Going to a Dealership?

[PrepVet]

I don't believe I am alone in this, but I brought my Bronco in for warranty service and an oil change/rotation and just being in a car dealership my skin crawled and I did not like even being in the building.

I have bought and sold dozens and dozens and dozens of cars in my life and I used to enjoy car shopping, but I can't put my finger on when it happened, but being a car dealership is just... feels uncomfortable or gross. I dunno. Maybe it was the stereotypical car salesmen descending on me as I walked into the showroom that added to it, but bleck.

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[Roadbronc]

I have had the very same experience many times. I think there are some good ones, but it may take a while to find them.

 

[Wark]

Good ones are out there. I've had both experiences recently.

 

[3ljfsoi85rd]

I had the best experience buying my Bronco. The Secret- I NEVER set foot in the dealership. I texted an inquiry about the Bronco and started a conversation with the salesman over text and emails. ONE phone call from the finance guy with one question about an extended warranty. Detailed pics of my trade-in and agreed-upon price. I had to work, so the salesman delivered my new Bronco and drove away my trade-in. Best experience EVER. The guy's name is Mathew Prial at Jarrett Ford in Plant City FL. I'll never go anywhere else.

 

[Brian_B]

My dealer flipped a complete 180 during covid. I mean, I would never trust them to look after my dog, but I at least trusted them to change my oil.

Now - not so much. Try taking a vehicle in on a fleet account and .. suddenly every oil change comes in about $3 less than the pre-authorized $1,500 limit in random repair work.

 

[onestout]

I like my dealership, they have changed owners a few times and had some ups and downs but not a big deal, just be willing to walk away and go somewhere else. I say my dealership but this is the first time I have ever bought a 2nd vehicle from one...I am also old school where I will never buy a vehicle without driving the one I am going to get before purchasing it....I have walked away from vehicles because I didn't like something in the test drive.

 

[ONEBronco]

I don't believe I am alone in this, but I brought my Bronco in for warranty service and an oil change/rotation and just being in a car dealership my skin crawled and I did not like even being in the building.

I have bought and sold dozens and dozens and dozens of cars in my life and I used to enjoy car shopping, but I can't put my finger on when it happened, but being a car dealership is just... feels uncomfortable or gross. I dunno. Maybe it was the stereotypical car salesmen descending on me as I walked into the showroom that added to it, but bleck.

1. Don't go into the show room if you don't want sales people to descend onto you.
2. Not sure, but I don't think new car sales are going very well right now, so them pushing for a sale is probably expected.

 

[tock13]

I 100% know what you are talking about. It’s like being thrown in a snake pit most of the time. Making profit is rule #1 for every dealer out there, it’s a business so I get it. The problem is in how they go about doing that.

Example:
There are 2 ford dealers near me, my friend bought her ‘22 Bronco from one of them…a multi state, multi brand dealer and I bought mine from little Bickford Ford in Snohomish. It was a night and day difference between the 2 dealers as far as the experience I had vs hers.

I talked to a couple salesmen at the dealer my friend went to, uninformed bull$hitters to put it politely. My friend wanted her Bronco and didn’t want to wait for the order banks to open. It was a nightmare. She didn’t want to wait and went alone and they lied constantly and ended up way overselling her on “must have” items, kept confusing her with numbers. If she wanted a certain color she needed to go with the Sasquatch package. If she wanted heated seats it has to have the tow package…total BS crap. All of which just magically happened to be on a truck they had that someone ordered and walked away from. Yes, 100% her fault, she should have been better informed on configurations and trim levels but it’s total BS to blatantly lie and take advantage of someone like that. Icing on the cake was they told her that her trade in wasn’t worth even close to the 9k they “wrestled the sales manager” to get her and they were 100% losing money. A week later her trade was listed for $26k which they sold it for. Again, yes…she should have done her homework but again, no they shouldn’t knowingly lie to your face.

I refused to go back there and ordered my MY23 from Bickford and I have nothing but praise for that store. My salesman was awesome. The whole deal was forthright and transparent. Finance guy didn’t once try to sell me anything.

I brought the Bronco in for a front end seal leak at 271 miles on the odo and they also found a ton of codes had fired. Long story short, ford bought it back from me. The whole time Bickford was there helping with the process. Gave me a loaner without my even asking for one. It was seamless and when they said Ford was sending out my check, I had my salesman order me a MY24 to replace it with. That deal was just as straight forward. I know an order takes a lot of the BS out of a deal compared to buying off the lot, but I have zero reason to think it would be anything close to the nightmare my friend had. There’s a reason Bickford has been around 90 years.

