Last week dad received a job offer in the Raleigh area. WOO HOOO!  The plan was for him to start training on Monday, in Richmond.  The only problem with this is they only had one car and mom had to work today.  Since dad was going to be out of town I offered to let mom use my car but I also offered to help her find a new one.  They had decided that dad would keep their current car which is paid for and mom would get something new.  After some convincing, I finally talked mom into a lease.  More car, less payment.

We chatted a little over the weekend and I couldn’t nail her down on a day to go look at cars.  She kept giving me the run-around with “I have to work.”  So I decided to take matters into my own hands and force her to go.  Matt and I had offered to let her borrow my car for a few days but instead of dropping off my car I decided we would just go look for her a car.

Yesterday I left work a few minutes early to pick her up.  Then we headed down to the auto park in Cary.  I had my eye on a cute little Kia Sportage in the color she wanted.  Well we get to the lot and of course they don’t have that car.  The guy shows us a few other options and we let mom drive one.  We get back to the dealership and start talking numbers on the one she drove.  Mind you this had more options then she wanted or needed so when that number came back high I started looking at other dealerships in town.  The sales guy continued to work with us determined to sell us a car.  Finally, he came back with one I had seen online that was about 30 mins away.  We all agreed it would work if he could get the numbers to work.  He finally nailed me down on a price and after a quick text to dad I agreed that if he could hit that we would take the car.  All the while mom is shaking her head like Noooooo!  hehe {I should note I’ve been buying cars with mom since I was 14 and we walked out of the Jeep dealership 3x.  And more often than not the sales guys forget who the car is actually for since I end up making the deal.  Mom said she was pretty impressed with my car buyin’ skills.  I’ve apparently gotten better!}

A few minutes later we had ourselves a car!  Woo hooo!  They were even nice enough to offer mom a loaner {with NAV} since her car wouldn’t be ready till today.  This worked out beautifully for me.  Then we waited, and waited, and waited.  Like I mean we waited around 2 hours to see the finance guy.  At this point it was after 9pm and mom was getting grumpy and I was ready to go home.  We get back with the finance guy, who apologizes, and do the speediest paper signing ever!  He also informs us that due to the wait they are including a free car care package.  SCORE!

This morning mom heads to the dealership so I text our sales guy to let him know she is on her way (note dad has the good cell and the prepay mom has is almost out of minutes).  He then calls me to tell me they can’t locate mom’s new car.  Whomp whomp.  Apparently it got put on a truck and ended up in Wake Forest?  I have no clue honestly.  I received a text a little while ago that the sale guy was going to get the car when he got done with a customer but mom is at work till 9 so I guess she won’t get her new car today either.

I should note that this way of buying cars drives Matt nuts.  We are a little on the impulsive side when it comes to car buying.  It normally starts with us at a dealer and ends with a new car.  There is no “scoping out the competition” nor is there “research.”  It just happens.  And unbeknownst to him, that’s probably how the next car we buy for ME will happen.

~k