# A used car salesman? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964 "2012-08-28T20:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/21 "2012-08-30T13:58:48Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Uh, no! > > Eww, I’ve never owned a used car, so I wouldn’t know. But you have spent some time on and around…Earth…right? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/22 "2012-08-30T17:38:45Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > What?!? A used-car salesman who’s a respectable human being? Next you’ll be telling us that there are honorable lawyers and honest auto mechanics! It staggers the mind to even contemplate. I have a friend, Dave, who’s a car salesman (new and used both), who does his best to sell you the car you need (mind you: if you insist on going against his recommendation, hey, it’s your money… wait, a % of it is now his), and who has a law degree. I bought a car from him (the car is fine, thank you); Middlebro bought two; many other friends have bought either from him or a car he did not sell on his recommendation. Mom was recently blaming Dave for the troubles Middlebro & Wife have recently had with one of them: I asked “excuse me, why would Dave be responsible for a car’s battery being dead when it hasn’t been moved for a year and a half?” ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/23 "2012-08-30T18:29:09Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Uh, no! > > Eww, I’ve never owned a used car, so I wouldn’t know. > > I compare myself to Hillary on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire! Am I missing something, or shouldn’t you want to be a car _saleswoman?_ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/24 "2012-08-30T19:35:34Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I asked “excuse me, why would Dave be responsible for a car’s battery being dead when it hasn’t been moved for a year and a half?” Why, because he’s a bottom-feeding scum-dweller and an agressive, sleazy, dishonest, lying, scumbag, of course! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/25 "2012-08-30T19:47:52Z")
In my life, I’ve bought three new cars, and three used cars. Of the used cars, two were purchased from acquaintances and one from a dealership. So, three times I’ve dealt with salespeople in dealerships, and to be honest, I had no issues at all with the sales people. I knew what I wanted, the features, and what I was willing to pay, and then negotiated a fair deal each time. Used car salesmen are only trying to earn a living. The onus should be on you to have prepared yourself, and know what you’re willing to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/26 "2012-08-30T20:02:38Z")
I work at a dealership and deal with sales people and sales managers on a daily basis. The best sales people are good listeners, care about the people they deal with and are very helpful. They are also very hard working, but get paid for the privilege. I don’t believe that any of my top people have to check their ethics at the door. I would and have referred friends to come in and buy a car. There are also some pushy ones that I don’t care for, but they don’t tend to last and they will soon move on to a “greener” pasture. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/27 "2012-08-30T20:22:13Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Eww, I’ve never owned a used car, so I wouldn’t know. Eww? Do you live in a “used” house or apartment? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/28 "2012-08-30T22:19:05Z")
GW Bush would have been a good used car salesman. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/29 "2012-08-30T22:23:08Z")
If you haven’t google image searched for “Used car salesman” I recommend you do so. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/30 "2012-08-31T03:13:38Z")
You could gather up the abandoned cars from the side of the road and sell those! All profit!!! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/31 "2012-08-31T10:55:04Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Why, because he’s a bottom-feeding scum-dweller and an agressive, sleazy, dishonest, lying, scumbag, of course! > > 😉 Being a bottom-feeding scum-dweller and an agressive\*\*\*, sleazy, honestly interested in your money\*\*, lying, thieving\* scumbag does not make him responsible for my brother being an overworked, stressed moron with a stupid, overspending, worry-about-everyting-but-prevent nothing wife. I think. He probably isn’t responsible for floods and eartquakes, either, I’ll have to check. - you left this one out \*\* hey, he makes this very clear \*\*\* did you ever play tabletop games with him or something? Dude used to minmax these warriors we nicknamed “the golem” because the main differences between them and Marvel Comics’ Juggernaut were better manners and a more-normal neck size. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/32 "2012-08-31T12:25:37Z")
Hey, selling a used car is tricky-it is (essentially) an unknown quantity. People who buy used cars do so for a reason-they don’t wish to lay out money for a new one. Is a used car a good value? It may be, it may not be-there is the rub. A well maintained modern car can go over 300,000 miles-it can also blow up at 50,000 miles. Selling these things is always going to be a problem, because the one you just sold can break down immediately. Many years ago, my brother worked for a used car lot-he washed and vacuumed the cars, changed batteries, etc. He said that 80% of them were near wrecks, with major issues (engine oil leaks, noisy differentials, leaking radiators, etc.) The business used all the tricks in the book (sawdust in differentials, rice in the radiators, “stop leak”, etc.) But every once in a while, someone got an excellent deal-good transportation for a low price. The lot made most of their money from financing-most of their customers could not qualify for a bank loan-so these people paid outrageous interest rates…mainly in cash. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/33 "2012-09-07T16:22:41Z")
Read this first, it’s an accurate depiction of selling at most user car lots. [Confessions of a Used Car Salesman](http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/confessions-of-a-car-salesman.html) ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/34 "2012-09-07T21:06:15Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Eww? Do you live in a “used” house or apartment? I’m pretty sure the “Eww” was directed at the characterization of used car salesmen as lying scumbag low-lifes, not at the terrible degradation of having to purchase a vehicle that some member of the hoi polloi had previously sullied with his base existence. The sentence about never owning a used car was an explanation for why the OP wasn’t aware of the general character of used car salesmen, not a remark of disdain for the concept of used-car ownership. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964/35 "2012-09-09T05:36:57Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Um, I like have a neighbor that is trying to get me a job as a used car salesman. She said I have the perfect temperament. > > Two questions: > > Should I take something like this on? I have NO experience in sales, except vending. > > What the hell did she mean about me being perfect for the job? Is there some stereotype I’m unaware of? I was in car (new and used, but mainly new) sales for about a year in the mid 80’s. The salespeople I dealt with were no more or less ethical than any other occupation I’ve dealt with, the most unethical people in the transaction were generally the customers. Lower volume operations in smaller towns are a prescription for starvation. You can make money but it’s VERY dependent on the location and dealership and how the salespeople are paid which varies tremendously from dealership to dealership. The better dealerships can be quite selective about the salespeople they hire. To be frank it’s a fairly tough way to make a living if you have other options. Why your neighbor is beating the bushes in this job category is a bit puzzling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-used-car-salesman/632964.md?page=1)