Automotive Forums  Where Car Enthusiasts Go to Discuss Cars Online

I recently purchased a 2005 chevy impala.  I blindly trusted the sales person because I thought my credit was terrible!  However, that was not the case.  I actually had good credit for my age(25).  I didn't do any research and that was my first mistake! I paid 19,965.37 for this car and it has 35,000 miles on it.  I know stupid huh?  The car lot that ripped me off did the same thing to a guy that I know but I didn't know this til after I had bought my car.  I want to warn others not to buy a car from Bramlett Pontiac Kia in Decatur Alabama.

dirtdevil_1 wrote:

I recently purchased a 2005 chevy impala. I blindly trusted the sales person because I thought my credit was terrible! However, that was not the case. I actually had good credit for my age(25). I didn't do any research and that was my first mistake! I paid 19,965.37 for this car and it has 35,000 miles on it. I know stupid huh? The car lot that ripped me off did the same thing to a guy that I know but I didn't know this til after I had bought my car. I want to warn others not to buy a car from Bramlett Pontiac Kia in Decatur Alabama.  

How is it the dealers fault that you did no research and paid the price they asked.  This is fricken America, everybody in the country knows you negotiate a car deal.  And as far as calling the BBB and getting your money back, what a joke.

You people who go into a dealership blindly, pay the sticker price, leave the dealership happy as hell then get buyers remorse 2 weeks later kill ***

It takes two people to trade cars.  Your inability to negotiate is not there fault.  Those who do there research and take there time buying a car a rewarded with a good deal.  Those who jump into it blindly pay the price.  

JKH2003:
How is it the dealers fault that you did no research and paid the price they asked.  This is fricken America, everybody in the country knows you negotiate a car deal.  And as far as calling the BBB and getting your money back, what a joke.

You people who go into a dealership blindly, pay the sticker price, leave the dealership happy as hell then get buyers remorse 2 weeks later kill ***

It takes two people to trade cars.  Your inability to negotiate is not there fault.  Those who do there research and take there time buying a car a rewarded with a good deal.  Those who jump into it blindly pay the price.

true, but the dealer shouldn't lie to him about his credit rating though  

Did they tell you what your credit score was? You said it is good for your age. Your age has nothing to do with your credit rating.

I hate to defend a dealer here, but realy you brought this on yourself. Unfortunately a salesperson will take advantage of any situation they can, and you opened the door. I don't think you have any recourse here, just learn from your mistake and don't do something stupid like roll the negative equity into your next car.  

sorry to hear..but an impala...COME ON..

ha ha..jk jk..

but yea..that sucks...BBB might help u out  

Goes back to the whole research thing.  In todays world it takes about 5 minutes online to find out your credit score.  About the same time it took him to register here and post his "The big bad car dealer took advantage of me" story. And besides what is the reasoning that you have good credit "for your age"  age means nothing, as a matter of fact it is against the law to base a lendind decision on the applicants age.  It is all beacon score driven.

If you haven't guessed I am in the car business.  I am a Finance MGR at a Ford Dealership.  Been here 12 years.

People never cease to amaze me.  The consumer lies more then the dealer does.  And nothing irks me more then when I see people come into a public forum complaining they were ripped off.

90% of these people (first time buyer/credit challenged) have one thing in mind and that is getting a car.  They don't care how.  Then a few weeks later they are talking with friends about it and they find out there friend got a better deal and now they are embarressed so now all of the sudden it is the dealers fault.  That same dealer you thanked 10 times for getting you financed and in a car in the first place.

Car dealers are a retail businees to make money, we are no different then Sears JC Penny's, Target or any other retail outlet.  The only difference is that 99% of the people will go into sears and pay 300% profit on a couch but cry like a baby if they pay 3% on an auto.  And have the nerve to ask the dealer to give up there hold back and dealer cash.  Then to top it all off, after they spend 6 hours negotiating over $500 they have the nerve to complain that the process takes to long.  If you want a quick car deal the prices are marked clearly on the window of each car.  

amen brother. If you consumers think we are bad, the next time we ask you if your trade has any body work done, before you lie to us, (and remember we can spot paint jobs a mile away), just tell us the truth. When you run a CARFAX on our cars....we run one on yours.  

I pay retail on every car I buy, and I get one about every 2 years.  If you think dealers are bad, go buy from an individual.  Dealers will go out of there way to close the deal for you including making custom changes on your potential vehicle to free oil changes and tires for years.  I may pay a higher price at a dealership but I know I'm going to be taken care of after the sale.  I know the salesperson is going to be there for a while and I have someone I can call if I have a problem.  You should know that when you buy a car from a dealership you are going to pay a higher price but you can't put a price on honesty and service. I have one dealership that I deal with and when they see me coming they jump to make me feel welcome and as if I am the only person they ever do business with.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Alright, I don't think is true for the most part, or fair. You rely on those lying consumers you're bashing to make a living. Are you perhaps a little jaded??

