Does Gender Bias Still Exist Against Women Buying Cars?

Let’s begin with a little history of how car dealers used to treat potential female buyers.  Early in the 1970’s, my husband and I visited a Ford dealership in Nashville in search of a new car for me. I’ll be the first to admit I knew nothing about cars or what questions I should ask the salesman, and I needed my husband along for that.  We looked around  for exactly the vehicle I wanted, followed closely by “Bubba,” the chauvinistic car salesman. I would ask Bubba a question about a particular model, and he would turn his back on me and talk to Jim. Jim tried several times to redirect the man’s attention to “the lady choosing the car.” Bubba, the pig, continued to ignore me. We bought a new car but I left that dealership with a bad opinion of car salesmen and how they treat women.

A few years later, we purchased an extended Plymouth van to accommodate our growing family. That car-buying experience wasn’t much better.

In 1984, Jim drove a van of his choice, and I found a “toy” that I wanted.  Jim agreed, and off I went to the local Volkswagon dealership. My eyes zeroed in on the white Rabbit convertible in the showroom., but no one seemed to want to help me. After stopping a passing salesman and asking for help, he called someone else to assist me. “Show this little lady some cars,” he called. I introduced myself and told the guy I wanted his best price on the white rabbit behind me. He responded by suggesting we go outside and see a couple others. I replied that I was only interested in the one in the showroom at the moment and repeated my request. My salesman left me cooling my heels and later returned with a man who asked if I were married. I smiled and asked why that would be his business. The weasel had the nerve to suggest that perhaps my husband would like to come and work out the details and financing. My inner witch surfaced as I told him I came in to purchase the white Rabbit convertible in their showroom but if he didn’t want to sell it to me, I’d be happy to report him to VW Corporate and drive 30 minutes to the dealership in a nearby town. I offered him almost $3,000 less than the sticker price and said it would be a cash deal, take it or I walk. I picked up my new “toy” the next morning, but I did not enjoy the process.

A similar incident several years later occurred in Tampa. Jim believed the Rabbit was really not a safe vehicle and had been hounding me to get something else. On an anniversary trip to Florida, we visited several Sarasota dealers but found what I wanted in Tampa. The salesman pulled the old “ignore the woman and concentrate on the man” routine and proceeded to try and sell Jim. I suggested to Jim that we shop elsewhere, and he laughed as he made the salesman aware that his rudeness to me cost him a sale.

Car-buying was not a pleasant experience for women in the 70’s and 80’s, but times “they are a-changing.”  For the first time in history, more women are licensed to drive than men, and women control more than $13 trillion in personal wealth today.  (www.boston.com/cars/news-an-reviews/2013/08/23/women-flex-their-car-buying-muscles/Oz/vDeA4q5QfPHa2t9J8BL/story.html.)

In 2014, according to Melody Lee, Director of brand and regulation strategy for General Motors Cadillac division, women wield influence on anywhere from 85% – 95% of car purchases (www.wsj.com/articles/car-sellers-refine-pitch-to-women-1408575175). In another report women were said to ask more tough questions and more likely to inquire about warranties, accident history, and safety performance than men.  Perhaps that’s why the salesmen didn’t want to deal with women.

25% of females reported in a recent CarMax poll that they “were foiled in an attempt to have a quick, effortless transaction.” Apparently, some macho car salesmen still treat women with disdain.

In my research, I read several stories of women who were treated badly and ignored in favor of talking to their husbands at car dealerships. One report by Edmonds.com ran a test to see if men and women were actually treated differently and found that it was true. Using 3 dealerships, they first sent in a woman to shop for a specific make, model and color of car. At 2 of the 3 dealerships, she was treated rudely, ignored and belittled. The man came in later asking for the same exact make, model and color. He asked for the same salesman and ended up with a much lower quote than the woman had received and was treated respectfully.

Small wonder that women do not enjoy the car buying process!  But I can attest that today, dealers are training their sales staff to behave better and treat women shoppers the same as men. A few months ago, I purchased a vehicle at Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton and actually enjoyed the experience! My relationship with the salesman began via email exchange and when I arrived for my appointment with him, he knew exactly what to show me. After looking at several vehicles, the entire sale went smoothly. Tim Spence was polite and friendly and treated me with respect. About 2 weeks later, I received a very nice box of chocolate chip cookies as a thank-you for my business. The gift was accompanied by a nice note from the dealership owner. That dealership knows how to treat people, and they would certainly be the place I would go for my next vehicle purchase.

Let’s hope that other car dealers are following the example that I experienced at Cox Chevrolet. Women deserve no less.