New car shopping frustration, part 2

[notstock71]

This is part 2 of my series of frustrations while shopping for a new daily driver. My 1st experience was over a new Challenger and not being able to configure it how I wanted. I decided to look at the new Mustang GT's to build a new version of my 89. Looking at existing inventory dealers are marking down cars from $2000 to $10000 under MSRP. I actually found a car at Galpin that had a few options I did not want but otherwise was exactly what I would order. They were able to go $4000 under MSRP but that was as far as they would go. How can some dealers go 6, 8, $10000 under MSRP on similar priced cars yet others won't go more than 2 or $4000? We were a few thousand dollars apart even agreeing to $1000 shipping to my door. I was ready to give the deposit but they absolutely refused. With how many dealers I see slashing the 2019s I really thought this had potential. The funny thing is the options I dont care to have is the price difference to make the deal.

[Crush]

Try GM.

[69LM1]

My .02,

Try another Ford dealer, look around there lot, then say I saw the exact stang I wanted at such and such dealer, ready to put a deposit down but we were off by Xk, youd be surprised how some times another dealer can swap inventory and make a sale happen.

/R

[fortim]

My .02,

Try another Ford dealer, look around there lot, then say I saw the exact stang I wanted at such and such dealer, ready to put a deposit down but we were off by Xk, youd be surprised how some times another dealer can swap inventory and make a sale happen.

/R

X2

[notstock71]

I found the same car in Texas, we will see what happens today.

[EZ Nova]

Few different reasons why they won't actually. Could be the "bait-and-switch" where they "SAY" you can get UPTO $10,000 off, oh but wait, not that model and options? Or the dealer your looking at with the car knows it's desirable, and at this time is holding out for what they think it's worth.

Seen this many times on new trucks. AND a buddy DID buy a recent ZL-1 Camaro a few years ago. Same thing, discounts were NOT on that option/model. Seen some on-line for the $$$ he wanted to spend. Dealer said "fine maybe you should shop there". Local guy were at their price and wouldn't move the few grand. So he drove and bought elsewhere.

I did the exact same thing on my wife Nissan Maxima. Local dealer was 15-1800 more than dealer about 30 mins away. Told them "she is buying the car YOU HAVE ON YOU LOT TODAY". They stuck to their price. Drove to the out of town dealer, put down the $15K deposit, got them to do the extra''s she wanted, and drove back 4 days later and picked it up. Drove the the local dealer and showed them. Sales guy said I WILL NOT sell for that price! Just so now we know for the future. BUT she doesn't get as good as service for work and other things. Most of the time there "too busy" with cars they sold and she has to wait a 4/5 days to get service at the local dealer too. Spoke to Nissan Canada about it, not really concerned as they are NOT refusing her service.

I was a car salesman for 5 yrs back in the earliy 90"s. I sold Chrysler and Mazda. Back in 2003 wife wanted a new Mazda 3. So we went to the dealer I sold for, boss wasn't in, so sales guy talked to me. Seen the exact car we wanted on the lot as we did visit other just to educate myself on the car/pricing. Came time to do the deal. sales IDIOT puts all our info down and I give him the plate portion of the plate so they can transfer it if we accept the deal. Turns the contract to me, NO DISCOUNT FULL LIST PRICE. I cross-out his price and put our OFFER price in. REMEMBER I WORKED FOR THIS DEALER FOR 3 YEARS. He says "what do you think your doing". I say "putting in my offer. Not paying full list are you nutz"? He come back was "this is the first year car and winning awards, WE ARE SELLING THEM FOR FULL LIST OR NOT SELLING"? I said fine and we left. BUT that night I remembered we left our plate portion and sent the wife in the next day to speak to the owner and get it back. Owner called my cell. Asked what happened and IF we bought yet. I said No and he asked me to come in. We ended up getting the car for 200 over DEALER COST and the sales guy was suspended for a week.

So maybe try a manager or higher up also.

[L_e_e]

I found the same car in Texas, we will see what happens today.

Have you checked your PM’s?

[notstock71]

Have you checked your PM’s?



I apologize, I did not see your message until now. I sent you a reply. Thank you!

