Getting the dealership run-around on test driving

Jack370Z

Years ago when I mustered out of the US Coast Guard in Mobile, AL I went to buy a new VW. Well, I was 21 yrs old wearing flip flops, cut offs and a t-shirt. When I walked into the showroom no one even looked up so I asked "do you have any other colors". One sales guy finally said something about more out back. I went back there and picked out one. Went back to the showroom and said "I'll take the orange one". At that point they all looked up and I looked at the guy that sent me "out back" and said, again, "I'll take the orange one". He said did I plan on financing...I said "no" and pulled out a wad of cash. The other sales guys heads all fell down (chin on chest) and I smiled. Paid cash and drove it home. I really wish I had gone to the GM and asked him to help me. You just never know until you qualify a person. They just might have a pocket full on money. For as far as my Z they asked if I was planning on paying cash...I said no and handed the guy my AMEX card. They panicked...lol.

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Jack 09 370Z

Armonster

Here's what you do:

1) find a new dealer
2) be serious about buying the car (without talking about finances at all)
3) test drive car

Also, just for your own knowledge/benefit, your credit report only shows your debt. Credit cards, student loans, car loans, mortgage, etc. Your income plays NO part in your credit score. There is no reason to discuss your income, especially if you don't have one.

Edit: I just noticed the "credit check before test drive" situation that you were in. First of all, for your own financial well-being you need to go get a free credit report. Most states allow you to get one or two free per year (maybe its a federal thing, I can't remember exactly). Anyway, you need to get a better understanding of what a credit report actually is, just as a general life skill. Search online and you should be able to find it. If you have an American Express card, they give you one a year as well I think.

After you check out your credit report, you may decide that it's actually pretty good. If you always pay your bills and don't have revolving credit card debt, it probably is. In that case you can let them check it if you really want. OR, you could do what someone who KNOWS they have a good credit score would do, and tell them no. Honestly if someone told me they needed to check my credit before letting me test drive a 30k car, I would laugh at them and then either leave, or wait for them to stop being retarded and let me drive the stupid thing.

awkwardturtle

Thanks for the info, didn't know that. Next time I'll just decline

onzedge

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Pintsize725

When I first started shopping around for a used Z, the salesman laughed when I told him I wouldn't take anything else. He tried to force an Altima coupe on me stating that "with the new engine, it's like having a V6. And FWD is what you want." I didn't back down and at the end of our conversation he said "I don't want to sell you a car that you are going to be street racing in and causing trouble." I am 25 and I guess due to my height I look like I'm younger.

Polymorphic

Haha they tried to force the new altima on me too. I said sure, give me a manual transmission and I'll take it. (knowing full well it only comes auto)

DYNAZOR

I have a similar story. When I was about 35 I was interested in buying a new Corvette. One cold, sleety day at the beginning of winter of '86 I went to a local Chevy dealer to see if I could make a deal on a new '87 coupe. I was dressed according to the day's weather, i.e. faded jeans, ratty winter coat, and the same type of work boots I wore when I used to drive a truck (at this time I was a technical support engineer for Sony). The dealer had a convertible on the floor, same color as what I wanted in the coupe. I walked right to the 'Vette and walked around it, checking things out for a few minutes, and not a single salesman acknowledged my presence despite every one of them looking at me when i walked through the door. They quickly went back to reading their newspaper or whatever (it was a very slow day due to the crappy weather). Finally, one salesman came up and asked if I had any questions he could answer for me. I told him I was ready to buy if they came up with the right price. This salesman was a tall, thin, near-the-end-of-middle-age black man named Wally, the only non-white person in the place. We retreated to Wally's cubical and after about 30 minutes and several trips to the sales manager's office I wrote aout a check for $1,000 to order the car I wanted. The other salemen who neglected me were watching me like hawks writing out that check, in total disbelief. After making the deal Wally confided to me that he had been laid off at another dealer and was at this dealer for only 2 weeks and had not sold a single car until I came in, and he said it with a big grin on his face while his hands were shaking.

I guess reading the newspaper on a cold wet day and whatever was more important to the other salesmen then tossing me a simple "Hi, can I help you with something" when I came in.