If it were a ball python breeder...

[loonunit]

So how about this! A friend of mine is shopping for a new car, and after getting his loan approved he left a couple of messages with dealerships in the area asking for quotes. Most of the dealerships took a few hours to get back to him, but one guy replied immediately: yeah, we've got them, but we only have the one 4-door, and I've promised it to somebody else. But if you can get down here this afternoon before they do, I'll give it to your for $500 over sticker price.

My friend wrote back that he's not interested at that price, and he's definitely not running down there just to see if he can beat somebody to a car. To me he says, "so basically this dealer is telling me that he breaks promises to other customers, and he's hoping the thrill of beating someone to the car will get me to pay more money for it?" And then the dealer kept at him for several more hours, until my friend faked a meeting and stopped responding.

...and all I can think is, jeez. If a ball python breeder said something like that to me---I've totally promised this sweet-looking silver bullet to somebody else, but I'll give him to you if you can pay me an extra $500 before the other guy can drive down here---man, I'd be over at the BoI before you could say "SCRAM."

[Kyle1989]

Ya same here even if would be for the same price I wouldn't go for it. How do you know he wouldn't do the same thing to you.

[Jeremy78]

And all this time I thought car sales people were respectable people...

[loonunit]

Ya same here even if would be for the same price I wouldn't go for it. How do you know he wouldn't do the same thing to you.

Yeah, exactly!

And all this time I thought car sales people were respectable people...

Right? And then my friend digs up this Edmunds dot com article about a guy who went "undercover" as a car saleman for some months, at two different dealerships. Which is some fun "light" reading:

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/co...ticleid=42962&

[Freakie_frog]

...and all I can think is, jeez. If a ball python breeder said something like that to me---I've totally promised this sweet-looking silver bullet to somebody else, but I'll give him to you if you can pay me an extra $500 before the other guy can drive down here---man, I'd be over at the BoI before you could say "SCRAM."

Why...What would it serve if the animal is available, and someone hasn't put a deposit on it.. regardless of what he told who, why run to the BOI..Telling people there are other interested parties is an old sales tech. to light a fire under people on the fence. If you don't like that sales tactic don't do business with them but running to the BOI for something like that is dumb. If he sold the animal out from under some one to you that's between him and the other customer not you..

[ShortStack]

If he really did promise it to someone else, ya it's sleezy, but how do you know he didn't just say that, in an attempt to get more money out of your friend? Because if someone wanted it bad enough, then they would pay that extra money.

[mpkeelee]

if i put a deposit on the animal and everything was going as planned and the guy just sold my animal then ya, id prolly go to the BOI and make it public cuz thats a scumbag move. but if he says ya i got that animal available come and get it, and i dont then and he sells it then my loss. breeders nd car dealers are two completely different people and businesses, breeders want people to come back frequently and they care about their product and customers. a car dealer might see the same person again in 5-10 years for a new car and once the sale is made who cares.

[Elise.m]

I wonder if he actually "promised" a car to this other person, or just had it in a line up to show to an interested customer. Definitely a sales technique.

Car sales are a whole different world from BPs. Cars are replaceable, and they can be ordered in multiples that look exactly alike. BPs are live animals, and no two are the same.

[TessadasExotics]

A salesman is a salesman. Ethics are completely different.

[sho220]

I sell refurbished bikes on CL and I couldn't tell you how many times someone "promised" they were going to come with cash in hand and asked me to hold a bike only to never be seen or heard from again...I've lost countless sales from falling for that line...and I guarantee you this car wasn't "promised" to anyone...he was basically trying to give your friend a sense of urgency like he'd be missing out on something if he didn't hurry down and get this car...it's a car dealer...you can't believe anything they say...