PITA customers

[smltd 3]

As the forum is a bit quiet I thought I'd share my latest experience with a PITA customer and ask for your advice. You might fall asleep reading as it's a long post so apologies in advance.

This guy emails for a Porsche 911 we have for sale asking about the service history and what kind of warranty we offer. We emailed him the service history and told him it's an in-house warranty and the car must be returned to us in case of a claim. He then offered £2k less to cover "any eventuality" as he is too far from us to take advantage of our warranty. We said no, go find a car from a local dealer. He then changes his mind saying he wants to proceed if we agree to put the car through a PPI with the main dealer. We said yes no problem, we know the car is sound so he books the car in for inspection. We dropped the car and later that day the OPC emailed us the report which had only minor recommendations. We called the OPC to discuss the report and to let them know we're coming to collect the car. They said they're still waiting for payment from the customer before they can release the car (at this point I'm thinking:  lesson learned, going forward we'll only take a car for inspection if the PPI is paid upfront and either get a courtesy car or charge the client upfront transport fees). Anyway the guy pays, we collect the car and got an email from him saying that he's happy with the report but he wants some items sorted before he buys it. We said ok and ordered the parts (only a few hundred quid so no biggie on a car over £40k). He comes back with a date for coming down and collect the car so we naturally ask for a deposit and his driving licence details. He then asks for a copy of our warranty booklet and says he will arrange his own insurance so no need to send us his driving licence. By this point I'm thinking this guy is a pain but hey-ho we send him a copy of the warranty booklet. Still no deposit. Then he questioned some of the terms and conditions to which we said go ask Lawgistics, they're the legal experts who wrote the booklet. Then he came back saying that surely if something goes wrong with the car we can agree he can diagnose and fix it at a local specialist with us paying the bill as we would take the car to our local specialist anyway. I said no, not necessarily, we might fix it ourselves and the bottom line is that we offer an in-house warranty and he must bring the vehicle back to us at his expense as I mentioned in the beginning. We also insisted that if he wants to proceed and come down for a viewing he needs to pay a deposit which is refundable if for some reason the car is not as described ( by then we've already sent him all the additional close up photos and videos that he's asked for). He then got irritated saying that he doesn't understand why he has to pay a deposit as the fact that he paid for the PPI and bought a train ticket shows enough commitment from him as a buyer. Also he said that a 15-20 minutes test drive is not long enough for him to test the car so he pulled out of the sale.

In a way I'm happy we didn't sell him the car as I could tell he's trouble from the beginning but I'm a bit pissed off with myself for spending so much time on what I initially thought was a genuine buyer... or maybe he was but I scared him off? Who knows what would have followed next... perhaps he could have thrown a tantrum for not being able to pay for the car with a credit card??

None of the big boys would entertain someone like him (or would they?), but I thought being a small business and having just started, we need to go the extra mile. Some people are taking the piss though as I previously mentioned in a post about test driving ( by the way we sold that M3 just before Christmas to a guy who didn't hesitate to transfer 10% deposit, sent us his driving licence details, went on a 10 minutes test drive and paid the full price).

Please advise on what we could have done better in this situation and how do you guys approach the sale of a higher value car in terms of deposit, viewings, PPI etc. 

[petrol head 46]

Firstly what is a PITA (piss taker)?

From my perspective you did nothing wrong and went further than you should without a deposit and affectively had a bit of dead stock whilst you were pandering to his every whim. My Grandfather used to say more than 50 years ago "some of the best deals you do, are the ones you don't do",  very true in this case. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by petrol head

[BHM 994]

Pain In The Arse.

Although I don’t deal in 40K Porsches it’s always the punters that you bend over backwards for that fuck you about. Nowadays I have a set way of working & if the customer wants more they can jog on. 

[It's me 615]

You went over and above your call of duty

remember these days kindness is seen as weakness in some customers eyes

dont sell the motors that bring the ball achers unless you can squirm as they worm

thanks for sharing

[Bmx Bandits 52]

Seriously you can’t and shouldn’t try to please everyone. If you ask me you did much more than you should have and have dodged a bullet.

Dust your self down, put it down to experience, learn from it and the next enquiry will seem like a walk in the park compared to this joker. 
 

You’ll get better at spotting customers that really are going to bring you nothing but grief and point them in the direction of a main dealer, who have more than enough process and power suits to put them well and truly in their place and likely fleece them at the same time (that’s if they really have the money of course)

[smltd 3]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

@petrol head, I shall remember your Grandfather's wise words!

[Blenheim Car Sales 111]

People who are a pain to deal with prior to a sale, Take over your life with issues after he has made the sale

 

dodged a  bullet i say

[Casper 272]

2 hours ago, Blenheim Car Sales said:

 

 

dodged a  bullet i say

This ^

[Rory RSC 596]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:28 AM, smltd said:

As the forum is a bit quiet I thought I'd share my latest experience with a PITA customer and ask for your advice. You might fall asleep reading as it's a long post so apologies in advance.