[novadude]

Few different reasons why they won't actually. Could be the "bait-and-switch" where they "SAY" you can get UPTO $10,000 off....

Haha... We spend the 4th of July weekend hitting various MOPAR dealers looking for a Grand Cherokee for my wife. A whole lot of bait and switch based on factory incentives. Once they start drilling down, you learn that you can't get incentive "A" because you are not active or retired military, incentive "B" is for Realtor Association members, etc, etc. Also there is a HUGE range of what different dealers offer for trade-in value... some were so low it was actually funny, relative to KBB and other industry estimates.

All-in-all a very frustrating two days, but we finally got to the right dealer that had the car we wanted and was willing to deal. Ended up getting the Jeep GC Limited with the options / colors she wanted for 17% below MSRP, no trade (selling the would-be trade-in vehicle to a family member).

[MosportGreen66]

I just went through this with my 2019 Sierra Denali purchase in 1/19.

I wanted silver and a sunroof - Duramax plus package and the extended warranty. All else was immaterial except no TV/dvd package.

My take away - all car dealers are all identical. Relationship does not matter. They want to sell you not what you want but only what they have in stock irrespective of the buyer sacrifice.

I had a 2018 year end coupon in hand for over $11k off msrp - Guys, I literally had dealers tell me they would not accept a GM issued coupon. I called no short of 12-15 dealers that listed stock on proprietary websites or third party sites like auto trader. 100% of them played games with internet pricing, hidden fees, and actual stock. It was false advertising. I even spoke with a dealer my family had purchased and leased from in past... always Denali brand tier. The salesman told me he doesn’t deal in diesel trucks and he couldn’t help. A week after i bought my truck he calls back telling me one showed up without him knowing! Someone at the dealer ordered it! I also had dealers that did not want to dealer swap with one another but if they did swap, the dealer incentives and credit for selling the vehicle was held ransom by the agreeing dealer making it almost impossible to finalize the deal.

I ended up getting my truck from a dealer in MD. I left NY on the 4 hour drive at 6am on a Sunday to get a call from the dealer at 11am saying if I wasn’t on the dealer campus by noon they reserve the right to sell the truck to another party. This was after they took a $5000 deposit on my credit card - I stopped to wash the car a mile down the road prior to trading it in out of respect and good intention. I arrived minutes later. I traded in my former daily driver and the GM told me due to an undisclosed dent on the car, he was either going to cancel the transaction or deduct $500 from the sale of the car. More agony. I could go on and on... the selling dealer registered the truck incorrectly with DMV which resulted in an epic game of telephone tag and ultimately caused my insurance to temporarily terminate... they did not install all elements of the storage compartment package.

What a messy industry. Maybe German brands do it differently? I had an enjoyable experience buying my 2011 WRX from a dealer in PA but all other recent experiences I’ve heard from members and friends seem to share the same sentiment.

Good luck

Dan

Really difficult industry

[Crush]

Wow!

[novadude]

Man...everything Mossport says really rings true. Especially the part about dealers wanting to sell what is in stock. We drove hundreds of miles around PA and MD to multiple dealerships after finding the cars in inventory online that had the colors and options we wanted. Spent two full days doing this. At many of the dealers, we found that the advertised internet price was nowhere close to what they would really sell for based on all the games with incentives, etc. Calling ahead of time didn't help and they will flat-out lie to get you in the door. I hate the car dealer games.

[427TJ]

I just went through this with my 2019 Sierra Denali purchase in 1/19.

I wanted silver and a sunroof - Duramax plus package and the extended warranty. All else was immaterial except no TV/dvd package.

My take away - all car dealers are all identical. Relationship does not matter. They want to sell you not what you want but only what they have in stock irrespective of the buyer sacrifice.

I had a 2018 year end coupon in hand for over $11k off msrp - Guys, I literally had dealers tell me they would not accept a GM issued coupon. I called no short of 12-15 dealers that listed stock on proprietary websites or third party sites like auto trader. 100% of them played games with internet pricing, hidden fees, and actual stock. It was false advertising. I even spoke with a dealer my family had purchased and leased from in pat... always Denali brand tier. The salesman told me he doesn’t deal in diesel trucks and he couldn’t help. A week after i bought my truck he calls back telling me one showed up without him knowing! Someone at the dealer ordered it! I also had dealers that did not want to dealer swap with one another but if they did swap, the dealer incentives and credit for selling the vehicle was held ransom by the agreeing dealer making it almost impossible to finalize the deal.

