Bangkok Post

Friday, January 20 2006

Go car-shopping with your relatives and friends

by Jessada Tandhasettee

A friend of mine who wanted to purchase a new car asked for my help. Even though it's a new car in the market, it's not a walk in the park for the buyer.

There are a myriad of prices to choose from, several engine displacements to look at, safety and comfort equipment to consider. And advice from the salesman (that is really beneficial to the buyer) is far and few between.

The consumer usually doesn't receive informative advice from the seller, which also applies to other consumer products besides the automobile.

My advice basically focused on the benefits and value being offered by the equipment list of the vehicle. Hence, the salesman more or less owes me a favour because I lessened his burden of having to explain such things to the buyer.

But it turned out to be that I was the undesirable element in this equation, so to speak.

Salesmen are used to "easy prey" who will absorb anything, even wrong product information.

We asked the first question which was the date of the customer delivery and the salesman said: "Don't worry. If we can't deliver the car on the agreed upon date, we will return the deposit."

Right. The deposit will have to be returned to the customer no matter what. The actual meaning of his irresponsible answer is: "Your troubles are your own problems."

If the frontline (salesmen) of such companies do not regard the problems of customers as the most important issue, the management must train them so that their eyes are open to the plight of the customer who might have sold his/her previous car already in order to get hold of the necessary amount of cash for the new car.

The customer might have even gone through a major time and schedule adjustment of daily life in order to wait for the new car.

Another setback the customer might be facing is that the so-called "new model" he/she is buying might be a production model that has already reached the end of its lifecycle, but is still selling because of the huge inventory reserves of unsold cars.

It probably had a long product lifecycle outside Thailand, but is still considered a "new model" when it is sold and marketed here in Thailand.

The tricky salesmen usually talk their way out of this situation by saying that it is a "new model". But in fact, this is a blatant attempt by the manufacturer to trick the customer.

You might have heard of a national scam in the past involving an SUV distributor from Japan, or a premium European brand, who tried to sell off its product with an engine that was actually meant for a larger-sized body spec.

Simply put, these are charlatans in expensive suits.

I advice that you go to the showroom with lots of relatives and friends during the negotiation process. They can serve as witnesses in the case that you were duped by the salesmen.

I am afraid, this is the only advice I can give until we have a strong and capable organisation that really protects the consumer from being duped through fraudulent practices of the seller.

Some car dealers / sales people are a lot better than others.

I'm perhaps a bit strange this way as I NEVER EVER* forget it when someone isn't helpful (truthful) in the sales process. And neither do I forget the ones who ARE helpful.

*Never Ever = this life and the next.

Cheers,

Chanchao

It always amuses me watching the Somchais buying cars in the used lots, trapping on the body panels, and sucking in air through their clentched teeth. The mark of true professionals.

You might have heard of a national scam in the past involving an SUV distributor from Japan, or a premium European brand, who tried to sell off its product with an engine that was actually meant for a larger-sized body spec.

Does anyone know what scams the article is referring to?

Just curious.

You might have heard of a national scam in the past involving an SUV distributor from Japan, or a premium European brand, who tried to sell off its product with an engine that was actually meant for a larger-sized body spec.

Does anyone know what scams the article is referring to?

Just curious.

Not Sure, BMW had some problems a while ago with the X5, they sold their first batch for quite a reasonable price thinking the government were going to allow them to use the pick-up truck loophole tax bracket. The Govt didn't allow it so they had to pay a load of back tax on the cars they sold. However the buyers we're able to sell their early model X5s for a handsome profit.

Or something like that.