Is there any place to get some food around here?

[Nick M.K. 574]

On Wed a customer booked a viewing for an Audi for midday today (Friday). Did not want to leave a deposit to secure the car. 

Just turned up now with his girlfriend, about an hour late and after a 110 mile drive, had a 10 minute look around the 14 year old 119K mile car, came to the office, had a very brief look at the extensive paperwork, asked about a lower price, then the question I hate most: "Is there any place to get some food around here?" to apparently think it over a lunch. 

I pointed him towards our village centre but have the feeling I will never see or hear from him again and have a couple of cars I need to go and pick up this afternoon... Will give it another hour, then go.

Why do buyers do some of things that they do??

[Dave2302 387]

4 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

14 year old 119K mile car,

/\ /\ /\ There's your answer right there Nick, in SE it is simply the kind of buyers this sort of old crap attracts ................ idiots with no money 

[Nick M.K. 574]

It's an Audi S4 4.2 V8 and if it was newer he would NEVER be able to afford it :-) 

Oddly for such a car his first words were not "Is there a chance to take it out for a little spin". Maybe he really IS hungry :-)

[It's me 615]

is it insurance group 40?

what car did he come in?

[Nick M.K. 574]

He was old enough to insure it but they parked out of sight from the office so I don't know what car they had. A 2002 Clio if I have to take a guess but it could've been a Transit van or a "limited edition" Corsa...

[It's me 615]

3 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

He was old enough to insure it but they parked out of sight from the office so I don't know what car they had. A 2002 Clio if I have to take a guess but it could've been a Transit van or a "limited edition" Corsa...

[David Horgan 564]

Sounds like a day out for lunch and a test drive in a fancy S4 V8 Nick .

Give them a ring and find out would be my opinion. Then go and complete your other business  

[Blenheim Car Sales 111]

case of ........................ wait  for it ............................"food for thought" then it seems

[Tony911 79]

You should have asked them to bring back a coffee if they didn't mind

[Mark101 536]

38 minutes ago, tradex said:

Of you want dreaming tyre kickers by the bucket load, try selling a Corvette, even had 'customers' asking for a selfie in the last one

The only time I have complete timewasters was on a Focus ST-3 - never again.  Finally sold to a nice normal guy but the others.....wow.

One of the reasons I am not interested in tasty cars.

[BHM 994]

6 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

The only time I have complete timewasters was on a Focus ST-3 - never again.  Finally sold to a nice normal guy but the others.....wow.

One of the reasons I am not interested in tasty cars.

I had one years ago - the complete & utter tools that made contact was unbelievable. The same when I had a Vectra VXR advertised @ £5K - people who’s financial status clearly was more in keeping with running a £395 scrap Corsa. I actually had people enquiring about road tax & insurance groups on Vauxhall’s near-170mph V6 turbo petrol. Unbelievable. Tbh 99% of punters are only kidding themselves.

[Del Boy 76]

3 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

On Wed a customer booked a viewing for an Audi for midday today (Friday). Did not want to leave a deposit to secure the car. 

Just turned up now with his girlfriend, about an hour late and after a 110 mile drive, had a 10 minute look around the 14 year old 119K mile car, came to the office, had a very brief look at the extensive paperwork, asked about a lower price, then the question I hate most: "Is there any place to get some food around here?" to apparently think it over a lunch. 

I pointed him towards our village centre but have the feeling I will never see or hear from him again and have a couple of cars I need to go and pick up this afternoon... Will give it another hour, then go.

Why do buyers do some of things that they do??

Ive had this exact same thing happen to me a couple times. 

They left to have a coffee and a think. Then phoned an hour later to say we are on our way home (100 miles away) and will let you know. Never to be heard from again. 

It makes me think if something puts them off? Or they are not genuine in the first place? But if they’re not serious then why waste an entire day driving about? I dunno 

[EPV 631]

3 minutes ago, Del Boy said:

Ive had this exact same thing happen to me a couple times. 

They left to have a coffee and a think. Then phoned an hour later to say we are on our way home (100 miles away) and will let you know. Never to be heard from again. 

