazda's closest competitor for performance is BMW - bar none. Every competitor has body roll except the Mazda"

"Mazda has a better resale value than Toyota, Honda, and everything else on the market"

"There's never a better time to buy than right now."

This list continues. I walked out of the dealer and threw his card out along the way. I've sold cars before - I know you need to sell your product, but don't lie along the way. While the first Mazda Dealer was ok, this one was pretty awful.

Sorry, I just needed to vent.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:15

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Geeze. That's bad.

Dusty Ventures > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:16

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Wow. I'm impressed you were willing to stay there long enough to hear that much bullshit. I would have Seinfelded myself out of there by the third blatant lie.

Crocket Bernet > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:16

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Why not tell the name of the dealer the only thing that will make them change their shitty business practices is bad publicity.

Coty > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:16

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Jesus fuck, I don't sell a ton of cars but at least I don't spout bullshit.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:17

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Was this picture taken in front of said Mazda dealership?

sellphones2493 > Where have all the lightweights gone? 10/29/2014 at 11:18

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No, it was at night in Southern Connecticut.

BJ > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:20

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Somebody was trying way too hard...

My guess - end of the month is coming and this guy hasn't made anything near his quota, so he's willing to say anything to sell a car.

SantaRita > Dusty Ventures 10/29/2014 at 11:22

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lie number 2 would have had me. dont bullshit a car guy about cars. we swim in it and the smell is unmistakable. sorry about that.

your volvo probably is still the better car by all metrics than 90% of the cars under 40K

Dunnik > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:23

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"There's never been a better time to buy!"

One week later...

"There's never been a better time to buy!"

One month later...

"There's never been a better time to buy!"

Tom McParland > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:24

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I've told this story a few times...but I'll give the quick version. When I was helping my mom get a 2012 Jetta I made a comment about the rear-drum brakes on a 25k German sedan. Salesperson said...and I quote "Oh, those are the latest thing, everyone is going in that direction." Then I asked why all the Audis on the lot still had 4 wheel disc. "They haven't caught up yet." At that point I walked into the showroom and asked for the manager, I requested a different salesperson that actually knew what the hell he was talking about.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:24

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wow, nothing is worse than a blatant liar.

I've found stupid before but never caught blatant lies.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Tom McParland 10/29/2014 at 11:32

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You've probably been asked this (maybe even by me), but have you seen the GM training short "Hired!"? It's older than the hills, but one of the topics it goes over is making sure the sales guy knows his stuff so he doesn't *have* to BS. The young sales guy meets a customer who asks him about something (suspension, I think) and says that the Plymouth is the most advanced on the market - what does the Chevrolet have? "Er, I'm not sure... but I know it's better". This play is portrayed as the putzish failure it is.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:35

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"It's just a Volvo, who wants a Volvo?"

People who want wagons and cars that don't look like they're smiling all the time want a volvo.

thebigbossyboss > Tom McParland 10/29/2014 at 11:37

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HAHAHA. Amazing. My Cavalier must be very advanced then.

thebigbossyboss > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:38

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*connetcoot.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:38

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Dear god those are attractive cars.

cosmicspeed > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:40

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I remember when I was in the market for a new car to replace my 95 GTI. I test drove a 2007 Mazdaspeed3, of which I knew little about at the time, but knew MORE than the salesman. Each of the local Mazda dealerships was no different.

I ended up buying my car in another city, form a volume dealer that didn't pester me with their "car knowledge" AND had a lowest price I could find. Overall, while I love the brand, Mazda's network of dealers is rather disappointing.

Agrajag > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:41

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What bothered me the most was that he wouldn't look me in the eye - he'd stare directly at my forehead. It kinda creeped me out.

Don't wear these next time.

nermal > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:42

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I have had a similar experience - There's nothing worse than pulling up to a lot, parking, and having a some greasy haired, gold chained, hairy chested guy with 3 too many buttons unbuttoned standing there helping you open your door.

A bit of advice for next time - Go online to the dealer's website and submit and inquiry that way before actually going to the dealer. A lot of them will have internet managers that are much less cheesy and stereotypical.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:48

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It wasn't the one in Milford, CT was it?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:51

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You know, I love my wife's Mazda but I bought it used from Carmax. Before i bought my Fiat, I was considering a Mazda2, but after visiting the dealerships, i changed my mind. Not because of the car, I still think the 2 is great little car, but the sales departments of each Mazda dealer I visited seemed to be staffed exclusively with standoff-ish buffoons, much like the ones you described. Makes me wonder what kind of corporate culture they are looking to instill in their sales team.

Tina Corbett > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 11:51

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I'd be more than happy to sell you a Volvo..but alas...no manuals here either.

treesmakewater > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 10/29/2014 at 11:52

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Also they don't want an airnsuspension failure

jariten1781 > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 12:03

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I've posted this before, but it's still the worst salesman BSing I've run into:

Fun story. Back in 96 or so I saw a used car dealer had a MR2 turbo in the classifieds and I was in the market. Drove over, and as normal, it had 'just been sold'. I told the guy I wasn't really interested in anything else as I was just looking at the MR2 because I was interested in a cheapish mid-engined car. He goes 'Oh, we have just the thing around back, stay here and I'll pull it around'.

