Author Topic: What's the worst thing anyone has said to you when trying to sell you something?  (Read 51761 times)

Imma

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We also explained to him that I needed to get all of the emails and communication because 1) I'm the one who manages our finances and 2) DH is visually impaired so its just easier for me to do all of the reading and stuff. Then the proceeded to only write down DH's email and phone number, only communicate with him, and make TONS of condescending remarks that made me feel like he thought I was a 1950s housewife, not the breadwinner of our family.

Honestly if we hadn't exhausted every other option and been 100% committed to buying that house, I would've walked away. I was so happy the day we closed and I didn't have to deal with him anymore.

Same, but we were first time buyers, I was 24 with a law degree and the guy was the mortgage broker. My s/o was even out of the country and he still kept e-mailing and calling him. Everytime I got in touch with him regarding one thing or another, he would immediately contact him to confirm or for follow-up questions.

We got tired of that so we found someone else. I e-mailed him the news and he called my s/o - who was by now back from his trip and standing next to me - that I had 'tried' to fire him, we can't just do that, what about all the work he put in, what about his commission? My s/o is a no-nonsense guy so he got a polite but very clear answer and eventually ended the call when the guy kept complaining. We filed a complaint with his boss and later heard from a coworker of his that we knew that we weren't the only ones and that he was fired.

The new mortgage broker was a stereotypical smooth sales guy, who spent way too much time in the gym and under a sun bed, but he quickly identified our needs: we wanted a particular mortgage, asap, and I'm the contact person. He adapted his sales technique to that and secured the deal very quickly. That's how a good salesperson works and I would certainly work with this guy again.

(As a first time buyer it's really difficult to get a mortgage without a broker but I would try to bypass one next time)

SwordGuy

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We've bought 5 cars from two different CarMax dealers and never had a bad experience.   Nothing pushy, nothing sleazy, no haggling.   

Nederstash

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My mother opened the door to a salesman when I was 5 or so. Salesman says "Your daughter is so cute. She must look like her father." My mother told him he should work on his sales dialogue and closed the door.

Holy crap, I felt that in my soul. That's a burn and a half.

Omy

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I know, right?!

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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This was at a restaurant that we went to regularly, once a month kind of thing. Anyway, the chicken I ordered was undercooked in one part. I didn't send it back but I did inform the waiter when they cleared the plates. Later when we were paying and hadn't asked for a discount or mentioned the chicken at all, the maitre'd said 'and by the way, the chicken was not undercooked'. I said it was and he went off on a rant about their chef having 8 years experience blah blah. We left and never went back.

Another time I was trying on coats in an expensive store. The snooty sale woman sneered at me when I mentioned that I wasn't prepared to spend $1700 on a coat. She took ALL of the coats I was trying, including the much cheaper ones and told me to come back when I was "feeling a bit more financial". She lost a sale, because I bought one of the coats I had tried on but from a different store.

And then there's the story of when I was at the counter in a store waiting to buy a dress and it occurred to me that I had entered the store, browsed for 20 minutes, tried on multiple dresses and made it to the counter without once being acknowledged by the staff. I left the dress on the counter and exited.

OtherJen

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Oh, I hate the complete lack of acknowledgement by staff. Husband and I got that in two different local restaurants while on date nights last summer. Sure, we don’t flash obvious wealth symbols, but we’ve both worked in food service and tip 20% as a baseline (more for good service). Both times, we walked out and gave our money to better staffed businesses.

englishteacheralex

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My favorite story is when we were in the middle of buying a Samsung washing machine and the salesguy was trying to talk us into an extended warranty, which we never buy. "It's a Samsung, so you really should get an extended warranty, because Samsungs SUCK."

We just looked at each other and started cracking up right in front of the guy, who didn't understand what we thought was so funny. We actually knew Samsung washing machines had less than stellar reputations, but we had to buy one to fit the dryer because they were stackable. It was cheap ($500; this was before the tariffs) and we figured even if it didn't last super long we'd be ok. Also our credit card gives us a year warranty after the year manufacturer's warranty, so...

Anyway it was pretty funny.

