IS 350 future purchase...My experience at the dealership (New Member)
03-21-07, 09:29 PM
#16
Lexus Test Driver
I know that you said your MIL referred you to this guy but seriously, if he won't give you time of day, I suggest you high tail it out of there asap. Try and find a place that treats you well regardless of what you're wearing or how young you look. Anyone that treats you like crap based on what you wear or how young you appear doesn't deserve your business! 
Try what Technique said about e-mailing different dealers online. Go to Edmunds.com to build your dream car and e-mail the dealerships from there. One word of caution in doing this though, be wary of empty promises because a lot of the dealerships will promise you the world and when you get down there, they won't even have your car and try to talk you into getting something else. Don't fall for their trap.
Good luck!
Try what Technique said about e-mailing different dealers online. Go to Edmunds.com to build your dream car and e-mail the dealerships from there. One word of caution in doing this though, be wary of empty promises because a lot of the dealerships will promise you the world and when you get down there, they won't even have your car and try to talk you into getting something else. Don't fall for their trap.
Good luck!
03-21-07, 11:43 PM
#17
why bother going to the dealer at all? i just sent emails and made phone calls to find what i needed. Finally found a dealer and got a salesperson to agree to sell me any IS350 for invoice plus 1K no matter what i picked. anyways i've never had problems with dealers helping me out. I've gone to dealers dresssed in jeans, some skateboarding shoes, and a t-shirt and got help right away.
03-22-07, 06:42 AM
#18
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It isn't just age that they will ding you on either. I'm 41 and when I first went to look at an IS 250 it was a weekend and I was dressed to go out on the lake afterwards (nice tee, jeans, and a nice pair of boat shoes). I was on the lot for a good 15 minutes before anyone bothered to come check on me. You could tell he was the low man on the totem pole, a very nice older gentleman but new to the dealership. I let him know right off the bat that I was not going to be purchasing that day and that I was researching every car in the IS's class (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc...). Long story short, I did end up purchasing from him because of the nice way in which I was handled by him but that was nearly a month later and after 3 different test drives with the car.
It's a shame that you get judged on how you are dressed but it is human nature I guess. To be honest I was a little shocked that was the case in the Houston, Clear Lake area... as there tends to be quite a few rather wealthy individuals here that seriously DON'T dress the part. Actually, I met a few that you'd think just crawled out from under a bridge or overpass somewhere.
The moral to this story for any salesperson that might be reading this... "Don't judge a book by it's cover!"
Evitzee has a great point here! I wasn't asked for my DL when I did my test drives but I they did pull my credit (without asking first) when they looked at my car to see what they'd give me for trade in. I have to say it did tick me off, but on the plus side, boy did they ever change their tune in the way I was being treated afterwards (not my salesperson but everyone else at the dealership).
My best advice is to go to the dealership well informed. Research the car of your interest throughly BEFORE heading out. Also, as other have said, how you carry and handle yourself will greatly effect how the salesperson/dealership treats you.
It's a shame that you get judged on how you are dressed but it is human nature I guess. To be honest I was a little shocked that was the case in the Houston, Clear Lake area... as there tends to be quite a few rather wealthy individuals here that seriously DON'T dress the part. Actually, I met a few that you'd think just crawled out from under a bridge or overpass somewhere.
The moral to this story for any salesperson that might be reading this... "Don't judge a book by it's cover!"
I'd NEVER give my license to a dealer before a test drive because the first thing they will do while you are out driving around is run a credit check on you. And your credit score gets dinged. If they insist on your license bring a copy of it with you and write on the copy in bold black letters NO CREDIT CHECKS AUTHORIZED. And be sure to tell them there is a fine if they run an unauthorized credit check.
My best advice is to go to the dealership well informed. Research the car of your interest throughly BEFORE heading out. Also, as other have said, how you carry and handle yourself will greatly effect how the salesperson/dealership treats you.
Last edited by SerKevin; 03-22-07 at 06:44 AM. Reason: typo
03-22-07, 07:29 AM
#19
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I bought my car at 23 and had no issues. Perhaps it was because I was a female.
Haha all my friends seem to think its because I was asian and female that I didn't get any issues. Oh well, perhaps each dealership is different. However, I do hate that and I find that getting any help at just a plain ole dealership IE Chevrolet or Nissan or Honda is much harder than a Luxory one!
I had more hastle at a GD Chevrolet dealership than with Lexus, Audi, or Infiniti. I also let the Salesman know this!
Good luck on your purchase!
Haha all my friends seem to think its because I was asian and female that I didn't get any issues. Oh well, perhaps each dealership is different. However, I do hate that and I find that getting any help at just a plain ole dealership IE Chevrolet or Nissan or Honda is much harder than a Luxory one!
I had more hastle at a GD Chevrolet dealership than with Lexus, Audi, or Infiniti. I also let the Salesman know this!
Good luck on your purchase!
03-22-07, 07:39 AM
#20
Never thought about the credit check thing... That's never happened to me... But if I ever test drive a car again at a dealership, I'll make sure and tell them not to run my credit... Thanks for the tip! I think I'd go bezerk if they ran my credit when I went in for a test drive... Wow... 
