I received an E-Mail the other day from Mitsubishi Motors offering me a free Oil Change, first thoughts, “Damn it, I don’t want to bring my car to the dealer!” They are going to try and get me to buy a new car THEN when I tell them I don’t want a new car they are going to tell me I have SOME problem that will cost me a ton of money to fix
Generally, I hate bringing my car to anyone except my buddy who owns an autobody and mechanic shop. He is a little bit more expensive, but he is honest! Last time, I tried to save some cash on tires, I ended up feeling ripped off and PISSED OFF when the “cheap” tires cost me a lot of money after adding all sorts of extras I “needed.”
Then as I showered this morning, I started to think to myself, what the hell was my problem?
Could they force me to buy a car? NO. Could they force me to do work on my car beyond my oil change? NO.
So why the hesitation? I just hate being put in that position of high pressure sales tactics. So, it comes down to a balancing act my hatred vs. saving $30 bucks. Hmmm I think the 30 bucks wins!
So I am going to call in the morning to make an appointment. Has anyone else received something similar from a dealership or manufacturer?
UPDATE: I WENT! I didn’t even see the sales people, and the mechanics there were GREAT.
I have not had any offers like that, but the car dealership did call me, because “It’s a perfect time to trade in my used vehicle for something new”. I quickly let them know I wasn’t interested in another payment. My car is paid for and I plan to drive it till the wheels fall off.
Travis,
See my problem is the car is not paid off, nor is it anywhere near paid off! Stupid 72 month loan. I shouldn’t say that cause I could pay it off sooner, but credit card debt is worse and is getting the attention for now.
Yes, I have taken advantage of their sales coupons for oil changes, free inspections, etc. You are right. You have to hang tough with some of the sale pitches. (When I wanted a new Mirage, my brother-in-law went to pitch for me. He worked them for 3 straight weeks, before they came to a price I could afford! I never even went in until to sign the contract.) I like to have them print out EXACTLY what they think is wrong w/ my Mirage, what it will cost for them to fix it, and how long exactly can I get away with not doing it (typically, they give me a range in miles). I usually wait until they have a percentage off sale or actually $$$ off sale to get the individual job done. Or you can even take the sheet to your mechanic, if they can do it cheaper. If it is something super easy, like changing an air filter, you can go to an auto parts store (I like O’Reilly’s) and put it in yourself or sometimes the sales agent will even do it for you.