open book open heart

I am not making this up…

One time, I went to a car dealership and they said they had a car I might like but it hadn’t been detailed yet.  And then they showed it to me.  There was blood on the steering wheel.  Blood.  I couldn’t, wouldn’t make that up.  What do you take me for?  This week, I went to see a car that I’m pretty sure had doubled as a dog kennel – based on evidence you don’t want to know about.

I would say of the cars I’ve seen in my most recent foray into the world of used car sales, about half of them had not been cleaned.

Is this a new thing?  When did it become acceptable for dealerships to show used cars that haven’t been detailed yet?  Is it a trick to make me spend $10,000 more for the brand new one?  Do they only show the un-detailed cars to the gals who aren’t wearing makeup while car shopping?  What is the deal?

Each question before now was rhetorical.  The next one is for real.  Please answer in the comments below.  Am I the only person this is happening to?  It may make me feel a tiny bit better if I’m not the only one who has fallen down this particularly dirty rabbit hole.

shudder shudder shudder

I’m not making this up either…

Today, I pulled into a car dealership and two salesman started pushing each other out of the way to reach me.  It broke into a fight.  REALLY.  Employees poured out of the dealership to take sides.  Managers had to intervene.

All I’m saying is, couldn’t people who are willing to fist-fight for me go to the trouble of running a car through the wash?  I have money to spend.  I’d like to spend it on the illusion that I will keep the car in the pristine condition I first saw it in.  Dirty cars are dream-smashing.  Seems like a bad sales tactic.

Also.  Is it a new thing that car salesmen don’t follow up?  If I say, “call me when you clean it up,” I never, ever get that call.  Is it because some other schmuck came in and said, “Dog kennel!  Just what I was hoping for!” and snatch it right up?  Because, if yes, ew.  And if no, again, seems like a bad sales tactic.

Oh, car shopping, how I love thee.  Let me count the ways.