Terrible test drive (the dealer, not the car)

[gnznroses]

well i know one issue is i look much younger than i am (i'm 27 and look about 21) and they may think i'm just messin' around and wanting to joyride in their car (even though i clearly know what i'm talking about and went in to look more than once) but either way, you don't be rude and cuss and argue with your customers.

i really don't see a dealer letting me take one out on my own. unless someone has some suggestions on that.
at the Nissan dealership though, when i was looking at a 370z, he did offer a test drive and said we ("we") can take it out and see what it can do, and told me how fast it is, etc, but i'd much prefer to get an hour or so to take my time, driver where i want, and evaluate a car.

[cerealkller72]

Try Turnpike Chevrolet in Nitro, that's where I got my LS. C&O in St Albans won't let you drive without doing your credit. Joe Holland was nice but they didn't seem to care if they got the sale or not.

[usa1camaro1969]

Did the guy you'd been talking to know you were coming in? If he did and still decided not to come in he didn't care enough about the sale(it's one thing about sales, you have to be ready when the customer comes in).
I probably would've gone in and talked with the sales manager. I would've explained the test drive you were directed on(it sounded like you were taking your driver's test) and then explained what you'd like to do is take it on your typical drive as this will be your everyday driver. If he wants to run a check before giving you the keys and letting you drive away by yourself I wouldn't take it as a slap in the face. They do get plenty of joyriders. And I'd definitely explain to him you want nothing more to do with the rude salesman and that you didn't care if you had to work out the deal with whoever, that you didn't want any commission going to that salesman.
And just so you know, he questioned your age in an attempt to tick you off so you'd come back with the sale. It's a tactic usually used on younger men who are more likely to come back and "show him". Don't let it get to you too much or he will win. I'd be more ticked off with how he directed you around your test drive.

[AnnaBear@SpartaChevy]

Good for you for NOT allowing him to do a credit check on you. It is absolutely NONE of anyone's business UNTIL you decide to buy the car.

I really find it incredible that salespeople and dealers still do business this way. It is just CRAZY! I can't believe anybody buys cars from these types of people.

Please know that not all sales people are a-holes like this guy. There are lots of good people out there just trying to make a living and treating their customers as they deserve to be treated, like gold.

[JOHNSONROD]

i had a bad experience at edwards chevy in birmingham, al. the first day i went by just to sit in one and see if i was comfortable and could see out of the thing. they didnt have a manual v8 so i didnt need to waste their time or mine test driving. i left fealing like i didnt even want one. the next day they called me and said they had a m6 ss in and i could come drive it. ok. i went in and he offered the interstate ride too. i just took it around a couple of blocks paying attention mainly to the mirrors and visability. once on the city streets, i knida liked it, ALOT, so here i am ready to talk turkey with the guy. he goes and gets the assistant sales manager. this guy talked to me like he was a school teacher and i had just been caught smoking. he didnt want to talk anything on the price and turned into a smartass when i respectfully asked as humble as i could. he then proceeds to say that he didnt even want check on financing for me because i probably wouldnt have the credit to buy the car anyway.
i plan to go by there when my red with black striped ss comes in and have them quote me a price on a car cover. how much, oh i cant afford that. cya. burn out. smoke. finger. buuu bye!!!!!!!!!!!! ass

[skraemer]

I'm 23 and I took a 2LT out for a test drive. Granted I had a UofA jersey on, and looked like a typical college kid the salesman gave me grief initially and had to get approval from the sales manager to allow me to test drive it, but once we were on the road he WANTED me to gun it!

[WadeWilson]

Originally Posted by gnznroses

I went today to test drive the Camaro and it was not only a complete waste as far as testing goes, but a bad experience all around. I walked away having no idea how I felt about the car, both because of the nature of the drive and being distracted the whole time by the asshole in the passenger seat.

When I pull onto the road from the dealership lot, with the slightest bit of acceleration, he tells me to "wait until we get on the interstate before gunning the engine". I wasn't even sure if he was referring to that little bit of acceleration or just in general - surely, I thought, he just means in general. But no this guy was the most anal person I've ever dealt with. I told him that I rarely drive the interstate and didn't even want to test it there but he insisted. (The dealership is just a couple blocks from the interstate on-ramp.) Accelerating on the on-ramp at maybe 35-40 mph he yells "woah partner"...

A couple minutes later he starts asking me to make a commitment to buy today, to which I say that's why I'm test driving it. I explained how, for instance, I was afraid the car would feel heavy and sluggish (my car is 700 lbs lighter) and I'd like to drive a curvy road to judge. Insterstate driving just was not what I was looking for, and as far as v6 vs v8 performance goes, most of my accelerating is done from redlights in town.

The salesman basically jumps down my throat and tells me to "cut the bullshit", and that I'm not making a commitment to buy today and I'm indecisive on engine and color but want to be allowed to "drive 0-100" in his car. I told him I had no intention of driving like that or doing anything unsafe (and never asked to) but if I'm going to pay $40,000 for a car I have to be able to test it similar to how and where I normally drive (which includes accelerating to a whopping 40 mph around town). He was being a complete asshole for no reason. We drove just a couple minutes down the interstate, and, following his directions, exited, turned around, and came back along the interstate again. Completely useless steady-speed driving.

