Silly things we get told by 'Salesmen'

Brilliant stories, not a salesman but once my hubby and I visited the gas showroom (remember the separate gas and electric shops) and they were selling microwaves, my husband convinced me that you could run a microwave on gas and I actually believed him. I got my revenge years later in Currys when I said 'come and look at this, they've made a dual washing machine and dishwasher - he believed me

Double glazing salesmen!
My pet hate is when they give you a quote and then tell you that just for today, just for you, but only if you sign now, he is able to halve it.

A few years ago, only because he’d come touting for business, we got a quote from one of the big companies, and he did just this - exactly the same ploy as someone from the same company had used about 30 years previously!

Do they really imagine we’re that stupid?
Needless to say we declined his kind offer.

Someone from the company phoned a few days later to ask why we hadn’t ordered. So I told her, adding that we really didn’t appreciate these tired old tactics.

Might add that a fitted wardrobe salesman did exactly the same - we didn’t order from him, either.

The most ridiculous one was a car salesperson who was trying to persuade me to choose a metallic paint finish on a brand new car. When I told them I wanted a particular non-metallic colour the response was ‘Oh that one’s no good, it will start to flake off and peel after a few months’. Needless to say I didn’t buy a car from there. I got the car I wanted elsewhere, and it didn’t flake or peel off.

Don't get me started on car salesmen! I used to compete in car rallies and write motoring articles. Popped into a local car showroom to take a look at their newly-released GTE model, only to be informed by the snotty salesman that "this is a very powerful little car, madam - do you think you'd be able to handle it?" Well, after telling him I knew the spec of the car inside and out and could not only change the tyres on it, but the engine if necessary, I demanded to see the manager - told him what the salesman had said and informed him he'd just lost a sale. Promptly went to the rival dealership in next town and bought said car!

I went to buy a cordless vaccum on behalf of my aunt.
Went to Currys and was looking around at some when the assistant came over to me,i explained to him it was for my elderly aunt and it needs to be lightweight.
He looked at me and asked if she was over weight and does she realise it has to be plugged in first.
I looked at him,turned around and in hysterics walked out.
On-line shopping did the trick.

Funniest thing along these lines was many years ago when I was looking for a new kitchen. The salesman in the showroom gave me all the chat. Then he confidently got a drawer out of a unit, turned it over and put it on the floor. Told me proudly these drawers were so strong he could stand on them. He di - it smashed and he got his foot stuck in the remains ????. Tbf he did have the grace to laugh at himself and his colleagues were crying with laughter. I forgave him and bought the kitchen anyway. I don’t need drawers I can stand on!!

Two estate agents (one local and one national) told us it was illegal to view properties for sale unless you had sold your own!

Not really a silly thing I've been told but I got asked, in the 90s, if my husband knew I was buying a new car! I promptly left and bought the same car from a different dealership, no questions asked.
I'm not sure what I look like when I go into kitchen salesrooms, builders merchants etc, but three or four times I have been encouraged to have a cheaper version than the item I've chosen. Needless to say I do lots of research before I buy so I haven't changed my mind, but I think I'll have to up my standards so I look as though I can afford it. ?
I did once take a kitchen item back after steam dripped down the lid and burnt my hand, only to be told it wasn't faulty, it was probably that I was using it incorrectly. It was a saucepan.

Remember those phone calls where they asked to speak to the head of the household which could not possibly be you as a woman of course? And if you wanted them to come in and give you a quote both you and dh had to be there.

Shopping for a shower for my new flat as it only had a bath. Was assured by first person that I spoke to that it was impossible to control both water flow and temperature of water. Bought one later that afternoon with two dials. Simples!

Great stories. Just to say, we rather got our own back on Radio Rentals about that tv. When I went to order it, I was told my husband had to come in to sign the agreement. I pointed out that they were not open anytimes that my husband was around. And, asked if I could take the agreement home with me, promising to bring it back duly signed the following day. They were reluctant to do this, but more unwilling to give up that contract and this is what happened.

Six months down the line RR head office sent us a letter informing us it was increasing the monthly rental rate. Hubbie phoned them explaining he would not be doing this. He was told that they had the right to make this increase and there was a clause regarding that on the back of that agreement. Hubbie then coolyinformed them that he had crossed out that clause. RR stated th at was not pemitted and another clause stated that no such crossing out was allowed and then were a little taken back when hubbie told them that, 'Yes, he had seen that clause - and crossed out that also.

We had that television for about seven years and no increase in rental was ever made. We now know why the Manager was not supposed to let tht agreement out of his sight.

Earlier this year I was investigating purchasing a riser/recliner chair. Had companies bring me theirs to my home for me to try out. Unbelievably, one of those salesman tried that sad old trick on me when I commented on the ridiculous price he was quoting for this.
'Let me phone my Manager and I am sure we can get it reduced.....; And,amazngly that phone call knocked the price down from nearly four grand to two and a half. Told him he reminded me of the old-time double glazing salesmen!!! No, I did not purchase from that company.