RWTL

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My son (around 10 at the time) and I went to an RV dealer to look around the lot - really just to get an education on what types, etc.  About 10 minutes after looking at one, the salesman says "we ready to go start the paperwork?"  I said no, we're not buying anything today - and that we're happy to look around on our own - and we'd bring my wife back when we're ready to make a decision. 

He says, "You're what we call a one-legger.  You can't do anything without your spouse."

It became a good discussion for my son on what to say to people and how not to talk to people.

Metalcat

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Oh, I hate the complete lack of acknowledgement by staff. Husband and I got that in two different local restaurants while on date nights last summer. Sure, we don’t flash obvious wealth symbols, but we’ve both worked in food service and tip 20% as a baseline (more for good service). Both times, we walked out and gave our money to better staffed businesses.

I get this all the time because I look young, dress like a university student, and carry an old backpack. Virtually no one ever talks to me when I'm browsing.

ysette9

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Are there seriously people out there who do things like it a car or an RV without involving a spouse? Or are car salesmen somehow all hatcher from a 1950s time capsule?

Omy

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I once had a client who was going to surprise his wife with an expensive new house. I talked him out of it because I would have been quite upset if DH did such a thing without my involvement.

ysette9

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Fair enough. Clearly I mistakenly assume joint finances for married couples since that is how we run our lives.

imadandylion

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When browsing a furniture shop when looking for sofa ideas:

Shop clerk: "It's better to invest in something that'll last for a long time." *Looks down at my boots* "Like those boots probably won't last for long, but if you invest in something good quality it will."

(My boots looked great, were a good brand, and have lasted for years with good care, so just goes to show what she knows!)

prudent_one

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I hate to pile on car salespeople but I once was offered the chance to buy a relative's car as he was trading it in on a new model, which he did frequently using the same salesperson every time. I was happy to buy it as my clunker was on death row, and told my relative to let me know when he was ready.  Next thing I know, he calls and says to give Joe at City Motorworks a call, he has the car and is waiting for me to go get it. My poor unknowing relative traded it in (for a pretty low number) and simply assumed Joe would sell it to me for the same price.

So I go to see Joe and Joe praises my relative up and down as a great man, blah, blah. He's ready to do paperwork! I spot that the price is $2K above what the trade-in value was and question it. Well, Joe explains there was all kinds of work to do to make it ready for me, tires had to be replaced, oil change, full detailing, and as a special favor he will give me the CPO warranty since he likes my relative so much.

I said let me call my relative and ask if that was the price I was supposed to pay and Joe looked panic-stricken but I ignored that. My relative was astounded that I would be asked to pay a dollar more than the trade-in value. I hung up with my relative and said my relative wants me to go over to his house to discuss it. All of a sudden Joe realizes that Dan, that stupid guy in some other department, actually put their markup on the work they did which was COMPLETELY WRONG and I was supposed to only pay dealer cost. Ended up getting the tires/oil change for a Walmart-ish price which I could live with, no charge for the CPO warranty and we did the deal. Then Joe explains I'm going to get a survey from the mfg and please, please, please only give him 5 stars because last year he lost out on a $5K bonus when the last customer of the year only gave him 2 stars, and if I'm not going to give 5 stars, then call Joe and see how they can make me happy enough so I want to give 5 stars. It was so obvious the lost bonus story was made up BS.

I gave him 2 stars, never saw him again.

My son (around 10 at the time) and I went to an RV dealer to look around the lot - really just to get an education on what types, etc.  About 10 minutes after looking at one, the salesman says "we ready to go start the paperwork?"  I said no, we're not buying anything today - and that we're happy to look around on our own - and we'd bring my wife back when we're ready to make a decision. 

He says, "You're what we call a one-legger.  You can't do anything without your spouse."

It became a good discussion for my son on what to say to people and how not to talk to people.
Are there seriously people out there who do things like it a car or an RV without involving a spouse? Or are car salesmen somehow all hatcher from a 1950s time capsule?

I believe the vast majority of people involve spouses when making big financial decisions, but the question is just another sales tactic. I have no doubt there are times it works - imply the guy isn't allowed to decide by himself, and some customers will end up buying without realizing they might have done it just to assert their masculinity.   Sales tactics are very sophisticated these days. Not foolproof, but I believe the tactics that often annoy people work better than the old school method of understanding customer needs and working to satisfy them.  Consumers might have driven that shift by treating price as the issue that overrules every other consideration. So the sales business has become a form of psychological warfare.   That doesn't mean that every salesperson has mastered the techniques, we can see plenty of examples of that in this thread!

