Your stories about buying cars...

[Terry Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Terry]

I was sitting around have some drinks with mates and we got talking about buying cars, most of us had a story to tell.

So Prado-pointers give us your good, bad, funny or different stories about buying cars.

Here is 1 of mine…

We were looking to trade our Jackaroo in on a new 4wd, we spent a few weeks driving around looking at Pajeros , Nissan Patrols and Land Cruisers.
Cruisers were ruled out quickly because of the price so we went to Mitsubishi are got the run around by a very ill informed salesman(this is another story). So off home again to check out the classifieds.

In the paper, there it was a Nissan Patrol RX 2.8TD with 10,000ks for $35,990 drive away. It was an ex-Nissan corporate car.

We got to the car yard and test drove it for about 4 hours. This was the one so a deal was done.
The deal was, 12 months rego in our name, TJM alloy bull bar, IPF driving lights, tow bar, window tint, mats, weather shields, headlight covers and genuine Nissan side steps all for $35,990.

A day or two had passed and I received a phone call from the salesman saying they could not get new Nissan side steps any more so he asked if aftermarket ones would be ok. NO I said, can you try to get 2nd hand Nissan steps and if you can’t get them don’t put anything on at all.

So the day arrived to pick her up, it was a Wednesday 11am. I was on afternoon shift so time was tight.
We arrived at the dealer and there was the car with a shiny new alloy bull bar but no rego plates, no spot lights, no weather shields, no head light covers. The other things were done including a guy still fitting aftermarket side steps that were 60mm lower than the sill.

I asked the salesman what’s going on and he said they were running late and they would need about 2 hours.

I said what about the side steps, they are not genuine Nissan and I told you not to put anything else on. He said his boss told him to put anything on. I told the salesman that I was not happy and that I had to go to work. We will pick it up Saturday 10am.

Saturday we arrive and the salesman is still putting on the number plates, everything else is done, even the low-rider side steps.

We go over to the finance guy to do the paperwork and pay the cheque. He hands us the rego papers and my wife notices that they are still in the dealers name and says “this is bull***t”. The guys said “I don’t have to put up with this” I then say to him “sorry about that, the car was to be registered in our name as part of the deal” He replied again “I don’t have to put up with that” I said “so you’re not going sell the car to us?” “NO” he replied. So I told him what we could do with his car and walked out passing the salesman who is still putting the front plate on and I said “do worry the deal is off” and drove out.

A few days later our deposit was returned to us in full.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Not one of mine but mate had been hankering after a Range Rover for many years and decided he would by a RR Sport (yes I know it's a D4 in drag at least his is, shush). He is not car savvy but this thing would never go off road other than to drive around his farm. So after a couple of sessions at the dealer looking at options and prices and telling the salesman that his wife would mostly drive it with the kids on board the salesman started talking up the Evoque. So finally mate says what the hell is this Evoque thing you keep going on about? Salesman walks him over to a white Evoque with the lot and beaming like a father whose kid has just won an Olympic gold medal pronounces this is the Evoque HSE or some such name. Mate looks it over for fully 30 seconds without uttering a word, turns to the salesman and says that is the ugliest POS excuse for a car I have ever seen and then walks back to the RR Sport which he bought.

And my GTS was the easiest sale possible. I walked into the dealer while my E2 R8 was getting its last dealer service and dropped a deposit on a car they didn't know existed and told them to ring me when they had the specs and options list. Four months later I got a call from the dealer wanting to know who I knew etc (no one but a mate in Melbourne saw a development mule driven by Holden guys and it had the LSA on board so I took a punt). The car was still 9 months away but what colour preference and by the way you are on top of the private buyer list in Qld.

[Pugaree Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pugaree]

Most of my visits to car yards start like this, salesman " what can I do for you today?" , I reply "well you can start by not ####ing me around?"