I don't think it's right to say consumer's lie more than dealers. I have bought several cars, and I am amazed at some of the dealerships. I at least am fair enough to say some are really good, and some salesmen will work with  you, and actually try hard to close the sale, appeasing you while still making their profit. Others, do NOT care about you at all, and only care about how much they can make off of you.

An example is a dealer I went to in NJ. Mind you I already bought a car from them 4 years ago, want to trade it in for a newer model, and saw an ad about a $2000 loyalty rebate. And on top of that there was a good discount of $2,275 off for a dealer discount in which anyone qualifies.

I get there, sit down with them, and they say the loyalty rebate os for people who have bought a car in the last four months. Can you tell me anyone YOU know who buys a car every 4 months????? Give me a break! The only people who would is if they bought a terrible car, and needed a new one. Then they would go to a different dealership most likely b/c they hate their car.

It's totally misleading what they do to get you in there with their ads. They're allowed to false advertise b/c they're sneaky and make it where it's not technically false, but they don't end up giving you any rebates b/c 99% of the people don't qualify.

Some are ok, and will be honest, but i'm sorry, it is very common for certain dealers and their salespeople, to look at you as if you're a dollar sign, they have an attitude of you need me more than I need you, therefore i'm going to do whatever I can to make money on you.

You could at least admit some dealers are this way. Don't act like the whole lot of you are saints, cause i'm not buying it. Another dealership in NJ delayed me getting my registration, it was totally their fault, and they wouldn't even pay the measly $45 ticket. Does that sound like nice people who want your business?

They were making thousands on me with the lease I got through them, so since they did that, I refinanced my car through another company, so that dealership wouldn't make anything off of me. You're not all wonderful salespeople you know.  

I am opposed to dealers or anyone else for that matter ripping anyone else off. However, some people are just begging to be ripped off. On another forum a guy is complaining that his dad's 6 year old PU has a version of Onstar that is no longer going to be supported and has the nerve to suggest that GM who gave him a free year should now give him a new truck.
All it takes to get a really good deal is a little research and feet. Yes sometimes the dealer will forget where they put that car in the ad, even though it's been in the paper for weeks. Yes, the dealer adds on things that are not needed or are overpriced in some way. If they do something that you don't like, whether it's reasonable or not, just get up and walk. Nobody forces you to sit there and sign the papers.
I once had an insurance check for $3000 and no job. Obviously since it was an insurance check, I needed a car. I looked at several and decided on one at a dealer which was marked $3995. I explained to the salesman that I only had $3000. He said no problem. This was the second time they were told I had $3000. I took it on a test drive and I still liked it and said let's do it. He presented me with papers that had the price at $3995. I told him I didn't have but $3000 and started to get up. He told me to wait and he went to the the mgr. He was gone for a long time and came back and said sorry, but the mgr won't come off that price. I said I was sorry too and got up to leave. He tried to get me to make payment arrangements and I advised him I was a student and had no income. I drove home, about 30 miles away. At home, my answering machine was blinking. He had called less than 5 minutes after I left the dealership asking me to call him back. I did. He said he would sell it to me for $3000. I said ok, but if I drove back over there and they tried to up the price again, I would walk again. I went back  and sure enough they tried it again. This time when I got up, he chased me into the parking lot and finally got me to come back and they sold me the car for $3000. I never had to lie or even mislead. I only had to stand my ground. It turned out to be a great car for $3000. It might have even been worth $3995, but I didn't have that much so it didn't matter.  

I must agree with what lucky said.

Every time I have had a good deal, it's because I researched the car I was looking into buying, and knew what I was getting into.  Additionally, the secret is to not FALL IN LOVE with the car that you want.  When you do, it clouds your judgement in standing your ground and paying only what you feel it's worth to you.

But more importantly, car dealers are just like contractors, which are just like vacuum salesmen, which are just like carpet cleaners, which are just like swap meet vendors, which are just like grocery shoppers, which are just like homeowners, which are just like car buyers.  Forget the freakin' labels, and just understand that we are all human and that we are all out to serve our own interests.   The car dealer is not god.  It is not their obligation to look out for your interest, IT'S YOUR OBLIGATION.  You aren't looking out for THEIR interest, are you???  You aren't worried about wether this deal will give them enough cash to take their kid to the ball game this weekend, are you?  Of course not......and neither should you care.  That is the salesperson's concern.  Neither should they or will they care whether the deal that they make with you will leave enough cash in your yearly budget for going out to the movies three times a month, or twelve times a month.  Each person seeks their own interest, as is human nature, regardless of their title (salesperson, prospective buyer, etc.)