JAYSLOL

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Once when buying a car:

Finance drone: here's our wonderful extended warranty
Me: no thanks
Finance drone: don't you want to protect your purchase?
Me: I'm fine
Finance drone: oh well if cost is the problem, I can do you a favor and give you these coupons I was saving for my son. I think you need them more.
Me: <can't help but chuckle> thanks but no thanks, I'm sure your son will enjoy them.

She was not pleased her 'favor' was not graciously accepted. I wonder how many times 'her son's coupons' were given away?

I had the warranty gal try really hard to get me to buy one for the Hyundai I bought used a few years ago, I think originally they wanted almost $4k for a 3 year thing, I was like hell no, that’s way too much, and they eventually lowered it by almost half, but I didn’t budge.  The final attempt to get me into it was “we’re offering this to you at cost, you can always just put it on a credit card”.  Not a chance. 

ctuser1

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Once when buying a car:

Finance drone: here's our wonderful extended warranty
Me: no thanks
Finance drone: don't you want to protect your purchase?
Me: I'm fine
Finance drone: oh well if cost is the problem, I can do you a favor and give you these coupons I was saving for my son. I think you need them more.
Me: <can't help but chuckle> thanks but no thanks, I'm sure your son will enjoy them.

She was not pleased her 'favor' was not graciously accepted. I wonder how many times 'her son's coupons' were given away?

I had the warranty gal try really hard to get me to buy one for the Hyundai I bought used a few years ago, I think originally they wanted almost $4k for a 3 year thing, I was like hell no, that’s way too much, and they eventually lowered it by almost half, but I didn’t budge.  The final attempt to get me into it was “we’re offering this to you at cost, you can always just put it on a credit card”.  Not a chance.

GEICO offers the MBI. https://www.geico.com/auto-insurance/mechanical-breakdown-insurance/
This is just like warranty with a $250 deductible, just way cheaper. It covers the car till 100k miles or 7 years, whichever is earlier. On my last $35k minivan, it is currently $27.90 for 6 months.
(I have switched to GEICO specifically to get this. I had Amica and was very happy with them otherwise.)

I have purchased two new cars so far - one 12 years ago and one 3 years ago. Both times, when the warranty was pushed - I told them "GEICO gives me MBI for 7 years for $390. Why do you charge 5 times that"?

Both times, the paperwork guy at the dealership commented how quickly we were done after we made short work of the warranty/etching/waxing etc. etc. salesperson.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2020, 10:12:10 PM by ctuser1 »

Dancin'Dog

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Once when buying a car:

Finance drone: here's our wonderful extended warranty
Me: no thanks
Finance drone: don't you want to protect your purchase?
Me: I'm fine
Finance drone: oh well if cost is the problem, I can do you a favor and give you these coupons I was saving for my son. I think you need them more.
Me: <can't help but chuckle> thanks but no thanks, I'm sure your son will enjoy them.

She was not pleased her 'favor' was not graciously accepted. I wonder how many times 'her son's coupons' were given away?

I had the warranty gal try really hard to get me to buy one for the Hyundai I bought used a few years ago, I think originally they wanted almost $4k for a 3 year thing, I was like hell no, that’s way too much, and they eventually lowered it by almost half, but I didn’t budge.  The final attempt to get me into it was “we’re offering this to you at cost, you can always just put it on a credit card”.  Not a chance.

GEICO offers the MBI. https://www.geico.com/auto-insurance/mechanical-breakdown-insurance/
This is just like warranty with a $250 deductible, just way cheaper. It covers the car till 100k miles or 7 years, whichever is earlier. On my last $35k minivan, it is currently $27.90 for 6 months.
(I have switched to GEICO specifically to get this. I had Amica and was very happy with them otherwise.)

I have purchased two new cars so far - one 12 years ago and one 3 years ago. Both times, when the warranty was pushed - I told them "GEICO gives me MBI for 7 years for $390. Why do you charge 5 times that"?

Both times, the paperwork guy at the dealership commented how quickly we were done after we made short work of the warranty/etching/waxing etc. etc. salesperson.




