PSA: my recent car buying experience.

[Cosmos]

So I got a quote over the internet which was $10,000 off sticker. It was VIN specific. I thought it too good to be true but nonetheless, printed it off and headed to the dealer. It was last year's model and I thought they're trying to clear out inventory to make way for the 2022 model year.

So I get there and present my quote. They try telling me it's for the base trim and not the one in which I'm interested. They wanted to split the $10k in manufacturer discounts 50-50. We go 'round the block on my quote being VIN-specific. Moreover, I had to fight for a customer loyalty discount despite showing proof of insurance and registration. So I start to walk. Finally, they agree to absorb all discounts except for $1,000. It's my wife's car so I acquiesced, but I'm still miffed over this 'bait and switch' tactic.

According to the bell curve on TruCar.com I still got a great deal relative to what others paid. I wanted to tear them a new one in the customer survey but the wife says to let it go.

The moral of the story: beware of the internet price. I spent four hours there haggling. Expect to do the same.

Thank you.

 

[CentexLion]

So I got a quote over the internet which was $10,000 off sticker. It was VIN specific. I thought it too good to be true but nonetheless, printed it off and headed to the dealer. It was last year's model and I thought they're trying to clear out inventory to make way for the 2022 model year.

So I get there and present my quote. They try telling me it's for the base trim and not the one in which I'm interested. They wanted to split the $10k in manufacturer discounts 50-50. We go 'round the block on my quote being VIN-specific. Moreover, I had to fight for a customer loyalty discount despite showing proof of insurance and registration. So I start to walk. Finally, they agree to absorb all discounts except for $1,000. It's my wife's car so I acquiesced, but I'm still miffed over this 'bait and switch' tactic.

According to the bell curve on TruCar.com I still got a great deal relative to what others paid. I wanted to tear them a new one in the customer survey but the wife says to let it go.

The moral of the story: beware of the internet price. I spent four hours there haggling. Expect to do the same.

Thank you.

Tear them a new one on the survey. Sometimes their bonus depends on getting all 5's. Daughter bought a new Mazda around new years, and had to bring it back in a week later to get the windshield replaced, as it had a crack in the corner. She was about to fill in the survey but I told her to wait until after the service. She scheduled the appointment with them and drove in the 160 miles to get it replaced. When she got there, they said that they were sorry they could not fix it that day, because that is the windshield guys day off every week. They actually blamed her for not checking in before she made the drive and had to come back 6 days later. After that experience, she filled in the survey correctly, and later got a call from management apologizing and asking her to refill it. Nope. Last time for anything at that shop (she now will use her local on in Houston for warranty repairs only)

 

[Lion Son/Husband/Father]

In car forums, it’s bad form to not post pics. This applies here as well.

 

[Tri-Power65]

Did you really expect it to go smoothly?

 

[1995PSUgrad]

Several times at different car dealerships I have been told that I will get a survey and that they need me to give them all 5's. They sometimes ask if I plan to give them 5's and if not, what can they do to get them. My thought is that if you have to ask me for 5's, you probably aren't getting them. If they want all 5's, then they just need to provide me with great service.
The couple of times that I have had a very bad experience, I haven't gotten a survey to complete. Funny how that works!

 

[Obliviax]

Yikes. But not surprising.
My wife got her law degree later in life and people thought she was crazy. In cases like this I have her come in and spout off a bunch of legal jargon and claims. They typically fold right away. It has been quite a shock to see and realize this.

 

[Fayette_LION]

So I got a quote over the internet which was $10,000 off sticker. It was VIN specific. I thought it too good to be true but nonetheless, printed it off and headed to the dealer. It was last year's model and I thought they're trying to clear out inventory to make way for the 2022 model year.

So I get there and present my quote. They try telling me it's for the base trim and not the one in which I'm interested. They wanted to split the $10k in manufacturer discounts 50-50. We go 'round the block on my quote being VIN-specific. Moreover, I had to fight for a customer loyalty discount despite showing proof of insurance and registration. So I start to walk. Finally, they agree to absorb all discounts except for $1,000. It's my wife's car so I acquiesced, but I'm still miffed over this 'bait and switch' tactic.

According to the bell curve on TruCar.com I still got a great deal relative to what others paid. I wanted to tear them a new one in the customer survey but the wife says to let it go.

The moral of the story: beware of the internet price. I spent four hours there haggling. Expect to do the same.

Thank you.

