Comments on: Sexual Discrimination lawsuit?

By: Serena

Serena — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:01:59 +0000

If you try to sue them, you’ll be wasting your money. Lawsuits cost a lot and I doubt you’d win in the first place. The best way to get back at them is to get a license to picket their establishment. Make sure you get that permit or they can arrest you. You’ll need to read all the rules about how far you need to be from the car lot and all that you are allowed to do (like hold up a sign, hand out flyers…). And then never shop there.

I’d also get in touch with the national headquarters if it is a chain/franchise business. Let them know your story. It would help if you knew names, but you can always tell them the time of day and a general description of the guy.

Good luck.
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OOPs Edit: forgot, you can write a letter to the manager, too. Tell on him. If it was the manager, then you really can only go to the owner.

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:29:59 +0000

Thats not sexual discrimination, thats called bad attitude.
You can’t sue him, you sound like my parents, soo money hungry they want to sue everyone for everthing.
Get over it, call and talk to his boss.
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By: Peter T

Peter T — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:44:59 +0000

To make a case for sexual discrimination you will have to prove that he treated you differently than a male under the same conditions and that he did so with intention and willful malice. In other words, you will have to show that he acted as something other than a complete jerk. To sue the dealership you have to prove their complicity in the fact of discrimination. To me it sounds like you encountered a modern jerk.
Certainly you were offended and the proper response is to take the issue up with his employer. You have a valid complaint and an issue that you should not let drop.
You can’t really sue someone for being an idiot. You can be determined and persistent in taking the issue up with his employers and the owner(s) of the dealership.

Do not let this pass. If necessary contact the manufacturers customer relations departments and ask for their assistance in dealing with this issue. BMW and other take a very dim view of offending customers with money to buy cars.
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By: pufferoo

pufferoo — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:21:59 +0000

Laws vary by state. Some have very broad antidiscrimination laws. So don’t go by the posts here to evaluate your case. My gut says that you don’t have the economic sort of damages to establish a case, but a letter from your lawyer could make the manager change the saleman’s attitude right smart. If you could sue and your lawyer thinks it’s an easy case, you can pay him out of what you get from the dealership (if you get nothing you pay nothing). But if you’re paying him on an hourly basis it could be expensive.

You may find this paper useful. It’s from the
website of the University of Chicago’s law school:
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/academics/publiclaw/resources/46.case.discrimination.pdf

A salesperson who treats ANY prospective customer badly is a fool. If this is a franchise, I would complain to the parent corporation’s management, as well as to the manager of the dealership you went to. Just document everything. Then go see a lawyer.

The article has a bit about Saturn’s commitment to nondiscrimination – treating customers or color and women the same as they would treat white males. Used car salesmen tend to be the scum of the earth and I am pretty sure that this guy’s manager would see him for the business liability that he is.

As for the posters who say that suing is just about money – it’s not. Having to pay out large judgments is a HUGE incentive for corporations to clean up their acts.
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Retired NYS attorney

By: ♣PerSepHonE♣

♣PerSepHonE♣ — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:09:59 +0000

one thing about dealerships is that they are in constant competition. they cannot loose out on any prospective sale. they need to treat every customer as a potential buyer. you should have gotten the manager of the dealership and reported him. it will be hard to prove sexual discrimination. it isnt an unknown fact though that dealerships discriminate against women however you will need to have all your ducks in a row, documentation and more to prove it. Your case would be good as a class actions suit if u could find other women who received the same treatment. But that type of behavior i wouldnt have tolerated. He and I would have had it out and it wouldnt have been funny. you should have very easily gotten the manager and asked for another salesman. he would have looked very sorry and stupid if he saw another salesman close the deal and get that commission.
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By: davidb196

davidb196 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:42:59 +0000

No you don't have a good case.. just forget about it and go to a better dealer. Only way you can make his life hell is by telling other people how poorly he treated you.
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By: h b

h b — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:01:59 +0000

these sales guys are jerks. The best thing you can do is take your custom elsewhere and then drive past him and give him the 2 fingered salute saying, guess you won’t be getting the commision on this one……….
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By: macaroni

macaroni — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:53:59 +0000

Talk to his manager and tell him what a little cretin he has working the lot, then let him know that you bought your car somewhere else, and that you will tell everyone you know not to do business with his lot. The little cretin probably didn't care, and thought he was being cute. Car dealerships certainly do not attract rocket scientist as employees, so I wouldn't waste any more time of this. It's not worth it.
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By: bic

bic — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:43:59 +0000

get over yourself. not everything is a lawsuit. move on to a dealership you're comfotable with that's all.
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