March was a big month for my boyfriend and I. We started things off by moving house. Then we got engaged. And finally, we bought a car. Or rather, he bought a car and I helped make the big decisions about makes, models, pricing, add-ons and financing. Either way, it felt like a month of momentous team efforts.
Incredibly, moving house didn’t end our relationship. Hell, it didn’t even really cause much of a strain.
Getting engaged was a disgustingly romantic Hollywood-esque moment that’s still got me smiling four weeks later.
But buying a car? That has proved to be the ultimate test. Because now more than ever, I’m truly certain that car salesmen (not saleswomen) were sent down to earth to test our limits of sanity and blatant sexism.
“So you’re not paying for it? Jeez, you’re marrying alright, aren’t you?” a lanky man in his early 30s said laughing awkwardly as my fiancé signed the paperwork that almost guaranteed this wholly unforgettable human would take home a commission.
From the desk, my fiancé looked up at me as if to say, ‘I promise I’ll get us out of here as soon as I can.’
Having done the preliminary research over a number of weeks, my partner was fairly certain on what he wanted when he walked into a reputable dealership. But like so many, when he actually walked in, he got overwhelmed and needed back up.
There were two models and he couldn’t decide if leather seats mattered or if sunroofs were a good idea. Did we need four cup holders and how long a warranty should we be getting? Was going with a bank over a credit union a bad idea? Fixed-term loan or flexible?
Top Comments
Mine was a sexist landlord who didn't seem to understand he needed to deal with me about the repairs on our rental. He even went so far as to tell my husband he needed to 'get his woman under control' simply because I wouldn't allow him to make an unannounced inspection as per my rights. Needless to say we moved as soon as our lease ran out.
I found the opposite. The car salesman spoke to me not my husband. He told me women tend to decide on the car so they spoke to the women.
That's so clever. What a smart car salesman.
I had the same sort of salesman - he was great. My partner also made it clear from the get-go that It was all about what I wanted becuase it was going to be my car - oh and I was actually buying it - so the saleman was smart to deal with me LOL
I don't know why they struggled through with such a dick of a sales rep - I would have asked for a minute to consider, then gone and found myself another salesperson.