Funniest dealership experience ever
May-29th-2003, 01:55 PM
#1
Protege Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Worcester, MA
Posts: 134
Funniest dealership experience ever
Prestory: (you can probably skip this)
A couple of nights ago I was driving home on a two-lane 45mph road, when this blank Hyundai Accent passes me, and moves into the lane in front of me. I was doing about 43-45 on the road, so he's okay for passing. The road then merges into one lane, at which point he's in front of me.
Having just bought my baby Pro, I start thinking: "Yo Accent, you ain't got **** on me! 1.6L with 104hp! You ain't got nuthin 'gainst my Mazda!" By then, the road splits back into two lanes for a major intersection, I pull into the right lane and we both stop at the red light, after which the road merges back into one. I'm waiting to floor it on the green.
So then I look at the guy driving the Accent... and it's not riced up or anything, and the driver doesn't look like a hick *******.
So I start thinking: "What the hell am I thinking, this guy probably worked enough to afford a new car, so what if it's an Accent, it gets him places. I'm being an ******* here even thinking that he'd possibly trying to race me." So having just worked hard to buy a new car, I start feeling this comradery, as though the Accent driver is my "new car owner buddy." Happy for him!
Now just because **** like that crosses my mind sometimes, it doesn't mean that I'm messed up or anything. Well, maybe a little.
Story:
So the next day, I decide to go and test drive a Hyundai Accent or a Kia Rio, to find out what I'm missing. And maybe to make me feel better about my own car. I would also pretend to be an uneducated consumer, knowing nothing about invoice pricing or dealer scam/extra fees.
Looking at the specs and reviews, both look like the same thing, same engines. There's a Kia dealer right on the way home, so I decide to stop by and test drive a Rio after work.
I enter the dealership and start looking for a salesperson. No-one approaches me right away, so I look around and this one guy sitting at a desk looks up at me. A few seconds later he realizes that I could use some help, so he comes up to me.
Introductions follow. I'm a recent college grad looking for a commuter car, and he's a salesperson first day on the job at the Kia dealership. Apparently he worked for 20 years in computers and networking before. I tell him that I'm looking into the Rio because it's so cheap and I want a test drive.
We talk a little about the price. I told him that a Hyundai dealer quotes me a "great price" of just a couple of hundred dollars above the MSRP, and that if he wanted my business, he'd have to get lower to the MSRP or sell me the car at the MSRP. As I'm saying this, I can see that the dealer is trying to hide a ****-eating grin. I bet he'd sell me a Rio with a bogus $1400 "market adjustment price" over MSRP (that was on the window of the car) and a couple of hundred on top, all with a clear conscience.
We get out to the parking lot, and he asks me to select a Rio to test drive. I point out one in a decent blue color. He start looking for the last few digits of the VIN. He hunches over the windshield and tries to read the VIN off the upside-down. After a minute or so, and comments like "boy, these numbers are hard to read," I point out to him that the VIN number is clearly printed on the manufacturer's sticker on the car! He's like "oh yeah!"
Moron score goes to 1!
After copying my license, he goes looking for the keys. 5 minutes later he comes back with the keys, we go to the car, open the door and -- bah, it's a stick. Now I know how to drive a stick, but I haven't touched one in a few months, so I don't know how well I could work it. I tell him: "Listen, I'm not comfortable driving a stick right now, I'd like an auto please."
I didn't pay attention to whether the car was auto or stick, I took it for granted that the salesman would get me an auto car, seeing how like 80% of the damn population drives an auto. He apparently didn't even bother or think to check, before getting the keys.
Moron score up to 2!
So we find another blue Rio that's automatic. He goes off to get the keys. 5 minutes pass, no dealer. Waiting 10 minutes now.. he comes out saying that he's having a hard time finding the key, but he'll be right back. 15 minutes on the clock now, he walks out to the lot, to find another Rio (looks like he gave up looking for keys on the one I picked). All in all, 25-30 minutes after the start, he finally locates a key to a different Rio. Same color, auto, but doesn't have the power package.
Moron score up to 3! Can't locate keys to a car on the lot in his own dealership?
Anyway, we get into the car. I move the seat all the way back (I'm 5'11", but I typically move the seat pretty far back on most cars), adjust the mirrors. Seating is sufficiently comfortable. The dealer hops into the other side.
The refuel light goes on as I start the car. I've test driven other cars and they had their fuel pretty low, but the refuel light was never on one. I tell the dealer: "Listen, the car is low on gas, maybe we should refuel first?" He replies: "Nah, we'll just take it around the block, it will be fine."
Meanwhile, the fuel gauge is below the E level. It's so below that I couldn't tell a difference between its position when the car was off and when the car was running.
So I'm thinking, "Ok, fine, he knows what he's talking about." I start driving the car.
