Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

gogiboy

Typhon wrote--

"I met my wife when I sold her a used Grand Am back in 1998. She had some service issues..."

Was it your wife or her car that had the "service issues"?

Gogiboy

dbell1

Congratulations on meeting your wife this way.

Have to say I never considered the 'hitting on me' angle. Guess I'm so far out of the dating scene, trying to raise my child, that I've got blinders on when it comes to men. I do feel that if I wanted a date, I'd be looking for one online or the 'normal places' - not a dealership. :confuse: It's why I'd never date a co-worker - if the relationship went south, I'd be highly uncomfortable.

My Subaru dealer could teach classes in how to work with females - the owner came out to look at my foglight problem! :surprise: He then told me that service would take care of everything and get me a loaner car. The service man set me up for Monday when I called him today. I love my Subie and the dealer - they have a customer for life!! :shades:

jipster

"I do feel that if I wanted a date, I'd be looking for one online...."

How about our online community here at Edmunds?

Sorry dbell, thankfully for you and other female members of Edmunds...the jipster is already spoken for.

Kirstie_H

What, has this turned from "any questions for a car dealer?" to "any car dealers looking for a date?" :P

Hm... maybe we should consider adding a "find your perfect automotive match" section to Edmunds. I think I'll let someone else make the suggestion and take credit for it.

steine13

Well, it started with a perfectly on-topic "Q for a car dealer".
It just goes to show that you never know where you meet your match...

I remember thinking, upon first meeting my wife 18 years ago, "I wonder if I wind up marrying her".

That wasn't foresight. I used to think that about every lady I met who passed the first, cursory test. You gots to be on the lookout for opportunities!

-Mathias

mazda6iguy

I remember not too long ago my dad purchased a Ford Crown Victoria from a dealer in Cleveland, OH and they got it from a dealer in East Liverpool, OH about 2 1/2 hour drive. The salesman picked it up personally on his own time on a Saturday. My Dad paid nothing extra. Kudos to the salesman for doing this on his own free time.

undecisive

Here's my situation. I signed several papers and am supposed to bring in the downpayment check tomorrow. But I realized that buying a demo car with a mileage of 619 with no significant discount at all is dumbest thing. The only paper work I'm really concerned is the "odometer certification" on the back of the title, but I assume that titles could be printed again if I cancel the deal?? Would there going to be a serious revenge(scary) from the dealer if I call the deal off here? Many thanks!
------------------
I live in souther Massachusetts. I called in several dealer shops and found only one shop which had CV-R's in stock. They had an EX (17 miles) and SE. I made a deal and signed several papers (which don't seem to be crucial, e.g. loan application, document prep fee sheet, odometer certification on the back of the title) and will visit there again tomorrow with a check for downpayment.

My husband is complaining that the car does not have a "new car smell" as it has been used as a demo car and the manager has been personally using it, which adds up to the mileage of 619 for a new car. Initially the sales woman said it has a mileage of 500 but it turned out that it was higher than that.

I asked for a discount based on this, and I also had a email printed out from another deal that offered 24,175. But they checked their computer and said there are no other dealers in the area that have the in stock, and did not want to negotiate. They gave me a discount of meager 100 bucks after several times of bugging but not below 24,600.

They even sneaked in 300 dollars on that price making it 24,900 in the final paper work, which I fortunately found out and asked for a correction.

Now, is it possible that I cancel this deal since I did not pay anything yet?

But then again, is it better to stay with this deal as I really want the car as soon as possible (sick of rental car for almost a month) or should I deposit at the other dealer shop and wait for their shipping to arrive (dunno when, they always say couple of days).

What are your opinions? Thanks!

rroyce10

........ If you haven't taken delivery of the new vehicle, then there is no deal ...... that said, 600 miles ain't nothing .. if you like it - buy it, good vehicles ...

Terry.

nortsr1

Does the GM Card points have quite an influence on the number of customers that actually buy from you just because of their "accumulated" points? It seems to me that I read in a lots of these forums that the potential buyers (along with the rebates and incentives offered by GM) seem to have a great influence on their purcase?>???

rroyce10

...... Most credit card points will influence just about any purchase .... look at Marriott or Continental airlines .. hey, when you're sitting on 3,000 "accumulated" points for Marriott you're probably going to use them instead of a Days Inn or a Ritz-Carlton ........