Usually I just test drive a friend's car as I almost always get interested in a new car because a friend has it... So I've rarely test driven cars from the dealership... The one exception was the BMW 335i since it was so new... And if you are going to test drive, make sure you get at least 1-2 hours in the car... A 5 minute ride around the dealership area probably won't tell you much...
Usually I just test drive a friend's car as I almost always get interested in a new car because a friend has it... So I've rarely test driven cars from the dealership... The one exception was the BMW 335i since it was so new... And if you are going to test drive, make sure you get at least 1-2 hours in the car... A 5 minute ride around the dealership area probably won't tell you much...
03-22-07, 10:42 AM
#21
Dude F'em. You have the money, your the one buying the car, and they need you not the other way around. You don't have to dress nice, you dont have to act mature or anything to impress them. .....
Its good being a dentist at 28. So in the end ask the questions you need to know about the car and if they ignore you then go somewhere else, someone somewhere will be willing to take your business.
Its good being a dentist at 28. So in the end ask the questions you need to know about the car and if they ignore you then go somewhere else, someone somewhere will be willing to take your business.
How would you react if a homeless looking guy went to your dental office, had no insurance, but said he'd pay you in installments for the services rendered, and he wants some high end work and materials from you?
You'd react with skepticism and demand some cash upfront, right? You can at least ask for proof of insurance... Dealers can't ask you to pay upfront. They have to be selective with who they invest their time with... If they lose a sale to an Internet millionaire, so be it. What are the odds?
03-22-07, 02:35 PM
#22
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I think that may be a slightly different situation, no? ^^^^^^
I mean I wore sensible clothes, was referred by my devil mother in law and still the guy acted like an ***. I was being my usual quite self wanting to test drive the car I wanted. I did not have a complex going in their but I know how these people act. I am in sales as well.
But it comes down to treating someone like a human as well. All this guy does is sell a expensive car. He neither builds the machine, nor did he design the vehicle. He is a salesmen.
And as far as continuing what you said sirkfc, my wife and I own Acuras, A rsx and a TSX. He knew this as well. So it was not a matter of me pulling up in a hooptee with no insurance with ripped pants on and not a cent of intelligence to myself. In any case. I really could care less about the way the guy was to me.
That was not the point of any of this. I wanted to know what people were buying there 350's for and maybe some payment figures.
I mean I wore sensible clothes, was referred by my devil mother in law and still the guy acted like an ***. I was being my usual quite self wanting to test drive the car I wanted. I did not have a complex going in their but I know how these people act. I am in sales as well.
But it comes down to treating someone like a human as well. All this guy does is sell a expensive car. He neither builds the machine, nor did he design the vehicle. He is a salesmen.
And as far as continuing what you said sirkfc, my wife and I own Acuras, A rsx and a TSX. He knew this as well. So it was not a matter of me pulling up in a hooptee with no insurance with ripped pants on and not a cent of intelligence to myself. In any case. I really could care less about the way the guy was to me.
That was not the point of any of this. I wanted to know what people were buying there 350's for and maybe some payment figures.
03-23-07, 06:09 AM
#23
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Anyway, GOOD LUCK!
03-23-07, 06:45 AM
#24
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I think that may be a slightly different situation, no? ^^^^^^
I mean I wore sensible clothes, was referred by my devil mother in law and still the guy acted like an ***. I was being my usual quite self wanting to test drive the car I wanted. I did not have a complex going in their but I know how these people act. I am in sales as well.
But it comes down to treating someone like a human as well. All this guy does is sell a expensive car. He neither builds the machine, nor did he design the vehicle. He is a salesmen.
And as far as continuing what you said sirkfc, my wife and I own Acuras, A rsx and a TSX. He knew this as well. So it was not a matter of me pulling up in a hooptee with no insurance with ripped pants on and not a cent of intelligence to myself. In any case. I really could care less about the way the guy was to me.
That was not the point of any of this. I wanted to know what people were buying there 350's for and maybe some payment figures.
I mean I wore sensible clothes, was referred by my devil mother in law and still the guy acted like an ***. I was being my usual quite self wanting to test drive the car I wanted. I did not have a complex going in their but I know how these people act. I am in sales as well.
But it comes down to treating someone like a human as well. All this guy does is sell a expensive car. He neither builds the machine, nor did he design the vehicle. He is a salesmen.
And as far as continuing what you said sirkfc, my wife and I own Acuras, A rsx and a TSX. He knew this as well. So it was not a matter of me pulling up in a hooptee with no insurance with ripped pants on and not a cent of intelligence to myself. In any case. I really could care less about the way the guy was to me.
That was not the point of any of this. I wanted to know what people were buying there 350's for and maybe some payment figures.
Maybe that salesman is just as ***. Ask for another sales person. Ask for the manager. Go to another dealership where they treat people better. It's amazing, but I've seen dealerships do that to everyone -- not specifically because of age.
As for pricing, there is a huge thread about what people paid. It really depends on the options you want. Edmunds.com is really good for finding out the invoice and MSRP. Carbuyingtips.com has good information about other costs (like advertising fees, hold backs, etc.). But the range people have paid is anywhere from invoice to MSRP. Depending on the options, and the dealership (which is why you want to shop around), you should expect to pay $1000-$1500 over invoice.