That's good to know about.  Thanks for mentioning it. 

economista

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And then there's the story of when I was at the counter in a store waiting to buy a dress and it occurred to me that I had entered the store, browsed for 20 minutes, tried on multiple dresses and made it to the counter without once being acknowledged by the staff. I left the dress on the counter and exited.

This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

Kris

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And then there's the story of when I was at the counter in a store waiting to buy a dress and it occurred to me that I had entered the store, browsed for 20 minutes, tried on multiple dresses and made it to the counter without once being acknowledged by the staff. I left the dress on the counter and exited.

This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

Me, too. If I got to the counter and realized that, it would be a strong incentive for me to go back to that store again in the future.

Tris Prior

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This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

This. If the salespeople are too in my face, I will leave no matter how much I need the item in question.
I know they are just doing their jobs, and, having worked retail myself in the past, I try not to get angry at them in specific about it. But, it stresses me out so I generally just give them a polite "no thank you" and leave.

PMG

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This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

This. If the salespeople are too in my face, I will leave no matter how much I need the item in question.
I know they are just doing their jobs, and, having worked retail myself in the past, I try not to get angry at them in specific about it. But, it stresses me out so I generally just give them a polite "no thank you" and leave.

A greeting is nice. I don't want help shopping.  I want left alone to browse.  But I need prompt service at the register.  I'm not going to wait around or try to find an employee to pay. 

Just Joe

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I hate stealerships and lot vultures; I wish there was a way to test-drive without dealing with the BS.

Carmax.

Nope. 2 experiences there. 2 diff locations. They don't haggle. And they push hard to buy extended warranty, harder than your average stealership. Carmax doesn't have latest models. I deal with car purchases once per year, minimum, mostly for friends and relatives, most want a new car.
Don't believe their marketing "clean-cut, no haggle" hype. They're tripe.

I thought CarMax specialized in used vehicles... Didn't know they ever handled new cars.

We bought our last car from CarMax. An hour one evening and test drive. No haggle. You get what you see. Return it in a week if you don't like it. Short term warranty for free (90 days?).

Then we returned the second evening and completed the paperwork. I handed them a cashier's check.

Car was spotless inside and out. Troublefree since then too. They put it on the rack so I could inspect it from below. No pressure to buy warranties or undercoating or paint protections.

Price worked out to be a little under KBB/NADA prices for our area.

The dealers for that brand had prices $4K-$5K more and they would no haggle over the phone or email. Price was fixed until we visited. Wasn't worth the hassle to drive an hour or two to see who was more stubborn - the dealer sales staff or me.

I'll look at CarMax again first next time.

Just Joe

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Yesterday I set up an appointment to get my car's brakes looked at.  Had new pads and rotors installed a couple months ago, and I'm pretty sure one of my rear brakes has been intermittently rubbing (occasional burning smell strongest near rear wheels, reduced fuel economy) since then.

I got a number of suggestions that could have led to anything from them doing nothing ("It's normal to see lower fuel economy during the winter") to a bunch of unnecessary maintenance ("you recently replaced the fuel pump, the fuel economy could be an issue with that"):


No, when I said I'm pretty sure I have a brake rubbing, it means I want you to look at my damn brakes and make sure they're not rubbing before I shred my pads/rotors to the extent that I need ANOTHER set of new brakes.

Stuck caliper. Either the caliper itself needs replacement or the hydraulic hose that leads to it from the chassis has collapsed inside (rubber disintegration) and is functioning as a check valve. Check to see what those parts cost from the auto parts store and then seek estimates for the repair. Shouldn't be much more than parts price and a couple of hours to repair @$60/hr or whatever their shop rate is.

UndergroundDaytimeDad

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These car stories are really painful, and I am still shocked that the general consumer still accepts this enough to perpetuate it.

Thankfully, I have been spared the opportunity to have more of my own stories as an old friend now works at a local dealership for the make of vehicle I recently purchased.  Called him up to tell him what I wanted.  When I came in to buy it, he told me that he already explained to his manager that I would not be talking to any finance people, or anyone else.  I wouldn't be buying any warranties or other coverage nonsense, they would just all leave me alone so he and I could sign the papers.  Was like a dreamland of normalcy that happened to involve car buying. 

