No Sale

[Gita]

It was night time on the car lot, and maybe he mistook me for an older woman, given the harsh skin tones caused by sodium vapor lights.
But when the salesman steered me away from the black-cherry Miata convertible by saying, "the suspension will give you hemorrhoids," buddy, he lost whatever sale he might have made-- like, EVER.

(It did not help that my husband nodded in agreement as if to say, "oh yes, we codgers need something more cushioned, like a Buick.")

The second car lot had a sleek, black Dodge Avenger -- just one year old -- and a spry, subcompact Chevy Sonic, also gently used. But the salesman and his manager steered me away from the muscle car and then made an appallingly lowball offer on my precious, stylish "Nigel," a vintage-year sedan crafted in England.

They failed to understand a salient truth about  "older" women who come to buy a car, which is, don't try to match the package you see with the package we want.

[Gita]

@Harry: how did you ever find that clip? OMG.  Thanks for starting my day off right.

[Harry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cRy_2IgnEg

[Joe Gensle]

Love this. "Truer words..." Many car lot salespeople seem to eat from the same box of dipschitt--frosted 'Assholios'

[Dorothy Pendleton]

For someone to speak that rudely to you --period-- is appalling.  Much less someone who is supposed to be selling you something.  Makes me furious.    Find someone with some charm and imagination, and buy a car from her/him.      Okay, folks, here's my challenge:  create a character who deserves to sell Gita a car!

[Angela]

Nigel retired?  Gosh, that must be emotional.  How can you do it?  That is more profound than me giving up the convertible.

[Robert Crisman]

Car salesmen are truly the scum of the earth. I know. I was one for a hot New York minute and am slated for Hell sometime in the oncoming years. The last line takes the prize.

Btw--at Fraser's Rip "Em And Clip 'Em, they would have tried to make you pay for Nigel...

[Harry]

Nigel's gotta go? Say it aint so!

Hey, did you spot that chartreuse Barracuda four down the row from that mud colored Oldsmobuiac?

[bolton carley]

oh, gita, i feel your pain!  first off, we are not idiots.  second of all, our only flaw is that we're female and we would read the paperwork.  my one friend assures me they are getting rid of these antiquated types at car lots, but how come i always find them???

[Gita]

@Bolton: I know, right? I 'm there to discuss my final drive-out price and the "finance manager" is talking about jiggling the payments. Oh, and then there's the whole song-and-dance about the so-called document fee (they want to add on $500 for doing the paperwork). Hello? I'll do the paperwork myself.

 

[Diana E. Backhouse]

Don't talk to me about cars! The power steering went on ours today. This is after a week in the garage, when it came out with a bigger problem than the one it went in with.