It makes me think if something puts them off? Or they are not genuine in the first place? But if they’re not serious then why waste an entire day driving about? I dunno 

They're just not ready to buy a car. People that book and appointment then ring up an hour later mumbling something about their spouse having to to work or the cat has been sick are just not ready to buy a car. Some are never ready.

[BHM 994]

8 minutes ago, EPV said:

They're just not ready to buy a car. People that book and appointment then ring up an hour later mumbling something about their spouse having to to work or the cat has been sick are just not ready to buy a car. Some are never ready.

I wonder with some punters how anyone ever manages to sell them anything. 

[James01 21]

I had similar earlier, chap said I need to go somewhere for a bit then I’ll be back later, never to be seen again I thought. 

Came back an hour later and bought the car. Turned out he had to go to the local mosque to pray, that’s a first for me.

[Nick M.K. 574]

28 minutes ago, Del Boy said:

It makes me think if something puts them off?

This was my thinking but why make a complete fool of himself (to the point where his stupidity is discussed on an internet forum) when all he had to say was "Nick, there is a scratch here, mark there and I don't think it's for me". 

Where has common sense gone???

[BHM 994]

32 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

Where has common sense gone???

Common sense is old fashioned, just the same as ‘manners’, ‘taking responsibility’ and ‘having the balls to say it’s not for me’ straight to a man’s face.

[David Horgan 564]

2 hours ago, tradex said:

Of you want dreaming tyre kickers by the bucket load, try selling a Corvette, even had 'customers' asking for a selfie in the last one

That's so sad to ask isn't it  can I have a selfie with this car 

Remember a BMW 6 series Alpina two years ago and a doctor rang asking if he could have it Fri over the weekend to test drive it and return it Mon , had his daughter with him and when I said no she chirps up so what are you taking me to the PROM in now then  Don't you just love em 

[It's me 615]

41 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

Where has common sense gone???

i dont think it is a common sense thing

they had a day out told you they lived miles away but actually dont and do this on a common basis

just like

house hunters on a sunday

shoppers in ikea

where else do they get a kick from

you said it all when they hid their mode of transport of course

anyway onwards and upwards

[Area 51 33]

1 hour ago, Nick M.K. said:

Where has common sense gone???

It just isn't that common these days (was it ever?), never kid yourself in thinking it is! Perhaps its just this game or now we get to deal with general public day in day out...

Public never cease to amaze me in airports, pack their brains in the ruddy suitcase.

Edited February 15, 2019 by Area 51

[NOACROSS 414]

I was just speaking to an old (82 year old) motor trader in the pub. 

He often likes to hear stories of today’s goings on. 

I mentioned the above one the general amount and standards of nutters. 

Also the length of time that things are in stock for. 

He reminded me of the old days when you’d think a car was a ‘bottler’ if you had it more than a week. 

He started talking about messers. I pointed out that they are considered model customers today. 

It was hard to explain it all to him. The struggle buying, selling, CRA. etc. Just made him cross. 

[sellect2 19]

They went to the “Bermuda triangle cafe”

[Nick M.K. 574]

On the “be back” bus.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

6 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

On Wed a customer booked a viewing for an Audi for midday today (Friday). Did not want to leave a deposit to secure the car. 

Just turned up now with his girlfriend, about an hour late and after a 110 mile drive, had a 10 minute look around the 14 year old 119K mile car, came to the office, had a very brief look at the extensive paperwork, asked about a lower price, then the question I hate most: "Is there any place to get some food around here?" to apparently think it over a lunch. 

I pointed him towards our village centre but have the feeling I will never see or hear from him again and have a couple of cars I need to go and pick up this afternoon... Will give it another hour, then go.

Why do buyers do some of things that they do??

Why put yourself through this type of punishment Nick ? 

[Nick M.K. 574]

Because it works for me, because it gives me the maximum return on my investment and because when a decent buyer turns up the satisfaction is much bigger. 

The warts-n-all videos and “sorry, no deposit, no car” model isn’t for me. Never was, never will be.