Car Jack

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So this is my 2 part time share story.  Back when we were first married, my wife and I would go on time share sales things to get the prizes when we'd go on vacation.

Part 1: We go through the entire sales thing, tour the place, all the things needed to get our "whatever it was" prize.  Down to the final questions and big sales push.  The sales guy asks the "yes" questions.  Starts with "If I could show you how you could actually save money with this time share, would you buy?".  I say no.  He just stops.  "So you have no intention of buying, no matter what?".  me: "That's right".  He then goes into his sob story about he's doing this for a living and we wasted his time and....  Of course we only went there because of the fliers to go to a short presentation to GET THE BIG PRIZE OF whatever it was.  He says "If you ever do another of these, please just tell them up front that you won't buy.

Part 2:  Same island, flier at the airport, different facility.  It touts that they'll pay taxi fee and whatever the prize was.  We go into the welcome booth.  A sales person comes out.  We're walking from the booth to start our tour and he starts with "If I could show you a way to save money on vacations, would you be interested?".  My answer.....no.  He stops and asks a couple other questions, then says "wait here".  He comes back with our voucher for a very nice restaurant and $10 in change to pay for the taxi.  He has the same complaint....."I do this for a living and you've wasted my time".  I can only guess that these clowns have to rotate as marks come in, like they do at car dealerships.  So now he has to wait through the rotation to get another chance to sell a worthless timeshare to the next sucker.

DadJokes

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So this is my 2 part time share story.  Back when we were first married, my wife and I would go on time share sales things to get the prizes when we'd go on vacation.

Part 1: We go through the entire sales thing, tour the place, all the things needed to get our "whatever it was" prize.  Down to the final questions and big sales push.  The sales guy asks the "yes" questions.  Starts with "If I could show you how you could actually save money with this time share, would you buy?".  I say no.  He just stops.  "So you have no intention of buying, no matter what?".  me: "That's right".  He then goes into his sob story about he's doing this for a living and we wasted his time and....  Of course we only went there because of the fliers to go to a short presentation to GET THE BIG PRIZE OF whatever it was.  He says "If you ever do another of these, please just tell them up front that you won't buy.

Part 2:  Same island, flier at the airport, different facility.  It touts that they'll pay taxi fee and whatever the prize was.  We go into the welcome booth.  A sales person comes out.  We're walking from the booth to start our tour and he starts with "If I could show you a way to save money on vacations, would you be interested?".  My answer.....no.  He stops and asks a couple other questions, then says "wait here".  He comes back with our voucher for a very nice restaurant and $10 in change to pay for the taxi.  He has the same complaint....."I do this for a living and you've wasted my time".  I can only guess that these clowns have to rotate as marks come in, like they do at car dealerships.  So now he has to wait through the rotation to get another chance to sell a worthless timeshare to the next sucker.

"I'm sorry that you choose to swindle people for a living."

I've never encountered any of these timeshare presentations. I guess I don't vacation in the right areas.

zolotiyeruki

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Not "said" per se, but a few months ago I had a few drywall contractors quote drywall/mud/tape for our basement.  One guy arrived...in an Escalade.  I was reminded of MMM's article where he talks about tradespeople who show up in a brand new F-150 vs a Honda Fit or a minivan or an older compact pickup.

As this guy walks up my driveway, my next door neighbor (female, early 30's, marathon runner) headed out for a run.  He gave her a ...significant glance, then gave me a knowing glance.  I gave him a stoneface in response.

I ended up going with the guys who showed up in an old minivan and bid $1000 less.

Quote
Starts with "If I could show you how you could actually save money with this time share, would you buy?".  I say no.  He just stops.  "So you have no intention of buying, no matter what?".  me: "That's right".
I gotta remember that one.  DW and I have only done the timeshare presentation thing once, and if we could save that poor salesguy a few hours of his time (and ours), I'd be delighted.

Vashy

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I actually asked for an appointment with a security firm to look at alarm systems (after we got burgled). As usual, I'm the one meeting the salesfolks or builders, so this pimply twenty-year old boy in a really bad suit shows up and gives me the sales pitch. At this point I'm basically standing there, with cash in hand, ready to buy if the price is reasonable.