Terry.

steine13

I'm not a dealer, but I'll chime in here... I've had the GM Card well over a decade and I love it.

I've owned several GM cars, but the only ones I bought new were the ones I could use my GM Card discount on. I've got the old "blue" card, which lets you accumulate up to $3,500 over seven years but has no limit on how much rebate you can apply per car. It's like having GM paying $500/year ($42/month) towards your car expenses... for life, near as I can tell.

For me, and for some people I know, it made a definite difference in the decision what to buy... in my case, I bought a Prizm in '98 ($1,600 off) and a Vibe in '03 ($2,600 off). That made either car as cheap as if I'd gotten a good deal on a used car.

Finally, and this is not in response to your question, but it's important to those who have the card: You can make a down payment for your car using the card, and you do not have to pay the 2-3% fee the dealer would otherwise charge you. This is from my Pontiac dealer, two years ago.

What that means is that I can put $10k on the card as a down payment, wait until the charge shows up on my next statement, and use the $500 discount towards the new car. Perfectly legal, and costs the dealer nothing.

I strongly suspect, btw, that the card program pays for itself through interest and the usual, plus not everyone uses their points. But with people who use the card diligently, they're getting huge rebates that will lose the General money in those individual cases.

I should note that Subaru has a similar program (3%, up to $500/year, accumulate to $2,500), but that Ford canceled their program after a few short years. I have no idea whether these things are profitable, but they do get people invested in the brand, no question.

-Mathias

krs1

Did you know you can get "New Car Smell" In a Can. (They really do) If you really want the car buy it, and go get yourself a can of "New Car Smell Freshener"

My grandmother always told me... Follow your mind. If your gut is tells you to call it off... call it off.... Listen to that inner voice.

My grandmother also said, dont cut your nose off to spite your face...

isellhondas

You sent me a personal e-mail asking the same question and I answered you there.

To repeat myself...

1. 2005 CRV's are just about gone now.

2. 600 miles is nothing in a car's life.

3. If you are THAT uncomfortable, don't buy that car...not worth the stress.

Lastly, good luck. The 2006's are starting to arrive now.

nortsr1

I had the old Ford Credit card that also paid 5% (same as the GM card) and back in 2001 I purchased a Ford Escape and used about 1550 points toward the purchase price plus I also received the X-Plan.
I, also have the old blue GM card and have about 2500 points on same and am thinking about purchasing (same as you) a 2005 or 2006 Vibe. I missed the boat on the 2005 I had wanted (there is also a $1000.00 rebate and a $1000.00 Conquest incentive, besides the GM Employee pricing)) and now the Vibe (2005) stock is pretty well depleted, so I believe I will wait for something from GM to kick in on the 2006 Vibe (Probably a couple of monthe from now, as the 2006's are already on the dealer lots.
Anyway, thanks for the replies!!!!

basscadet

So you're backing away from a deal because your husband can't detect a "new car smell"?

And you expect them not to be upset? I know I would be. You're waffling, and wasting people's time.

mikefm58

With the tragedy in New Orleans and vicinity, I would expect to see lots of flood vehicles hit the used car market. Can anyone tell us what to look for so we could avoid a vehicle like that? Also, would Carfax show if a vehicle was flooded?

boomchek

This particular thread reminds me so much of work. :P

There's a bunch of us sales guys here, and when it's not busy (when there are no questions for the dealer) we're all talking off topic about this and that and who you hooked up with and so on, until the boss comes (the host) and tells us to stay on topic, sort of like the mgr coming from around the corner at work and telling us to get back to work, make some phone calls, take some ups etc. :P

Then somebody posts a question to us and most will try to answer it, some will argue over what's correct and incorrect, fights will happen, the host will step in, delete some posts here and there, call it time out, suspend us all for some time if needed until everyone cools off

And then it's back to normal. A bunch of sales guys chatting with each other until another customer arrives/question for a car dealer appears.

boomchek

I'd look for mould or mouldy smell inside the vehicle, especially if it has been submerged in water for a long period of time.

