New car shopping frustration, part 2
 

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.

Try GM.

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

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

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.

Have you checked your PM’s?

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

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).

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