He goes: "... and one service is that we'll call your partner if you have an intruder in the house, and one of us will talk to you and calm you down..."

Me: "Do I look like somebody who needs to get calmed down?" (I'm towering over this guy)

He: "... and we'll make sure everything will be all right, so you don't have to be afraid..."

Me: "Mate, the only reason why you're standing in my kitchen drinking my tea is that I know enough martial arts to rip off your arm and beat you to death with it. I want a security system, not a nanny on the phone."

He: "... so are you happy to buy so you now longer have to be afraid?"

Me: "We're done here."

He really didn't understand why I showed him the door. (Other reason being was that he tried to scam me with a "Buy Now, Offer Is Only Valid While Our Guy Is With You" "Offer", so wouldn't let me compare quotes).

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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And then there's the story of when I was at the counter in a store waiting to buy a dress and it occurred to me that I had entered the store, browsed for 20 minutes, tried on multiple dresses and made it to the counter without once being acknowledged by the staff. I left the dress on the counter and exited.

This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

I'm talking basic acknowledgement - eye contact and a smile. It was like I was invisible, and there were staff there in the store.

socaso

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When we got engaged I had no expectation of a ring but my husband said I should have one. We decided to buy a stone and then have it set. I didn't want a diamond. We got the stone, took it to a jeweler and told him what we wanted. He said he could do it and I asked how much it would be. He gave me a smarmy smile and said, "YOU don't worry about the cost!" I told him they were our finances and it was absolutely my business.

When I told my mother the story she quietly asked, "Is he still alive?"

RetiredAt63

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When we got engaged I had no expectation of a ring but my husband said I should have one. We decided to buy a stone and then have it set. I didn't want a diamond. We got the stone, took it to a jeweler and told him what we wanted. He said he could do it and I asked how much it would be. He gave me a smarmy smile and said, "YOU don't worry about the cost!" I told him they were our finances and it was absolutely my business.

When I told my mother the story she quietly asked, "Is he still alive?"

I love your mother.


ms

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When I told my mother the story she quietly asked, "Is he still alive?"

I love your mother.

+1

ysette9

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That made me smile also

Smokystache

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This would be my dream come true. I absolutely hate talking to strangers and I hate when every 10 minutes a new sales person comes up and asks me if I need help. I am firmly on the side of "I will shop on my own and if I need help I will approach you - you don't need to approach me."

This. If the salespeople are too in my face, I will leave no matter how much I need the item in question.
I know they are just doing their jobs, and, having worked retail myself in the past, I try not to get angry at them in specific about it. But, it stresses me out so I generally just give them a polite "no thank you" and leave.

A greeting is nice. I don't want help shopping.  I want left alone to browse.  But I need prompt service at the register.  I'm not going to wait around or try to find an employee to pay.

I don't expect that this will actually catch on, but I can dream:


economista

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@Smokystache - That is AMAZING!!!

cupcakery

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Two things that come to mind:

1.  Shortly after my husband and I got married we needed to replace my car.  We found a car we were interested in and sat down with the sales person.  He refused to speak with me.  I'd ask about safety features, he'd reply to my husband about the stereo system.  I'd ask about warranties, he'd tell my husband about the powerful engine.  Husband kept directing him back to my questions.  Finally, I reached in my purse held up my checkbook, and said, "I'm the one with the checkbook and since you won't talk to me, we're leaving."  His jaw hit the floor.  We drove down the street and bought a car that day at a different dealership.

2.  I work in a office building with a no soliciting sign on the front door and on the door to our suite.  Years ago, this guy came in and wanted to talk to me about how he could save our company money.  I said, "You don't have an appointment and we have two no soliciting signs that you ignored."  He replied with, "I'm not soliciting, I'm trying to help you save money!"  I told him we weren't interested and that he needed to leave the premises.  He condescendingly said, "You don't want to save your company money?!"  I said, "Nope, I don't.  Please leave."  LOL!

RWD

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2.  I work in a office building with a no soliciting sign on the front door and on the door to our suite.  Years ago, this guy came in and wanted to talk to me about how he could save our company money.  I said, "You don't have an appointment and we have two no soliciting signs that you ignored."  He replied with, "I'm not soliciting, I'm trying to help you save money!"  I told him we weren't interested and that he needed to leave the premises.  He condescendingly said, "You don't want to save your company money?!"  I said, "Nope, I don't.  Please leave."  LOL!