First thought comes to mind: daymn the gas pedal feels weird. As I drive out on a local route 9, going downhill, I end up having to nearly floor the pedal to get decent acceleration out of it. I push the gas pedal down a lot and it barely gains speed, I nearly floor the pedal, and it switches down a gear and finally gains up to a 45mph.
Not quite realizing the cause for such performance, I'm thinking: "Pretty shitty gas and acceleration on this car, I didn't think it'd be so terrible."
Quarter mile down, we take a right on a nearby two-lane two-way route that goes in the opposite direction on a level road.
5-6 meters out of the turn onto the road, I gain 35 mph. I push the pedal more to accelerate, but it's not accelerating. I am starting floor it this time, but there is absolutely no response from the engine, which is by now slowly decelerating.
As I'm thinking "oh ****, we're out of gas", the engine dies and the car starts coasting.
I tell the dealer with a smile: "looks like we're out of gas!" (Mind you, I'm having fun all this time). From the passenger seat come words like: "Oh gosh darn Jesus H Christ stupid crap out of gas oh god damn." None of the really bad words, mind you.
Thankfully there's a right turn onto a parking lot of a shopping center about 50 meters ahead.
I turn on the hazards, push the car right, mostly off the lane and shift it into neutral. I don't know whether an automatic in drive goes into neutral when the engine stalls, but I figured I'd rather not find out. Also, I figured I'd get more coasting out of it in neutral.
So the car keeps rolling to the parking lot entrance, where I take a right, locate a closer spot in a relatively empty area and park there. I was a little surprised that the car had enough kinetic energy to coast ~65-75 meters to the parking spot, and I even used brakes to park it right.
I didn't even notice that the power steering died, but it's always easier to turn the wheel when the car is rolling.
So there we are. Ran out of gas a minute into a test drive!
Moron score for the dealer: 10! (a whopping 333.3% increase)
The dealer has no cell on him, so he digs up some change and goes to the nearest shopping place to find a payphone.
Meanwhile, I'm all sorts of amused at the situation. However, I'm starting to worry a little as I didn't want to get stuck out at the parking lot for too long.
15 minutes later another dealer drives up with a gas can, pours it into the Rio and we drive off. All that time the dealer apologizes for the situation, etc.
We get back into the Rio, and drive back to the dealership. I had to go, so he didn't even get to quote me a price.
On the drive back, the Rio seemed okay, accelerated well enough for a 1.6L, and made me appreciate my 2.0L Protege
The brakes were really nonresponsive though.. the pedal felt heavy to move and I had to move it a bunch to get it to brake. On my Pro, you push the pedal a little and it starts braking.
Anyway, way to tank a sale! Give me a stick to test drive without asking, then take 30 minutes to locate keys to another test drive car, and then running out of gas on a test drive!
So yeah, if I had more time, I'd go around 5 dealerships and test drive all these Ford Echos and Accents and Neons and such.
At the end of the ordeal, I was so glad to get back into my Protege!
A couple of nights ago I was driving home on a two-lane 45mph road, when this blank Hyundai Accent passes me, and moves into the lane in front of me. I was doing about 43-45 on the road, so he's okay for passing. The road then merges into one lane, at which point he's in front of me.
Having just bought my baby Pro, I start thinking: "Yo Accent, you ain't got **** on me! 1.6L with 104hp! You ain't got nuthin 'gainst my Mazda!" By then, the road splits back into two lanes for a major intersection, I pull into the right lane and we both stop at the red light, after which the road merges back into one. I'm waiting to floor it on the green.
So then I look at the guy driving the Accent... and it's not riced up or anything, and the driver doesn't look like a hick *******.
So I start thinking: "What the hell am I thinking, this guy probably worked enough to afford a new car, so what if it's an Accent, it gets him places. I'm being an ******* here even thinking that he'd possibly trying to race me." So having just worked hard to buy a new car, I start feeling this comradery, as though the Accent driver is my "new car owner buddy." Happy for him!
Now just because **** like that crosses my mind sometimes, it doesn't mean that I'm messed up or anything. Well, maybe a little.
Story:
So the next day, I decide to go and test drive a Hyundai Accent or a Kia Rio, to find out what I'm missing. And maybe to make me feel better about my own car. I would also pretend to be an uneducated consumer, knowing nothing about invoice pricing or dealer scam/extra fees.
Looking at the specs and reviews, both look like the same thing, same engines. There's a Kia dealer right on the way home, so I decide to stop by and test drive a Rio after work.
I enter the dealership and start looking for a salesperson. No-one approaches me right away, so I look around and this one guy sitting at a desk looks up at me. A few seconds later he realizes that I could use some help, so he comes up to me.
Introductions follow. I'm a recent college grad looking for a commuter car, and he's a salesperson first day on the job at the Kia dealership. Apparently he worked for 20 years in computers and networking before. I tell him that I'm looking into the Rio because it's so cheap and I want a test drive.