So I'm wondering what it's going to be...X1/9? late 70s Espirit (they were dirt cheap at the time)?...Nope, it was a freaking del Sol. I'm like 'Um...that's not mid engined...' He ensures me that it is so I pop the hood and point and say...'No it's front engined see'.

He goes "All cars have their engines in the front. What mid-engined means is that it's the companies middle sporty car. The MR2 is mid engined because it's faster than the Celica but slower than the Supra. The del Sol is mid engined because it's faster than the Civic, but slower than the Prelude.' So yeah, I learned a thing or two about salesmen that day.

Tom McParland > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/29/2014 at 12:13

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I haven't seen that but will try to find it...thanks

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Tom McParland 10/29/2014 at 12:15

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Best enjoyed with Mystery Science Theater 3000.

philsphan09 > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 12:21

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This has to be the mazda dealership in Hamden

pdx107 > jariten1781 10/29/2014 at 12:21

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That may be the finniest thing I have heard all month

mazdaspeed2 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/29/2014 at 12:29

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I bought a Mazda 2 and my dealership was okay, not great. Definitely not the worst dealership experience I've had by far, but it sounds like they are mazdas best dealer with all these stories...

kvetcha > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 12:43

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I must have lucked out with our Mazda dealership, but our salesman in NoVA was a pro. He seemed to genuinely love cars and was happy to just talk stuff over, show us the product, let us test drive. Zero pressure, and always prompt to reply to his e-mail. I'd gladly buy another car from him.

As Du Volant > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 12:48

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Holy coincidence, Batman. That Mazda dealer is an hour away from where I'm sitting right now. The owner uses his bulldogs in all their ads, including the billboards.

As Du Volant > Tom McParland 10/29/2014 at 12:49

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I think of this story every time I get into a new-ish demo and see that it has rear drums.

Last one was a 2012 Chevy Cruze. Everyone is going in that direction!

Jayhawk Jake > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 13:00

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I hate that salesman trope. The 'my car beats the shit out of the competitors because of fake facts' guy.

I was shopping pony cars at one point and at the time GM had just increased the power of the V6 Camaro to 315hp or so, while the Mustang was 305. Ford salesman said the Mustang is more powerful, I corrected him and said well, actually, the Camaro has about 10 hp more but it's basically irrelevant. He couldn't leave well enough alone and said "yeah, but Chevy reports wheel horsepower and Ford reports crank, so the Mustang actually has more"

...

Uhhhh no. I corrected him and he said 'nonono everyone knows wheel horsepower is higher than crank, Chevy is full of it, the Mustang has way more power'. I then told him that's not how physics works and walked away.

Jayhawk Jake > jariten1781 10/29/2014 at 13:02

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WUT

DanPadge > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 14:18

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The sad thing is that this is the norm, and there are far more clueless car buyers than ones with the ability to know its BS. This is what happens when you have high quotas, 100% commissions and the motto is "Sell! Sell! Sell!" Your example is almost textbook sales training - play up what the buyer is interested in, hard sell by emphasizing urgency, speak in generalities and subtly suggest that what you have is not cool and what he's selling is just the hippest thing ever.

sellphones2493 > philsphan09 10/29/2014 at 15:49

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You guessed correctly. Lee Partyka Mazda/Chevrolet.

sellphones2493 > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 10/29/2014 at 15:50

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Nope. I've had good experiences at Connecticut's Own. They usually just add an extra 0 to every repair I ever get from them.

Steve in Manhattan > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 16:28

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A Car Guys sort of question. I don't know the condition of the rest of the S60R, but what if you could get another 25,000 miles of Volvo driving for that 5 grand? Would it make sense? Even if the car is worth 11K to a buyer, it might be worth more to you.

sellphones2493 > Steve in Manhattan 10/29/2014 at 16:32

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Right now, there's actually a few things that make me want to part with the Vo. Ultimately, I get 18MPG on 93 octane and I'm looking for something with a warranty. At around 100K, I have one of the most expensive services as well.

Steve in Manhattan > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 16:35

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Then your decision makes sense. I've given the CG advice more than once - take it to a mechanic and ask how much it would take to put it in a condition where they'd let their kid drive it. But if mileage is an issue, this might be the end.

philsphan09 > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 16:48

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Hah knew it!! Went to college there and after I graduated I lived in Hamden for a bit and bought a 335xi. Went to the dealership with a friend who was looking at them. Sales guy pulled the same stunt tried basically saying how my friend would beat me in a race and how its better...etc...was quite awkward.

sellphones2493 > philsphan09 10/29/2014 at 16:49

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You're a QU Grad?

philsphan09 > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 17:03

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indeed!

sellphones2493 > philsphan09 10/29/2014 at 17:10

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I'm currently a senior!

ranwhenparked > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/29/2014 at 19:35

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Expectations were different in the '30s.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ranwhenparked 10/29/2014 at 19:38

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Oh, sure. Take the people being sold to actually wearing a tie at home. what.

wallaby13 > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 22:17

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So what are you going to do with the S60R? I have an affinity for old volvo money pits.