Could have responded with "I don't need help from someone who is illiterate!"

saguaro

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When we got engaged I had no expectation of a ring but my husband said I should have one. We decided to buy a stone and then have it set. I didn't want a diamond. We got the stone, took it to a jeweler and told him what we wanted. He said he could do it and I asked how much it would be. He gave me a smarmy smile and said, "YOU don't worry about the cost!" I told him they were our finances and it was absolutely my business.

When I told my mother the story she quietly asked, "Is he still alive?"

I love your mother.

Love it!

Years ago DH and I needed to replace our Saturn that was on death's door.   We went to a dealer to check out one model we were discussing.  The dealership is located in a wealthy suburb and they were used to people walking in and paying cash, especially for Junior's first car.   While we had the cash, we didn't fit the wealthy stereotype to the salesperson, who obviously was not taking us seriously, we just didn't fit his typical wealthy customer profile I guess.   He mentioned in a rather condescending manner "I suppose you will have to finance this?".  We were "no, this is a cash sale" he laughed.  We walked out of there and bought elsewhere. 


BlueHouse

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On more than one occasion, when buying what would be a "family decision" by myself, I've been asked if I'm divorced.  The last time this happened was when I was buying my house (new build, from the developer) and meeting with the window treatment designer.  I asked if his question was driven by the thought that a woman couldn't possibly have earned enough on her own to qualify to purchase a somewhat expensive home in a HCOL area. 

He pretty much confirmed that was exactly what he was thinking.  I still bought the shutters from him because he was the only vendor that the developer was working with so he was allowed to install before closing. 

iris lily

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"Hon", especially I ask the person to stop calling me that.

It goes double if they touch or grab any part of my body and won't stop touching me after I ask them to stop. I haven't yet escalated to an uppercut but I do grab the offender's hand, forcibly remove it, and bend the wrist in a way that causes intense discomfort while repeating my request..

Not as bad, but  just last week I got the “young lady” treatment from someone in a grocery store. . One of these days I need to clue in these clueless guys that bringing attention to my age is not cool.

cupcakery

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2.  I work in a office building with a no soliciting sign on the front door and on the door to our suite.  Years ago, this guy came in and wanted to talk to me about how he could save our company money.  I said, "You don't have an appointment and we have two no soliciting signs that you ignored."  He replied with, "I'm not soliciting, I'm trying to help you save money!"  I told him we weren't interested and that he needed to leave the premises.  He condescendingly said, "You don't want to save your company money?!"  I said, "Nope, I don't.  Please leave."  LOL!

Could have responded with "I don't need help from someone who is illiterate!"

!!!

TheGrimSqueaker

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What's the worst thing anyone has ever said to you when trying to sell you something?

Are your parents home?

A sales person greeted me this way when he rang the bell and I opened the door to our home being in my early thirties. No, they aren‘t and I closed the door. To this day I have no idea what he was trying to sell us.

My answer to that used to be: "They live in a different country, but feel free to call them and check."

Villanelle

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"Hon", especially I ask the person to stop calling me that.

It goes double if they touch or grab any part of my body and won't stop touching me after I ask them to stop. I haven't yet escalated to an uppercut but I do grab the offender's hand, forcibly remove it, and bend the wrist in a way that causes intense discomfort while repeating my request..

Not as bad, but  just last week I got the “young lady” treatment from someone in a grocery store. . One of these days I need to clue in these clueless guys that bringing attention to my age is not cool.


