Bullied Shoppers

You’ve seen it before. An unsuspecting woman or man goes to look at a new car, and is feeling “pressured” into making a purchase that he/she wasn’t prepared to make.

Unfortunately, this type of bullying isn’t reserved only for the Used Car salesman either. Many of the “elite” in upscale car dealerships have resorted to the power imbalance to “influence” the decisions of unsuspecting customers. How many times have television shows and movies portrayed the unsuspecting “dope” who is sincerely looking for a car and either comes back with a car that he could never afford, or on the flip side, returns with a Lemon of a deal.

This type of bullying encompasses many different areas. From the car dealership who is pushing lemons or very expensive cars on their “victims”- to the auto mechanic who seems to always find “something wrong” with your car. It is at the point, that many single women today, won’t even bring their own vehicle into an auto repair shop, for fear of being “bullied” by her lack of knowledge. Due to the fact that the customer doesn’t have access to knowledge about the item they are purchasing, a power hungry, salesman or mechanic has an open door to pounce on their prey.

It isn’t just women who find themselves in this type of predicament either. Many men find themselves without adequate knowledge to protect themselves from knowing when they are being taken advantage of, until it is unfortunately, too late. They don’t all have to be Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s vacation either. Many self-assured, businessmen will still find themselves in situations with pushy salesmen in all sorts of situations.

When it comes to sales it seems the term “bully” is synonymous with “sales person”. Whether it is a man in a clothing store, a woman in a boutique, walking past a cell phone display, or even getting a new hairstyle. Many people will try to impose their choices upon their customers, and it isn’t because they have their best interest at heart.

When it comes to sales, the money is in the ability to convince customers that they “need” something that most times, they truly do not need.

This area of shopping and bullying goes farther than just the customer who has entered a place of business. It reaches into people’s homes via telemarketers and the telephone. Many times, these telemarketing bullies will call at the most inappropriate times, and try to force their magazines, vacations, and fake sweepstakes on the naïve and unsuspecting.

Unfortunately, for many senior citizens the opportunity to become putty in the hands of these bullies has very dire consequences. It has become such a problem that the “No Call” law has been enacted. Here is a current listing of states and their applicable “No Call” laws. http://www.no-call-list.com/do_not_call_chart.shtml

The number one way to prevent being bullied by sales people is to be prepared. It doesn’t matter whether you are buying a new car, in an auto body repair shop waiting to find out what is wrong with your vehicle, walking through the mall, or answering your telephone when forceful telemarketers are calling knowledge is power. The best way to be prepared is to equip yourself with knowledge.

The following is a list of suggestions that you may implement to prevent yourself from being taken advantage of by forceful and bullying salespeople.

Before you embark on your journey to buy a new or used car, you should prepare yourself by developing a strategy of things you can do, so as not to end up in a situation where you feel powerless. When it comes to purchasing a car, do your research first. Find out how much the car you are interested in is really going for.

If you walk into a car dealership with no information regarding how much you can afford, what type of car you are looking for, and no limit to your spending you are simply asking to be taken advantage of. Make your own budget and decide what you want in a car and also what accessories you are willing to purchase and which ones you definitely do not care for. Write down what details you are looking for in the car, and which ones you will pass on.

That way, when approached you can simply state in a firm, “matter of fact” tone of voice that you are not interested in purchasing those additional items.

Next, use the Internet. This is the Age of Information, and there is no easier ways to find information than to utilize the Internet. Visit sites such as CarFax.com to help determine the value of a car that you are interested in before you even take it for a test drive!

When you need an auto mechanic there are some steps that both men and women can take to make sure that they aren’t being taken for a ride. First, even though you may not know anything about cars, you can tell a lot by asking questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the auto mechanics any questions that you have. Remember, it is your car and knowledge is power. Take a notebook with you and jot down what the mechanic tells you is wrong with the car.

Also, any estimates that you are given need to be in writing. Make sure that the mechanic is certified. Ask to see their credentials. Next, get a second opinion. Don’t just take the mechanic’s word at face value. Bring your car to another mechanic and see if they give you the same estimate for the same problem. If there are big discrepancies between the estimates, red flags should be waving that something is wrong. Finally, if you don’t agree with the charges, then don’t pay them.

Take it to court. Once you pay the charges you are basically saying that you agree with them. Also, don’t neglect the power of the Better Business Bureau. You should check with the BBB and make sure that the company you are considering is legitimately registered and in good standing.

When dealing with telemarketers and sales people, there are a few things that you can do. The first word that most children learn is often the hardest word for many adults to say, “No!” There is a point in your adult life, where you will have to learn to tell overbearing and rude salespeople, “No”.

Many people have been taught all their life to treat other’s with dignity and respect, yet when someone is trying to force you into making a purchasing decision that you are none the least interested in, your key to handling this situation is to use the word, “NO!” You can say No, Thank you, if you prefer the politeness, but either way, a firm solid No, is your best weapon. Again, if you plan ahead and write down exactly what it is that you are interested in buying, you will find it much easier to use the word “No”.

Decide ahead of time what you will be purchasing at the mall, the clothing store, when you are purchasing a new vehicle, or even when you are home and the phone rings. If you already have a clear definition of what you are going to buy, then you will have no problem telling bullying salespeople no.

Here is an example:

Susan needs to purchase a new car and is afraid that her gentle quiet nature will make her the perfect target for Perry the Piranha. People have compared Susan to Edith Bunker in the past and the idea of purchasing a new car has Susan gripped with fear.

She has her eye on a specific car, and has talked to the owner of the used car lot. He tells her that she can purchase the car for $800.00 down and make weekly payments of $100.00. The interest rate is very high, but she doesn’t have the best credit, so she feels that she doesn’t have many options.

Well, this time Susan is going to use some wisdom and make sure that she isn’t taken advantage of. First, she has a notebook with her, and jots down all of their questions and answers. She has already made a list of what type of car she wants, what accessories, and has made a list of “No’s for the car dealer, before he even begins to pounce.

Susan knew what car she wanted from the beginning and had already checked its stats with Carfax.com.

Because she has already done her research, when the car dealer tried to oversell the car, she was onto him. Susan also asked many questions about the warranty, gas mileage, and insurance. She brought a calculator and did the math herself. She didn’t depend on the car dealer to tell her the figures.

By the time Susan was done, she had talked the dealer down $600.00 and bought the car that she had originally written down in her notes.