Big Motoring World pressurised selling addons - wasted 2.5 hrs

tasticz

Wanted to upgrade my car so went down to view this car: https://www.bigmotoringworld.co.uk/used/cars/bmw/5-series/520i-m-sport-89871

Unlike, Cargiant, they did not allow people to roam around show room freely (would have been good to see all similar cars in same place)

Anyways, they brought the car and left us alone for 15 mins to have a look around the car which all good. Then we went for test drive, car was all good - liked it. 

When we came back then came the hard sell, I offered them two options:

• Option 1: I will part exchange my car and pay the rest of the amount in cash but will depend on how much they offer for PX as I had guaranteed value for next 3 days from we buy any car already so wanted to check if they offered more.
• Option 2: I will pay full amount in cash there and then and pick up the car tomorrow.

The salesman began his add-in packs preaching:

1) Extended warranty 3 years £1999
2) GardX - £699 
3) Gap insurance 3 years - £399
4) Dent and scratch insurance £499

After around 30 mins of discussion, I told them I wasn't interested and just wanted the car. He kept going and coming back seeing his "manager." After back and forth with his "manager" (imaginary or real? who knows), they offered me a value little bit higher than we buy any car if I purchased all add-ins on finance.

Again, I refused and offered to pay full amount via debit card (they weren't interested). 

Finally after like 60 mins back and forth the salesman understood that I wasn't interested in add-ins and then the hard sell for car in finance started. Again, I refused.

The salesman then told me, look just buy the car on finance, i will get my commission, go home and pay it off within 14 days and it won't cost you a penny. The company won't get any finance cashback if you pay within 6 months but I don't really care.

I was quite amazed at that but I again refused and in the end I just had to walk out as they didn't really want to sell the car for cash.

Wasted my 5 hours and their 2.5 hours. 


Surely not all dealers are like this? I know same !!!!!! happens in Cargiant but at least I can browse in peace.

Thinking of going back again next week and playing their game again.

Does this manager exist or is it imaginary?

Edit: previous car giant car purchase went smoothly as we had agreed to everything they said lol

tacpot12

The manager is real, but the salesman will not have spent all the time they weren't with you with the manager. They will have been having a coffee, or checking their emails. 

Many dealers are like this. The salesman will not have spent more than five minutes with you if you were trying to return the car because it was faulty. You would have been quickly passed to a "Aftercare Specialist". 

I think your post serves as an excellent warning for anyone considering buying from Big Motoring World.

If another dealer starts with this game, just say "My offer is good for the next 10 minutes, sell me the car in the next 10 minutes or I'm out of here". The salesman will disappear for 5 minutes, and return say the manager won't accept the offer as "they want to make sure you are happy with the deal". At that point you start looking at your watch and reminding him how many minutes remain for them to accept your offer. They will accept it at around minute 10 if you start moving to the door with 10 seconds to go, or maybe they won't, but at least you've only wasted the time you needed to look at the car to decide if you wanted to buy it or not.  

I admire your having the courage to leave without buying the car. It is not easy to resist the enormous pressure that these sales professional can exert. You really are stepping into the lion's den when you  buy from a dealer. 

If you do go back for a Round Two, go in at 5pm. Spend an hour looking at the car and it's paperwork thoroughly, then start negotiating at 6pm. The salesmanager has a wife and kids to get home to so will be panicking they will be late for tea if the deal isn't signed by 6:30pm. The salesman will want the deal because they need it to meet their quota, and won't want you to leave to "think about it overnight" as they know they will never see you again. But the only the salesmanager can authorise the sale, so he needs the manager to stay. The tension will be palpabale. I got another 8% of a car that was already heavily discounted due so very minor accident damage to the tailgate when I accidentaly took this approach. I had travelled some distance to see a car at another dealer but it wasn't a good as described so I walked away and called in at the second dealer as it was on my route home and they had the car I wanted but at rather too high a price. I didn't think they would drop the price as much as they eventually did so I didn't consider it until the other car fell through. The salesman was almost crying when he said "But the sticker price isn't negotiable!"

tasticz

tacpot12 said:

The manager is real, but the salesman will not have spent all the time they weren't with you with the manager. They will have been having a coffee, or checking their emails. 

Many dealers are like this. The salesman will not have spent more than five minutes with you if you were trying to return the car because it was faulty. You would have been quickly passed to a "Aftercare Specialist". 

I think your post serves as an excellent warning for anyone considering buying from Big Motoring World.

If another dealer starts with this game, just say "My offer is good for the next 10 minutes, sell me the car in the next 10 minutes or I'm out of here". The salesman will disappear for 5 minutes, and return say the manager won't accept the offer as "they want to make sure you are happy with the deal". At that point you start looking at your watch and reminding him how many minutes remain for them to accept your offer. They will accept it at around minute 10 if you start moving to the door with 10 seconds to go, or maybe they won't, but at least you've only wasted the time you needed to look at the car to decide if you wanted to buy it or not.  

I admire your having the courage to leave without buying the car. It is not easy to resist the enormous pressure that these sales professional can exert. You really are stepping into the lion's den when you  buy from a dealer. 