We talk a little about the price. I told him that a Hyundai dealer quotes me a "great price" of just a couple of hundred dollars above the MSRP, and that if he wanted my business, he'd have to get lower to the MSRP or sell me the car at the MSRP. As I'm saying this, I can see that the dealer is trying to hide a ****-eating grin. I bet he'd sell me a Rio with a bogus $1400 "market adjustment price" over MSRP (that was on the window of the car) and a couple of hundred on top, all with a clear conscience.
We get out to the parking lot, and he asks me to select a Rio to test drive. I point out one in a decent blue color. He start looking for the last few digits of the VIN. He hunches over the windshield and tries to read the VIN off the upside-down. After a minute or so, and comments like "boy, these numbers are hard to read," I point out to him that the VIN number is clearly printed on the manufacturer's sticker on the car! He's like "oh yeah!"
Moron score goes to 1!
After copying my license, he goes looking for the keys. 5 minutes later he comes back with the keys, we go to the car, open the door and -- bah, it's a stick. Now I know how to drive a stick, but I haven't touched one in a few months, so I don't know how well I could work it. I tell him: "Listen, I'm not comfortable driving a stick right now, I'd like an auto please."
I didn't pay attention to whether the car was auto or stick, I took it for granted that the salesman would get me an auto car, seeing how like 80% of the damn population drives an auto. He apparently didn't even bother or think to check, before getting the keys.
Moron score up to 2!
So we find another blue Rio that's automatic. He goes off to get the keys. 5 minutes pass, no dealer. Waiting 10 minutes now.. he comes out saying that he's having a hard time finding the key, but he'll be right back. 15 minutes on the clock now, he walks out to the lot, to find another Rio (looks like he gave up looking for keys on the one I picked). All in all, 25-30 minutes after the start, he finally locates a key to a different Rio. Same color, auto, but doesn't have the power package.
Moron score up to 3! Can't locate keys to a car on the lot in his own dealership?
Anyway, we get into the car. I move the seat all the way back (I'm 5'11", but I typically move the seat pretty far back on most cars), adjust the mirrors. Seating is sufficiently comfortable. The dealer hops into the other side.
The refuel light goes on as I start the car. I've test driven other cars and they had their fuel pretty low, but the refuel light was never on one. I tell the dealer: "Listen, the car is low on gas, maybe we should refuel first?" He replies: "Nah, we'll just take it around the block, it will be fine."
Meanwhile, the fuel gauge is below the E level. It's so below that I couldn't tell a difference between its position when the car was off and when the car was running.
So I'm thinking, "Ok, fine, he knows what he's talking about." I start driving the car.
First thought comes to mind: daymn the gas pedal feels weird. As I drive out on a local route 9, going downhill, I end up having to nearly floor the pedal to get decent acceleration out of it. I push the gas pedal down a lot and it barely gains speed, I nearly floor the pedal, and it switches down a gear and finally gains up to a 45mph.
Not quite realizing the cause for such performance, I'm thinking: "Pretty shitty gas and acceleration on this car, I didn't think it'd be so terrible."
Quarter mile down, we take a right on a nearby two-lane two-way route that goes in the opposite direction on a level road.
5-6 meters out of the turn onto the road, I gain 35 mph. I push the pedal more to accelerate, but it's not accelerating. I am starting floor it this time, but there is absolutely no response from the engine, which is by now slowly decelerating.
As I'm thinking "oh ****, we're out of gas", the engine dies and the car starts coasting.
I tell the dealer with a smile: "looks like we're out of gas!" (Mind you, I'm having fun all this time). From the passenger seat come words like: "Oh gosh darn Jesus H Christ stupid crap out of gas oh god damn." None of the really bad words, mind you.
Thankfully there's a right turn onto a parking lot of a shopping center about 50 meters ahead.
I turn on the hazards, push the car right, mostly off the lane and shift it into neutral. I don't know whether an automatic in drive goes into neutral when the engine stalls, but I figured I'd rather not find out. Also, I figured I'd get more coasting out of it in neutral.
So the car keeps rolling to the parking lot entrance, where I take a right, locate a closer spot in a relatively empty area and park there. I was a little surprised that the car had enough kinetic energy to coast ~65-75 meters to the parking spot, and I even used brakes to park it right.
I didn't even notice that the power steering died, but it's always easier to turn the wheel when the car is rolling.
So there we are. Ran out of gas a minute into a test drive!
Moron score for the dealer: 10! (a whopping 333.3% increase)
The dealer has no cell on him, so he digs up some change and goes to the nearest shopping place to find a payphone.
Meanwhile, I'm all sorts of amused at the situation. However, I'm starting to worry a little as I didn't want to get stuck out at the parking lot for too long.
