Maybe this is a silly issue: I’m planning on using a broker when I lease my next car. That means that if I want to test drive anything (which I think I will), I have to go into a dealership knowing full well I won’t be leasing a car from them. Any way around just saying “thanks” and then dodging their phone calls?
Play ball with them for a second, why not wet their willies. Once they give you a ridiculous quote, say goodbye and walk out the door.
People test drive without buying all the time. Be upfront about it.
I hate this idea that every person at a dealership deserves to be treated like shit. It’s a tough environment, a real grind, and these folks need to feed their families as well.
The sales guys just present the numbers the managers send to them. But know they can’t give a blowout deal to every customer who walks in. For every customer that gets destroyed, a unicorn is born. But seriously, without the layperson getting smoked on deals, we couldn’t achieve what we achieve. It’s a lot easier for a dealer to give up a $5K loss on their gross to one of us if they just made $8K on the uninformed buyer who came in earlier that day.
Just be upfront and say you’re not buying today, but you’re test driving multiple cars so you know what you like.
If I’ve learned one thing from brokering, it’s that folks who work at dealerships work crazy hours like chefs. To lead them on for hours and hours just to shop another dealer is flat out lame. Just be honest and respectful. Catch more flies with honey.
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Easy. I just tell them that I’ve put together a list of vehicles that look like a good fit on paper, and I want to check them all out in person and see which is the best for me. When I’m done checking it out, I ask for their card and tell them I’ll follow up if I want to go further.
That makes it pretty easy to escape quickly without all the salesman tactics. But, aside from making things easy for myself, I want to be respectful of them. I try to go during the day on a weekday when they’re just sitting around anyway, take up as little time as possible, drive only if I really need to, and try to drive a demo or used model so I’m not putting any mileage on a brand new one.
I would also recommend that prior to hiring the broker, you at least give them the opportunity to give you a quote. If it’s good, save the broker fee, buy local, and be happy. If it’s not, then you have zero to feel bad about because the ball was in their court and they didn’t close the deal because they weren’t able/willing to play ball.
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Ironically, one of my good friends left his career as a chef to sell cars. lol
You’re absolutely right about them just passing on the numbers too. The first dealership he worked at in MA was ridiculous and he could not get me a good number on anything. He’s since moved to a place in RI and we’ve bought 2 cars from him. But, when looking to help a friend with a lease recently, he couldn’t get anywhere close to what a broker here did for us.
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Sounds like he’s a crazy man ha
Just be honest with the sales person tell them you’re only there for a test drive if you have to wait for a quote just wait for it the sales person deserves at least that much for giving up a potential sale up to take you for a test drive. Honestly when people used to be honest with me I used to cooperate and take them for test drive and obviously take down information and then try to rush and take another up.
Because our time is valuable and we have bills to pay and families to feed.
Don’t lead your salesperson on, ask to test drive with a product specialist and be upfront that you have no intention to buy. We don’t like being jacked around as it happens to us constantly.
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Thanks for all the replies. When I leased my current car I was at the dealership for something like 6 hours and EVERYTHING was the super hard-sell. Then they have consistently hounded me to turn my car in early and lease another from them, but then refuse to correspond via email and corner me when I’ve brought my car in for service. And their quotes are absurd. Which all leads to my intending to use a broker this time around, and my generally being loath to deal with a dealership at all.
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What kind of car are you looking at? Some cars don’t require a broker, if you let the dealer control the deal all the time then yes, they suck. It’s really not that hard to negotiate your own deal, especially if you have time to kill at work to email dealers then post your numbers here. If your time is valuable then maybe a broker is right for you
Your mistake the last time around was going to the stealership and letting them play their game, always do everything remotely and only go in to sign, or better yet have it delivered!
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Have a Honda Pilot now, am looking at other larger/mid-size SUVs.
The deal right now is on the highlander
Ask @Cody_Carter for the link
GM might be an option too
MDX will probably lease better than a pilot too
My time is valuable too, and it seems whenever I’ve gone to purchase a car they take their time to sit in the back room for 45 minutes at a time, waiting to come back to spring a paint protection package on me. It’s gotten to a point where I have to tell them they have a generous hour before I leave.
There’s great people in the industry, but I’ll be damned if anyone can pull the salesman sympathy card.
I work, pay my bills, and put food on the table too, so I am equally insulted when salespeople think they can pull a fast one on me, thinking I’m dumb enough to pay $500 a month for a Corolla.
I suggested to OP while you’re there, why not check out what they can offer. If it’s outrageous/higher than the broker, walk out. Not that wild.
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I hate the nonsense that you deal with at a lot of dealers with the back and forth games and the waiting. That’s why I always make my intentions clear up front. Either I’m still shopping and there’s nothing that is going to make me sign today, or I’m ready to make a deal but I’ve done my homework and want reasonable numbers right off the bat.
I will say that i don’t know if dealerships are evolving or if it’s because in shopping higher end brands than I used to, but everyone seems a lot more reasonable and accommodating and not so pushy and shady like I’ve experienced in the past.
…You know you can just walk away, right? If their numbers are at least competitive then take their card and let them know you’ll consider them when you’re ready to shop.
From my experience, a major value of the broker is not them negotiating on your behalf but rather knowing dealers that have inventory they need to dump or are otherwise capable of giving you better deals. I first found this site when I was helping a friend shop and saw a public deal a broker was advertising. I called my friend who is a sales guy and his manager wouldn’t even get close. Said it was an impossible deal and must be a scam. I emailed three local dealers and told them I’d sign today if they could get close, and they all told me the same thing. Sent a few messages to the broker and a few days later the car was dropped off, brand new, exactly as described, right from a legitimate dealership.
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Sympathy card is a sign of weakness to me which i’ll fully exploit if i’m actually looking to make a deal that day/week/month.
You can also do this research yourself using publicly available tools and set your own target accordingly. My philosophy on this is that no one cared enough to buy/lease this car for the last xx months, chances are it’ll still be there in a few weeks for me to poke and prod on if my starting bid is flat out rejected or countered in an uncompetitive fashion.
I’ve been lucky to be working with a CA that understands that while I want deals that in most cases would be highly unreasonable and often bordering insulting i’m also targeting cars that otherwise are and will continue to incur cost, liability, and space better used for fresh inventory.
I sent an email requesting time to schedule a test drive for a car I’m interested in today. When they reached out, I explained I was still 5 months out and just trying to start evaluating my options.
I asked what a low traffic, low stress time would be for me to come take one for a spin. He thanked me profusely for not just showing up on a Saturday or Sunday and offered up a few days/times during the week.
I expect no games or shenanigans. Most sales people are happy to let folks poke around and test drive when they have nothing else going on. Be respectful and you won’t have a problem at most places.
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Respect. Exert your dominance through mind games 
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