I will add that I have bought around 40 cars, most from dealers and the approach generally works well when I explain that I'm not tyre kicking. I have bought 3 cars this year, same approach, two of which I drove away within and hour and a half. The third was the Prado.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

Headed out to Maroubra Toyota some time in the 1970's, was looking to buy a Corona. The salesman approached me, and he wearing a bright purple suit, white tie and white pointy shoes (that put me off straight away)

He was the only salesman in the yard at the time, so I spoke to him. After a short while, he walked into the office and returned, handed me a form, a pen and said, "Sign here." I said, "Sign what?" He said, "This contract to buy your new car. You haven't driven all this way not to buy anything."

I turned around and walked off, while I was still calm, otherwise who knows what might have happened to him!

[D4Dforme Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4Dforme]

A couple of years ago while looking at dual cab Hilux's for the missus I took one for a spin and the salesman insisted on coming for one reason or another.............while I was driving the dirty bugger lit up a smoke......with the windows up and aircon on!!........Fark that.

Dan

[wes Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wes]

When looking for the prado after convincing SWMBO, went to a couple of dealers between Christmas and new years during work, with Apprentice in tow.

Walked into 1st place in work uniform, told them I wanted GXL and wasn't concerned about options at that stage. On both occasions was requested to prove money was available, ended up with private sale 061kz 1 owner. Returned to said dealerships with work vehicles for servicing and was asked if still interested in purchasing..informed them that I bought one on the weekend after getting screwed about by said salesman for cash. Dealer principal was favourably unimpressed..

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

There's no doubt the used car game draws some blokes who think they are a fair bit smarter than they actually are. I remember going in to pick up the car I had purchased and dropping the trade in off. . He says to me sorry, the purchase of your trade in has fallen through, so I'll have to give you 500 less. I was 19 at the time, so no doubt the bloke thought, "I'll make another 500 here." I don't know where it came from, but I've looked him in the eye and said "that's a shame, we'll have to call the deal off then", and made to get my keys back to drive away. He then went on about how he would go ahead with the deal, but it was against his better judgement. Etc etc.

[BlakMoth Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close BlakMoth]

Yeah and chauvinism runs rampant too. When buying the Prado last year and the Rav this year both sales people immediately tried to sell the car to my wife instead of to me. As though they thought they could get her onside to convince me easier.


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[Esquire Member Find all posts View Profile Close Esquire]

Got together with Matt Hannas and a bloke from work to buy 3 GXL Prados earlier this year. Got some quotes and started shopping around. One dealer said the quote we had was a fleet discount. He was informed that we weren't fleet, just 3 mates buying the same type of car at the same time. They insisted that we were fleet and could not help us. "If you weren't fleet, then maybe..". Mate said, "When are you going to get it through your thick skulls that we are not fleet?". The sales manager came over and argued the fleet point, then asked mate to leave. Needless to say we bought elsewhere.

[drew_1 Find all posts View Profile Close drew_1]

back in 2007 at a Suby dealer I had bought two cars from previously, I ordered a Liberty GTB wagon with factory sat-nav and a load of dealer-installed STI kit - that had the sales guy frothing at the mouth. I was told I could have black manual wagon with dealer-fitted sat nav in 2weeks but if I wanted the same car with factory-fit nav it was going to take 3months. I figure I'm dropping some serious wedge on this car so I want everything kosher straight from Fuji Heavy Industries. I ordered the beast handing over $2k and my 05 WRX STI trade-in a month later as the lease was up and was prepared to endure my girlfriend's horrid 1.6l Golf in the meantime. In the lead up to delivery, my sales guy called almost every week to say the car had been built, the car was on the boat, the boat had arrived, the car was in impound on the docks, the car was waiting for customs release, the car was in transit, the car was getting the STI stuff fitted but my fleet company hadn't approved engine mods (was crap), the car was wanting for factory authorisation because of the mods and then finally when I got pissed and demanded the car be ready for delivery on a particular Saturday was told the window tinter (who had to tint the two front windows only) was completely booked and i'd have to wait another week.

