Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

I absolutely hate bait and switch tactics.

I also hate people who lie during the sale. We had negotiated to buy a late model suburban from a used car only dealer. We were within $500 and the salesman told me that they only had $350 profit and he couldn’t sell it. I worked at a car dealership in college and knew the generous margins that were made off used cars. I told him with 100 cars on your lot including nearly new Corvettes, please don’t insult my intelligence by saying you only make $350 per vehicle.

 

[muad]

I absolutely hate bait and switch tactics.

I also hate people who lie during the sale. We had negotiated to buy a late model suburban from a used car only dealer. We were within $500 and the salesman told me that they only had $350 profit and he couldn’t sell it. I worked at a car dealership in college and knew the generous margins that were made off used cars. I told him with 100 cars on your lot including nearly new Corvettes, please don’t insult my intelligence by saying you only make $350 per vehicle.

My uncle ran a used car lot for 20 years, then ran the huge brand new dealership for 5 or so before he left the car business. He would never let a qualified buyer walk, even if he only made $100 on the sale.

After he had left, I went to buy a nice Gran Prix GTP. Car was used with like 21k miles. Super nice. Hadn't even been through the shop or detail yet. I had CASH, and they let me walk. He was able to make some calls to see what they had in it (he had just left), and he told me what to offer. They would have made $1500 on a car they just got in. They passed, and wanted another $2000. I told them no, and they gave 0 F's.

Oh well, it worked out because I went and bought an Evo instead. LOL.

 

[SS396driver]

One memory brings up another. And this one tangentially connected to firewood.

It might have been 1976, we were living in an 1850s farmhouse (as we were when I killed the VW van hauling hay). The place had no electricity or plumbing, which was fine as we lived a 19th-century lifestyle, home-grown, with our garden and barn mostly feeding us.

But we depended on a '64 Chrysler Belvedere (slant-six--a bullet-proof engine) for transportation. Great car--you could lift out the back seat, put down some construction plastic and hay, and haul livestock, calves, goats, hogs, what have you. We nicknamed that car the "green limousine," because it was a smooth runner next to my 62 Chevy 3/4-ton.

I got a job that winter working as a milking hand for a nearby dairy farmer. Had to be at his barn at 5 a.m. for morning milking, then 4-ish in the evening for evening milking.
We had severe winters up there next to Canada, and while everyone else up there had an electric plug hanging out of their front bumper to power the block heater, I had nothing to plug it into. In order to start an engine at 20 below zero, I came up with an ingenious plan.

Waking in the morning, first thing I did was to rake the overnight coals from my woodstove into an aluminum pan--a turkey roaster. (Hot pads and gloves were necessary) Carry that thing out and slide it underneath the oil pan of my Chrysler. Twenty minutes later that thing was warm enough to start.

I was so proud of that arrangement.

I

We used to use smudgepots . Dont know if some of you are old enough to remember it they use to use these in construction zones .

 

[James Miller]

FS, I did not know that, nice that they made it after normal Tax Season!

Have to bring the Truck in for it's annual inspection today, and while it is in there I'll let them install the summer tires.

I have to drop it off, and NY now has a face mask rule a he is not allowed to let any customers wait while there cars get fixed! What BS.

We start the face mask thing monday. Like I said following New Yorks lead. What a joke.

My uncle ran a used car lot for 20 years, then ran the huge brand new dealership for 5 or so before he left the car business. He would never let a qualified buyer walk, even if he only made $100 on the sale.

After he had left, I went to buy a nice Gran Prix GTP. Car was used with like 21k miles. Super nice. Hadn't even been through the shop or detail yet. I had CASH, and they let me walk. He was able to make some calls to see what they had in it (he had just left), and he told me what to offer. They would have made $1500 on a car they just got in. They passed, and wanted another $2000. I told them no, and they gave 0 F's.

Oh well, it worked out because I went and bought an Evo instead. LOL.

You did much better getting the EVO.

 

[svk]

My uncle ran a used car lot for 20 years, then ran the huge brand new dealership for 5 or so before he left the car business. He would never let a qualified buyer walk, even if he only made $100 on the sale.

After he had left, I went to buy a nice Gran Prix GTP. Car was used with like 21k miles. Super nice. Hadn't even been through the shop or detail yet. I had CASH, and they let me walk. He was able to make some calls to see what they had in it (he had just left), and he told me what to offer. They would have made $1500 on a car they just got in. They passed, and wanted another $2000. I told them no, and they gave 0 F's.

Oh well, it worked out because I went and bought an Evo instead. LOL.

The place I worked for never did anything shady but they sure tried to eke every penny out of people. I remember a car coming in and someone wanted to buy it almost immediately. I think they would have made over 1000 bucks on it without it even needing to go on the lot. They let the buyer walk and it sat for weeks and weeks to turn a slightly higher margin.

It was funny though because certain vehicles were absolutely snake bit and would sit forever. Subaru’s, Grand Cherokees, and flareside pickups were almost impossible to sell. Manual transmission trucks too. And that was before Subaru had the stigma up here of being only something lesbians drive.

 

[svk]

The other thing that many of these dealers don’t realize or don’t care to acknowledge is when they insult buyers or refuse to negotiate reasonably, they often lose that person as a possible customer, FOREVER. It’s especially important not to snub younger buyer as once they get an established career, they’ll be buying a new car every 3-6 years.

I’d bet that if I polled a group of people who buy cars from dealerships, 8 of 10 would have at least one local dealership that they will never go back to.

 

[rarefish383]

FS, I did not know that, nice that they made it after normal Tax Season!