The carpets and seats might give that away unless those have been changed. Trapped water inside body panels, doors, and where there shouldn't be water might give some clues to that as well.

undecisive

I know they would be upset but I am also upset about their dishonest scam to rip me off too. They say it was a typo that they typed in an amount $300 more than the deal made but I don't think so.

I posted the same situation in both the dealer's and the consumer's and find it interesting that the responses diverge greatly. None of the consumers support making a deal at the price of 24,600 and advises that I simply wait for the 2006. It is not just a matter of sensory "smell" when I talk about the "new car smell". The tire is already worn, and the exterior is dusty, and who know what has happend during the 600 mile driving.

boomchek

They will probably re detail the car before you take delivery. Is the tire worn or does it just look dirty?

We have many brand new cars that sit in our compound yard for months and they also get dusty and have muddy tires.

The problem with the CRV is that it doesn't need many incentives to sell, that's why most of them are sold out now. If you need the vehicle very soon and can't wait another few weeks/month for an 06 then go for this one.

I can't advise you on the price because I'm in Canada and the prices are different so I can't say whether it's a good deal or not. But typically for demos we take off 10 cents per kilometer. So if a demo that we sell had 7000kms, then we'd take off an extra $700 in addition to whatever other programs may be on at the time.

Good luck and enjoy your CRV.

nortsr1

The "Exterior" is "DUSTY"!!!!!...No wonder you are hesitant on buying that vehicle!! Yeah, right on!!!!! If it's the last thing you want to do....is to buy a new vehicle that is DUSTY!!!!

isellhondas

My advise?

Don't buy that car. You will be forever questioning yourself. Your username kinda says it all.

Find a different dealer and buy a 2006.

"The tire is already worn"

600 miles?

Yeah...I think you should just pass on this car.

grandtotal

If I were a dealer, which I'm not, and you came snivelling to me about the car being dusty I think I would want to cancel the deal and not sell you that car (or any other for that matter). It sounds like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

Kirstie_H

OK, let's be careful about making personal comments. People have different expectations and different standards, and it sounds like "undecisive" is going to pass on this vehicle anyway.

grandtotal

Yes, you're correct, my post was too harsh. It should have read

If I were a dealer, which I'm not, and you came to me complaining about the car being dusty I think I would want to cancel the deal and not sell you that car (or any other for that matter). It sounds like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

fordfaninbowie

I've been trying to located a Fusion SEL V-6 to test drive in the Washington, DC area, but the only response I get from 5 different dealers is "they are in transit." Anybody have any better information?

mirth

The Fusion isn't suppose to get to most dealers until the end of September, so I suspect that your dealer is exactly right when he tells you they're in transit.

stickguy

I stopped today also, and was told by the end of the month.

Oddly, they do have brochures already. Usually the car is out weeks before the literature.

SOunds like a nice car though.

encinoomnia

I would like to have Dealers opinion .

Buying in local town or 3 hours away dealer or out of state.
I live in a small town and only have one dealer for the specific car I'm looking for.
3hours away dealer and out of state dealer is giving me much better price.
Which is about 3% more dicount of MSRP.

What will be the disadvantage of buying new car from not in town dealer?

bretfraz

JOB1 was Aug 1.

Initial deliveries expected in Sept.

Inventory should be widely available by Oct 1.

mazda6iguy

Speaking of brochures being ready before the car comes out, I just got a brochure for the 2006 Pontiac Solstice (the one that was designed by one of the teams on The Apprentice). Picked it up at the local county fair.

boomchek

You're getting a better price elsewhere because the bigger dealers make their money by doing more volume than the small dealer in your town.

Did you call your local dealer and see if they can match the price or come close to it? How much of a difference in $$$ are we talking about? A few thousand or a few hundred?

Where do you plan on servicing the car? If you buy from the local dealer you might get some preferential treatment when it's time to service the car. Especially in a small town where everyone knows everyone else (how small is your town, and do you know the people that work there personally?)

Now I'm not suggesting that if you do buy out of town you won't get the treatment you deserve at your local dealer when it's time to service the car, but if I have a customer call me about an issue they are having with service, I'm down there right away batting for them, talking to the service manager etc., doing what I can to help my customers out.

