Bluffing the sales man? How to get a ride in a new BMW?

[Axxe]

When my Dad bought his first bimmer (99 E46 328i with sport package) the salesmen were ignoring him. We pulled up in his current "work car" (an oldsmobile) and one salesman pointed us towards the keychains. We told him to fuck off and another (nice) salesman came and within an hour we had one of the first E46's in Canada. Fucking snobs most of them.

[ddongbap]

Good thing they're comission based. Those snobs missed out.

[BMW BMXER]

When my Dad bought his first bimmer (99 E46 328i with sport package) the salesmen were ignoring him. We pulled up in his current "work car" (an oldsmobile) and one salesman pointed us towards the keychains. We told him to fuck off and another (nice) salesman came and within an hour we had one of the first E46's in Canada. Fucking snobs most of them.

I get ignored at anywhere but the parts counter at BMW Mississauga.

[assoutE12]

I have test driven allot of cars over the years without having to bullshit the salesmen to do it. I just walked in and asked a few questions about the car I was looking to drive. Most of the time they will just let you drive whatever.

Most salesmen are smarter than to try to tell if a person has money by the way they look when they walk in. they do credit checks on people all the time, the cleanest cut people are not always the ones with the most money. Its not like they have anything to lose by letting you drive a car, and they have allot to gain if they do.
Most salesmen are all about letting you driving the shit out of there cars. I’d say 90% of the guys I have taken for a ride were all about it. I have been asked to slow down a few times but they were usually pretty polite about it, and most of the times I was driving pretty shit crazy.

[Iain]

I ring up BMW media and I say, "Hi, its Iain... can I please book a [insert model of choice here] for a test?"

They often say, "Ok, we have this space free. You can have it for a week."

Then I say, "Excellent. See you then."

[jim89325is]

OK - I use to scope out used car lot all the time for anything euro. Say a e30, or maby a VW 16v gti, what ever I could find. Merc 190, sabb 900 turbo...anything cool.

And I would always use the same lame story. Lame, but alway got me a test drive with the salesman letting take the car without him.

"Hello, I looking to buy a new car this week.
*what are you looking to spend????*
Ummmm, you mean price range? No not really. I have to run it by me mom. But I'm willing to spend what the car is worth. If I find the right car it's not a prolbem." BLAH BLAH BLAH....

With that line in my ho-dink town I was always giving the keys to a car. Sometimes told to keep it over night. Lets just say I found the limits of a sabb 900 turbo, a m10 318i, masda 626, pegot 605, mercur xr4ti turbo, 2.3L mustang, e36 325i(that I sware the sales man wet himself on the freeway onramp when I was bouncing off the rev limiter in 1st and 2nd just to merge in freeway taraffic)

Besides the point....

Want line/scam do you guys use to hook up a ride in a new bmw? Any tried and true methods? I live in high-rent town, and they can smell BS a mile away. Went on the lot years ago, and they wouls even do so much as let me start up a 5 series.


any advice? I would love to rock a z4 for the night....

Here's a thought: Learn to spell, learn to type, and have some respect for people just trying to do their jobs.

Listen, I think car salespersons are, for the most part, scum. I hate car dealerships.

But, in this instance, I'm going to stick up for them. I can imagine that they have to deal with so many idiots like you who "would love to rock a z4 for the night....", that they would naturally be a bit apprehensive about giving up the keys to just anyone. They are there to make a living, and you, my friend, take away their time, and thus, their ability to make a living.

Here's a new approach: Show up with credit. Collateral might help. Maybe a decent attitude, as well. Respect goes a long way towards earning another's respect.

And please, let us know if you are successful and where you do "hook up a ride in a new bmw." I'll be sure to avoid those dealerships at all costs.

[Dave]

Here's what you do -

wait til you hit 30 . . .

Call the dealership and get a sales person on the line. Tell them how busy your business/practice/profession makes it hard for you to get to their lot, but that you think you have your heart set on a new _____________ (fill in the blank).

They will not only let you drive it, but they will deliver it to your door and offer to come back for it in a day or two. Some will even offer to get you a demo car to take for a weekend and suggest that you use it for a getaway with your wife/gf, etc.

Seeing as how most of you kids have a decade or more before you can pull this off, I'd suggest that you not get cocky, dress like you are going to church, not a club, and understand that some dealers will blow you off, others will let you take a spin. Its about 50% your attitude and 50% the salesman. If he thinks you are not a buyer, he doesn't give a shit about you. He is there to make $$$$, not provide your entertainment.

[cramer]

and I don't think a (nice) E30 is going to make them go "OMG cheap R3v kiddies!" All they will see is a BMW badge (at least that's been my experience).

exactly, I usually get one or two salesmen out asking about my E30 even ;)

Age really helps in car buying. Salemen aren't going to waste their time on a kid kicking tires.

[ddongbap]

In response to what someone said earlier. What good is selling a product that you dont know? I sell cell phones, and I have to admit, im pretty new. I know most of the phones here, except the Blackberries, which I'm still learning. I feel pretty stupid when business people who're already intimate with the blackberries can kick my ass, knowledge wise.

So yea, not knowing what you're selling makes it look, well, not so good.

Though someone who already knows what they want, might be ok. Since all they need to know is invoice numbers.

[Charlie]

In response to what someone said earlier. What good is selling a product that you dont know? I sell cell phones, and I have to admit, im pretty new. I know most of the phones here, except the Blackberries, which I'm still learning. I feel pretty stupid when business people who're already intimate with the blackberries can kick my ass, knowledge wise.