You must be prepared to walk away to get a good price. These dealerships are just terrible in treating people the right way. Walk out once or twice and they'll drop the price.

 

[Obliviax]

You must be prepared to walk away to get a good price. These dealerships are just terrible in treating people the right way. Walk out once or twice and they'll drop the price.

Yep. My strategy: here is my mobile number and here are my terms. I am going to open my evaluation and will make a purchase. If you meet my terms, give me a call. If not, best of luck selling this vehicle.

with the internet today, patience is key. Shopping for a car used to be like hunting rabbit. Today it is more like bass fishing.

 

[stf110]

We just bought a new Buick 2 weeks ago and things went fairly smoothly, but then as usual it depends highly on the dealer and the sales person you are working with at the dealer.

One thing I always am sure to pay attention to is that the price I am looking at online is an actual price they will offer me, and not one that is predicated on brand-loyalty $ or returning lessee $ or other things that won't be applicable to me. (We keep our cars/trucks on average of 12-14 years so we never qualify for any of that even if we go back to the same manufacturer)

The dealer we went thru on their website only had baked into the price the $ from the manufacturer that everyone is getting, and also their own basic "everyone qualifies" rebate. Then once you got into the actual listing, they had "you may also qualify for" listed, but it was not part of the "clickable" price so to speak.

 

[Cosmos]

Did you really expect it to go smoothly?

Here's my expectation. I'm old school. Where I come from a contract consists of an offer and an acceptance. So what I had in hand was an executable contract. Heck, I even spoke to the dealer over the phone before making the 25 mile trek. He expressed no reservations at the time.

 

[Cosmos]

Yep. My strategy: here is my mobile number and here are my terms. I am going to open my evaluation and will make a purchase. If you meet my terms, give me a call. If not, best of luck selling this vehicle.

with the internet today, patience is key. Shopping for a car used to be like hunting rabbit. Today it is more like bass fishing.

True that. I cast my line at three different dealers. Only one took the bait. The other offers weren't even in the same ballpark. And this was for last year's model. I also timed my purchase to coincide with month-end.

 

[Metal Mike]

On another note I have had 2 good experiences with on-line buying. I inputted the car and the trim I wanted and got a quote. In 1 instance the price came down when I showed up in person. The other time it was right on.

 

[BBrown]

So I got a quote over the internet which was $10,000 off sticker. It was VIN specific. I thought it too good to be true but nonetheless, printed it off and headed to the dealer. It was last year's model and I thought they're trying to clear out inventory to make way for the 2022 model year.

So I get there and present my quote. They try telling me it's for the base trim and not the one in which I'm interested. They wanted to split the $10k in manufacturer discounts 50-50. We go 'round the block on my quote being VIN-specific. Moreover, I had to fight for a customer loyalty discount despite showing proof of insurance and registration. So I start to walk. Finally, they agree to absorb all discounts except for $1,000. It's my wife's car so I acquiesced, but I'm still miffed over this 'bait and switch' tactic.

According to the bell curve on TruCar.com I still got a great deal relative to what others paid. I wanted to tear them a new one in the customer survey but the wife says to let it go.

The moral of the story: beware of the internet price. I spent four hours there haggling. Expect to do the same.

Thank you.

That seems to be a very common complaint with "internet" pricing and yea its def. bait and switch.
I've had it happen to me and friends of mine. We all walked.

 

[BBrown]

You must be prepared to walk away to get a good price. These dealerships are just terrible in treating people the right way. Walk out once or twice and they'll drop the price.

They (car dealerships) seem to have gotten much more aggressive since the Covid event. Car sales are doing really well and they don't seem to care if you walk away anymore.

 

[UncleRoyBiggins]

Last fall I was in the market for a new Toyota Tacoma. I was very specific in the model that I wanted. It's the TRD Pro model, which are very hard to come by, and usually need to be ordered as most dealers are limited to the amount of Pro's they can get. I emailed a salesman at Joe Confer Toyota in State College, told him exactly what I wanted and asked if he could order it. He told me that he would have to check the build schedules and get back to me. I heard nothing. I really couldn't have made it any easier for them. I was a guaranteed sale, with very little effort on their part. I was even willing to pay MSRP to get what I wanted. (Pro's are a beast of their own when it comes to price and lack of discounts) I then contacted Bobby Rahal Toyota of Lewistown, and had the complete opposite. They went out of their way to get me exactly what I wanted, and even discounted off of MSRP. (Without me even asking)