Would You Leave Negative Review in This Situation or Let It Go?

ShazOz on 30/12/2023 - 12:24
Last edited 30/12/2023 - 15:13 by 1 other user

I went for a test drive today and it was a pleasant experience dealing with the Sales Staff.

When I told them about my expected price which was $900 lower than their advertised price, sales staff spoke with the Manager who the came outside and said he was unable to match my expected price. He told me the advertised price was final otherwise he would have to show me out of the door.

I found his last comment extremely humiliating. The Manager could have worded it different and still made a positive experience even if he was not looking to close the sale.

This happened in front of my teenage son who was also quite upset as we were polite throughout the conversation and quietly left after hearing this comment.

Should I leave a negative review on their Google Page explaining this bad behaviour?

I did a test drive so they have full details so also conscious of this aspect.

Automotive

closed Comments

  • mrvaluepack on 30/12/2023 - 21:57

    What were their exact words/sentences that they said and you took offence to?

  • SpicyStew on 30/12/2023 - 23:23
    +1

    you offered, they declined.
    it's business don't take it personal.
    you're welcome.

  • Mumbles on 30/12/2023 - 23:49
    +3

    I recommend waiting till AFTER buying the car before leaving a negative review. That way you can direct future buyers to the better dealership. It also shows the reviewer wasn't an uninformed tyre kicker, instead a serious buyer who experienced more than 1 dealership.

    This isn't to justify the sales managers words but I personally have heard those words. Its happened when I asked for a discount on a newly released car model that was released 2 months on Australian market. Some cars are in such high demand that discounting is not necessary for the salesman.

    Think back to mid-covid years and many sale people were turning away customers politely and possibly less politely.

  • Empharand on 31/12/2023 - 00:10

    I don't understand why you're so upset about it?
    You tried, you were unsuccessful, the manager knew you weren't going to buy it unless they reduced the price and asked you to leave…. Getting pressed by the way the manager worded it? Really? Just move on…. Try your luck elsewhere or buy the car at the advertised price. You might have more luck negotiating on a used or ex-demo car.

    Truth be told, this Manager knew he didn't have to reduce the price as someone will eventually walk in the door and buy it at the advertised price….

    Lets not overlook the '2 Sides to Every Story', for all we know you could be giving us the biased or watered-down version of what actually happened…

    • fozzie on 31/12/2023 - 03:21

      I agree with you. I have dealt with way much more rudeness than this .

    • ozboygsl on 31/12/2023 - 07:17
      +1

      It's clear you have a problem understanding things. Period

  • LukeS on 31/12/2023 - 07:34
    +1

    It costs you nothing to leave a review. If you, as a buyer, would have wanted to get this information before dealing with the company, leave a review to help the next guy.

  • pwnd on 31/12/2023 - 07:35
    +6

    What is the negative review going to say?

    “Dealer did not agree to my price. Humiliated me in front of my teenage ten year old. Christmas was ruined”

  • souljah on 31/12/2023 - 08:01

    I'll just leave this here.

    "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times."

    • Pandabargain on 31/12/2023 - 08:27

      Updating my work email signature to read

      Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times. - Souljah

  • sauce2k on 31/12/2023 - 08:46
    +1

    You are a fragile soul

  • Maxi Pad on 31/12/2023 - 08:56
    +1

    Going against the grain here. Absolutely write a negative review.

    I once had a similar experience at a Honda dealer. We were there to buy a new car that day, and were comparing with a Kia and Hyundai over the road.

    I wanted a price on the Jazz and they just wouldn't give me one… Oh it's not that simple we need to sit down and talk about this…. Eventually they were extremely rude to me and I left.

    Ended up going for lunch and finding a perfect used car scrolling my phone with 14,000 kms for about 10,000 less than what we would have paid.

    Definitely write a bad review.

    • Pootie Tang on 31/12/2023 - 13:21

      Why?

      Don't get what I want so leave bad review?

      The business has no obligation to sell at your desired price as you have no obligation to buy.

