Maybe everything I've heard about women getting screwed when they go shopping for a new car is true. On monday I went shopping for a new car for my wife. Actually it is a used car, new to us. Awhile back my work truck was in the shop for repair and I needed a rental car. We ended up with a Chrysler PT Cruiser and I let my wife drive it. She had always liked the way they looked and fell in love with this rental car. Our minivan was at the point where it was starting to nickle and dime us so I decided it was time for something new. PT Cruisers are no longer made, let alone the newest ones are fairly expensive, around $20000, but there are some great values on the used car market and I went in search of something with very low miles on it.

My friend John went along with me and we found 3 used PT Cruisers at our first stop. The thing is finding out how much they wanted for the darn things was not easy. The sales gal of course tried to push the most expensive one on me even after I said I was wanting to know what the asking price for each was. Finally we went into the office and of course after trying to get every last detail out about how much I could afford to pay and seeing dollar signs when she found out I owned my company, she finally went and got the price for the most expensive one. And OMG, I had to pull the mirror out of my purse and see if I had "stupid" written on my forehead. This can almost fit in the "reposte" forum thread. I said "you have to be joking" and asked what the price on the other two were. Before all this I had researched the cars online and had a very good idea of the going price range for these things. She again came back with ridiculous prices for the other two. I told her we were so far apart that it wasn't worth my time even trying to reach an agreement. She went and got some boss guy and he tried to convince me their cars were special and had all the "bells and whistles", lol. We ended up just getting up and walking out on them.

We decided to chance one more local dealer. When we got out of my truck a salesman approached us and I told him what I was looking for, a low mileage PT Cruiser. He thought for a moment and said they didn't have one but could likely get one in if I would like. We briefly discussed the price range I expected and he thought that was fair so we exchanged cards and phone numbers. One hour later he calls and tells me he found a one owner, 33000 mile, 2003 PT Cruiser and they were asking $6900 for it. A far cry from the $12995 the other dealer was trying to get out of me. We traded in our old minivan and drove out with the Cruiser for $4700 that evening, not bad for a days work. We even got the Carfax report and it is a one owner vehicle and had all the service records. It looks brand new and to say the least, my wife loves it.

So I guess the moral of the story is there still are some salespeople out there taking advantage of women. I have bought plenty of cars over the years and never been treated anywhere near how that sales gal treated me on Monday. I can only recommend that you arm yourself with information before you head out to make an expensive purchase. I also hope you find a salesperson like Wayne, the guy who listened and found what I was looking for.

Hugs,
Marsha

LOL, honestly what she was wearing did not standout. I think she had black slacks and a white blouse. I was more aggravated waiting to hear what the prices were than interested in what she was wearing. It was a nice day so she did not have a sweater or jacket on.
Hugs,
Marsha

Hi Marsha,

Was the bad saleslady wearing plaid pants with matching white patent leather belt and tasseled loafers?

Best,
Melody

Marsha,

My brother was a top national car salesman and I have read two books and numerous guides to buying new and used cars. I read a lot between the lines of your story and you did well navigating a land-mine strewn path. Car dealerships are pretty much out to screw everyone and sometimes men are the easiest ones to do it to. When they start to show you the cosmetic mirror on the visor, you know they are trying to womanize your car-buying experience, lol. You did the research before you went and that is half the battle.

That guy probably went online or called to see what dealers might have the car you wanted. They have a similar computerized system for car parts in junkyards.

The only suggestions I have is to make the purchase contingent on your mechanic to OK the car mechanically first or contingent on that after sale. Always have a company officer sign the contract and indicate he is a company officer on it. If a salesman signs, they can back out and you can not in some places.

You go, girl!