15 minutes later another dealer drives up with a gas can, pours it into the Rio and we drive off. All that time the dealer apologizes for the situation, etc.
We get back into the Rio, and drive back to the dealership. I had to go, so he didn't even get to quote me a price.
On the drive back, the Rio seemed okay, accelerated well enough for a 1.6L, and made me appreciate my 2.0L Protege
The brakes were really nonresponsive though.. the pedal felt heavy to move and I had to move it a bunch to get it to brake. On my Pro, you push the pedal a little and it starts braking.Anyway, way to tank a sale! Give me a stick to test drive without asking, then take 30 minutes to locate keys to another test drive car, and then running out of gas on a test drive!
So yeah, if I had more time, I'd go around 5 dealerships and test drive all these Ford Echos and Accents and Neons and such.
At the end of the ordeal, I was so glad to get back into my Protege!
May-29th-2003, 04:04 PM
#2
SEULBOG
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Posts: 356
Re: Funniest dealership experience ever
Originally posted by Astral
... he asks me to select a Rio to test drive. I point out one in a decent blue color...
... he asks me to select a Rio to test drive. I point out one in a decent blue color...
May-30th-2003, 09:25 PM
#4
I Can Be Teh W1N!!!!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,870
Originally posted by foxymazda
Well my experience working at a dealership the salesperson should have had enough sense to ask if he knew how to drive a stick or not.
funny story. We lose keys here all the time. none of the sales people put them back on the board. So its true they are horny dumbasses!
Well my experience working at a dealership the salesperson should have had enough sense to ask if he knew how to drive a stick or not.
funny story. We lose keys here all the time. none of the sales people put them back on the board. So its true they are horny dumbasses!
May-30th-2003, 10:35 PM
#5
huh?
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Caracas,Venezuela
Posts: 871
How hard is it to get a test drive? I'm on vacation right now at Miami and I want to check out some of the cars we don't get back in my country, so far I've checked out Nissan, Mitsubishi,Hummer and BMW , I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.
I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
One more thing, does anyone know a nice Mazda deaership near Miami Lakes? I've seen hundreds of dealerships but no Mazda or Subaru so far
.
, I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
One more thing, does anyone know a nice Mazda deaership near Miami Lakes? I've seen hundreds of dealerships but no Mazda or Subaru so far
.
May-31st-2003, 12:39 PM
#7
whatever
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: cyberspace, where else?
Posts: 490
Originally posted by JAC
How hard is it to get a test drive? I'm on vacation right now at Miami and I want to check out some of the cars we don't get back in my country, so far I've checked out Nissan, Mitsubishi,Hummer and BMW , I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.
I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
One more thing, does anyone know a nice Mazda deaership near Miami Lakes? I've seen hundreds of dealerships but no Mazda or Subaru so far .
How hard is it to get a test drive? I'm on vacation right now at Miami and I want to check out some of the cars we don't get back in my country, so far I've checked out Nissan, Mitsubishi,Hummer and BMW
, I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
One more thing, does anyone know a nice Mazda deaership near Miami Lakes? I've seen hundreds of dealerships but no Mazda or Subaru so far
.
And it's always good for a laugh if you do some research on the car beforehand; you'll know more about it than the salesman does, and you can laugh at their mistakes.
May-31st-2003, 12:50 PM
#9
Recreational Gynocolist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 568
Originally posted by JAC
How hard is it to get a test drive? I'm on vacation right now at Miami and I want to check out some of the cars we don't get back in my country, so far I've checked out Nissan, Mitsubishi,Hummer and BMW , I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.
I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
How hard is it to get a test drive? I'm on vacation right now at Miami and I want to check out some of the cars we don't get back in my country, so far I've checked out Nissan, Mitsubishi,Hummer and BMW
, I didn't ask for a test drive because I thought they would want me to fill out all kinds of forms and give them a bunch of information and stuff.I'm 20 y/o and I have a driver's license from my country, do you think I could get a test drive without too much hassle?
May-31st-2003, 04:39 PM
#10
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Posts: 57
funny story.. lmao
about test driving cars..dunno..
when I was looking for a used car, alot of salesmen were pretty quick to offer a test drive..
without even taking a look at my license..
though I was not looking at new cars and stuffs..
about test driving cars..dunno..
when I was looking for a used car, alot of salesmen were pretty quick to offer a test drive..
without even taking a look at my license..
though I was not looking at new cars and stuffs..
June-1st-2003, 07:23 PM
#12
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Wilmington Delaware
Posts: 150
Laughing my *** off!! That was a great story.. though i probably would have been laughin so hard when then car ran out of gas.. you were making this poor guy work soo hard for nothing!! i hated my dealer!! I could have spit in his face!! I think i'd rather have a moron than a guy who thinks he's god's gift to the world!!
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