Coming off the interstate I asked again about merely giving it a little gas from a stop and he says we've test driven long enough (in a real smart-ass way). He then tells me ok, accelerate right here to 40 then (we're going 18 already), and then asks if that was good enough for me.

He then actually has the nerve to try and sell me the car today and wants to do a credit check because he says "I don't know if you can afford it and if not I'll find you something else". I had already told him I could afford it, what my credit was, what other cars I considered, and that I bought my Tiburon at that dealership in 2007 with $10,000 down. I understand he can't know if I'm being truthful but you don't talk down to your potential customers. I refused the credit check and he tells me to "come back when you're ready young man". I told him I wouldn't be and kick myself for not chewing him out a bit.

I think I'll go somewhere else and test drive again, and tell them ahead of time that if they're going to be super anal then to forget about it. I don't think I was being unreasonable at all - I wasn't asking to do 0-60 runs or burnouts or go 100 mph. If I'm test-driving a sports/muscle car however I'm not going to drive like a grandma.

I guess also that this guy doesn't realize that his job isn't merely to take my money and sale me a car but to SALE me the car. I'm supposed to be indecisive - it's his job to change my mind, not to cuss at me and talk down to me.
I get the impression that this guy is a higher-up and not just a salesman so that's all the more reason to never go back.

The dealer btw is Dutch Miller Chevrolet in West Virginia.

Dutch Miller in Barboursville? If so, I would definitely go somewhere else. I never cared for the way they treat their customers. I dealt with them when I used to live in Huntington.

[~Stacy~]

I never got to test drive a camaro before I bought one I'm a poor retail worker but the dealer never judged me that I couldn't afford the car. I hate going to dealerships where they wear busines suites and ties. I learned from past experiences those dealerships are sooo fake and just want money instead of your business. Good luck and hopefully you will find the right dealer

[gnznroses]

Originally Posted by Shardik2SS

Dutch Miller in Barboursville? If so, I would definitely go somewhere else. I never cared for the way they treat their customers. I dealt with them when I used to live in Huntington.

this was the one in Huntington.

[WadeWilson]

Originally Posted by gnznroses

this was the one in Huntington.

Don't like that one either assuming it is the one on the West End. That is if it's still there. Good luck on your next test drive.

[jrc1122]

I can't believe you didn't lay into that idiot. When he calls for a follow up, you should let him know just how crappy he is at his job. Sounds mean I know, but he cussed you, belittled you, called you a liar basically.

When you do buy one, make sure it is in all cleaned up, shiney as can be, the go back to to the dealership, ask for him, tell him you want to trade in.. When he says ..what are you driving?

point to your beautiful new car, and say,, and the best part, they werent' complete assholes to me, for wanting to actually test drive the car. Your loss is their gain!


Yeah, I would stoop that low

[Darth_Emma]

Wow. Find a different dealer.

When I took my test drive in a 2SS the salesman handed me the keys and said, "have fun." He didn't even come along. It was just me and my husband.

This car is just too much fun to not get one. Don't let one jerk (salesman) ruin the experience for you.

[Dr Jkel]

Originally Posted by JOHNSONROD

i had a bad experience at edwards chevy in birmingham, al. the first day i went by just to sit in one and see if i was comfortable and could see out of the thing. they didnt have a manual v8 so i didnt need to waste their time or mine test driving. i left fealing like i didnt even want one. the next day they called me and said they had a m6 ss in and i could come drive it. ok. i went in and he offered the interstate ride too. i just took it around a couple of blocks paying attention mainly to the mirrors and visability. once on the city streets, i knida liked it, ALOT, so here i am ready to talk turkey with the guy. he goes and gets the assistant sales manager. this guy talked to me like he was a school teacher and i had just been caught smoking. he didnt want to talk anything on the price and turned into a smartass when i respectfully asked as humble as i could. he then proceeds to say that he didnt even want check on financing for me because i probably wouldnt have the credit to buy the car anyway.
i plan to go by there when my red with black striped ss comes in and have them quote me a price on a car cover. how much, oh i cant afford that. cya. burn out. smoke. finger. buuu bye!!!!!!!!!!!! ass

This dealership is a winner for sure. When my priginal order was , supposedly canceled due to the dealer closings by GM, Edwards said that they surely would transfer my order to their dealership for 5000.00 over sticker, my original deal was for 1000.00 under.

I was so up set with them, and of course told them to stick it. I had to eventually get some GM Exec's involved. My R6P was not canceled and they moved it to another dealer who wasn't happy about it, I am not sure what the GM Exec's told them. I guess they saw it GM's way.

You know the funny thing is that ALOT of dealerships act like they are doing you a favor by selling cars, especially this car. It really amazes me that when you go into a dealer and they do not know you own one, that alot are really un-informed about this car, they have no clue. They tell you anything to try and get you into the box, Simply Amazing

[~Stacy~]

I had a dealership turn down a $28,000 sale one day I was 23 and wanted to purchase a new 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP. I previously had bought a car thru them before. I had the pre approval certificate right in my hands from GMAC. You need a co-signer. I don't have one. Went to another dealership and got my car It's really amazin how some dealers will turn down a sale and judge you because you are apparently too young and stupid