Smokin'Sims
Gettin' my nerd on, Hopp Schwiez!
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2008
- Messages
- 2,872
Last weekend I went out to look at, and hopefully buy, a car for the family. We have been carless since we moved over here. I had a GMC Sierra in the US, but it simply doesn't fit in Switzerland. The car buying experience is something quite different here.
I had been looking online at cars on an autotrader type equivalent. I wanted a diesel with navigation and bluetooth. I found an AMAG dealership that had multiple cars that fit the description and set off to check them out. Unlike in the US where salespeople tend to quickly come and start talking to you once you arrive, you could wander a round a Swiss lot for hours without ever hearing more than hello from the sales staff. So, I walk intot he office and ask if someone can help in English. They then point me to the English speaking sales guy. He then ask what kind of car I'm looking for and we put the information into the same search I'd been using at home and I pick a few that I'd like to look at a little closer.
Once I had chosen the cars I liked, he tells me that he will get the keys so I can have a closer look. This is where I assumed the sale would be starting, but no he hands me three sets of keys, shows me the general area that the cars are parked in, and let me go on my way to inspect them however I see fit. I then narrow down the choice to two cars.
I go back into the office and tell him I've narrowed it down and would like to test drive them. He suggest I not think about one of the cars because it has ~50hp less than the other and would have a harder time through the Swiss mountains with a family inside. I remember the trouble my Corolla had in Utah at times and decided I didn't need a repeat of that. I decide to take the larger engine out for a spin. he puts the temp. plates on it, I sign something saying I'll pay some money if I crash it, and he gives me the keys and tells me to be back in 20-25 minutes. He also suggested the route I take because it has more mountain and hills while the highway is flat and boring. I really liked the car and decieded I was going to buy it.
I went back into the office and we started all the paperwork. Being Switzerland this isn't an afternoon process (The Swiss are kinda slow at moving paperwork along; however they generally do it right the first time). Basically, we simply agree I will buy it and he reserves it for me and I send him papers on Monday. I happily walk out to catch the numerous public transport connection on a 2 hour ride home. After I complete step one and am waiting for my train, the salesman calls me to inform me that I had forgotten to return the key to the car when I left the dealership. I apologised and said I'd bring it right back. he said to just keep it as I would need the key when I came to pick up the car next week. So I have the key to an Audi A4 that I haven't signed or put any money on yet. I doubt this would happen anywhere else in the world. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can have the car at my house.
I had been looking online at cars on an autotrader type equivalent. I wanted a diesel with navigation and bluetooth. I found an AMAG dealership that had multiple cars that fit the description and set off to check them out. Unlike in the US where salespeople tend to quickly come and start talking to you once you arrive, you could wander a round a Swiss lot for hours without ever hearing more than hello from the sales staff. So, I walk intot he office and ask if someone can help in English. They then point me to the English speaking sales guy. He then ask what kind of car I'm looking for and we put the information into the same search I'd been using at home and I pick a few that I'd like to look at a little closer.
Once I had chosen the cars I liked, he tells me that he will get the keys so I can have a closer look. This is where I assumed the sale would be starting, but no he hands me three sets of keys, shows me the general area that the cars are parked in, and let me go on my way to inspect them however I see fit. I then narrow down the choice to two cars.
I go back into the office and tell him I've narrowed it down and would like to test drive them. He suggest I not think about one of the cars because it has ~50hp less than the other and would have a harder time through the Swiss mountains with a family inside. I remember the trouble my Corolla had in Utah at times and decided I didn't need a repeat of that. I decide to take the larger engine out for a spin. he puts the temp. plates on it, I sign something saying I'll pay some money if I crash it, and he gives me the keys and tells me to be back in 20-25 minutes. He also suggested the route I take because it has more mountain and hills while the highway is flat and boring. I really liked the car and decieded I was going to buy it.
I went back into the office and we started all the paperwork. Being Switzerland this isn't an afternoon process (The Swiss are kinda slow at moving paperwork along; however they generally do it right the first time). Basically, we simply agree I will buy it and he reserves it for me and I send him papers on Monday. I happily walk out to catch the numerous public transport connection on a 2 hour ride home. After I complete step one and am waiting for my train, the salesman calls me to inform me that I had forgotten to return the key to the car when I left the dealership. I apologised and said I'd bring it right back. he said to just keep it as I would need the key when I came to pick up the car next week. So I have the key to an Audi A4 that I haven't signed or put any money on yet. I doubt this would happen anywhere else in the world. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can have the car at my house.
