Car Dealers Scams

lyns3105

i am looking to purchase a nearly new used car. after a lengthy internet search i found a model i liked in my price range at evans halshaw Ford Glasgow. I phoned the garage and was first hung up on. When i phoned back, the salesman i talked to was helpful and sounded knowledgeable so i made an appointment to view the car that weekend.
After driving 60 miles to the showroom, i was told that the salesman wasn't in work that day and was handed over to a sale assistant who i'd just seen acting incredibly inappropriately in the forecourt.
At first the car i came to see could not be found, then i was told that it had been sold the day before. at first i was angry that no one had bothered to get in touch to tell me the car had gone. But then a laughingly surreal scenario unfolded in front of me. The salesman who was looking after me asked another of the salesman when was the white fiesta sold? The second salesman was like 'what white fiesta, we've never had a white one, we've got a silver one'. The first salesman said 'you know the white one', 'nope'. then he was like, the white one it was parked right out front 'wink wink'. the second salesman eventually cordoned onto the game and was like 'Oh yeah the guy with black hair bought it'
It seemed obvious to me that both salesman were blatantly lying, and the car that seemed such a good deal had never in fact existed at that garage and was falsely advertised on the internet to draw in customers. I am even sceptical that the original salesman i talked to on the phone even existed, and i was given a made up name so that this anonymous guy could take the blame when i found out it was a scam. Basically if you call up evans halshaw glasgow and are forwarded onto a salesman named 'robert plant' (yes i should have known), then the car you're interested in probably doesn't exist, well not at that garage anyways.

funkycoldribena

Doesnt sound like you've got a whole lotta love for the place...

forgotmyname

Common issue. You should have phoned before travelling though and explained you coming a long way to see it.

If they put you off then you know its one of those to draw you in.

You cannot blame them for not contacting you about a cars thats sold. They must get lots of calls but people buy one elsewhere before seeing that car so dont turn up.

They maybe the 3rd garage on your list. So you may not get there.

Poppy9

I've bought two cars over the internet my most recent from Hartwell Ford in Oxford. I saw car on line, rang about it and he offered to reserve it for me for £200 deposit on my CC and if I didn't like it he would refund.

The car was just under a year old, had been owned by the dealer ship and was £1500-2000 cheaper than locally.

A few days later OH travelled 150 miles by train, met a friend who lived in Oxford who took him to the dealer. Car was as described and OH drove it home.

Once we had paid the deposit over the phone it was marked as sold on the website.

colino

I'm more bothered that you travelled 60 miles to see a white Fiesta.

teffers

Private seller = could be dodgy (but you have a chance to judge it yourself)

Car Salesmen/women = always dodgy.

As for Evans Hellshaw ... well, I just gave up trying to buy a car from them, it's bizarre how anyone manages it, they make it so difficult.

scotsbob

Car salesmen are like insurance salesmen ( sorry, financial advisers ) they can't see past their percentage of the deal.