I ended up getting my truck from a dealer in MD. I left NY on the 4 hour drive at 6am on a Sunday to get a call from the dealer at 11am saying if I wasn’t on the dealer campus by noon they reserve the right to sell the truck to another party. This was after they took a $5000 deposit on my credit card - I stopped to wash the car a mile down the road prior to trading it in out of respect and good intention. I arrived minutes later. I traded in my former daily driver and the GM told me due to an undisclosed dent on the car, he was either going to cancel the transaction or deduct $500 from the sale of the car. More agony. I could go on and on... the selling dealer registered the truck incorrectly with DMV which resulted in an epic game of telephone tag and ultimately caused my insurance to temporarily terminate... they did not install all elements of the storage compartment package.

What a messy industry. Maybe German brands do it differently? I had an enjoyable experience buying my 2011 WRX from a dealer in PA but all other recent experiences I’ve heard from members and friends seem to share the same sentiment.

Good luck

Dan

Really difficult industry

The old saying goes, "Laws are like sausages. Better not to see them made." I would add that you really don't want to know how business is actually conducted nowadays, especially auto sales.

[Donnie]

WOW!

I bought a 2018 GMC Sierra SLT back in Sept. spent 20 min. on the phone got almost
$13,000 off sticker and went and picked it up.

I would post a pic but for some reason I cant upload from my computer to this site.

[notstock71]

Negotiated the one in Texas, agreed on a deal. I went to give my CC for down payment. New car sales manager says let me call you back. A few minutes later a salesman calls and says sorry, car is sold. I ask for the sales manager to call me back as that is who I negotiated with. Think anyone cared to call. Nope.

[dustinm]

WOW!

I bought a 2018 GMC Sierra SLT back in Sept. spent 20 min. on the phone got almost
$13,000 off sticker and went and picked it up.

I would post a pic but for some reason I cant upload from my computer to this site.

Same around here, but we have smaller customer base. When my wife bought her Charger we shopped around for needed "options". Talked with 3 dealers - they darn near arm wrestled for the sale.

[69 Post Sedan]

I see Chevy/GMC trucks with good incentives but if you look at the fine print, it’s for an “All Star Edition”......so you have to buy their designated truck or you don’t get the incentives.

I looked all over for a deal on a 6.2 Silverado but the deals weren’t on this truck.....I ended up buying a really nice used one with low miles that was beat to crap!

Now, if you do your homework and wait for the right time, it’s possible to get $11k-$15k off a new Chevy/GMC truck......depending on the dealer and incentives.

My last two trucks that I purchased new, I got around $11k off sticker price.

Back in 2004, I went to a local dealer to trade a truck (S10 Crew Cab) in for a new one. This dealer is 3 miles from my house and they sell.....or at least did sell....about 300 cars a month when GM was making vehicles in Janesville. They told me what I’d get for trade in. Later that day, I called up another small town dealer and asked what he would give me for trade in. He offered me $1400 more than our local dealer, over the phone. I called up the other salesman, who is a long time friend of mine, and told him the situation. He told me they couldn’t give me that much and that $1400 more was a good deal......so I ended up going 25 miles away and get the truck from the small dealer.

My brother has a Chrysler minivan that he purchased in Daytona Florida. He lives in Inverness Florida. Decided he wanted a new one, called the dealer up, made the deal over the phone. My sister in law tells my brother to call them back and have them deliver it. Believe it or not, the dealer delivered that new van to their house.....2 hours away!!!

Kurt

[notstock71]

Well I ended up buying from Galpin Ford in CA. It was the typical back and forth but in the end I'm happy.

Now, I need to arrange shipping to Omaha. I see what my day today will consist of

[notstock71]

Here she is

[notstock71]

Amazing what a 30 year difference looks like

[dustinm]

Both look very nice. Ive always had a soft spot for fox notches

[dustinm]

I see Chevy/GMC trucks with good incentives but if you look at the fine print, it’s for an “All Star Edition”......so you have to buy their designated truck or you don’t get the incentives.

