Re: NBC--one thing we'll probably never have to worry about when buying a P car

[www.autoblog.com]

So, the dealer calls the police alleging the guy stole the car--I guess from their perspective he did--and the police hauled him in.
As the article suggests, that lost $5600 could be the least of dealer's worries.

I'd sue the Police, too, for false imprisonment. I can't believe they arrest the guy without having the facts. If the dude had a signed contract in his possession to prove that he legally purchased the vehicle, then the cops should never have taken him in. They should have considered it a civil matter for the civil courts to settle. It's a contract dispute, plain and simple.

--db

I guess I'm out of touch with current new car prices. Most amazing fact in that article to me is that a Chevy Traverse minivan/SUV/crossover carries a sticker of $39,000!!

See my other pastime at www.gothamcityracing.net

Agreed--he must have had paper work referencing the purchase price, who had the loan, temp tags, etc....; you don't get that stuff by just waltzing into a showroom grabbing a set of keys and heading out the door.

I am wondering if the dealership will fire the sales doofus or the manager who called the police. In the face of litigation, probbaly not (yet), but what a nimwit.
PS - each state is different, but the police generally have a high degree of legal immunity from these wrongful arrest type claims.

visited the local dealer of a foreign car brand yesterday. Am at the 57k mark on mine so do the 60k or buy new question needs to be answered.

Pleasant, polite. Test drove. Better than expected. Lets get figures. Got figures...list, "discount", trade in, bottom line. Brochure too. Much better bottom line than I expected. But "trust but verify". Went home.

List price they put down was $1400 more than a price 2 states up from a dealer I bought my same brand last car from a year ago. Exactly same car. Trade in offered was $600 below even "good condition" KBB.

And they knew before they put pen to paper that I knew of the value-less add-ons the s/e distributor required all dealers in a multi-state area to add and they knew I was willing to go 250 miles for probably $2k because they knew I had done it the last time.

Mike, are you saying they quoted you $1400 above list price for the new car? It is hard to believe that they'd try to do that these days when all the list prices are on Manufacturer websites. Maybe they're not aware of the Internet?

I know they can try to play lots of games with options, financing and trade-in value. ....and of course, they can offer you this rock bottom deal today only.

Quote
mikefocke, '01S Sanford, NC
visited the local dealer of a foreign car brand yesterday. Am at the 57k mark on mine so do the 60k or buy new question needs to be answered.

Pleasant, polite. Test drove. Better than expected. Lets get figures. Got figures...list, "discount", trade in, bottom line. Brochure too. Much better bottom line than I expected. But "trust but verify". Went home.

List price they put down was $1400 more than a price 2 states up from a dealer I bought my same brand last car from a year ago. Exactly same car. Trade in offered was $600 below even "good condition" KBB.

And they knew before they put pen to paper that I knew of the value-less add-ons the s/e distributor required all dealers in a multi-state area to add and they knew I was willing to go 250 miles for probably $2k because they knew I had done it the last time.

I'm saying there was a huge difference between their listed selling price and the price of the same car distributed by another distributor in another region and that the add-ons that make the price different are standard in a multi state area from all dealers. I went through the same buying process a year ago and the dealers confessed that it was that way.

$29,192 NC
$27,298 MD

That's interesting. Any new cars I've seen on lots here in Ontario all have a sticker listing options, gas mileage figures and manufacturer's price for the car and each of the factory installed options. Those prices will be the same as what's on the Manufacturer's website. It will be incentives, "sales", dealer installed options, financing options and trade-in values where dealers play around with the bottom line of a trade-in.

Quote
mikefocke, '01S Sanford, NC
visited the local dealer of a foreign car brand yesterday. Am at the 57k mark on mine so do the 60k or buy new question needs to be answered.

Pleasant, polite. Test drove. Better than expected. Lets get figures. Got figures...list, "discount", trade in, bottom line. Brochure too. Much better bottom line than I expected. But "trust but verify". Went home.

List price they put down was $1400 more than a price 2 states up from a dealer I bought my same brand last car from a year ago. Exactly same car. Trade in offered was $600 below even "good condition" KBB.

And they knew before they put pen to paper that I knew of the value-less add-ons the s/e distributor required all dealers in a multi-state area to add and they knew I was willing to go 250 miles for probably $2k because they knew I had done it the last time.

As Guenter mentioned, it's hard to believe that there are still dealers out there trying to game the system by adding $'s to list price to give the appearance of a more substantial discount.

When I was going through this on the 981, while trade in values and new car discounts were all over the board, no one I contacted was going beyond list or creating a "market" price, which I've seen before on cars that are just introduced and have a lot buzz in the market place.

