Dealership jerking me around

MeetJoeAsian · 10-20-2009, 08:43 PM

I've been in the business for 7 years, and it's a common practice for a dealership to lock the customer down and "take them out of the market"...the way the dealership is getting the vehicle is through locate and trade...they give another dealership a vehicle they have, and the other dealership gives them a vehicle they need...we do that everyday...by signing a contract, in the customer's head, they feel like they're locked into that contract, and by putting you into their "loaner" car, you're not gonna be able to take your trade-in elsewhere to start another deal...

dealerships want to sell what's in their inventory, and they will try to switch you from your choice to what they have in stock...when all else fail and they can't switch you, they will do a "dealer trade"...trust me, your dealership would rather give you additional discounts on a vehicle they have in stock RIGHT NOW rather than getting that other vehicle in for you...it costs them more money to do that (transfer cost plus any add-ons they have on their vehicle that they're trading out from in stock)...

One thing to remember is that if they do a dealer trade, most times, the vehicle will be DRIVEN into the dealership...meaning if the dealership is 2 hours away, expect your vehicle to have some miles on it depending on the other dealership's distance...generally, they won't truck the vehicle in because of cost...but, I guess it also depends on how you negotiated with the dealership too...

In Texas, you are not an owner until you drive the vehicle off the lot...even then, you can always call up the lender and tell them you're going to default on the loan and they will not fund the dealership, then the dealership will rush to get the car back from you...and the other thing that is important to a dealership is CSI (Customer Survey Index)...this is how dealerships earn their inventory and bonus money...if you call and speak to the Customer Relations Manager, and tell them POLITELY that you are not happy with the deal and you feel like you're getting the run around...they will try to make you happy, or let you back out of the deal...we can ALWAYS back out of the deal, even if you have signed your contract...as long as you never took deliver of the vehicle, you are NOT an owner...even if you have signed the contract...now, if you had left a deposit for the vehicle, you MAY lose that money if the dealership did live up to their word in getting you the vehicle they promised you in a timely manner...however, it seems like they've broken their side of the promise, so you're in the clear to back out...whatever you do, just don't be an A-hole...

Cubaboy · 10-20-2009, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeetJoeAsian

I've been in the business for 7 years, and it's a common practice from a dealership to lock the customer down and "take them out of the market"...the way the dealership is getting the vehicle is through locate and trade...they give another dealership a vehicle they have, and the other dealership gives them a vehicle they need...we do that everyday...by signing a contract, in the customer's head, they feel like they're locked into that contract, and by putting you into their "loaner" car, you're not gonna be able to take your trade-in elsewhere to start another deal...

Wow, great advice. Thanks a ton!

My dealership has ZERO Z's on the lot, so they are trying to get me into one.

They are driving it from the other dealership. I don't mind having 150 miles on the car when I get it.... I've had women with more miles on them but they were still new to me!

What do I do if they can't get my Z and want to find me another? Should I politely refuse and go to another dealership that has one in stock, even if it's hours away or let them find me one and try this all over again?

edeeZee · 10-20-2009, 10:02 PM

You know that a dealership on its own whim doesn't have to dealer-trade with another, right? I know JoeAsian touched that, I used to be a car salesman too. I hated the business, too competitive and you gotta have thick skin to deal with customers.

kannibul · 10-20-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubaboy

It's got the VIN, color, everything... They aren't trying to hide the fact they may have to find another vehicle. I'm just not sure how mad I should be right now if it gets to that point.

With it having the VIN as part of the contract, it's a breech of contract...null and void!

FuszNissan · 10-20-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubaboy

I completely can see that the problem is on the OTHER dealer's side. They apparently renigged on the agreement with my dealer.

If the Z gets here, I don't want to back out! I'm gonna drive the Z away!

You're a dealer Fusz? What should I do if they want to find me another Z? Should I ask for some kind of kick for going through this? Like some free gas, oil changes, options, etc?

That is up to you , but free oil changes are always an easy one.

MeetJoeAsian · 10-21-2009, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubaboy

Wow, great advice. Thanks a ton!

My dealership has ZERO Z's on the lot, so they are trying to get me into one.

They are driving it from the other dealership. I don't mind having 150 miles on the car when I get it.... I've had women with more miles on them but they were still new to me!

What do I do if they can't get my Z and want to find me another? Should I politely refuse and go to another dealership that has one in stock, even if it's hours away or let them find me one and try this all over again?