I stood in my local Currys' branch a few years back looking at cordless vacuum cleaners. Taking them down to try for weight, etc. During the half an hour I was doing this, there were plenty of assistants - all who ignored me, but every time a couple came into that aisle they approached them to ask if they needed assistance. Quite obviously, as I was an elderly female - I was beneath their notice!!!!

A saleswoman trying to sell me some overpriced moisturiser in Debenhams told me it had won the Nobel Prize for cosmetics.

I used to live in a flat from the 1890s that had a modern kitchen and toilet when I moved in but no facilities for bathing or washing except the kitchen sink.

I employed a plumber to convert the pantry between kitchen and W.C. into a shower room.

First he tried to tell me that the shower head could only be installed facing the door into my bedroom. When I asked why, he replied that otherwise there would be no room for a wash basin.

I said I realised the room was small - it was about 90 cm by 75, but that it would make better sense to have the wash-basin facing the door and the shower in the corner where there were walls on either side and just under the window that could be opened to air the room after showering.

He then said, but a basin will be too big to fit there. I told him and held to it that that depended entirely on how large a basin we were talking of and eventually he did bring a basin that was small enough.

Imagine my surpise when I came home the following day and discovered that he had placed the floor drain on the highest point of the sloping floor!

I didn't ask why, just asked him how he expected the water to reach the drain?

He gave me a baffled look and I explained that I happened to be an M.A. but did remember enough of secondary school physics and geography to know that water does not move uphill of its own volition.

It took the combined efforts of a building inspector, who much to the plumber's disgust was also female, and myself to convince him to move that b. drain,

We only got it moved because she flatly refused to give the necessary approval of the installation that meant I could actually use it, until that drain had been resited.

Love the Nobel Prize comment Alegrias

I once had a rep from a company that dealt with hygiene supplies for offices come in and try to tell me that cracks in the bar soap we were using in our washrooms were caused by “soap fleas”! Soap fleas?? She had apparently “inspected our facilities” on the way to my office and had decided that we needed to up our game with regard to hand washing. We probably did, but I sent her away with a few sharp words for treating me like a slack jawed imbecile and then used the same sharp words with her company.

The 'call my manager' bit really irritates me. A friend had a kitchen salesman visit, went through what they wanted, which was extensive, then got a quote. My friend said they were seeing another company and would compare the two and make a decision. Salesman promptly reduced said quote by £5k and was astounded when told they would not be doing business with him. Why? 'Because you have just admitted you tried to rip me off to the sum of £5k'. Duh

Not a salesman as such but some years ago we were in the process of moving house and had to phone all the usual utilities to give them the moving date. As my husband,who would usually have made these calls, wasn’t well I phoned Anglian Water. The person I spoke to asked me if my husband knew and had agreed to the move!

I got my revenge years later in Currys when I said 'come and look at this, they've made a dual washing machine and dishwasher - he believed me

Not so far-fetched. In a flat in Antalya, Turkey I came across a dishwasher with an integrated 4-ring electric hob on the top - all in the one casing so not a DIY job!

Alegrias1

A saleswoman trying to sell me some overpriced moisturiser in Debenhams told me it had won the Nobel Prize for cosmetics.

I hope you looked suitably impressed

I desperately wanted a Golden Hamster as a seven year old for my Christmas present.

My mum came back with an albino,
having believed the man in the pet shop, who said his colour would change as he grew up.

I had the recent honour of having the Sales Manager over to give me a quote. This quote, dropped by 2k while he was there could only be taken up once that day and, of course, he had 2 more customers waiting for quotes locally.

He tried the trick of going to the bathroom to give myself and OH time to discuss and panic buy. We didn’t.

He’s rung us 3 times since on various days to see what else we’ve been quoted and give us scaremongering ‘advice’ about other firms.

He even had the cheek to say ‘Keep me informed about the other firms quotes.’ I said ‘No’ and put the phone down. ???

Lucca

Alegrias1

A saleswoman trying to sell me some overpriced moisturiser in Debenhams told me it had won the Nobel Prize for cosmetics.

I hope you looked suitably impressed

In a MAC makeup shop with my daughter who enquired about the company’s cruelty free credentials. The young saleswoman assured us that, although the makeup brushes were made from animal hair, there was absolutely no cruelty involved. She said with a completely straight face that MAC took animal welfare so seriously that they waited for the animals to moult and then carefully swept up the hair to use in their brushes.

Love these stories.....

I'll give you one from a salespersons perspective.

When my kids were small I took a part time job in the run up to Christmas at a large electrical retailers.

A middle aged couple came up to me and asked about frost free fridge freezers. They couldn't grasped how they worked. After several attempts at explaining and not getting anywhere I was convinced that I wasn't going to get a sale so I just said to them....

"You know what I told you about the compressor, well forget all that what actually happens is this......there's a family of fairies who live in the back of the appliance and every night they remove the water". And then winked.

They burst out laughing and the man said "Fairies you say, in that case we will buy it". ........