Shame on CarMax. While I trust these guys enough to buy an SUV from them, I’m not so happy about their decision to play the estrogen card for PR points. “Buying a car is a hassle for women, according to a recent poll conducted for CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. When asked about their last car buying experience, a fourth of the women who responded felt a quick and effortless transaction was most missing, according to a new [online] survey of more than 500 women. Fair, low pricing and having a trustworthy salesperson were also cited as the other top factors missing when buying a vehicle.” And this is different for men, how? Rather than concentrating on what unites us, CarMax is focusing on an invidious distinction, pandering for PC brownie points. Check this: the survey asks “Thinking about the last time that you bought a car, which of the following was most missing?” (Most missing?) Only two percent said “Respect” and 13 percent said they’d never bought a car. What does that tell you?
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I think the bigger picture here is the sad state of affairs this country is in, displayed by the spoiled rotten children of today with the gimme attitudes. The trajedy is that the commercial is not stretching the truth.
First gut reaction, I wanna slap her hard.
How do women buy furniture? Or appliances, or anything? The women I know are as tough as most men at negotiating. Sheesh…
Well, I can sympathize with the lady. She’s gonna be stuck with that car for a long time as long as she doesn’t wreck it and keeps up with the maintenance. Sure it’s nice to get something for free, but it’s even nicer to get the one you want.
I take it that you haven’t seen the similar ads from CarMax that target men? I guess that those are “playing the testosterone card”, eh?
A company with a wide audience must advertise accordingly.
a fourth of the women who responded felt a quick and effortless transaction was most missing
Well duh. A car is a major purchase – expensive and long-lasting. Of course buying one isn’t quick or effortless, nor should it be. I wonder how many of the women who said that would think nothing of spending an entire day shopping for a pair of shoes.
phillyjim :
September 30th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Of course buying one isn’t quick or effortless, nor should it be.
My last two car purchases were quick and nearly effortless. I spent perhaps an hour e-mailing several dealers re: exactly what I wanted and asking them to make their best offer.
In each case, one dealer significantly outbid the others. We handled all of the details via e-mail, and I spent roughly an hour at the dealership on each transaction.
Not all car purchases are quick and effortless, but people quite often make them a lot more complicated than they need to be.
I think this ad was inspired by this real life teenager’s reaction to getting a pickup truck for his birthday.
My mother used to do the same thing TZ does, except that in those days it was all by telephone. She was good.
come to think of it, I did the same thing for my parents when I was about 10-11, before my mother ever did it. They weren’t interested in the results, however. They’d run the ’57 Chevy and Plymouth in the ground, despite my best efforts.
One time, the sales guy called me “Ma’am.” I was so pissed. Didn’t realize I was giving myself away when I protested regarding my gender.
I think anyone who’s been in sales knows women have different buying triggers than men. From my experience, they need to be more comfortable with the “relationship” than with the product or price, per se. Unfortunately, that’s a challenge for the old-school car salesmen.
I also think they do a better job of researching than men do.
An interesting story: my mom, who was widowed last year at 68, actually bought her first new car last month – a Honda Civic. True to fashion, she actually liked the Mazda 3 better driving-wise, but the people at the Honda place took great care of her, and that’s what she bought.
And that’s good news – my brother is 6’6″ and weighs about 300 pounds, and can intimidate the shit out of anyone.
I think she really wanted the blue one, but I could be wrong.
My wife is better at negotiations than me. But after the deal is done, she will do absolutely nothing to keep a car running. That’s where I step in and take over.
I agree with TZ – people do make it more difficult than it really is. You have the power to walk out. That’s what its all about IMHO.
I’d throw the girl in the pool and drop the birthday boy off at the army recruiter’s office.
Surely the p/u boy was a put-on.
I bought my first car (no option), insured it (no other option) and fueled it (no other option). And I fixed it when it broke – which was alot being 25 years old when I got it.
It was a real POS that I cherished. Undoubtedly only the first owner and myself felt that way. I had to be owner 23 or so…
I got the white one.
Well, it’s got black trim. Mostly white.
If someone got me a Cooper in bright girly pink, I would still be tempted to drive it. Well, I might “modify” it a little *ahem* so that it would be a RAD pink car. ;)
“One time, the sales guy called me ‘Ma’am.\'”
That would be one of those situations where I might even take that as praise. I’ve been called “Mrs” or “Miss” at the grocery store many times now. That’s at the red Safeway, not the blue one. Sigh.
Well, I thought this video was funny, if only because I know people like this.
Of course, if they were in my family, it would not be funny. Well, not until they were excommunicated and then taken off the Christmas list, the Sunday dinner list, and of course, the will.
Hehe, then it would be funny again!
See? It’s all what you make of it!
PHEEEWW!!! This video is the reason the phrase “slap the taste out ya mouth” endures. If my daughter acted like this her mother and myself would take turns THEN get her a blue Mini…from Matchbox.
The best part about this video is the older guy eating ice cream in the background. He isn’t fazed at all and just keeps on eating.
The father looks like a body double for Norman Bates.
Robert, this ad isn’t about selling cars to women. It is about what happens when men screw it up! I mean, who would know that a little girl with auburn hair in a red dress would want a blue car for her 16th b’day (you can’t predict these things)? This is about “accident” forgiveness, not women buying cars! And, clearly, it is distinct from collecting data on women’s attitudes to the experience of buying a car.
I think it is sad that you played the gender card here. Had they used a boy and had said boy’s response been equally emotive (a necessity to make the ad work), would you have played the cross-gender card? Heck, what would you have made of this ad had it been Mommie giving her a Subaru Forester?
The fact is, many daddies love to spoil their little girls (though not me). That’s what this ad is all about. Daddies who love to spoil their little boys, well, there’s that cross-gender thing again.
Cheers!
RD
Pretty much what I’ve seen from 15-16 year old girls. Two months ago I overheard a 15 year old (with no permit or license) talking to her dad about the school car she was going to get, and she said “I want the most expensive one and you’re going to get if for me.”
She’s still waiting.
Whats stikes me as odd is the fact that in many other countries, the woman is the main buyer of items, of which she is expected and the seller fully expects, an epic haggling battle for Most for Best. Hyperbole aside, this tells me that I won’t buy a car from CarMax, but if I feel the need, will accompany my daughter when she’s ready to shop.
My daughter has resigned herself to the fact that she will be getting the next beater SAAB 9000 I find as her first car. She knows it will be a 5-speed. Her only request is that it’s not a “dorky” color.
@violent,
Boys – real ones – will think your daughter is cool!
Likely, a few will ask her how to drive a 5-speed.