Vicente Esteve > sellphones2493 10/29/2014 at 22:35

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Thats SUCKS.

Even funnier is my story with a Renault salesman in Mexico, I was test driving this:

This is a car made in Rumania just to put things into perspective. I knew this fact.

Salesman: "This car is of EXTREME Quality. Really just made with the BEST hands. And the engine, oh my this engine. Do you watch Formula 1?"

Me: "Yes"

Salesman: "Who is the Top Team now?"

Me: "Redbull Renault?"

Salesman just points enthusiastically at the Renault badge on the front.

Salesman: "All that F1 Technology. Its here."

He was awesome!

sellphones2493 > wallaby13 10/30/2014 at 00:08

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10k trade-in

jahbro > sellphones2493 10/30/2014 at 03:42

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(I'm driving a manual, heavy, AWD Car with General Altimax Arctic Winter Tires - I'm damn confident my Volvo is better in the snow than a FWD car with All-Season's)

Technically, higher weight is worse in the snow. The lighter the better. But, yeah...sounds like a brutal experience.

Somecarsalesman > sellphones2493 10/30/2014 at 10:57

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The S60R is a great car, unless you need to park. I've never driven a car that small that maneuvered so poorly at low speeds. I know it's not small as a midsize but damn an Audi A8 has a smaller turning circle.

sellphones2493 > Somecarsalesman 10/30/2014 at 11:04

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It has the turning radius of a 1999-2006 Chevy Suburban. Luckily, spacers helped ever-so-slightly. I still have to correct myself 70% of the time I park.

biker > sellphones2493 10/30/2014 at 22:52

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well let me tell you about Virginia, before you can test drive a car they have to fill out a form for you to carry, with your information, plus they have to have a photo copy of your drivers license, or any one that would be driving. My understanding was because of small dealers abusing the dealer tags in many ways, I could explain. this is fact. I hate giving my info until I am getting serious.

so what do I do when I want to get some opinions, and test drive something, & not be hassled, I drive a short distance to North Carolina, no questions, no hassles, they get me a key, talk a couple min, put tag on & I or my wife go for a short test. I cant remember being asked to even see my drivers license in last decade. lol there is good & bad between states. however in NC, you wont be able to give back the vehicle if buying used like you could in VA during the first 3 days.

NOSLucasWiringSmoke > sellphones2493 10/31/2014 at 12:48

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The one Mazda I have owned turned out to be a pretty good car, but I have not had great experiences with Mazda dealers. I was not the most educated/prepared buyer when I bought a CPO '06 Mazda6 a few years ago, and in hindsight I got hosed by that (my own damn fault, at least in part). Then several years later at another Mazda dealership I almost (as in the papers were in front of me to sign) pulled the trigger on a very lightly-used demo '14 Mazda6, but by then I was smart enough to recognize that I wasn't getting a good deal or taken seriously and deferred. The 6 was a really nice car to drive, but I ended up getting a better price and trade-in value on a brand new '14 Accord, and had a really good, no-BS sales experience there. The Honda dealers we've been to in the shopping process (at least around here) seemed to be better overall than the others, including some of the Toyota shops.

Quite recently we went to yet another Mazda dealer to shop 3s for my wife and the saleswoman incessantly cited incorrect or obsolete "facts" about competing cars to try to make the 3 look better (which shouldn't be necessary as it seems like a really nice car, but it turned out that it just isn't the car for my wife).

NOSLucasWiringSmoke > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/31/2014 at 12:52

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They seem to be operating on the same old-fashioned model as the domestics. Maybe brand weakness means they don't get the best dealers. The only volume-seller they seem to have in Canada is the 3 (maybe the CX-5 is doing OK too but I don't think I'm seeing lots of those while 3s are like ants at a picnic on the roads up here in Canada).

NOSLucasWiringSmoke > nermal 10/31/2014 at 12:55

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This. If you know what you're interested in and are specific about it, you have a better chance of getting some real information. Although as in any case YMMV.

If you ask multiple dealers for quotes/information, you can compare how much effort goes into each response. I ended up buying from the guy who gave me the most candid, detailed response. It was the easiest, most transparent buying process I've ever had.

merlyn11a > sellphones2493 10/31/2014 at 13:15

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That used to be Paul Newmans' dealership; since he passed, I wonder who got his share.

sellphones2493 > merlyn11a 10/31/2014 at 15:42

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Talked to the salesguy about it. I think he said that Newman's Wife, Joanne Woodward still has some share of it.

They have legitimate timepeices at that dealership. Apparently, Paul's 960 Wagon with the Ford V8 is still in the back. In addition to that, a Volvo Enthusiast Mechanic there has two 2004 V70 R's, both in Flash Green.

sellphones2493 > NOSLucasWiringSmoke 10/31/2014 at 15:44

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Through my dealership experiences, I can honestly say the best one's I ever have had by a long shot has been that at BMW Retailers.

The sales associate's are professional, moderately intelligent, and charismatic.

merlyn11a > sellphones2493 11/06/2014 at 13:25

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Nice, I hope they keep a piece of his work there; loved the guy on the track and on the screen....