Someone I know (casual acquaintance, if I had to label it) uses "dear" and it makes me stabby.  We are approximately the same age--I'd guess I'm 3-4 years older and he absolutely knows my name.  "Can I get you a drink, Dear?"  shudder  He's a very nice guy, and I'm certain it's not intentionally condescending.  But... shudder
« Last Edit: January 14, 2020, 11:17:18 AM by Villanelle »

partgypsy

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Not completely related but when I did a brief amount of internet dating, I had 2 hookups with this one guy. And- he kept pushing for more extreme stuff, which I said, I don't mind sexting about it, but I'm not going to do. And he kept bringing it up. To the point one day (when my Dad was visiting) that he was going to be at this hotel room, and for me to come, and I'll really enjoy it etc. And I texted back "nah" but you can tell me about it later. And he got pissed texted "you just don't want to enjoy yourself!" I texted lol and that was the end of the sexting. 
I don't think he realized the number of times that women have heard that line...
« Last Edit: January 14, 2020, 12:06:20 PM by partgypsy »

BECABECA

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In our late 20s we were flying together and DW must have had her foot slightly in the aisle, as the flight attendant stepped on it. But she didn’t just step on it, she stepped on it and then gave it two kicks moving it well out of the aisle. We were quite surprised and it took us some discussion to figure out what that was all about. We settled on that she must have thought we were kids, as that would certainly not be something you would do to your paying customer but it might be something you’d do to a kid. When she came around with the beverage service we ordered cocktails and it confirmed our assessment: once she checked our IDs she was saccharin sweet to us the rest of the flight.

Dave1442397

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What's the worst thing anyone has ever said to you when trying to sell you something?

Are your parents home?

A sales person greeted me this way when he rang the bell and I opened the door to our home being in my early thirties. No, they aren‘t and I closed the door. To this day I have no idea what he was trying to sell us.

My answer to that used to be: "They live in a different country, but feel free to call them and check."

Lol, that was exactly my answer to a few people when we first moved here.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Not completely related but when I did a brief amount of internet dating, I had 2 hookups with this one guy. And- he kept pushing for more extreme stuff, which I said, I don't mind sexting about it, but I'm not going to do. And he kept bringing it up. To the point one day (when my Dad was visiting) that he was going to be at this hotel room, and for me to come, and I'll really enjoy it etc. And I texted back "nah" but you can tell me about it later. And he got pissed texted "you just don't want to enjoy yourself!" I texted lol and that was the end of the sexting. 
I don't think he realized the number of times that women have heard that line...

Gross, but familiar. The number of times I have "not wanted to enjoy myself" or even better "been afraid to really let go" or "not in touch with my sexuality". I love how men know me better than I know myself. It's such an endearing characteristic.

ysette9

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Right, because women are totally incapable of enjoying ourselves without the help of a man..... ~eye roll~

TartanTallulah

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Many years ago, I got quotes for replacement windows in my house from several companies including a large national one. The large national company salesman quoted more than double the amount of a small local firm. When I mentioned this, the salesman said, "When you got the quote from the small local firm the owner probably came round himself in his work van. OUR company directors are driving around in Lamborghinis and don't see customers."

Well, thank you for offering me the opportunity to spend an extra few months of my salary to subsidise your company directors' flash cars. And goodbye.

This is bizarre. Do people really choose a company that way? It must be some form of "success follows success" belief.


The most you could say is that it’s a refreshing bout of honesty from a salesman.

I suspect his judgment was so poor that he genuinely believed it might enhance the credibility of his company's windows in comparison to those installed by the one-person local business.

The Guru

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Two stories, both, not surprisingly, from car dealerships:

#1. Back in the 80s I had stopped in  to look at a particular car. Salesman asked me about my potential trade: "Is that a Plymouth whatever?"

Me: "No, it's the Dodge version of the Plymouth whatever".

Saleman: "Ah yeah, they're like n******s- they all look alike".

It should go without saying I didn't buy from that guy.


#2. My mom was in the market for a car; I was helping her but she couldn't find one she liked. One evening we were out for a ride and she saw one she was finally interested in. After the usual preliminary BS the salesman invited us to his office. On the corner of his desk was a Bible. I saw it; Mom saw it, but the salesman, apparently not willing to leave it to chance that we had in fact seen it said "Oh! There's my Bible! I wondered what blah blah blah some hogwash about loaning it to a co-worker who must have returned it blah blah blah!" Mom was a good Christian woman but  she was nobody's fool- she shot me a look that said "do you believe this bozo?" She told me on the way out "I was so mad I would have walked out if I didn't like that car so much". Nonetheless she eventually would buy the car; it was the last one she ever owned and served her well until the day she totalled it (thankfully though, not herself) and decided that it was time she gave up driving.

Love you, Mom.