Well...one of the things they would try to avoid is letting the customer know where the vehicle the customer is getting is coming from cuz the customer may go there to get it...if you have patience, and you're willing to settle for another color combination, you can probably go back to the dealership and re-negotiate in your favor: more for your trade, cheaper price, free oil change, etc...otherwise, pull out and go to the another dealership...

living in the big city, there are advantages to buying from a larger dealership...I know this because I work for one...we sell about 400-600 new cars each month, and we're a high volume dealership...we have more leg room to play with when we negotiate...it also means that we have a better selection to trade with other dealerships...this means that, based on what you're telling me, the dealership you went to didn't have any Z, and the other dealership is not giving them the Z, that's probably because the other dealership wants a Z back from your dealership in the trade, but since your dealership doesn't have one to give back, they don't want to take anything else (like a Maxima, or Altima..etc...) back....so in the end, you're not gonna be able to get a car...it may be harder for this dealership to locate a Z for you because all the other dealerships will want a Z back in trade, thus, they may have to wait until they get a Z in stock as trade bait before they can trade for you....

One more thing about smaller dealerships, when they make a sale, they have to make a certain profit before they will accept the deal...whereas, larger dealerships can sell the vehicle below invoice and still keep their average up...

when I say larger and smaller dealership, I meant by volume...sometimes, a larger dealership (in size) may not sell as much as a smaller dealership (in size)...so when I speak of large and small, I speak of units the dealership sells...

zZSportZz · 10-21-2009, 08:17 AM

This is what happened when I bought my Titan - signed the paper work and drove off with the Titan. I already had financing through my financial instituation which was a great deal. Dealership said they would beat it financing through Nissan financing. Better rate? Sign me up. So urgent issues made me have to drive to Maine from Maryland right after I bought the truck (not the best scenario for break in reasons - but had no choice). When I get back I have a message from the dealership saying they could not beat the rate...and that I had to go back in to resign paperwork because they dropped the price of the vehicle down to compensate and not have to pay more money out of my pocket. Needless to say, this pissed me off. Brought the truck back and told them to keep it (it had over 2000 miles on it LOL!!) and that I was not resigning paperwork. This is when the finance person started throwing out the free crap to get me to resign the paperwork. Needless to say, I wouldn't and she actually started crying and asked me "why I was doing this, this kind of things happen all the time"...which pissed me off even more. I had to take time off of my busy schedule to come deal with the ******** and she could not understand that. Also..this happens all the time? How many people do they try to screw? This was so close to a spot delivery scam (however, it wasn't because they never asked me to pay more money). So I asked to speak to the head guy and she was like "why? I want to keep my manager out of this". Sorry lady...I'm pissed. So I talk to a sales manager and explain that I want my trade in back and that I'm not signing new paperwork. He starts throwing free **** at me. Long story short - I ended up with 8 free tanks of gas (this is when gas was 4 bucks a gallon - with 120 dollar fillups....approx $960 dollars in gas). 5 free oil changes and a free bed extender. So yeah, I might be a **** for being such a hard *** over the entire situation...but I made out with like $1500 dollars in free stuff based on their mistake on a vehicle that I love and wanted to keep. I don't like to be toyed with. Sorry.

Edit: One thing I forgot....in the contract there is some clause that says something to lines that financing is not final and the dealership reserves the right to change until finalized and that you agree not to put substantial milage on the vehicle until everything is finalized (i forget the exact verbiage). I never signed that part which I think was the error on her part, as to why she was freaking out.

370Zsteve · 10-21-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeetJoeAsian

based on what you're telling me, the dealership you went to didn't have any Z, and the other dealership is not giving them the Z, that's probably because the other dealership wants a Z back from your dealership in the trade, but since your dealership doesn't have one to give back, they don't want to take anything else (like a Maxima, or Altima..etc...) back....so in the end, you're not gonna be able to get a car...it may be harder for this dealership to locate a Z for you because all the other dealerships will want a Z back in trade, thus, they may have to wait until they get a Z in stock as trade bait before they can trade for you....

I used to sell high-end motorcycles (MV-Agusta, Ducati, Aprilia, BMW). When we did not have a bike that a customer wanted in-stock, we never had a problem locating one from another dealer. If the customer was willing to pay for shipping, other dealers gladly moved product. Granted it's a lot cheaper to ship a 500-lb motorcycle.

It's good business to cooperate with other dealers. Maybe in the car biz things are different, but in the motorcycle business dealers always helped each other out. Nothing was ever asked in return.

Cubaboy · 10-21-2009, 11:38 AM

Update:

The dealership called and said the original 370z is no longer available from the other dealership.

She said they found another, same exact color/options with the addition of splash guards and kick plates, that they would give me for the same price...but the car has 700 miles on it and it's 100+ miles away, meaning I'll have over 800 miles on the car before I even drive it!!!