  • Mill House on 31/12/2023 - 09:08
    +2

    You're upset and want revenge because you tried to own the dealer and got owned instead. Now you're concerned your son will think you are weak. Better to regain your superiority by buying another investment apartment than leaving just a negative review.

    • tessel on 31/12/2023 - 10:05

      Tate move right there. Respect.

      • Mill House on 31/12/2023 - 10:51
        +3

        He was fortunate his wife wasn't with him otherwise the dealer would now be his wife's boyfriend.

  • Bilby s on 31/12/2023 - 09:20
    +1

    I would absolutely leave a negative review so long as everything you say is true. There are better ways of saying “take it or leave it” and the dp/sales manager needs to know that they need to work on better communication skills. Unfortunately some salespeople qualify too early and lose opportunities.

  • Sinnerator on 31/12/2023 - 09:30

    you should have gone all 'Taken' on his ass

  • HoffyP on 31/12/2023 - 09:42

    A crucial piece of information needed here. Did you indicate your intentions of the $900 discount before or after taking the test drive??
    If before, totally rude and bad review away.
    If after, you're in the wrong too as it's costing the dealership for every Km the car travels.

    • Homr on 31/12/2023 - 10:08
      +1

      What? isn't it normal to sit down and negotiate AFTER you have test driven the car?

      • HoffyP on 31/12/2023 - 10:51

        Read what I wrote again.

        Yes you can try, but in this case the Dealer wasn't willing to negotiate. Instead of a pointless back and forth it sounds like a take it or leave it kind of deal.

  • tessel on 31/12/2023 - 10:04

    2024 will be very interesting.

  • ribze1 on 31/12/2023 - 10:20
    +1

    I don't think much of car dealers but he probably gets low ball offers day in day out and you happened to catch the brunt of the "take it or leave it" attitude. Unfortunately they have the power right now.

  • Bob Svargis on 31/12/2023 - 10:30
    -2

    Time to develop some resilience. Life isn't all about good manners, fields of butterflies, sunshine, rainbows and clotted cream, as much as we'd like it to be.

    You wasted the sales professional's time, s/he was straight to the point and sent you away. Why not turn this into a learning experience for your son, rather than being offended about it. How could you prevent this from happening next time? Maybe be upfront with the sales representative in the first place so s/he can qualify the sale.

    S/he has a job to do too, and his/her livelihood depends on selling cars. You knowingly wasted his/her time after what sounds like a long process. Perhaps you should work on your treatment of others - you're setting a bad example for your son - by basically not valuing other people's time and putting your own over-sensitive feelings over and above others.

  • 2025 on 31/12/2023 - 10:33
    +1

    Simple, leave an honest review, and state the facts.
    It’s perfectly reasonable to post a negative review based on a bad experience. Why is this even a forum question?

  • ceroau on 31/12/2023 - 10:43

    He wasn't trying to insult or humiliate you. From the sounds of it you've gone for an entry level car in a rare condition that was already priced to sell, all they would have meant by the end of that comment is that there is no room for haggling, you sound like a person who loves to haggle and refuse to pay full price for anything which they probably picked up on and which I get, I mean we're all on ozbargain after all but sometimes there isn't any margin for haggling or any interest, the market the way it is at the moment there probably not much interest/need for dealerships to haggle especially for entry level vehicles.

    Again It wasn't an insult, I think you're just sad that you had to walk away from an otherwise good purchase so you deep down you're mad at yourself not them. I hate paying advertised price for stuff too but sometimes when you want it and it otherwise good deal you should just go for it or you know walk out the door.

  • windrc on 31/12/2023 - 10:46

    the manager probably said to bugger off and the sales staff already toned it down

  • minotaurian on 31/12/2023 - 10:48

    The comment made by the manager is an idiom or saying. I can see why it can come across offensive, similar to Aussies colourful use of the f word as a positive rather than a negative. It can sound rude, when it's not intended to be.

    Offence is not given, it's taken. I have no idea what the manager has to gain by being rude.