Wonder if you ever tried one of those car buying approaches offered by KBB or Car.com where you request a bid from several dealers in your general area with the given car/options you want ?
I did this on a 2007 RAV4 and the bids varied substantially--$500 off sticker, $900 off sticker and $1900 off sticker on the very same car.
No hassles--came in and did the deal with the exact car I wanted. One of the most pleasant car buying experience I've ever had.

Tried this process on the 981 just for grins and the results were the exact opposite--one dealer suggested I try with this approach with another Porsche dealer, while another was very late getting back and not terribly interested. I'm thinking this technique works better with your typical high volume sedans/SUVs where the competition between dealers is more intense.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2012 10:28AM by MikenOH. (view changes)

A year ago I got 6 quotes from the surrounding area dealers. They were all higher by what I considered a lot than the no-haggle price offered by another dealer in another state who got his cars without the requirement from their regional distributor to add on a list of add-ons that consist of extended warranty and polish and cheap cosmetic items like tinted windows and bumper protectors (you may recognize the brand).

Yes I'm amazed in this day and age where info is available at the flick of a mouse that they can get away with it.

The car is the model x with package y, not a complicated comparison.

Quote
mikefocke, '01S Sanford, NC
A year ago I got 6 quotes from the surrounding area dealers. They were all higher by what I considered a lot than the no-haggle price offered by another dealer in another state who got his cars without the requirement from their regional distributor to add on a list of add-ons that consist of extended warranty and polish and cheap cosmetic items like tinted windows and bumper protectors (you may recognize the brand).

Yes I'm amazed in this day and age where info is available at the flick of a mouse that they can get away with it.

The car is the model x with package y, not a complicated comparison.

So these dealers with the higher price could (or maybe would) not sell the cars without these add-ons?

Of course not everyone checks these things out. They just see something and buy it without any considerations. I recall one time, looking at a car in the show room, a couple came in and asked to take a car out for a test drive. They were back in less than 10 minutes and told the salesman they'd take it, went into his office and signed the paper work and I'm sure that's not the only time that has happened.

Yes, no dealer in the s/e distributor's area will sell a car without these add on's thus adding cost to the price a buyer must pay. They play games by not posting an invoice price or a manufacturer's list price on a quote sheet but rather a selling price. I'm amazed as I spread the word around here that more people aren't a bit upset at the tactics.

Quote
mikefocke, '01S Sanford, NC
Yes, no dealer in the s/e distributor's area will sell a car without these add on's thus adding cost to the price a buyer must pay. They play games by not posting an invoice price or a manufacturer's list price on a quote sheet but rather a selling price. I'm amazed as I spread the word around here that more people aren't a bit upset at the tactics.

Mike:
When you say S/E distributor, do you mean their is one mega dealership that has control of sales in the region or something else?

The S/E region distributor provides the cars and the packages to all the dealers in the region. I had heard this a year ago, forget the source, then the mid-atlantic dealer said he got a lot of business because of it, then in the local dealer trying to escalate me up the chain the dealership's owner confirmed the story. All the prices I see online and via getting quotes confirm that this is the case via the list of required extras.

Note this is not a P car situation.

If you want to know where I went, PM me. All I do now is email the specs on the car I want to my sales guy and I have a quote the same day. I of course have no connection other than I loved the transaction. I'm retired and I took a day and a $50 motel room and a $90 train ride to save better than $2k and not feel taken.

and your trip was well worth your efforts.

When I did some research on the subject, I was pretty amazed this situation still exists, nearly 45 years after the business arrangement was signed.
The tiny, Japanese auto company struggling to make a splash in the world's largest car market, becomes the largest global car maker, the world of commerce goes through all kinds of technological changes--but this deal soldiers on like it's still 1968--amazing.

what some people/companies will do if they think it will fill their pockets and if they can get away with it. I'm surprised some publicity seeking TV station hasn't done an exposé but then again maybe they get too much in ad revenue from the same dealers who are part of the conspiracy.

Fortunately, buying out of region has no effect on the warranty or free 2 year service.

It isn't just the SE area distributor...the Gulf States distributor (FL to TX) is trivially even more expensive. Edmonds calls the add-ons an administrative fee and a delivery fee and says the two add up to around $880.

Obviously, like in my example of the car buying couple, a lot of people just see something that they like and they buy it. They don't comparison shop, they don't plan ahead because they can't be bothered. Whatever is easiest. Besides, it "only" makes a few dollars a month difference. They don't bother to calculate what those few dollars add up to.