A Commoner is Thankful she's luckier than the Car Salesmen

Well today is the beginning officially of the car hunt.  Last night we sat down figured out how much we wanted our loan to be-what we would definitely putting down what we might be putting down depending on the insurance situation and we were NOT going to buy anything today no matter what.  I hate car shopping, the only times it's been a good experience were the times I didn't go.  

But whatever off we went. We drove off to our first dealership.  Of course there was someone at the door before we even finished parking and the games began.  My husband asked how he made his money since he told us he didn't work on commission.  He told us he had to sell ten cars a month or he made minimum wage.  I don't know anything really about car sales but I think that's a lot of cars to have to sell.

So we found something we liked and we went for the test drive.  We told him we lived in Hollister and he told us he used to work at the ambulance whatever place.  How did you get here we asked.  He said he was only making 13 dollars an hour and working 90 hours a week.  So he transferred up to Santa Clara ambulance company and 3 months later they laid him off.  Here he is. How many cars have you sold this month?  3-definite buzz kill.


Off we went to the next dealership.  I had lost interest at this point because I liked the first car we saw of course.  So while my husband and the salesman meandered around I went off on my own looking at prices of cars.  Of course a salesman comes up and I explain I'm with my husband and we need a car with good gas because he commutes 100 miles a  day.

That's nothing he says-and tells me he commutes from Stockton 150 miles each way!  Why I ask do you do that-he says no jobs in Stockton.  He then goes on to say that he was back from 3 years in Iraq and Afghanistan where he worked for special forces and had been something 8 times.  By this time he had a metal leg and a brain tumor and no one would hire him so he was released on medical leave and no one would hire him. Geez  Buzz kill.

Buying cars was a depressing experience and I'm thankful we're better off than anyone we met today.