Showcase Honda

The sales tactics that I was exposed to can only be described as sleazy. As soon as I arrived on the lot, the salesmen swarmed me like a pack of dingos spotting fresh meat. I was ushered into the office, asked to hand over my carkeys and license--which weren't returned until an hour later at the end of my visit. Hmmm--and led through introductory paperwork that pushed trading in and financing (ka-ching!), even though I said at the outset that I wasn't interested in either one. During the test drive, the salesman immediately cranked up the radio and talked so fast and so loud I couldn't think, much less hear road noise (And they thought I couldn't see through this?) Back at the office, the games really began. The salesman input rudimentary data into the computer, and with a flair, asked "And how would you like your name to appear on the title?" I pointed out that we weren't even close to that, but he asked again for good measure. It reminded me of the Publishers Clearing House ruse of asking for directions to your house. Gawd! The salesman then opened the negotiation with a laughable figure, which I calmly declined. He cranked up the pressure. Repeat process 10 more times. This guy was completely wasting my time (at one point, asking me, "Are you my friend??"), so I got up to leave and was swarmed again by the The Manager (who so reeked of cigarette smoke that I almost fell backwards), The Trade-In Expert and few extras. They ganged up to convince me a final time that my low-mileage luxury trade-in was a complete [violative content deleted]--so maybe I should just donate it to them? My self-esteem has nothing to do with my car, but this posse was doing its best to beat both of us down. It was insulting. Finally, as a last ditch effort, the salesman produced a final offer that was within reason. I asked him to write it down, which he did. A few days later the Internet Manager called, and I told her the written offer I had already received. She said that offer had to be rescinded because the showroom salesman was clueless (she got that right!) and had lied to me--the "real" offer stood at $2K more. Enough! I don't expect car-buying to be enjoyable or even pleasant, but to endure salepeople who are slimy, insulting, and beyond unprofessional is asking too much. I did end up buying a Honda--at Honda of Tempe, where I was treated like an intelligent human being AND got a good deal.