Just an example.

encinoomnia

Boom: $ differences are about $2000.It is a quite small town.
In my town , we only have one each brand for one dealer (honda toyota porche mercedez etc...) so basically each dealer have no competition other than at least 3hours away dealers.
I don't know them personally, I'm a woman and I don't know how to talk cars anyway. If it was only few hundred $ differences, I would just buy from here but $2000 seem kind a big differrence...
what do you think...?

boomchek

It is a big difference.

Must be an upscale small town if you have a Porsche dealership there

Anyways I'd call the dealership and talk to the salesperson you were dealing with or even the sales manager and see if they can match it or come close to it. Tell them dealer X from OuttaTown offered you this price and you're on a budget amd therefore can only afford that much. Hope this helps.

By the way what kind of car are you buying?

encinoomnia

I am trying to get porceh cayenne 05, since they already came out with 06 hoping to get discount on 05. I called or Emailed many places, they all are giving 10% off right from the get go, But my town dealer is telling me only 6-7% firm. On top of it I have a feeling that they are laughing at me because I don't want much options.

jipster

Could you describe how you "battle" for your customer...talking to the service manager etc. You are probably a senior salesperson with a personal relationship with the salesmanager... correct? Are lesser senior salespeople able to do this?

encinoomnia

boomchek: come to think of, when I bought new car last time, I never seen the sales man after the purchase nor got any service either. May be it really doesn't matter where you buy? I still question that...

mazda6iguy

Every time I've bought a car in the past, the next week or month the salesperson I purchased the car from no longer works there. That includes both young and seasoned salespeople. They always say, "If you ever need anything, let me know and I'll take care of it for you!" ie service issues, etc. But in the end you are on your own.... :-)

mazda6iguy

I take part of that comment back, the F&I lady is still at the dealership I purchased my car from (3 years ago).

gshocksv

I was going to buy a Cayenne V6 a few months ago, problem is that all of them are loaded with options that I don't want or need. Everything on the Porsche is optional, the soft looking leathe is an option, the wheel cap is an option, the screws with Porsch engraving is an option, well at the end getting a Porsch is also just an option for me. An option that I did not take....

austru

The one thing I noticed in your post is you didn't mention if both vehicles are equipped the same. This may not seem significant but if your local dealer has more /less options for their vehicle there may not be enough markup to be able to do a 10% discount ( I don't sell Porsche so I'm not sure what the markup is). I talk to a lot of customers that shop pretty hard before purchasing and when price comes up I always ask if the price thats lower than mine is comparibly equipped. In most cases there not and depending on the situation the deal may not actually be better one. I'd call back both dealers your talking to and make sure both vehicles are equal. Then look at both deals and do the math. Good Luck and enjoy your new car :shades:

boomchek

I am not too senior, I have been at my dealership a little under two years, and I'm not even the best salesman we have (volume wise). This is my first sales job ever and first car sales job. I like where I work and I see no point in leaving.

If there's a customer that has an issue with service I would go talk to the service tech/service advisor and he'll tell me straight up what the problem is or isnt. I had a customer today that had a leaky tire, and they had to replace the valve stem on one of the wheels. Normally it's $30 charge or something. I got the service guys to check all four and replace the valve stem for free.

Had a customer that referred me other customers. In addition to the referral fee he gets for every customer he brings, I got him an extra set of floor mats, helped him buy accessories at my cost, got his car detailed for free on a few occasions etc..

If there's an issue I go to the service manager and talk to him and explain the situation. If any of my customers bring in their car for service but either cant wait around or if there's no courtesy cars available then I'd either find them another loaner to drive, or drop them off and pick them up again when the car is ready.

Sometimes I'd get the lot boys to wash some of my customer's cars if they drop by or just getting an oil change done etc..

These are things that I don't have to do but I like to do it. So when you come in to our dealership you won't feel like a stranger, but more like a family as I'll introduce you to the service advisor, mgr etc.

I made a personal relationship with all the dealership staff the first week I started working there. It helps in the long run, and keeps most of my customers happy.

encinoomnia

I am comparing the same car, because I let my town dealer know that I wanted minimal options. They don't have any on the lot so, they already knew they had to get it from somewhere( charge for that was 250-1000$ depending on the distance.)
Other dealers( 3 hours away) already quoted me on the Email,11%off.

rroyce10

... ** am trying to get porceh cayenne 05, since they already came out with 06 hoping to get discount on 05. I called or Emailed many places, they all are giving 10% off right from the get go, But my town dealer is telling me only 6-7% firm. On top of it I have a feeling that they are laughing at me because I don't want much options** .... ....l..o..l.....

