“I would be interested on your views of these services. I find dealing with salespeople who have a limited knowledge of their product annoying. They take it as a game to see what they can get away with. The habit of upselling tinted windows, protective coatings etc. after the contract is signed is annoying.” Trevor, Barossa Valley, SA
OH TREVOR, join the queue! We get regular complaints about pushy salespeople who want you to buy what they want to sell, not what you want to buy (and they’re usually expressed in much more colourful language than yours!). We get complaints about salespeople (usually “men” but not always) who patronise, browbeat and otherwise dismiss women, and especially women over 50. And we also get plenty of feedback about cars that come standard with “features” and “technology” that many buyers either don’t want or don’t use, but have to pay for anyway.
We will, however, make some allowance for sales staff who are under considerable pressure to close a sale and dealerships that need to make a profit to survive. It’s certainly not a game to them! And nor should it be a game to the buyer who is about to make what is usually the second largest purchase (after the family home) of his or her life. But for the salespeople and dealers, margins are often much smaller than you, I or the vast majority of buyers imagine (on some low-price new cars, the profit margin can be as little as $500, and that has to cover commission, overheads, stock inventory, finance, advertising and a host of other outgoings). Even many high-priced cars have a much smaller built-in profit margin than most people think.
Also in defence of the salesperson, for them to have an extensive knowledge of all the products in the range is nigh-on impossible. Just consider how many different models, variants, options packages, engine choices and a dozen more variables they have to be on top of, and how often those details change with new models, facelifts and upgrades. Sure, when you or I walk into a showroom, we’ve probably done our due diligence online and know more about our make and model of choice than the poor salesman/woman but if he/she can’t answer a question, we have a right to expect them to quickly and accurately find the answer. And never forget that unlike you and I who may negotiate for and buy a car perhaps once every three or four years, these salespeople are trained to get the best outcome for themselves and are doing it every day. They know every trick of the trade and won’t hesitate to use them.
As to your comment about upselling, we can but agree.
So many of these products are of questionable value, and almost all of them are priced much higher than you could source them outside the showroom. You’ve probably noticed that the salesperson for add-ons is usually an attractive woman (pandering to the male ego) and the pressure to add on tinted windows, fabric protection, paint protection, extended warranties and the many other money-earning extras is subtle but intense (and highly profitable for the dealership). Buying these add-ons at the time of purchase means not only will you pay more, but if you bundle them into the total price, you’ll be paying interest on them for the term of the finance agreement (or lease if you go that way). And if the paint/fabric/leather are of such inferior quality they need to be enhanced with after-market products, the manufacturer is probably in breach of consumer protection laws. Always resist the temptation and see if you can’t get a better deal (or even a better product) from a different supplier after you have taken delivery. Even if the dealer is the one offering the best deal, you can always go back later.
We at seniordriveraus regularly raise the issues we hear from our followers with car companies and convey the experiences, objections and concerns of our over-50 readers, especially when it comes to having to pay for features they neither want or will use, or car design that doesn’t suit the needs or requirements of over-50s owners. We urge all of our readers to tell us their stories and what they object to in the car buying process, car design and car ownership experience. We will pass these on to the car companies. Eventually, the message will get through and something will be done to rectify the situation.