I have gotten quite a few new cars over the years from the BMW, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus dealerships in my area.  So, it is not as if I am unknown at these dealerships.  In fact, my buying habits are not a mystery to the various salesmen from whom I have purchased previous cars.  They all know that I do not prolong negotiating a purchase or lease of a new car.  I tell them what I want and ask for a price.  Their experience with me is that they know I do extensive research before coming to them,   They also know that I do know what I want, I also know pricing for my state and thus have a very specific price range over which I will not pay.

In May, I decided to replace my 2007 ES350 with a SC 430.   I went the salesman who sold me my ES.  I told him the color and options I desired.  He submitted pricing to me twice during our session together.  Each time, I told him that his pricing was not competitive with the three other Lexus dealership in the county.  I further told him, if he would not meet the other dealership’s pricing, I would go elsewhere.

After he declined to reduce the price, I terminated the negotiations and departed.  The same day, I concluded a deal with another dealership.

Today, it is one month later.  This morning I drove to my local Lexus dealership (the one where I had purchased my ES and the one where I had found the price of an SC too much) to obtain the one month or 1,000 complimentary services.  While there, the same salesman with whom I had negotiated last month approached me, made “small salesman talk” and then asked if I was having my ES serviced.  I replied no, that I was having my new SC 430 serviced.

Without another word, he turned on his heels and hurriedly strode away.  My goodness.  Do you suppose I lost a “buddy?”

I followed the salesman after he turned and walked away from me.  I caught up with him and gave him an earful about his rude behavior turning his back on me without a word.  I then told him exactly why he didn’t get the sale.

I am an old fart.  At my age, I am simply unwilling to accept disrespect.  I cooled off by going out on the desert (it was only 104F) and put four magazines from my handgun into rocks, boulders and into the hillside.  Yes, I did feel better afterwards.

I don’t go to a car dealer to make a buddy.  I go there to buy or lease a car.  I expect the dealer to make a profit; that's what capitalism is all about.  However, in this most competitive industry, dealers must be competitive with other dealers in order to get my business.  This one wasn’t competitive.  Furthermore, even though I had purchased other cars from him in the past, in our dealing for the SC,  he gave no acknowledgement or credit for my past purchases with him.  I did not expect a discount based on these past purchases but I did expect a more favorable attitude.

Here is the deal that dealer wanted to do: Sticker on the SC was $72+.  They would come down to $67,276.  On a two year lease, they wanted to take my 2007 ES in trade, plus $5,000 down.  Monthly payments on a twenty-four month lease would be $635.  I don’t remember the residual but it was not at all to my liking.


The deal I concluded to get my SC is this:
Out-the-door $60,500.
My ES in trade and in complete payment of all costs for a lease of twenty four months.  That is, NO monthly payments!
Residual $36,000.

The difference is $20,240.

I could not be happier!

An old fart with a gun.  You're not related to Charlton Heston are you?  Just remind me not to piss you off!

But I do feel your pain.  I'm on the other side of the coin sometimes.  I'm still relatively young, have long hair, beard and am built like a football lineman.  I've been to many a place where they assume that I must automatically be poor and uneducated if I walk in with jeans and a t-shirt.  I do enjoy ripping through them like a tissue at a snot party though.

And while I hate rude salesmen.  I <3 <3 <3 hot saleswomen.  The woman who sold me my g35 was a relatively attractive, older british woman.  On the test drive, she said, "c'mon honey, you can run it a lot harder than that. "

Needless to say, I bought it.

carbuff -

I too get frustrated with dealers - I have had a LOT be sincerely nice to me, and a few be sincerely rude.. I quickly return the rudeness without a thought about it. At the end of the day I genuinely feel bad for them - they are in it for their job/livelihood, but it IS something that they chose to continue regardless. With profits getting slimmer and slimmer sales people tend to be getting more hostile and hostile. At any rate, Lexus' primary factor (to me) is customer satisfaction - this includes the sales process. There is absolutely no need for him to have walked away from you like that, and it's definitely unacceptable..

At any rate, in the end - you had already won. You got the car you wanted at a great price. What did he get? One less customer.

That was quite rude of the salesman and good for you for standing up for yourself.  Although considering your buying habits, you seem like a guy who knows exactly what he wants, when he wants it, and how he wants it.  Thus, your reaction isn't surprising.