What, only one Benz/Porsche dealer in the neighborhood ...?

Your lookin' for a base Cayenne ...... hard to get and hard to find and dealers don't want them, and base "high enders" have the resale value of a 3 day old piazza .... but, like any other small volume dealers like BMW, Benz or Porsche they depend on their running inventory .... get your best "real" price and allow the neighborhood Porsche dealer to see if he can get close to it ..... the service department is going to be the "key" here, cuz' you will be seeing alot of it, it's a Porsche -- so I wouldn't let $500/$600 get in the way ... 3 hours is a loooong way to drive for a service check ...... I think you might be lookin' at the wrong vehicle ..

Terry

steine13

Buy it locally.
If they won't give you a good price, forget it and buy something else.
That thing is loaded with electronic gizmos, and there are going to be a few problems here and there. What you don't want is to develop an intermittent electrical problem that's tough to diagnose because it won't reproduce, and then have the dealer refuse warranty work.

Which they can do if you bought it elsewhere. If you bought it from them, they HAVE to work with you, even if it's painful.

This ain't no Camry you're looking at....

-Mathias
(not a dealer)

jipster

Wow...that certainly is going above and beyond the call of duty. With service like that you're sure to be the top volume producer one of these days/years. Or, at least rank #1 in customer satisfaction.

We did get an anniversary card and birthday card from our saleslady, which was nice. We have not had any problems with 2004 MPV (knock on wood). So, we are hoping we don't get to know our salesperson or any of the other service staff that works at the dealership to well.

asafonov

I think you are doing an outstanding job. My problem is, some dealerships' business model may not allow for all or some of such favors. For example, if new sales/used sales/service are operated as independent business units, and charge each other market, or near market rates and prices, who is going to be billed for and pay for that no-cost oil change or repair - surely not the salesperson who procured the favor?

basscadet

I think you might be lookin' at the wrong vehicle ..

Bingo.

A stripped-down Cayenne is going to be a financial disaster in terms of resale value.

If the finances are tight I'd highly recommend looking for a used Cayenne with proper options or a cheaper alternative SUV. Or better yet, just get a 5 series BMW and avoid the death throes of SUV's altogether. We can't give them away at our dealership. You've checked gas prices lately, right?

boomchek

The cost assiociated with these kind of favors is usually just time and/or labour whether it's the lot guys washing the car or me driving a customer somehwere. With gifts and such sometimes the costs comes out of my pocket and sometimes out of the gross in the deal.

Now don't get me wrong these are not $200 or $300 gifts we're talking about, and I do not do this for everyone, otherwise I'd be running around servicing my customers 24/7 and not selling any cars.

I won't do such favours for customers I had that are unhappy (not very many), or grind me to the last dollar, give me a lousy survey score and then expect these kinds of things.

I had a customer once who bought an new Accord from me. He test drove the V6 and the 4 cylinder with me and at a couple of other dealerships. We worked the price. He went elsewhere and got a lower price. He came back to me and drove the cars again. He bought a 4 cyl and we gave him an even lower price. We made no money on the car. I made $115 commision. We threw in oil change, service and so on. He still felt like we owed him more. But he bought the car. He came back two days later wanting his money back cause he felt the 4 cylinder was not enough power for him and he wanted a V6. The car was titled already and insured, so you can't return it. He came in making a big fuss and said he was going to get a lawyer and sue us. He gave me a lousy survey score and caused me grief and headache. :sick: :mad:

Anyways none of that lawyer stuff happenned but 3 months later when he was in for his oil change he wanted me to "help him out" and "hook him up" and get his car detailed. What do you think my response was?

krs1

boom chek..

Since you are a car dealer.. here is a question 4 U ....
what is the best way to get a few extras thrown in at no charge to the buyer.. i.e.(free mats & mud guards)?

I want to buy a 06 Odyssey EX-L with RES (DVD)

as a buyer should i just flat out ask for them at no charge?
should I ask after the OTD price has been agreed by buyer/salesman?

what is the best way?

please advise.