Ten Out Of Ten For Inattentiveness

I was in the market for a new car, but I kept putting it off due to the love of my old car, the apprehension of car payments, and the intimidating car-buying process. I had been driving my parents’ old car, sixteen years old, and for several valid reasons, they felt it was unwise and unsafe for me to continue driving it, so they took matters into their own hands. I had visited a couple of dealerships, performed a couple of test drives, and finally decided on what make and model, but was prolonging the choosing of the actual vehicle.

My mother made a couple of phone calls to different dealerships and got me a good deal at one that they had used before, but I would have to go in and actually negotiate. I have had poor experience with the company with servicing my old car, but since it was a different make, different staff, different managers, different building, etc., I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try them. The worker who had been talking to my mom passed me on to a salesman who was pretty nice. 

Throughout the entire process, from inquiries, to test drives, to negotiating, to actually buying the car, I provided all my details several times and on several forms. Yet each time we moved on to the next step, the salesman reverted my information back to my mother’s. I didn’t live with her, so he should have no reason to keep her information attached to me. This even happened after I purchased the car. He had me input my information electronically on their tablet, I also completed a form with the manager that they would give to the RMV, and still, all the information was incorrect. Good thing I noticed before they completed the registration.

After I drove off the lot in my new set of wheels, I awaited the after-sale survey and new buyer emails the salesman told me I would receive. No surprise, my parents received all the emails, and I didn’t receive any. I contacted the dealership again to change my information, and they told me they did after the second time, but I have yet to receive anything from them. My satellite radio subscription went to my parents, as well, so I had to take some time changing that, as well as the service rewards program. The survey also went to my parents.

I remember the salesman asking for all tens so he could get a bonus. I take surveys somewhat seriously, so while many aspects were tens, some were nines, eights, or sevens. I didn’t give horrible remarks, but I thought with all the oversights, giving all tens wouldn’t be truthful. 

He texted me later, asking if I had completed the survey, because “it was done wrong.” I played dumb, pretending that I never received it, reminding him that he had never put in my information correctly at any of the steps, so perhaps my parents received the survey. When it came time to do my 5000-mile service, I went to a different dealership and had my information transferred over.

I told my parents about the survey and the response — they each had accompanied me to different parts of the sale. My dad thought I should have given him all tens because it didn’t really matter. My mom thought I did the right thing. I kind of feel bad about the survey, but at the same time, I kind of don’t.