I looked all over for a deal on a 6.2 Silverado but the deals weren’t on this truck.....I ended up buying a really nice used one with low miles that was beat to crap!

Now, if you do your homework and wait for the right time, it’s possible to get $11k-$15k off a new Chevy/GMC truck......depending on the dealer and incentives.

My last two trucks that I purchased new, I got around $11k off sticker price.



Kurt


Correct. It seemed last year around Labor Day GM was having a fire sale on the old body style - all trim levels, that is when I jumped on the 6.2. But still All Stars had the most off.

If you can stand the new body Laura GMC has pretty good prices on AT4s.

[daleone3]

For anyone looking at new or used, this is a must see. This guy is a Trainer for Dealers and has a number of videos on youtube that will link to this one. Once you watch it you will have a better idea of how to combat the relentless bleeding they do of the consumer.

https://youtu.be/TQeWRRM29PI

[Mr70]

LOL...I was looking to buy one of the newly released IROC-Z Camaros back in the spring of 1985 and this is the same type of guy I visited.
He didn't have the one I wanted in stock,so told me he could do a dealer search,for $100.And if I buy the car from them,they would add that $100 search cost to the agreed upon cost of the car @ that time.Was told that ordering one from the factory would cost more $,then if on the lot from them.
If they can't find the car I wanted,my $100 would be refunded back to me,so I gave them $100,and let them search..I was 21 and this was my first brand spanking new car,so I believed them.
1 week later I haven't heard back,so I call and ask for the salesman,he says they are still searching,as nothing nearby has shown up...1 more week,nothing.
I then seek out other dealerships on my own near me and find "Mr.Ed" Schoenthaler has the exact IROC-Z I wanted in stock on his lot @ his now own personal dealership,which was CrossRoads Chevrolet...(Ironically,Ed was the Hi-Po car salesman @ this exact Dealership where I had just left the $100,back in 1970,Fencl-Tufo Chevrolet)
I walked in,saw it,drove it,came to a fair deal with Ed himself,and left that day with my new IROC-Z.
1 day later I call Fencl-Tufo and ask for my $100 back,they ask why?..I tell them I just bought the exact car I wanted a few miles away from them.They are in disbelief and ask to see the car.I drive over & show them.The salesman tells me he doesn't have the key to the cash box holding my money,and to come back in the AM when the Mgr is there..I leave and come back,only to be told the guy with the key is @ an early lunch..I ask what time should I return,he tells me to try around 5PM..I go back @ 4:50PM and find my salesman has left for the day.I then call Mr.Ed and tell them the run around I'm getting here.Ed calls corporate,corporate calls me for details...The next day that salesman is in my driveway handing me $100 back,with a $20 attached,(interest) for the inconvenience.
He later lost his job a few months I was told.I will never forget his name or face.
Mr.Ed later told me that was why he left Fencl-Tufo,because of their underhanded tactics,and that was not the first time that has happened there.
He thanked me for bringing it to his attention,and even the salesman handing my back my money in our driveway was speechless,and asked,"who are you?"
I said, "I'm friends with Mr.Ed." :)

[notstock71]

Maybe someday a dealer will open that realizes volume can be profitable. People will know they are getting a genuine fair price. Building customer relations has just as much value as the sale. Relationships bring repeat business which generates more sales.

My dad was in service for decades. He never sold anything that wasn't needed. He gave customers a heads up on what repairs were coming due so they could plan and budget. Seeing a customer walk in and say just do what is needed because they knew he wouldn't take advantage of them was amazing to me. To this day I still remember that and have the utmost admiration and respect for him.

Maybe that's why car shopping is so difficult, I want to do business where your word and a handshake means something. Your business is nothing without your customers and your employees are your biggest asset. I don't think that business exists.

