Jon Hekking

I went to scope out a couple of Vettes today. I was looking at a couple of C6s and this 2004 Z06 six speed C5;



It's a beautiful car at a local Audi dealership, 32K miles and just spotless. Price is decent, so I told them I wanted to take it for a drive. I was told I would have to qualify for a loan first. I asked why and was told that was their policy to keep people from just going for joy rides in high end low mileage cars. I explained I was 52 years old and not really into wasting my time on joy rides and I wasn't interested in getting a hit for a credit inquiry on my credit report for the honor of test driving their car. I also explained I was a cash buyer, still no go without a loan approval. By now I was annoyed and spoke to the sales manager, still no go. He said maybe if I showed them my bank account and he could verify my balance.

Have things gotten that bad out there? I can go test drive a $50K Jeep without showing a driver's license (as I recently did for my wife), but can't test drive a used Vette.

Needless to say, they can keep their Z06............

dogfish246

pssssh... I would have just walked (like you)! When I was looking for cars with my Dad they said the same and well, my Dad yelled at the guy and told them you just lost a customer... How do they expect to sell a car when you cant even test drive it!

Jamie Lennartson

They will shotgun your credit to about 20 banks.....
Just to test drive a car!
Id tell them to stick it find a personal seller and go for a ride with him....

rlomax

Is it even legal to require a credit check for anyone over 25 (unless it is some supercar)? Shoot, I test drove a used C6 last winter. The manager gave me the keys and told me to drive it as long as I wanted to (I was 54 at the time). Didn't buy it, but I will buy a car from that dealer in the future. That is proper business...

GREGG-73

The last dealer that I dealt with, just a two weeks ago.... insisted I take the car home for the night and bring it back the next day...just to be sure it was the car for me. And that car was a used..... 2007 ZO6! I did have to show my driver's license...but that was an expected formality. They threw a dealers tag on it, filled up the gas tank, and away I went. Though we could not agree on a price, my thinking was the exact opposite of others here...I thought that since the economy was so bad...the dealer was willing to do whatever to just sell a car. But, they stuck to their guns on the price...wouldn't budge a dollar! Go figure.... Damn shame too, because I really liked that car...scary fast!

Stay in tune....

RollaMo-LT4

Well, there sure isn't any law against it.
It's a private business, and they can run it how they see fit.

But there are plenty of dealers out there that operate the way you describe.

RedVette84

I'd turn around and walk out of the dealership - but I would be sure to drive in with the one I bought and start looking at the car again. When they would ask about wanting help I'd tell them that I would never buy a car from this dealership and drive off.

Millah

My brother is a GM at a large dealership. Needless to say I get great deals and can testdrive anything for however long I want. (its kinda nice) Now if someone would just trade in a Z06 for a Prius!!

pologreen1

Best thing you did was walk away.
That is a shoddy dealership. If they want to move cars they will do things the right way.
If you are really looking watch the forum here, you can find some nice deals on Z06 cars.

I would not waste a second of my time showing them any of my finances.

That comes in to questions after you start to talk price in my book.

Besides you already own a Taurus.

Jon Hekking

Are you trying to say there's a resemblance?

mike100

Each dealer is free to decide how it runs test drives.

The reality is also that the sales guys were calling your bluff if by chance the somehow got wind that you weren't ready to buy on the spot. I bet you would be able to drive a brand spankin' new C6 coupe demo model without any resistance since chevy has more than a few vettes go through their lot.

The Green Rocket

I can tell you exactly WHY they insist upon a credit check before a test drive. It has nothing to do with safety and security of the car. This is how some highline dealers figure out the MAXIMUM price you might pay - and how LITTLE you may take for a trade in. Yes, besides checking your relative ability to pay, they want to get a heads up on your trade in payoff. They are used to having people tell them it is a cash sale, they actually consider that a "line" from a nervous buyer. They know that some people will walk away - but they have learned that the people who stay through this kind of sales process are easy to slaughter and make a lot of money this way. As soon as you get a whiff of this you can be assured that it is only the beginning of a hard sell.

The best thing you can do besides leaving is to make sure you let all your local friends know about this dealer practices and suggest that your friends stay away. There are too many good dealers out there to give any reward to this kind of dealer.

Thomas

Jon Hekking

That makes perfect sense, thanks

RetiredSFC 97

Very true.

I know of some dealers that use to run credit checks on you when you went for test drive, without even telling you. Then they knew what they had and if you were worth their time.

I think there is now a law, in some places, that they must tell you if they are going to run a credit check. I use to tell dealers, when I went on a test drive, no credit check unless I authorize it.

poor boy

You could do what I got to do a couple of times when I, as I commonly do, paying cash for something. I have twice had the mispleasure of meeting dealers and sellers like you ran into even at 60 years-old, but had the pleasure of returning showing them the cash and then giving them the infamous one finger wave as I left.

poor boy

How right you are and it's Fed law too. It falls under "invasion of privacy" and if your SS# is on your license it is unlawful for them to use it for the purpose of running a credit check without your authorization. I am of the opinion that doing so without your authorizing them to do so amounts to the same as identity theft.

The Green Rocket

There are now big expensive fines for running unauthorized credit checks. Now, If you find that that they have run your credit surreptitously, you can make them sweat when you tell them you will be reporting the incident. If you want to play along with their request for running a credit check you can also demand to be right there at the printer when it comes out and allow them to only see the raw score - and demand that they delete it out of their computer system right then and there. On the credit application there is some standardized wording - you can add your own restrictions, just write right on the credit application whatever you want; for instance you can stipulate that no reprints of your credit report are allowed. The point is to make it an onery process. Its more fun to show back up in your new car from another dealer when the bad dealer's owner is present and tell them what you think of their "game." if you are like me you are also likely to do a big smokey burnout right in their parking lot. Its fun to leave a mark that will remind them every time they walk by it.

Thomas

pearlvett

Just come down to texas and you can test drive any car you want pretty much. The only car i have been turned away from driving was at a HIGH end dealer and it was a ferrari f430 haha needless to say that one was for a joy ride just to say i did...

kenv

^^^ Thats Good^^^

Jon Hekking

I can't take credit, it was a fellow forum member on request........