I have a philosophy that I have developed for car buying.   It's like dating.  Alright, stop laughing.....I'm serious.
When you decide you are going to date, you already know several initial parameters that you will and will not accept about a person you might consider dating.  Do they smoke?  Do they drink?  Do I personally find them attractive?  And so on........  If initial parameters line up, you ask them out on a date.  If they accept, then on the first date and any and all successive dates, you ascertain whether this person lines up with what you are looking for in a life-long mate.  If at any point you realize that it's not a match, then just stop dating them.  Don't try to change them, just realize that it's not a match.

The same is true with car buying.  Parameters........  What is your budget?  What are your specific needs for a vehicle?  What are your wants?  What do you bring to the table (down payment? Trade? or both).  First in parameters would be price.  If you take home $350.00 a week, then you don't even belong looking at a Mercedes, it's just not a match.   So let's say you see a great price for a beautiful two-seater,  But you've got a wife and two kids, and this will be THE family car.  DUHHHH not a match.  I know, I'm being overly absurd, but you get the point.  Then when you find what looks like a good fit, then go out on a date (sit down and talk price and financing and final amount you would pay for car <tax, license, finance charges, etc>  

In the same way that you don't belong falling head over heels for someone on the first date, and then committing yourself the the thought that you MUST have this person;  You need to sit down with the salesperson with the idea that you WOULD LIKE to have this car IF EVERYTHING LINES UP to your liking.  If the deal doesn't work for you and your budget, don't get mad at the salesperson for the fact that it's just not a match,  JUST STAND UP, shake their hand and thank them for their effort in trying to strike a deal with you, and go looking elsewhere.  I mean, it would be pretty psycho of YOU  to get mad at your date if you found out that your date was a vegan, and you just loooove to eat meat.  It's nothing to get mad about, you just might end the date and agree that you are probably not a match.  Same thing with a dealer or salesperson.  Don't take it personally if their deal is not a match with what you are looking to pay.  And don't let them lay a guilt trip on you if they take it personally either.  Just like a bad date, sometimes people don't like rejection.  But it's always better to have the rejection than have a bad match, right?  Same way with buying a car.  Listen, NO salesperson
lives off of selling just one car.  They need repeat business.  So if a deal is bad for the buyer, then it's bad for the seller in the long-run as well.  Cause if you got a deal that wasn't a match, then you will not only be very unhappy, but you will tell of your bad experience to EVERYONE that will listen, and fewer people will patronize that salesperson or dealership in the future.  

And the worst part is that often when there is bitterness on the part of the buyer, it's the buyers fault because they didn't have the wherewithall to just state plainly that they don't think that this deal fits their needs.  If a buyer would just do that, then the salesperson can now either counter offer, or say "Well, I guess your right, what you are willing and able to pay is not a match with what I can sell this car for" and they shake hands and part.  The only thing that obfuscates the car buying process is what also fouls up the dating process.  Falling in love with the physical outward appearance BEFORE ascertaining whether or not the intimate details will work for you.

I hope this is of some help to you all as it has been for me over the years.

Butchiehead  

So much to think of when you are buying or leasing a car...Most important, bring a snack and something to drink while you are there. Low blood sugar and dehydration are all things that contribute to making a bad car deal. Just tell the dealer, Keep It Simple. Don't let him just show you the monthly payment. On financing you need to know the interest rate, so you aren't just paying on principal. On a lease you need to know the money factor, mileage allowances, residual value etc. But most importantly don't get hungry or thirsty. May sound dumb. But true. A never buy a "special clear coat" wax from the dealer. They make a ridiculous profit.  

Its true every has their own "choice" to make a transaction. What a hard mistake, but you learn from those mistakes and move on. I too have made them and so has everyone else reading this post. I learned a hard lesson years ago when i was younger. Today I find my own financing, do the research via web with sites like Nada.com,KBB.com and shop independent dealerships and speak to the owner directly. I also would make a car transaction "contingent" upon an inspection by the mechanic of my choice, not the dealerships. My last transaction was  at a smaller independent dealership www.MidTnAutos.com in Smyrna Tennessee where i found them on the web, checked them out through the BBB and saw their 99% positive feedback via Ebay.com. They treated me good and I saved a few thousand off the NADA value. Do the homework & you will save money!  

Your age does play a factor in your credit rating.  It isn't an explicit factor, but it is an implicit factor in almost everything that the credit score is measuring.

Length of credit accounts, number of credit accounts, sample size of account history are all factors in your credit score.  In the absence of data, creditors take the pessimistic approach.  All other things being equal, the consumer that has "paid as agreed" a revolving credit account for 20 years will always get the nod over the consumer that has only had the account for 3 years.

I've got a spotless payment history and I know that my credit score is much higher now than when I was 25.