I asked them to find me another car for now...unless there is some drastic incentive to drive this 800+ miles Z, there's no way I'm taking that one.

If I keep this Altima coupe much longer, I may end up just buying it....yeah right! GET ME MY Z!!!

kannibul · 10-21-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubaboy

Update:

The dealership called and said the original 370z is no longer available from the other dealership.

She said they found another, same exact color/options with the addition of splash guards and kick plates, that they would give me for the same price...but the car has 700 miles on it and it's 100+ miles away, meaning I'll have over 800 miles on the car before I even drive it!!!

I asked them to find me another car for now...unless there is some drastic incentive to drive this 800+ miles Z, there's no way I'm taking that one.

If I keep this Altima coupe much longer, I may end up just buying it....yeah right! GET ME MY Z!!!

They will trailer the car, not drive it...or, at least confirm that is what they are going to do.

fuct · 10-21-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubaboy

Update:

The dealership called and said the original 370z is no longer available from the other dealership.

She said they found another, same exact color/options with the addition of splash guards and kick plates, that they would give me for the same price...but the car has 700 miles on it and it's 100+ miles away, meaning I'll have over 800 miles on the car before I even drive it!!!

I asked them to find me another car for now...unless there is some drastic incentive to drive this 800+ miles Z, there's no way I'm taking that one.

If I keep this Altima coupe much longer, I may end up just buying it....yeah right! GET ME MY Z!!!

f that!!! 800 miles? thats def not a new car by any means....

kannibul · 10-21-2009, 11:53 AM

I would ask the obvious question - why does it have 700 miles on it...that's a lot of "test drives" for an untitled vehicle.

Mine had 56, if I remember right, and I thought that was a bit high too.

kenchan · 10-21-2009, 11:55 AM

lol... dont take it. get your money back and go to another dealer with the goods.

370Zsteve · 10-21-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul

I would ask the obvious question - why does it have 700 miles on it...that's a lot of "test drives" for an untitled vehicle.

Mine had 56, if I remember right, and I thought that was a bit high too.

700 miles? That sounds like a sales demo.

Dude, cancel this deal immediately, these people are sharks. Or demand $4000 off their asking price.

Cubaboy · 10-21-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul

They will trailer the car, not drive it...or, at least confirm that is what they are going to do.

They will drive it up to 250 miles from another dealership, from what they've told me. I asked about it, and they will not trailer it.

Quote:

I would ask the obvious question - why does it have 700 miles on it...that's a lot of "test drives" for an untitled vehicle.

Mine had 56, if I remember right, and I thought that was a bit high too.

I know, right? I asked what in the world put 700 miles, but I'm sure whatever they say will be a lie. Most likely, the owner/manager drove it around for a month as is own car. I'd venture to guess, no matter how those 700 miles got on it, that they weren't the easiest 700 miles... I can only imagine it was 700 miles of 7500 rpms, tires squeeling, and 87 octane gas!!! (at least that's what would be going through my mind if I did get it)

Quote:

700 miles? That sounds like a sales demo.

Dude, cancel this deal immediately, these people are sharks. Or demand $4000 off their asking price.

Well, my dealership is just finding me options right now. They don't have any Z on the lot, so they are searching the entire area for matches on what I want. Another dealer has my exact car, but the owner isn't there until tomorrow...I'll find out how many miles that one has in the morning.

10-20-2009, 08:43 PM	#16 (permalink)
MeetJoeAsian Enthusiast Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 342 Drives: 350Z to G35c to 370Z Rep Power: 16	I've been in the business for 7 years, and it's a common practice for a dealership to lock the customer down and "take them out of the market"...the way the dealership is getting the vehicle is through locate and trade...they give another dealership a vehicle they have, and the other dealership gives them a vehicle they need...we do that everyday...by signing a contract, in the customer's head, they feel like they're locked into that contract, and by putting you into their "loaner" car, you're not gonna be able to take your trade-in elsewhere to start another deal... dealerships want to sell what's in their inventory, and they will try to switch you from your choice to what they have in stock...when all else fail and they can't switch you, they will do a "dealer trade"...trust me, your dealership would rather give you additional discounts on a vehicle they have in stock RIGHT NOW rather than getting that other vehicle in for you...it costs them more money to do that (transfer cost plus any add-ons they have on their vehicle that they're trading out from in stock)... One thing to remember is that if they do a dealer trade, most times, the vehicle will be DRIVEN into the dealership...meaning if the dealership is 2 hours away, expect your vehicle to have some miles on it depending on the other dealership's distance...generally, they won't truck the vehicle in because of cost...but, I guess it also depends on how you negotiated with the dealership too... In Texas, you are not an owner until you drive the vehicle off the lot...even then, you can always call up the lender and tell them you're going to default on the loan and they will not fund the dealership, then the dealership will rush to get the car back from you...and the other thing that is important to a dealership is CSI (Customer Survey Index)...this is how dealerships earn their inventory and bonus money...if you call and speak to the Customer Relations Manager, and tell them POLITELY that you are not happy with the deal and you feel like you're getting the run around...they will try to make you happy, or let you back out of the deal...we can ALWAYS back out of the deal, even if you have signed your contract...as long as you never took deliver of the vehicle, you are NOT an owner...even if you have signed the contract...now, if you had left a deposit for the vehicle, you MAY lose that money if the dealership did live up to their word in getting you the vehicle they promised you in a timely manner...however, it seems like they've broken their side of the promise, so you're in the clear to back out...whatever you do, just don't be an A-hole... __________________ http://facebook.com/meetjoeasian Last edited by MeetJoeAsian; 10-20-2009 at 10:18 PM.