A few mushroom cloud calls later, I went to the dealer to pick the car up on my chosen Saturday. Was welcomed like royalty and taken to my new ride in a delivery room off the side of the showroom. Goddamn that car looked good on those shiny black floor tiles and bright lights. Principal and sales guy were beaming, two other sales guys were hovering near the door in anticipation. It had been almost 4months so I had a bit of a smile on my dial as I walked around the car and inspected.

I open the driver's door, look inside - no sat nav.

[DISHoh Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DISHoh]

^ lol yikes! Implode much?

I've been quite lucky with previous purchases despite the situations. My last two cars before the prado weren't / aren't all that common, 1 was the only one advertised in Aus and the other the only in SA so I was stuck with the sellers who offered them.

First one was spotted on Ebay, so phoned the bloke and went to look at it. The 'dealership' was literally a house / backyard in Salisbury (for SA folk), surrounding the little gem I was looking at, behind the chain link fence were the rattiest, dodgiest looking collection of cars you can imagine.
After being greeted by a very happy great dane I agreed on a price and left. I actually unknowingly had the only key for the car in my pocket when I left but to my surprise...or maybe not...the salesman didn't know until I phoned him after haha. I had arranged to pick it up the next day but didn't leave a deposit.
Woke up, had another look at the link and it was gone. Someone else had clicked to buy it now. Went down there anyway and he said someone bought it overnight and was getting it shipped interstate, but he couldn't be bothered going through all that so I got it instead for the agreed price. So happy.

Next car, same make / model but newer, this time it was a younger guy selling it who flat out ran out of money big time. Fuel gauge was below the line, had 4 different branded tyres on it, he couldn't even afford to put rego on it for me to test drive so I had to get a permit.
The car had money owing on it through some Ukrainian credit coop (sounded incredibly dodgy to me but is apparently legit), after numerous phone calls with various departments I organised for the guy to go with me down to his 'bank' and get the car removed from the loan and pay my cheque directly to the Credit coop.
Despite the teller / manager getting annoyed about me asking the same questions repeatedly it all went smoothly and we parted ways, I got the car and a bunch of paperwork with funky Ukrainian writing all over it.
In the back of my mind I was still picturing me doing a runner off into the sunset with bank re possessors chasing me but it never occurred thankfully.
Went completely against my best judgement though...

[pradoprime Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pradoprime]

The Gaul of some salesman, around 2004 i was looking for my first SUV either a Honda CRV or Subaru Forester, went to Subaru dealer who no longer exists by the way with my trade in, i was sold i was going to buy the Subaru then the arrogant salesman said to me that if you wish to by this car you will have to sign ur car over to us while the new one comes from down south, about a week i think, i said i have no problem with that asking what loan car i would get while waiting for the new one to arrive as i have to get to work, he said oh no we wont give any loan car, on that note i ended up buying a CRV.

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

We were living in Africa in the 80's, an American friend was over on a 2 year stupid money contract working in the copper mines. He had this dream of buying a Porsche for cash. So at the end of his contract he headed back to the good ol' US of A, took his earnings and headed to a dealer whereupon he asked to buy a 911. When the deal was done he plonked down a suitcase of wedge for the agreed amount. They made some excuse about having to count the cash & waiting to get the boss in as it was all a little unusual. Could he please sit in the showroom and wait whilst they went out back and counted it? Sure he says.

15 minutes later a SWAT team is coming through the door, guns drawn shouting at him to get on the floor. The dealers thought he was a drug lord attempting to launder his cash. It was only after the bank confirmed his story that he was set free.

He still bought the 911.

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

That ones hard to beat, Randall!

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

In early 80s I called NRMA out to jump start my Centurion. I told the young bloke I had just traded it in on a Camira that I was picking up the next day. He being a big Nissan fan proceeded to lecture me on the evils of the Holden brand. Next day on the way home from the dealer with my new pride and joy the bloody thing conks out. I ring the dealer and he tells me everyone has gone home and to call NRMA. Well guess who turns up, takes one look at the car, one look at me and spends the next five minutes laughing his head off. So bloody embarrassing.