Yes, that is the plan. Are you able to advise anything on this matter? https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6285423/car-finance-section-75#latest

AdrianC

tasticz said:

Finally after like 60 mins back and forth the salesman understood that I wasn't interested in add-ins and then the hard sell for car in finance started. Again, I refused.

The salesman then told me, look just buy the car on finance, i will get my commission, go home and pay it off within 14 days and it won't cost you a penny. The company won't get any finance cashback if you pay within 6 months but I don't really care.
...
Surely not all dealers are like this? I know same !!!!!! happens in Cargiant but at least I can browse in peace.

That's where their margin is. The car itself is probably pretty much a loss-leader.

If you don't like it, don't go back. There's plenty of similar cars elsewhere.

tacpot12

AdrianC said:

tasticz said:

Finally after like 60 mins back and forth the salesman understood that I wasn't interested in add-ins and then the hard sell for car in finance started. Again, I refused.

The salesman then told me, look just buy the car on finance, i will get my commission, go home and pay it off within 14 days and it won't cost you a penny. The company won't get any finance cashback if you pay within 6 months but I don't really care.
...
Surely not all dealers are like this? I know same !!!!!! happens in Cargiant but at least I can browse in peace.

That's where their margin is. The car itself is probably pretty much a loss-leader.

If you don't like it, don't go back. There's plenty of similar cars elsewhere.

I agree about where the margin is. I think some dealers aren't selling cars at all, they are selling finance for cars.

tasticz

AdrianC said:

tasticz said:

Finally after like 60 mins back and forth the salesman understood that I wasn't interested in add-ins and then the hard sell for car in finance started. Again, I refused.

The salesman then told me, look just buy the car on finance, i will get my commission, go home and pay it off within 14 days and it won't cost you a penny. The company won't get any finance cashback if you pay within 6 months but I don't really care.
...
Surely not all dealers are like this? I know same !!!!!! happens in Cargiant but at least I can browse in peace.

That's where their margin is. The car itself is probably pretty much a loss-leader.

If you don't like it, don't go back. There's plenty of similar cars elsewhere.

Probably have to go elsewhere but the fact that they didn't want to sell with debit card payment is annoying. They should make it clear they only sell on finance if they don't want debit card payments

tasticz

tacpot12 said:

AdrianC said:

tasticz said:

Finally after like 60 mins back and forth the salesman understood that I wasn't interested in add-ins and then the hard sell for car in finance started. Again, I refused.

The salesman then told me, look just buy the car on finance, i will get my commission, go home and pay it off within 14 days and it won't cost you a penny. The company won't get any finance cashback if you pay within 6 months but I don't really care.
...
Surely not all dealers are like this? I know same !!!!!! happens in Cargiant but at least I can browse in peace.

That's where their margin is. The car itself is probably pretty much a loss-leader.

If you don't like it, don't go back. There's plenty of similar cars elsewhere.

I agree about where the margin is. I think some dealers aren't selling cars at all, they are selling finance for cars.

which is good for them but !!!!!! for us retail buyers

cymruchris

Draw you in with a shiny fancy car at an attractive price (priced at or below cost) - then sell you all the guff to make a profit. You as a cash buyer with no scope for add-ons meant they likely didn't want to sell the car at its ticketed price as they'd not make enough on it. You're not their target customer profile. I'm not a fan of these big car supermarkets for this reason. I have never bought a car from them, and never will. Many more choices of car purchase from much more reputable sources, although used car prices have surged in recent months, so any purchase at the moment is a little over-priced compared to this time last year. What goes up, must come down. It'll settle itself out in due course as supply slowly gets back to normal.

tasticz

cymruchris said:

Draw you in with a shiny fancy car at an attractive price (priced at or below cost) - then sell you all the guff to make a profit. You as a cash buyer with no scope for add-ons meant they likely didn't want to sell the car at its ticketed price as they'd not make enough on it. You're not their target customer profile. I'm not a fan of these big car supermarkets for this reason. I have never bought a car from them, and never will. Many more choices of car purchase from much more reputable sources, although used car prices have surged in recent months, so any purchase at the moment is a little over-priced compared to this time last year. What goes up, must come down. It'll settle itself out in due course as supply slowly gets back to normal.

Yes, the used car prices have definitely shot up. I am in need to replace my car soon also due to ULEZ zone expansion. if they postponed it from 25th october to another date then i'd wait till prices settled but as it stands probably need a replacement now. 

I know there is chip set shortages but I believe the fact that we can't go to british car auctions as retail customer and buy the car from auctions also has made the prices go up. 

sheslookinhot

I don’t accept car dealers will sell a car below cost. There will be a good margin for them. Then it’s down to the overall deal.

cymruchris

sheslookinhot said:

I don’t accept car dealers will sell a car below cost. There will be a good margin for them. Then it’s down to the overall deal.

That's probably why they weren't selling the car in the first place to the OP, trying every which-way to avoid it. If it went for 'cash' they'd likely make next to nothing, and after overheads make a loss. They'd rather hang on to it, and sell it to another 'mug' who signed up for all the finance and after-care packages. Most car dealers work on a margin for a cash sale, you're right, but these supermarket style operations aren't your normal car dealers.