New car blues...

Attempting to buy a car...I am on vacation this week and have the time to go out and play the car game...I attempted to buy a new car the old fashioned way. Although I had already been "pre-approved" via an internet application on one of the large car review websites.

July 1, 2007

2:00 p.m. - Walk into dealership and ask for salesman - get his underling instead. Sit at appointed desk and wait for 15 minutes.

Thoughts...Amazing how in this day and age, with all the electronics we have, how the car dealerships still attempt the old bait and switch routine when you go to buy a car.

2:15 p.m. - Salesman sits down with me and begins interview process. He still won't divulge an interest rate to me.

Thoughts...I didn't know that car dealerships still operated this way, or that we women were so far down on the societal totem pole that we still needed a man to go with us to buy a car.

2:30 p.m. - Walk the lot

So the car salesman walks the USED lot with me (I refuse to buy anything but a Japanese vehicle), and finally we find a 2007 Toyota Xion that I would like to test drive. There is no price tag on the car at all. Next we go for the test drive, where I get totally hooked and want the car.

3:00 p.m. - Back at the dealership, salesman heads to back room to crunch the numbers.

3:15 p.m. - Salesman wants more info

3:30 p.m. - Salesman presents financial terms, I gasp for air, and politely decline 16.8% interest rate on offered car.

Here's the reasons that this auto dealership wouldn't grant me a lower cost loan. I have a low credit score.

In addition, I'm a contract worker continuously employed by the same high profile firm for the last 3 years. The dealership refuses to call my employer directly to verify my employment, or the 1-800 number that I offered that professionally verifies my employment.

Salesman comment..."you're a single woman, how do you support you and your son on that income?"

Hello, are we in the dark ages? I've been doing this for the last 11 years, and I'm not homeless.

I believe this is the way this particular auto dealership works. They are not interested in what the customer wants, they have banks available that want to offer high interest loans.

Luckily, I have a reliable vehicle that I almost own outright. The last payment will be made this month or next, depending on how high my electric bills are this summer.

Will I try to buy again? Yes, most definitely. Except this time I will not allow myself to be jerked around. Finance rates will be disclosed to me before I ever get to an auto dealer's lot. And, regardless of my credit history and single household income, 10% is the max I will allow myself to be held to on a loan. And that car I own will definitely be sold by me to the highest bidder available, not at $2500 less than what it really sells for.

And if all else fails, I'm going to learn to be the best Honda repairman a single mother could ever be!