So yea, not knowing what you're selling makes it look, well, not so good.

Though someone who already knows what they want, might be ok. Since all they need to know is invoice numbers.

What good does knowing a chassis code do you with your average consumer buying a new luxury car? They want to know how much horsepower it makes, how good the stereo sounds, where the windshield wipers are, where the shifter is for the automatic, and how to adjust the tilt wheel. That's it. How smooth is it, and how quickly does it get away from a light when I mash the pedal down. How low can you make my monthly lease payments.

I usually bring spec or build sheets with me when I'm looking at a vehicle. I don't feel the need to do a dick swing with a salesman to try and quiz him on option package #'s

Of course, in the past few months where I have been seriously looking at a vehicle, I've already sent them emails with my exact specs and an offer, so there isn't much to chat about.

-Charlie

[Dave]

What good does knowing a chassis code do you with your average consumer buying a new luxury car? They want to know how much horsepower it makes, how good the stereo sounds, where the windshield wipers are, where the shifter is for the automatic, and how to adjust the tilt wheel. That's it. How smooth is it, and how quickly does it get away from a light when I mash the pedal down. How low can you make my monthly lease payments.

I usually bring spec or build sheets with me when I'm looking at a vehicle. I don't feel the need to do a dick swing with a salesman to try and quiz him on option package #'s

Of course, in the past few months where I have been seriously looking at a vehicle, I've already sent them emails with my exact specs and an offer, so there isn't much to chat about.

-Charlie

you forgot cupholders - they want to know how many and if they'll hold that Big Gulp or at least the Venti Mocha from Starbucks.

[assoutE12]

wait til you hit 30 . . .

Age really helps in car buying. Salemen aren't going to waste their time on a kid kicking tires.

I should add that I have only been turned down on a test drive once, I was 17 and the owner of this local import dealership would not let me test drive a in a e36 325i because it was worth 19,000 and the Toyota Tacoma I drove was only worth 16,000
This was in 2000 and My Tacoma was a 99. I had paid 21,000 for it like 4 months before that.
I have never been back to that dealership and I never will. He lost my business, granted I wasn't going to buy the car; I just wanted to see what it drove like. But I could have if I had wanted to. and he assumed that I didn't have any money because I was young, that was his mistake, I have purchased a couple cars since then and that dealership always has a car I would drive, He should have let me drive that one car, that one day, and I would have probably bought 3 from him since then.

I have always thought it was pretty funny how allot of people (generally not salesmen) think that age has some indication of wealth, yea because rich people don't have kids right

[Jarvis]

He lost my business, granted I wasn't going to buy the car; I just wanted to see what it drove like.

...age has some indication of wealth, yea because rich people don't have kids right

He didn't lose your business. He was smart and didn't let you waste any of his time.

If a rich dude is buying his kid a car, he's probably going to just get the car for him. Or at least be with him to check it out. No one says, "hey son, go to the dealer without me and test drive some stuff, I'll be waiting at home with a blank check." Salesmen know this and have probably learned from experience they're better off ignoring every single 18 year old that comes onto the lot than hoping the next one with be that 1 in 100 with actual money.

I'm 20 and I sure hope that if I showed up at a BMW dealership that no salesman would be dumb enough to actually help me.
It's different when ~30 year old semi-wealthy guys get the cold shoulder just because they're not dressed right. Prime example - a few years ago my friend (~27 at the time) got lucky in the stock market and decided to reward himself. He has a goatee, a harsh voice and a bunch of tattoos. Went to a Benz dealer and asked about a brand new SLK32 AMG. Saleman looked at him and said, "um... we have some really nice used C classes in stock." My friend went down the street, wrote one check and drove home in a brand new BMW M Roadster. The Benz salesman obviously made a mistake but when your job is to sell trendy expensive cars, you can afford to piss off someone who doesn't look like the typical Benz, Audi, BMW, etc. driver. Someone else will just buy it the next day.

And everything Charlie said x2

[ping65810]

After getting brushed aside at Tulley a week before I bought my e36, I showed up with my new e36 Cabrio at Tulley, asked for the sales manager and had a breif discussion.
"See that nice red BMW convertible outside, I bought that yesterday from BMW Gallery. Do you know why I did that? Your salesman would not even let me sit in a used e36, than told me that I should be looking at Neons, and other entry level cars; so I went to where I got some respect. I just wanted to let you know what business you lost out on, thats all...."

[xLibelle]

some of you have interesting/dumb ideas on what will get you a seat...

havent thought about this type of situation much but i take it like this; age does matter like these guys are saying because the sales guy is there to sell and he knows his business. its all about being nice to the guy and making him believe he will sell. i'm mid 20's and self-made, no immediate family and no big expenses. considering i really wanted a new car, i would be seriously pissed to be treated as if i were just there to kick the tires. so compliance with necessary proof of monetary status can be the ultimate help, but that could be an annoyance if the vehicle is not entirely what will sell me. rides in other vehicles would prove most beneficial. take your time and dont expect a ride on the first visit because showing your face multiple times is the best way to be seen as a serious buyer. reason for that would be that your time is his time and thats how he sells you a vehicle. so playing along = better chances, if such opportunities, like if you call them up with some story about time restraints wont provide you with reasonable business hours, doesnt work for you.