There are good dealers out there that understand the value in repeat customers.

 

[the poacher]

I am very fortunate that I have been dealing with the same dealership for the past 15 years and they treat me unbelievably well. Any issues, they always provide me with a demo vehicle. Their communication is top notch, you constantly get texts from them advising you of any issues or delays, so much so that you never need to call them to ask what is going on. I have never had any addons, markups and they are always straight shooters. I value there relationship with me, and will continue to happily promote them and continually provide them with my business. Coastal Ford in Squamish, B.C., by the way.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I fear the third generation rule is taking effect at the dealer I have used a few times in 20 years (not the nearest dealer to me).

1st gen : The old man that started it. Worked his ass off to make it happen. Treats the employees and customers with great respect. Instilled those lessons into his children, Gen 2.

2nd gen: Saw how hard the old man worked to make it happen. It's an automatic process by now, just keep the customer and employees happy.

3rd Gen : Spoiled.
Never saw the struggle, only saw the automatic process, starts to believe the customer is there to give them money and employees are not much better than thieves trying to take it.
Starts shitting on customer service and employees.

There's a reason the vast majority of multi-generational businesses fail while the third generation is at the helm.



Beyond that, cringey dealers ....
The dealer nearest me, my god , the sales force is so predatory, it's literally funny.
We will slowly drive through the lot sometimes on the way to the grocery store, just to see them all come out and start following us ... like piranha.
Oh, how we laugh.... it's freaking hilarious. Like a scene from a horror spoof movie or something....

I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!!

 

[Rydfree]

1. Don't go into the show room if you don't want sales people to descend onto you.
2. Not sure, but I don't think new car sales are going very well right now, so them pushing for a sale is probably expected.

Don't have to go into the showroom. I went to the very end of the lot and was just hanging out waiting for my oil change to be finished and still got bombarded by two separate salespersons. At least I made them get their steps in for the day just to hear I wasn't interested

 

[PrepVet]

1. Don't go into the show room if you don't want sales people to descend onto you.
2. Not sure, but I don't think new car sales are going very well right now, so them pushing for a sale is probably expected.

Cool, but I am not waiting outside in the rain for the shuttle driver. The waiting room is inside.
Car sales are not doing well, but there is also still a tactful approach to a sale. Not the stereotypical greasy car salesman way.

 

[Area51BS]

Even what I consider good ones. Will still sit and look at you with a straight face offering 10% interest and see if it sticks. The entire business model is based on squeezing every penny any way possible from anyone including the owners mother. I’m not even talking about the finance guy yet. The BS they spit out is crazy.

 

[wjtinfwb]

My dealer flipped a complete 180 during covid. I mean, I would never trust them to look after my dog, but I at least trusted them to change my oil.

Now - not so much. Try taking a vehicle in on a fleet account and .. suddenly every oil change comes in about $3 less than the pre-authorized $1,500 limit in random repair work.

it’s everywhere today. Last week I dropped my daughter’s ‘16 Crosstrek off at the Subaru dealer for an oil change and specifically to look at the 62k mile original brakes. I got a call a few hours later “recommending” 4 new tires and replacing the rear wheel bearings, at a cost of $1400 plus $800 for new “no name” generic tires. The tires are getting close, but still have 10k left in them and I wouldn’t buy tires from the dealer anyway so I declined. I questioned the wheel bearings, “oh yes, the service advisor lady said. Crosstreks and Outback’s are notoriously hard on wheel bearings because they carry a heavy load? My daughter is generally the only person in the car and again it only has 62k on it. I’ve only replaced one wheel bearings in my life and that was after an accident took out the left front wheel on it wife’s Grand Cherokee. I declined that as well. Then I asked about the brakes which I had specifically requested be inspected. The service girl stammered and said the tech did not note brakes being an issue. Really? At 62k miles and upon request I’d have for sure thought they’d at least be selling me front pads and rotors. I paid for my oil change and got the car out of there. Before things got worse. Dealerships were always bad for the upsell, now they’re obscene. I’d have happily paid for brakes but now I don’t trust them at all and since the car is long out of warranty it’s time to find an Indy garage.

 

[LarryDe]

I hear you all, I know a lot of people dread the car-buying experience, but I actually enjoy it. I had a great time talking to the sales reps and managers when getting my Bronco and other vehicles. I think it's because I wasn't worried about being pressured into something I didn't want. I enjoy doing my research and making informed decisions.

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