03-23-07, 06:53 AM
#25
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SirkFC my friend my friend you have it all wrong. The original poster said that he was basically ignored because he did not fit the majority profile of "ideal mold" when it comes to buying a car, especially a slightly more expensive name brand as lexus. All i stated was that he did not have to go out of his way to impress some car salesman just to get some customer service. He is buying a car not applying for a job. If the salesman decide to pass him up base on age and looks then he is entitled to do so, but there is also the chance of losing a potential sale. Just don't judge people by the way they look or dress especially when it come to financial status. There are plenty of people making 30K that act like millionaires and their are millionaires that dress like they are struggling.
And finally your homeless example, well thats was plain stupid. You need to understand/experience the field of health care before you make any examples. Your example is at the point of purchase/service and a credit check/insurance is required similiar when buying a car. The original poster said he was ignored right when he walk in.
And finally your homeless example, well thats was plain stupid. You need to understand/experience the field of health care before you make any examples. Your example is at the point of purchase/service and a credit check/insurance is required similiar when buying a car. The original poster said he was ignored right when he walk in.
03-23-07, 09:53 AM
#26
SpookJr.
I guess we'll just have to disagree on this one. I was referring to your post, not his, where you said, you don't have to dress nice, act mature to impress them, etc. because they need you more than you need them.
I do understand the healthcare business, as I used to work in hospital administration, and have friends who are dentists who struggle with non-paying patients. My example was more to say that car salesguys need to assess who's a buyer and who's out for a ride, and there's no direct way to tell initially. They have to use past experience and their gut to allocate their day and can you really blame them for going with the percentages?
Car salesmen are not high on my list of favorite people, for sure. But there's just a basic level of respect everybody should have for each other. Just because you have the money they want doesn't mean you shouldn't dress appropriately to conduct what is for most people the 2nd or 3rd largest financial transaction in their life. Imagine the flip side. Let's say there's this job you want and you dress up in a nice suit for the interview. How would you feel if your interviewer went out of his way to dress like a slob for your interview, just because he can?
To the OP. I think you handled it well enough. No criticism of you in my posts.
Ok, off my soapbox now. Let's move on.
I guess we'll just have to disagree on this one. I was referring to your post, not his, where you said, you don't have to dress nice, act mature to impress them, etc. because they need you more than you need them.
I do understand the healthcare business, as I used to work in hospital administration, and have friends who are dentists who struggle with non-paying patients. My example was more to say that car salesguys need to assess who's a buyer and who's out for a ride, and there's no direct way to tell initially. They have to use past experience and their gut to allocate their day and can you really blame them for going with the percentages?
Car salesmen are not high on my list of favorite people, for sure. But there's just a basic level of respect everybody should have for each other. Just because you have the money they want doesn't mean you shouldn't dress appropriately to conduct what is for most people the 2nd or 3rd largest financial transaction in their life. Imagine the flip side. Let's say there's this job you want and you dress up in a nice suit for the interview. How would you feel if your interviewer went out of his way to dress like a slob for your interview, just because he can?
To the OP. I think you handled it well enough. No criticism of you in my posts.
Ok, off my soapbox now. Let's move on.
03-23-07, 10:05 AM
#27
Ecoastborn,
I think if you have the patience to wait for a special order, it'll be worth the money, as if you breakdown the packages piece by piece and assign a value to each item, you'll find out why it's called a "premium" package...
On the other hand, supply is short right now. If you wait until supply gets better (and I imagine it will eventually), you could probably bargain pretty well on a unit in stock and probably end up with the car at the same time anyway with more features for around the same price.
So no easy answer there...
I think if you have the patience to wait for a special order, it'll be worth the money, as if you breakdown the packages piece by piece and assign a value to each item, you'll find out why it's called a "premium" package...
On the other hand, supply is short right now. If you wait until supply gets better (and I imagine it will eventually), you could probably bargain pretty well on a unit in stock and probably end up with the car at the same time anyway with more features for around the same price.
So no easy answer there...
03-23-07, 10:28 AM
#28
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I just told my Credit Union at work what i wanted and they set up the whole thing. 3% over invoice and never had to talk to any sales person. Got a call that my car was ready to be picked up. They even offered to drive it to me and they would take a cab back, but i wanted to be the one to pop my girls cherry...
03-23-07, 11:29 AM
#29
I just told my Credit Union at work what i wanted and they set up the whole thing. 3% over invoice and never had to talk to any sales person. Got a call that my car was ready to be picked up. They even offered to drive it to me and they would take a cab back, but i wanted to be the one to pop my girls cherry...
03-23-07, 11:33 AM
#30
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hmmm, I'm 24 and walked into Sewell Lexus wearing what I always wear: jeans and a casual shirt untucked...I think I had flip flops on too. I asked Chris Chick if I could drive a 250 and a 350...he checked that they had them available to drive and off we went. Sewell Lexus is the best dealership I've been to, so if you are in the Dallas area, check them out. They'll give you a good price on the car too.