The Saga Begins ....

You'll have to excuse the spelling, even with 3 degrees I don't always remember to hit the shift key for "i's" (I've been spoiled by Word) and I've always been a crap speller so if you're reading this I appoligize in advance for all of that.

One other thing, there will be swearing involved I'm sure, so beware thine Virgin eyes, if you're so inclined.

Sooooo... To Start:

You know i have to say it's a small wonder there are 1000's of ppl out there disillusioned with car manufacturers. On a whole I've been searching for a new or used car for a few months. Started out looking for the used but when it comes down to spending 4000$ at a minimum on a car that runs (when you buy it, you hope) and that is no later then a 1994, you kinda figure you're just better off splurging and getting a new one on lease where in you aren't going to have to worry about the whole if it breaks can i afford to dish another 1000$ to fix it.

So then you go looking for the cheapest entry level car out there. In my case i want an auto transmission, b/c i never learned to drive stick.

Mazda [in my case] is the first stop because I've been driving their cars for the last 11 years and my parents have owned one for the last 15 years. And I figured, hmm i'll walk in through these doors and sure it may take a min or 2 for them to notice but then someone will come help and we can get this show on the road. I stood in their show room for a full !Gods Damned! 15min, with my mum (cause she just happended to be there at the time, as it was really my dad and i car shopping but he was in with the mechanic checking up on something else) if my dad hadn't been with the mechanic, i would have walked out at the 5 min mark.

Yet we stand there, look at the cars, get in the cars test the features like the telescoping steering wheel etc. We're both ready to walk out when my dad walks in, but he wants to take a looksee at the cars, he's with us for 2 min and then finally someone comes and asks us if we need help. What is this "Females" can't buy cars now. This definatly upper management guy, goes and finds someone to "sell" us our car, b/c really what does he have the big office and the phone for. It's obviously so he can talk to his other not selling car buddies.

We finally start talking to some guy, and he's all. Well we don't have any of the base base models in. The 2007's are slowly trickling in but it'll be a while until they have any. So were' like "hmm you're a car dealership with none of the advertised cars to sell? how's that working for you?"

To make up for this obvious lack the guy starts his "we have other BETTER cars" speil.

First he tries to up sell, "we have the mazda 3 sport, it's a hatchback with all the goodies. He especially keeps pushing air conditioning. I HATE air conditioning. Yet even when I tell him that it's not a feature that's going to sell me a car he persists with the Air Conditioning is the wave of the future speil. It doesn't waste gas apparently and it keeps you cool. It must be GOD or something very close. Even when i explain that I won't use it because it makes my nose feel lik it's going to explode and induces nasty fits of coughing, he still persists. (Can't you see me rolling my eyes) Any ways this cool car with the extra cool air conditioning and all that other fun stuff starts at the low low price of only 23,000$" or some such craziness.

As we aren't really going for that he starts in on the returned lease cars and decides to begin "selling" directly to me the obvious "weaker" of the three. Apparently they have this fabulous deal on a returned lease (my first thought is why didn't the dude want to keep the car) that's in from the US. It had been adapted to Canadian standards etc and [he says this like it's the Ultimate selling point of this car] it comes in a colour not found in Canada [metalic sage green] (My first thought is whoop-t-doo) I quite literally say "and?" (in a rather sarcastic manner) but he keeps pressing the selling point of this "fancy" colour, like i'm some 2yr old who's going to buy their car soely on the fact that it's a "COOL" colour. While I'm thinking "this isn't a Freaking dinky that i can change the colour of with my 2$ paint set".

So i give him, the "what do you think i am?" look and get up, say thanks and walk out.

What i don't understand is how these people can possibly sell cars.

Not only is their customer service CRAP! [at least at this particular store, i've had fabu service on the east coast] But they treated me like i'm some "stupid girl" who hasn't a clue about cars and would only care about the colour. How do these people keep their jobs?

I have to say, when people insult my intelligence like that I feel like telling them to Pelt-shit! (yay for graphic newfie sayings) And explaining to them that dispite my being a girl I am capable of deciding if I'd like to buy my car based on other options then COLOUR!


As you can read this isn't the best way to start a Saga of car buying/leasing.

Over the next little while, I'll hopefully fill you in on the other dealers I've been to talk to. Oddly enough I'm up to 4 now and not all of them have treated me like a child. Then again, I still haven't "bought" a car.

For now it's off to sleep for me. Hopefully you'll read and enjoy my journey to buy a car.

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