This guy emails for a Porsche 911 we have for sale asking about the service history and what kind of warranty we offer. We emailed him the service history and told him it's an in-house warranty and the car must be returned to us in case of a claim. He then offered £2k less to cover "any eventuality" as he is too far from us to take advantage of our warranty. We said no, go find a car from a local dealer. He then changes his mind saying he wants to proceed if we agree to put the car through a PPI with the main dealer. We said yes no problem, we know the car is sound so he books the car in for inspection. We dropped the car and later that day the OPC emailed us the report which had only minor recommendations. We called the OPC to discuss the report and to let them know we're coming to collect the car. They said they're still waiting for payment from the customer before they can release the car (at this point I'm thinking:  lesson learned, going forward we'll only take a car for inspection if the PPI is paid upfront and either get a courtesy car or charge the client upfront transport fees). Anyway the guy pays, we collect the car and got an email from him saying that he's happy with the report but he wants some items sorted before he buys it. We said ok and ordered the parts (only a few hundred quid so no biggie on a car over £40k). He comes back with a date for coming down and collect the car so we naturally ask for a deposit and his driving licence details. He then asks for a copy of our warranty booklet and says he will arrange his own insurance so no need to send us his driving licence. By this point I'm thinking this guy is a pain but hey-ho we send him a copy of the warranty booklet. Still no deposit. Then he questioned some of the terms and conditions to which we said go ask Lawgistics, they're the legal experts who wrote the booklet. Then he came back saying that surely if something goes wrong with the car we can agree he can diagnose and fix it at a local specialist with us paying the bill as we would take the car to our local specialist anyway. I said no, not necessarily, we might fix it ourselves and the bottom line is that we offer an in-house warranty and he must bring the vehicle back to us at his expense as I mentioned in the beginning. We also insisted that if he wants to proceed and come down for a viewing he needs to pay a deposit which is refundable if for some reason the car is not as described ( by then we've already sent him all the additional close up photos and videos that he's asked for). He then got irritated saying that he doesn't understand why he has to pay a deposit as the fact that he paid for the PPI and bought a train ticket shows enough commitment from him as a buyer. Also he said that a 15-20 minutes test drive is not long enough for him to test the car so he pulled out of the sale.

In a way I'm happy we didn't sell him the car as I could tell he's trouble from the beginning but I'm a bit pissed off with myself for spending so much time on what I initially thought was a genuine buyer... or maybe he was but I scared him off? Who knows what would have followed next... perhaps he could have thrown a tantrum for not being able to pay for the car with a credit card??

None of the big boys would entertain someone like him (or would they?), but I thought being a small business and having just started, we need to go the extra mile. Some people are taking the piss though as I previously mentioned in a post about test driving ( by the way we sold that M3 just before Christmas to a guy who didn't hesitate to transfer 10% deposit, sent us his driving licence details, went on a 10 minutes test drive and paid the full price).

Please advise on what we could have done better in this situation and how do you guys approach the sale of a higher value car in terms of deposit, viewings, PPI etc. 

Sounds like a hands up white flagger I would have dealt him.

 

Only joking but always one who thinks that. Bar cayenne customers, Porsche buyers do tend to be an utter nightmare.    Its not you, its the guy being a major messer.  I think only thing different I would have done would have been to take a deposit refundable , if it comes back with a bad report, less costs ie transport to the OPC and the actual OPC bill as if he had point blank refused you would have had to pay and been further out of pocket.  But we all learn and often re learn these lessons from time to time. 

 

Often the more you do and the further you go the more is expected. Firm and fair is the way forward.

 

[Nevillec 11]

You may have lost a potentional customer,   but you may also have saved yourself a lot of grief if he had bought it.  Always another customer somewhere.  Certain types of vehicles always attract a certain type of customer.     We only sell vans.....but  nearly always steer clear of VW vans  (  unless a real genuine bargain )  VW van buyers   can be a real pain, there expectations are always to high,  and there budget to low.

[David Horgan 564]

Dodged a double bullet there my friend .

Porsche buyers are horrible people , self entitled idiots thinking they are something they aren't is my description . 

I've sold a few Porsches  in my time and they nearly always attract the swarms of fools . 

He was trying to make his own set of rules , overruling you and your selling methods , soon as they try that with me , they get corrected or I stop the sale . 

Always another bum for the seat , less trouble and less hassle for you . 

He would have had checked again , sending you bills for future proofing the car . warranty claims would run into 4 figures too as that's what Porker Buyer do , 

Best deal you made was not dealing with that fool 

[TRADE SURVIVOR 33]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:28 AM, smltd said:

I thought I'd share my latest experience with a PITA customer and ask for your advice.

You don't need any advice. Seems you were professional and reasonable throughout and this individual was trying to renegotiate your company policy. It is your business your policy end of. Bet he wears his Polo shirt with the collar up!  

[Rory RSC 596]

16 hours ago, David Horgan said:

 

I've sold a few Porsches  in my time and they nearly always attract the swarms of fools . 

He was trying to make his own set of rules , overruling you and your selling methods , soon as they try that with me , they get corrected or I stop the sale . 