    If 99% of the interaction was great and the 1% is bad. Does that warrant a bad review for all to see? The 1% dictates the whole story. That's unfair for us reviews reader to miss out on the 99%. Reviews should be impartial, free of emotion, 99% is really what happened, 1% is the emotion

    It just sounds like your principles and beliefs have been violated and someone has to pay. But punishing the 99% for the 1% , is not the way to go. Let's be real, when you leave a negative review, it's not going to be a positive review.

    If you want someone to pay. Contact the establishment and let the manager know of their conduct or talk to the owner. You will be surprised, you might get an apology. He even admit it was not intended, you might get that discount after all. Who knows? Then if he's still rude, then you can leave a negative review.

    Also with your son, talk to him. And ask for how he feels about the situation. If his feelings are negative, reprogram, your son feelings is not due to what was said, as words themselves are not offensive, they are words. It's what meaning your son attached to the words that offends, which he has have learnt from you. Hence debrief, he can thank you later as an adult for building his stoicism.

  • nosey on 31/12/2023 - 11:03

    Wouldnt bother leaving a review but i might not go back to that dealership (if i had alternative options) if I felt that upset. Agree with minotaurian above.

  • digitalbath on 31/12/2023 - 11:15

    This actually left you and your son “upset”?
    Seriously? Upset?
    Wtf if this upsets you, I’d hate to think how you would react if something negative or bad actually happened to you.

  • R4 on 31/12/2023 - 12:35

    Build a bridge and get over it.

    Go to another dealer and try there.

    Stop being a snowflake.

  • Davo1111 on 31/12/2023 - 13:06

    It's bad phrasing. He meant he wouldn't have wasted your time if he had known

  • UFO on 31/12/2023 - 14:12
    -1

    This is why real estate agents are useful. They are the buffer between buyers and sellers, and take out the 'personal offence' in negotiations. With car transactions there is no buffer. Don't get me wrong, they are one of the most hated professions out there- but they do come in useful for these scenarios- when people are talking money and 'discounts'.

    With car transactions, there is no buffer.

    The person making the offer is doing so directly to the seller- and offence is very easily caused instantly.
    You've caused perceived offence with what has come across as an expectation of a $900 discount to the advertised price.
    They've taken offence and shown you the door by perhaps needlessly harsh language in return.

    You've clearly not been involved in many personal transactions such at this. That's OK, but learn from it!

    I'm not telling you that you are wrong to feel hard done by. But you also need to develop a thicker skin in these types of interactions so offence is not so easily taken.

    In the same way you set a hard ceiling to your price, they set a hard floor to theirs.
    Whereas if you 'offered' a price to them (as in "would you accept $xxxx"), and then he toddles off to the managers office to ask and makes you sit there for 10 minutes, THAT is negotiation.

    Being more gentle in your approach may have yielded a gentler reply.

    But taking offence, and then worrying about being embarrassed in front of your son tells me you've gone into this whole interaction with the wrong mindset in the first place.
    You aren't teaching your son good negotiation and conflict de-escalation skills, you're teaching him how to 'spit the dummy' and get cranky when not getting your way.

    Understand the market, understand the people you will be dealing with (and how often they get people walking in EXPECTING things from them), and understand that you won't always win.

    And in the future, the best way to buy a car is a) don't test drive the from the person you will be buying off on the same day. Do your homework, test drive as much as you like prior… but on the day you're ready to buy walk in, say you want X car with X features, finance is already sorted/paying cash, lets talk price… they know you're serious and will negotiate appropriately, b) NEVER do it with a kid in toe. You're there for a business transaction- neither side should be distracted or annoyed by them being there, and c) be prepared to walk away, no harm no foul… and no offence. But respect needs to be shown- both ways.

  • cdeep0 on 31/12/2023 - 14:25

    Imo, let it go.
    Look other way. Bless him. He might be having a hard day…. Anything happens,happens for reason. You will be a winner regardless.

  • YBAF Pilot on 31/12/2023 - 14:32

    I have no idea why this needs to be debated. I think if you have to ask, then just leave it. Life lesson for your teenage son…show him that the world is not always candy floss and pixie dust. Show him that a stupid throw away comment like that is like water of a ducks back….be more resilliant.

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