[mockingbird812]

LOL...I was looking to buy one of the newly released IROC-Z Camaros back in the spring of 1985 and this is the same type of guy I visited.
He didn't have the one I wanted in stock,so told me he could do a dealer search,for $100.And if I buy the car from them,they would add that $100 search cost to the agreed upon cost of the car @ that time.Was told that ordering one from the factory would cost more $,then if on the lot from them.
If they can't find the car I wanted,my $100 would be refunded back to me,so I gave them $100,and let them search..I was 21 and this was my first brand spanking new car,so I believed them.
1 week later I haven't heard back,so I call and ask for the salesman,he says they are still searching,as nothing nearby has shown up...1 more week,nothing.
I then seek out other dealerships on my own near me and find "Mr.Ed" Schoenthaler has the exact IROC-Z I wanted in stock on his lot @ his now own personal dealership,which was CrossRoads Chevrolet...(Ironically,Ed was the Hi-Po car salesman @ this exact Dealership where I had just left the $100,back in 1970,Fencl-Tufo Chevrolet)
I walked in,saw it,drove it,came to a fair deal with Ed himself,and left that day with my new IROC-Z.
1 day later I call Fencl-Tufo and ask for my $100 back,they ask why?..I tell them I just bought the exact car I wanted a few miles away from them.They are in disbelief and ask to see the car.I drive over & show them.The salesman tells me he doesn't have the key to the cash box holding my money,and to come back in the AM when the Mgr is there..I leave and come back,only to be told the guy with the key is @ an early lunch..I ask what time should I return,he tells me to try around 5PM..I go back @ 4:50PM and find my salesman has left for the day.I then call Mr.Ed and tell them the run around I'm getting here.Ed calls corporate,corporate calls me for details...The next day that salesman is in my driveway handing me $100 back,with a $20 attached,(interest) for the inconvenience.
He later lost his job a few months I was told.I will never forget his name or face.
Mr.Ed later told me that was why he left Fencl-Tufo,because of their underhanded tactics,and that was not the first time that has happened there.
He thanked me for bringing it to his attention,and even the salesman handing my back my money in our driveway was speechless,and asked,"who are you?"
I said, "I'm friends with Mr.Ed." :)


Great story Rick!

[daleone3]

Maybe someday a dealer will open that realizes volume can be profitable. People will know they are getting a genuine fair price. Building customer relations has just as much value as the sale. Relationships bring repeat business which generates more sales.

My dad was in service for decades. He never sold anything that wasn't needed. He gave customers a heads up on what repairs were coming due so they could plan and budget. Seeing a customer walk in and say just do what is needed because they knew he wouldn't take advantage of them was amazing to me. To this day I still remember that and have the utmost admiration and respect for him.

Maybe that's why car shopping is so difficult, I want to do business where your word and a handshake means something. Your business is nothing without your customers and your employees are your biggest asset. I don't think that business exists.


Sounds like your Dad was a stand up guy, few and far between in Sales and Service. My mom has a 2008 Camry with 28k miles, she went to the dealer for an oil change and was told her water pump was leaking and needed a battery as well, quoted her $1100 and told her the car was unsafe to drive. She called me and I told her to leave after her oil change. The Adviser told her again the car was not safe to drive and tried to scare her in to doing the work. She stood her ground and left. I went over that night to check the car and no leaks and the battery was load tested and fine. Two years later, the water pump is still fine. Needless to say, I called the dealer and they wanted her to come back and make it right but I told them to screw and proceeded to put up detailed reviews everywhere I could which they replied to again, asking me to contact them to make it right which I replied to as well. They prey on people. Not all of them but certainly most of them so proceed with caution. Coincidentally, my father in law brought his 2010 Arcadia (40k miles) to a different dealer and they did the same thing to him but he had the work done. Must be part of a new training to up sell water pumps, who knows. Nothing gives me more pleasure than kicking the sh*t out of a sales guy for an hour and then walking away.