Always another bum for the seat , less trouble and less hassle for you . 

He would have had checked again , sending you bills for future proofing the car . warranty claims would run into 4 figures too as that's what Porker Buyer do , 

Best deal you made was not dealing with that fool 

The bit in bold is so true. It seems like a lot of Porsche buyers really do like to have everything their way. 

 

Hope you are well @David Horgan 

[Casper 272]

3 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

Hope you are well @David Horgan

Likewise and to the family David 

[smltd 3]

Based on the replies received and reading other topics on this forum, I've decided going forward to send each potential customer the terms and conditions of my business when they enquire about a car. I might come across a bit harsh but this will hopefully weed out the time wasters and keep my business safe from people trying to impose their own rules or make my life hell after a sale. If someone is seriously interested in buying and have a bit of common sense, they'll appreciate my terms & conditions are fair.

In summary: we don't offer distance sales, we don't accept credit cards, cash transactions are subject to 1.5% admin fee, the appointment is arranged on the condition they intend to buy and not just to have a look, 10% deposit to reserve the car, copy of driving licence and a driving licence check code, test drive is 10-15 minutes on 30 to 40 mph roads to test the car is mechanically sound and not to test the car's performance, any pre-purchase inspections require a deposit to cover the inspection and transport costs.

Have I missed anything?

[BHM 994]

You really intend sending that to anyone who enquires about a car?

[CRW 73]

PITA customers are annoying, but unless they are complete cocks, I usually just think at least they cleaned up the brakes for me, save me doing it!

[Rory RSC 596]

26 minutes ago, BHM said:

You really intend sending that to anyone who enquires about a car?

 

Truly brilliant.  

2 hours ago, smltd said:

 

In summary: we don't offer distance sales, we don't accept credit cards, cash transactions are subject to 1.5% admin fee, the appointment is arranged on the condition they intend to buy and not just to have a look, 10% deposit to reserve the car, copy of driving licence and a driving licence check code, test drive is 10-15 minutes on 30 to 40 mph roads to test the car is mechanically sound and not to test the car's performance, any pre-purchase inspections require a deposit to cover the inspection and transport costs.

 

Just in case it gets edited or deleted this is Gold. 

 

Come one SMLTD you can't do that just because of one cock.

[smltd 3]

What I forgot to mention guys is that I only sell sports and performance cars. Stock of 5 - 6. I'm still fresh, only started a few years back and still building up the business.

And as BHM mentioned in one of my previous posts about test drives is absolutely true: anything even remotely sporty has always attracted the gimps, penniless, dreamers & bullshitters like moths to a lamp.

 

 

 

[petrol head 46]

1 hour ago, smltd said:

What I forgot to mention guys is that I only sell sports and performance cars. Stock of 5 - 6. I'm still fresh, only started a few years back and still building up the business.

And as BHM mentioned in one of my previous posts about test drives is absolutely true: anything even remotely sporty has always attracted the gimps, penniless, dreamers & bullshitters like moths to a lamp.

 

 

 

I think you need to send something with is fair and reasonable to all parties, which must be clear and transparent. I think most customers purchasing a sports or luxury car would want to get it up to motorway speeds at least?

The 1.5% for cash, this for actual cash not a bank transfer?

[smltd 3]

Good point on the motorway speeds Petrol Head, you’re right. I’m only 5 minutes away from a motorway so I’ll take out the 30 to 40 mph roads.

Yes the 1.5% for actual cash as I prefer bank transfer.

[BHM 994]

2 hours ago, smltd said:

What I forgot to mention guys is that I only sell sports and performance cars. Stock of 5 - 6. I'm still fresh, only started a few years back and still building up the business.

And as BHM mentioned in one of my previous posts about test drives is absolutely true: anything even remotely sporty has always attracted the gimps, penniless, dreamers & bullshitters like moths to a lamp.

 

 

 

Tbh as you’re selling sporty stuff I’d say dealing with timewasters & dreamers is part of the game.

You’ll get used to weeding some of them out but initially you’ve got to appear welcoming. Sending a list of instructions like that will put off 99% of people. It’d even put me off!

Personally I like to speak to people, I’ll verbally ‘square them up’ & if they sound wishy washy I won’t book a viewing, but most folk are fine once you’ve mastered the art of knowing how to ‘read’ people.

Basically what I’m saying is you can gently say the things you’ve outlined, but an email formally instructing them is OTT in my opinion.

Edited February 4, 2022 by BHM

[It's me 615]

Selling sporty stuff has always brought anoraks and muppets

To be honest it's why I've always steered clear of such carriages

Never send customers instructions like that because they will read it that you are arrogant and if there's a problem later you come across as unapproachable 

Carry on as you are ,every customer is a learning curve

[smltd 3]

Thanks for your advice BHM, I like speaking with people too but some communicate only by email. Most of them are time wasters but I also had a few genuine buyers. I think you’re right, dealing with time wasters is part of the game when selling sport cars so I better get used to it.

[smltd 3]

I really appreciate all the advice received, thanks again guys!