10-21-2009, 08:17 AM	#22 (permalink)
zZSportZz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,095 Drives: 370z Blk on Blk 6MT Rep Power: 19	This is what happened when I bought my Titan - signed the paper work and drove off with the Titan. I already had financing through my financial instituation which was a great deal. Dealership said they would beat it financing through Nissan financing. Better rate? Sign me up. So urgent issues made me have to drive to Maine from Maryland right after I bought the truck (not the best scenario for break in reasons - but had no choice). When I get back I have a message from the dealership saying they could not beat the rate...and that I had to go back in to resign paperwork because they dropped the price of the vehicle down to compensate and not have to pay more money out of my pocket. Needless to say, this pissed me off. Brought the truck back and told them to keep it (it had over 2000 miles on it LOL!!) and that I was not resigning paperwork. This is when the finance person started throwing out the free crap to get me to resign the paperwork. Needless to say, I wouldn't and she actually started crying and asked me "why I was doing this, this kind of things happen all the time"...which pissed me off even more. I had to take time off of my busy schedule to come deal with the ****** and she could not understand that. Also..this happens all the time? How many people do they try to screw? This was so close to a spot delivery scam (however, it wasn't because they never asked me to pay more money). So I asked to speak to the head guy and she was like "why? I want to keep my manager out of this". Sorry lady...I'm pissed. So I talk to a sales manager and explain that I want my trade in back and that I'm not signing new paperwork. He starts throwing free at me. Long story short - I ended up with 8 free tanks of gas (this is when gas was 4 bucks a gallon - with 120 dollar fillups....approx $960 dollars in gas). 5 free oil changes and a free bed extender. So yeah, I might be a for being such a hard * over the entire situation...but I made out with like $1500 dollars in free stuff based on their mistake on a vehicle that I love and wanted to keep. I don't like to be toyed with. Sorry. Edit: One thing I forgot....in the contract there is some clause that says something to lines that financing is not final and the dealership reserves the right to change until finalized and that you agree not to put substantial milage on the vehicle until everything is finalized (i forget the exact verbiage). I never signed that part which I think was the error on her part, as to why she was freaking out. __________________ --Rick Last edited by zZSportZz; 10-21-2009 at 08:23 AM.

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10-20-2009, 10:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
edeeZee Track Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: s. cali, los angeles Posts: 627 Drives: 09 370z plat 6 speed Rep Power: 267	You know that a dealership on its own whim doesn't have to dealer-trade with another, right? I know JoeAsian touched that, I used to be a car salesman too. I hated the business, too competitive and you gotta have thick skin to deal with customers.

10-21-2009, 11:38 AM	#24 (permalink)
Cubaboy Base Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA Posts: 9 Drives: 1998 Dodge Stratus Rep Power: 16	Update: The dealership called and said the original 370z is no longer available from the other dealership. She said they found another, same exact color/options with the addition of splash guards and kick plates, that they would give me for the same price...but the car has 700 miles on it and it's 100+ miles away, meaning I'll have over 800 miles on the car before I even drive it!!! I asked them to find me another car for now...unless there is some drastic incentive to drive this 800+ miles Z, there's no way I'm taking that one. If I keep this Altima coupe much longer, I may end up just buying it....yeah right! GET ME MY Z!!!

10-21-2009, 11:53 AM	#27 (permalink)
kannibul A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jenks, OK Posts: 2,281 Drives: 370z Touring/Sport Rep Power: 267	I would ask the obvious question - why does it have 700 miles on it...that's a lot of "test drives" for an untitled vehicle. Mine had 56, if I remember right, and I thought that was a bit high too.

10-21-2009, 11:55 AM	#28 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	lol... dont take it. get your money back and go to another dealer with the goods.