Have to bring the Truck in for it's annual inspection today, and while it is in there I'll let them install the summer tires.

I have to drop it off, and NY now has a face mask rule a he is not allowed to let any customers wait while there cars get fixed! What BS.

I've got about 800 miles till my next oil change. I was wondering if they will let me wait? I get mine done at the dealer because he has a life time warranty on the engine if you get all the oil changes done there, it's not a Ford deal, just Jerry's Ford. He's only $70 for the change and rotate.

 

[MustangMike]

We start the face mask thing monday. Like I said following New Yorks lead. What a joke.

After dropping the truck at the dealer we walked the dogs on the bike path w/o any masks. Did not see a soul! Temp was 38, but Sun and no wind, was very pleasant for that temp.

 

[old CB]

The other thing that many of these dealers don’t realize or don’t care to acknowledge is when they insult buyers or refuse to negotiate reasonably, they often lose that person as a possible customer, FOREVER. It’s especially important not to snub younger buyer as once they get an established career, they’ll be buying a new car every 3-6 years.

I’d bet that if I polled a group of people who buy cars from dealerships, 8 of 10 would have at least one local dealership that they will never go back to.

Yep, the same when salespeople insult your intelligence.

My wife and I were hunting for a minivan back in '89. Although I didn't much trust dealerships and preferred to buy used vehicles from their owners, we thought we'd check out Lynn Hickey Dodge in Oklahoma City--they advertised constantly on TV and had a huge selection of used. We kind of liked this one van they had--I think it had like 60k miles on it. It was kind of low-end merch, so I figured it might be a good deal. I asked the salesman: Can you tell me anything about the history of this car--who owned it, and that sort of thing?

He came back a few minutes later with a $hit-eating grin and said, "You folks are in luck. This was Mrs. Hickey's personal vehicle. Had only the best service." We just looked at him, like, really? That's what you want us to believe? Walked away, never to return.

"Mrs. Hickey's personal vehicle"--good for a laugh all these years later.

 

[rarefish383]

I absolutely hate bait and switch tactics.

I also hate people who lie during the sale. We had negotiated to buy a late model suburban from a used car only dealer. We were within $500 and the salesman told me that they only had $350 profit and he couldn’t sell it. I worked at a car dealership in college and knew the generous margins that were made off used cars. I told him with 100 cars on your lot including nearly new Corvettes, please don’t insult my intelligence by saying you only make $350 per vehicle.

He might of had only $350 on that end of the sale. He just didn't tell you how they raped the other guy on the trade in. I've heard that dealerships will sell trades ins at a loss, or whole sale them out to auction sites, because they made so much on the trade. Used lots have to make money on every sale. Figures lie, and liars figure!

 

[rarefish383]

I've got about 800 miles till my next oil change. I was wondering if they will let me wait? I get mine done at the dealer because he has a life time warranty on the engine if you get all the oil changes done there, it's not a Ford deal, just Jerry's Ford. He's only $70 for the change and rotate.

The only thing that makes this an issue, the dealer is in VA and I'm in MD. I'm retired so the hour drive is not a problem. The dealer is on my way to my farm in WV. I'm in line at 7AM, and heading for the farm in an hour or so. Gives me an excuse to go mow grass for a few hours.

 

[rarefish383]

Just posted this in the WTF forum. For the first time I noticed the load of Oak in the back!

 

[farmer steve]

Boss and I made the "essential" grocery run this morning. We got done and she said while we're this close to MD we should go and get some booze. PA closed all the hard liquor stores(state owned) but beer and wine are available everywhere. We got there and 9 out of 10 vehicles had PA plates on them. All that sales tax money and income leaving our state when times are tough. 31 days into shutdown and our gov decides we need to wear facemasks starting Saturday if we go out into public. Kinda like shutting the barn door after the cows got out.

 

[MustangMike]

Ha, Ha, Ha Joe! That looks like a real unusual Pontiac. Is it yours? Must be about 66/67, front end looks like a Goat!

 

[Philbert]

This is a sign in my hometown.

Ads here offering to bring cars to your home for a test drive, or to drop off cars for sale.

I have to drop it off, and NY now has a face mask rule a he is not allowed to let any customers wait while there cars get fixed! What BS.

Serious question: do they disinfect the interior of your car before servicing, to protect the mechanics, and afterwards, to protect the customer?

Philbert

 

[farmer steve]

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Serious question: do they disinfect the interior of your car before servicing, to protect the mechanics, and afterwards, to protect the customer?

Philbert

That's what they have been advertising. At least the major dealerships here. Not sure about the small garages. I would hope though.

 

[KiwiBro]

. The pics of your trees show marks on the trunk, Cat Faces (where limbs were removed or fell off, and healed over), not mill quality.

often resulting in some very cool grain patterns in the slabs

 

[KiwiBro]

Serious question: do they disinfect the interior of your car before servicing, to protect the mechanics, and afterwards, to protect the customer?

Philbert

Precisely what a rellie in Canada is doing. He advertised as such from the very beginning of this virus and that point of difference has been a big part of his small mechanic business being swamped with new customers

 

[Philbert]

That's what they have been advertising. At least the major dealerships here. Not sure about the small garages. I would hope though.

Precisely what a rellie in Canada is doing.

So, 'FREE Interior Detail' with every oil change?

Philbert

 

[Plowboy83]

We used to use smudgepots . Dont knowing some of you are old enough to remember it they use to use these in construction zones . View attachment 819173

Yeah I still use them sometimes