[markinnaples]

Is this where we vent about bad dealers? If so, here goes. I bought a 2005 Mercedes C230 Kompressor new in 2005 at the local MB dealer in my town. Got a better deal there than the other dealer I went to, so I was happy. One day I took my car in for service and while waiting for my service manager in the drive-in portico, I saw them bringing in a CLK on a tow truck, rear end first. The tow truck driver was moving pretty good through the service area (faster than he should have) and the front spoiler of the CLK got snagged on the bolted down speed bumps and ripped that thing off with so much force that it shot across three bays. Everyone was watching as it made a pretty loud sound when it came off, but the truck kept going. I looked around for a couple minutes and everyone else just kept on working and minding their own business including all of the service managers, so I went over and picked it up. I saw the woman come around after they dropped her off from the tow truck and went up to her and told her about the spoiler and that she better get the drivers information. She said she was appreciative that I picked it up for her, especially because it had the community gate transponder still zip tied to it. Obviously she was pretty ticked off about the whole deal, and she said she hated the dealer. She said the last time she was there she came in for servicing and they told her she needed tires. She agreed but they wanted to charge her $1600+ for four new ones, so she said she thought she could get a better deal elsewhere and left. She went down the road to Costco right after that and got them for about $800, so while she was in their waiting room she saw the same guy who just told her $1600+ at the MB dealership drive in with another Benz to get tires at Costco. When he came in, she just stood up and looked at him, and he said, "Oh, oops, I guess you got us." They were taking the cars to Costco for the tires and mounting and doubling the price for their customers. What a scam.

The owners of this dealership had a son who was bad news and a few years later were told to sell the dealership and move back to Germany or the son was going to jail.
Craziness all around.

[300deluxeL79]

Sounds like your Dad was a stand up guy, few and far between in Sales and Service. My mom has a 2008 Camry with 28k miles, she went to the dealer for an oil change and was told her water pump was leaking and needed a battery as well, quoted her $1100 and told her the car was unsafe to drive. She called me and I told her to leave after her oil change. The Adviser told her again the car was not safe to drive and tried to scare her in to doing the work. She stood her ground and left. I went over that night to check the car and no leaks and the battery was load tested and fine. Two years later, the water pump is still fine. Needless to say, I called the dealer and they wanted her to come back and make it right but I told them to screw and proceeded to put up detailed reviews everywhere I could which they replied to again, asking me to contact them to make it right which I replied to as well. They prey on people. Not all of them but certainly most of them so proceed with caution. Coincidentally, my father in law brought his 2010 Arcadia (40k miles) to a different dealer and they did the same thing to him but he had the work done. Must be part of a new training to up sell water pumps, who knows. Nothing gives me more pleasure than kicking the sh*t out of a sales guy for an hour and then walking away.

GM did have an extended warranty on those Acadia/Enclave/Traverse water pumps

[njsteve]

This happened on the Dodge Charger I bought for my wife in '14.

We wanted a white car with red interior and AWD. There was one at a dealer about 50 miles away. Our local dealer was going to get it for us in a dealer trade to close the deal. They pulled the old dealer BS, making us wait around while they checked prices etc., confirmed availability, yada yada... (we were going to pay cash outright with our Chrysler 300 trade in) Finally closing time comes around and they pull out a number that is now $1000 more than we agreed upon and say that's the best we can do.

I walked past the salesman, and the remaining customers and proceeded directly up to the sales manager. I smiled and told him in the loudest "stage whisper" I had, that we were going to buy this car today and your greedy little amateur move just lost our business forever. His face dropped as we walked out. I told him I was blocking their phone number so not to even attempt to call me back.

At 9:00 AM the very next morning I was at that other dealer 50 miles away and made an even better deal on that exact car (It had been sitting on their lot for over two months by then due to the unique paint/interior scheme) and that no other dealer had ever contacted them on it. As they were no longer taking orders for 2014's - the assembly plants were ramping up for the facelifted '15 model year, this car was now distressed merchandise and they really wanted it gone.

We traded in our Chrysler 300 for more money than the other dealer offered, and we were out of the dealer in a couple hours. Everyone was happy. They even gave me 3 years of free oil changes as a bonus.

I was driving home in the new Charger when guess who calls??? The sales manager from the previous night (I forgot to block his number). I stopped him mid-sentence and said: "Ya hear this? (I revved the engine). I just bought that exact car for $2500 less than your deal. You should have taken my offer."

I then hung up and blocked the dealer's number.

I never felt so satisfied over a car deal. :-)

(With all the leftover model year incentives and USAA discounts, combined with the higher trade in value, the final price was below dealer cost)