August 2009 Weddings
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
s/o Sexism and Car Dealers
Sikes's post on head of household got me thinking about an experience I had when I bought my car:
I had picked out the car and decided I was going to take advantage of the financing the dealership was offering. I was all set to go pick up the car later that day, when I got a call from the dealer, telling me that I needed to have my dad co sign the loan. I was really confused because I was engaged, employed full time, and had the money to pay for the car. The dealer just assumed because I was young and female that daddy would be taking care of it. Obviously, I straightened him out, but I was REALLY offended.
Given Sikes's recent experience, I'm wondering if others have had similar issues.
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Re: s/o Sexism and Car Dealers
I have not experienced sexism and car dealers, but I have a story to share that is kind of related.
A few years ago, my brakes were squeaking/grinding. I knew the pads needed to be replaced, and I went to a local Midas. The guy looked at the car, came back, and told me I needed a brand new brake system (??) that would cost $800. I knew that there was no way that was correct, so naturally I refused the "repair". The guy asked if I had a boyfriend, and I said yes. He goes "Well, I can't believe he is allowing you to drive around with your brakes like this. I wouldn't let my girlfriend do that if I really cared about her."
Yeah...I immediately left, brought my car elsewhere, and paid about $100 for new brake pads.
This is me too. Especially when I'm taking the car in for a service. It's like "Oh look. A teeny blonde... easy money." Um, no. Thankyouverymuch, I can run circles around the damn clerks in the service centre and the dealerships as far as cars go. It drives me mental.
my to-read shelf:
34/150
I have this happen to me a lot. I work in a field where the contractors and electricians are mostly men. I went to a job site once and the guy told me I was a lot younger then he thought I would be. Then he tried to lie to me and sell me on his shoddy workmanship. I was so mad I told him I maybe young, but I am not stupid. I have a degree in this and your walls were built crooked and here's my level to prove it. It now needs to be fixed! Ugh
At the car dealership I have had this happen to me often. Sadly I then have to stomp them and prove that I know a lot more about cars. Which I do, my Dad and DH know a lot which I've picked up and I like cars to so don't try and oversell me anything.
When I bought my civic I told the dealer the car I wanted and it happened to be on the showroom floor. He kept trying to take me out to view other cars and make sure that I knew what I wanted. I had done my research and new exactly what I wanted in the car. I told him that was the one I wanted and he kept asking me if I wanted to look around first. DH (then BF) was with me but the guy knew I was the one making the purchase.
I finally told him that I didn't care about looking at other cars and the one that I wanted was on the showroom floor and that before I would buy it he needed to take out the trunk liner and the heavy duty floor mats that together added almost $1000 to the car. I got my car and all is well. The dealer still calls once a year to see how I'm liking it and to see if I want to trade it in.
I hate dealerships/maintenance places for these reasons. I took my truck in for a tune up once and DH follwed me so he could give me a ride home. I went to talk to the guy about what needed to be done and he said "I'll just wait and discuss this with your husband when he gets inside." I not so kindly let him know it was my truck and DH had no idea bout the maintenance history because the trucks been around longer than he has.
And a spin off, I use to work in the construction field, which is obviously a major boys club. One customer called and wouldn't talk to our Office Manager about his account, everyone else was away so after arguing with him and explaining she really was the person he should talk to, he still wouldn't budge, so she put him on hold and on proceeded to use the intercom system to ask "will someone with a penis, please pick up line one" it was classic.
Not related to car dealerships, but...
I was driving my in-laws car last summer, and they have a 4-digit license plate (which, around here, kind of indicates that you're a big deal - usually they are given away to people with some sort of political clout and often passed down through families; ILs' was passed down from DH's grandfather.)
Anyway, I was passing through a toll-booth and the toll collector said to me, as he's taking my money, "Geez, your husband must be a big deal" in reference to the license plate. I was so offended that he would automatically assume it was my husband who's a big deal, rather than me. (Granted, the license plate doesn't belong to either of us, but still!)
This post made me think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvoaztR140Q