I've been scammed by a car salesman while, I thought, I was really read up on signs and paying attention.
I was buying a 2 yo Toyota car at an official Toyota salesplace. Before this, I've bought three used cars, looked at tons of videos (eg Chris fix on youtube) on how to check the car itself so I don't buy something that risks needing expensive repairs two years later. I wasn't super prepared against the salesman before though. But he wasn't looking like, and behaving like, a salesguy. He was a bit uncertain in his way to talk, and it felt like I was more sure of the buying process than he was.
I had two main concerns - I didn't want to buy a lemon ("Monday specimen") or a crashed+repaired car. The latter may mean things like bearings being slightly out of alignment and leading to wear quicker. So I voiced those two concerns and asked whether this car had ever been repaired, "No, nope.". I asked about service subscription, the guy whispered "I shouldn't say this, but it's better you get it at the other place which is closer to you" (also an official Toyota place).
Since my daughter has allergies, I asked about smoking or animals, "njet, nada, nopes".
Well, a month later the car was completely registered to me and I got access to the Toyota digital registers and surely enough, it had been smacked along the side by a truck. It also already had a service sub pre-payed on it, so that was him getting out of a 350€ service at their place. A final insult was that, as the chemical perfume smell of the cleaning agent came off, it had a foul pungent smell of wet dog.
I confirmed this with the previous owner too, she'd had a dog in the car. Had to buy a replacement air filter and clean the car internally, but at least my daughter doens't call it the "smelly car" anymore.
Pretty happy with the car, and would likely have bought it even if he was completely truthful, but having been lied to, and fallen for it, makes me pretty angry.
Feels good to share the story :). Don't forget to like and subscribe.
I was buying a 2 yo Toyota car at an official Toyota salesplace. Before this, I've bought three used cars, looked at tons of videos (eg Chris fix on youtube) on how to check the car itself so I don't buy something that risks needing expensive repairs two years later. I wasn't super prepared against the salesman before though. But he wasn't looking like, and behaving like, a salesguy. He was a bit uncertain in his way to talk, and it felt like I was more sure of the buying process than he was.
I had two main concerns - I didn't want to buy a lemon ("Monday specimen") or a crashed+repaired car. The latter may mean things like bearings being slightly out of alignment and leading to wear quicker. So I voiced those two concerns and asked whether this car had ever been repaired, "No, nope.". I asked about service subscription, the guy whispered "I shouldn't say this, but it's better you get it at the other place which is closer to you" (also an official Toyota place).
Since my daughter has allergies, I asked about smoking or animals, "njet, nada, nopes".
Well, a month later the car was completely registered to me and I got access to the Toyota digital registers and surely enough, it had been smacked along the side by a truck. It also already had a service sub pre-payed on it, so that was him getting out of a 350€ service at their place. A final insult was that, as the chemical perfume smell of the cleaning agent came off, it had a foul pungent smell of wet dog.
I confirmed this with the previous owner too, she'd had a dog in the car. Had to buy a replacement air filter and clean the car internally, but at least my daughter doens't call it the "smelly car" anymore.
Pretty happy with the car, and would likely have bought it even if he was completely truthful, but having been lied to, and fallen for it, makes me pretty angry.
Feels good to share the story :). Don't forget to like and subscribe.