This Is Why We’re In A Recession, Part 57

(I am an Internet sales consultant in an automotive dealership. Someone expresses interest in one of our used vehicles online, so I call them to follow up. Here is how the conversation goes.)

Me: “Hello, I’m looking for [Customer]?”

Customer: “Yes, this is [Customer].”

Me: “Hey, [Customer], this is [My Name] at [Car Dealership]. I saw you were interested in our 2007 [Make & Model] and I wanted to see how I can help!”

Customer: “Oh, great, yeah. I really, really, like that car. Um… I wanted to know what the qualifications were in order to get it?”

Me: “So you’re interested in financing?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Okay! We generally just start by having you fill out our credit application. We’re not a ‘buy here, pay here’ place, so we do finance through real banks… Have you ever financed a vehicle before?”

Customer: “No, this will be my first time.”

Me: “Do you have any other lines of credit open?”

Customer: “Uhhh… yeah, uh, I got an old cell phone bill that is now with a place called the uh… credit bureau.”

Me: “Oh, so like a collection account.”

Customer: “Yeah, yeah yes that.”

(I emailed him a credit application and I’m waiting to see just how bad it is.)