Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

tjc78 · February 3

@fintail
When I got the EQE the dealer said Mercedes flooded them with electrics. He did say that the east coast had more days of supply than the west coast but that was a few months ago.

fintail · February 3

stickguy said:
$6k down on a basic midsized sedan seems to defeat the purpose of leasing. that makes the effective monthly what, at least $700 on the C class?

Sounds right. Leasing aint what it used to be, and maybe some dealers think this is still pandemic era pricing.

For reference, in late 2014 I leased a leftover 2014 E350 (I wonder if the cars in the email are 23s) , moderately optioned with MSRP 63K and change, for something like 515 pretax with IIRC just first payment and tax/fees up front.

sda · February 3

I have to commute every other week to the office. The commute is just under 40 miles each way. I filled up last Sunday and filled up this morning, Saturday. 11.8 gallons of RUG, 402 mi, 34 mpg. Not bad.

fintail · February 3

tjc78 said:
@fintail

When I got the EQE the dealer said Mercedes flooded them with electrics. He did say that the east coast had more days of supply than the west coast but that was a few months ago.

I've noticed even here where EVs are not the law of the land, the dealer has had many EQE and EQS, not to mention smaller models. I know these exist in Sixt fleets in Germany, too - I think maybe they overproduced. That with many EQS in the 125K+ range has to create a backlog.

qbrozen · February 3

Trailblazer was sold.
Oh well.

andres3 · February 3

jmonroe1 said:

corvette said:
Here are some pics of my bumper, which had the damaged areas of paint blended and then a layer of clear put over the entire bumper. The body shop estimator referred to this as “not a drip,” despite it being filled with air bubbles and being where the lowest part of the bumper would be when it’s on a rack in the paint booth. Thoughts?

Had he said, “oh, yeah, that’s a drip in the clear, we’ll get that sanded down, just come back in 15,” I would have let it slide, but he chose the hard way… they’re going to repaint the entire bumper.

————————————————
It take a lotta balls to try to pass that off to a customer. That looks like a paint job done by a 10 year old.

Your job is to make sure you pass the word around about that shop starting with your insurance company.

jmonroe

Par for the course for body shops in California.

The Diminished Value argument by insurance companies is that industry standards are better, but in fact, industry standards are no better, in the real world that is. Insurance companies live in some fantasy world where all repairs are made perfectly.

Put me in the Jury in a lawsuit against Insurance companies and body shops perpetrating a fraud on the American consumer and I'd vote Guilty as Charged.

corvette · February 3

My hike today did not go as planned.

jmonroe1 · February 3

stickguy said:
$6k down on a basic midsized sedan seems to defeat the purpose of leasing. that makes the effective monthly what, at least $700 on the C class?

————————————————
Years ago I talked to a car salesman at a social event. Being a car salesman he was a pretty popular guy with a lot of guys trying to pick his brain about how to go about getting a good deal on a car. I’ll never forget him saying leasing was his best friend. When the monthly payment was too high he’d suggest putting down more money and/or extending the lease term. He said a lot of folks would say, “I like that idea. That puts my monthly payment right where I want it to be and buying the extended warranty for the extended lease time relieves my concern about not having to worry about a repair bill either.” He said once upfront money is spent it’s long forgotten. All they want is a manageable monthly payment.

He went on to say don’t allow a salesman to talk you into monthly payments. Once they know you’re not going to fall for that, make the sales manager lower the cost of the car you’re trying to buy. If what you’re asking for is reasonable you’ll probably be able to buy the car you want.

I had to hear this at least 30 years ago and I doubt it’s changed today.

jmonroe

andres3 · February 3

corvette said:

My hike today did not go as planned.

Flat tire?

28firefighter · February 3

Our flight home through Denver did not go as planned. I’m not amused.

75 minutes on the ground after landing. 2.5 hour delay. Snow.

Michaell · February 3

28firefighter said:
Our flight home through Denver did not go as planned. I’m not amused.

75 minutes on the ground after landing. 2.5 hour delay. Snow.

Yeah, coming down pretty hard at the moment. Tried shoveling the driveway, and I gave up after only clearing the side for the MINI.

corvette · February 3

Nope. “Propulsion power reduced” and the gas engine won’t run despite having 4/10 of a tank. It’s not the fuse that commonly gets blown. I’m guessing it’s the BCM, but I need to get it home to read the codes to confirm.

roadburner · February 3

corvette said:

My hike today did not go as planned.

Bummer.

corvette · February 3

@roadburner - “propulsion power reduced” and the engine stopped.

roadburner · February 3

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:
$6k down on a basic midsized sedan seems to defeat the purpose of leasing. that makes the effective monthly what, at least $700 on the C class?
————————————————
Years ago I talked to a car salesman at a social event. Being a car salesman he was a pretty popular guy with a lot of guys trying to pick his brain about how to go about getting a good deal on a car. I’ll never forget him saying leasing was his best friend. When the monthly payment was too high he’d suggest putting down more money and/or extending the lease term. He said a lot of folks would say, “I like that idea. That puts my monthly payment right where I want it to be and buying the extended warranty for the extended lease time relieves my concern about not having to worry about a repair bill either.” He said once upfront money is spent it’s long forgotten. All they want is a manageable monthly payment.

He went on to say don’t allow a salesman to talk you into monthly payments. Once they know you’re not going to fall for that, make the sales manager lower the cost of the car you’re trying to buy. If what you’re asking for is reasonable you’ll probably be able to buy the car you want.

I had to hear this at least 30 years ago and I doubt it’s changed today.

jmonroe

That's exactly right- a payment buyer always gets clubbed like a baby seal.

kyfdx · February 3

28firefighter said:
Our flight home through Denver did not go as planned. I’m not amused.

75 minutes on the ground after landing. 2.5 hour delay. Snow.

I have a friend whose job requires him to travel to Grand Junction, CO. He told me he flies through DFW on AA, because when going through Denver, his United flight to GJ was often canceled.

andres3 · February 3

corvette said:
Nope. “Propulsion power reduced” and the gas engine won’t run despite having 4/10 of a tank. It’s not the fuse that commonly gets blown. I’m guessing it’s the BCM, but I need to get it home to read the codes to confirm.

Part out.

corvette · February 3

Made it safely home. Being stranded on the side of a 70 MPH interstate is no fun. Thankfully, I had a lot of room to pull off (basically an extra lane in addition to the emergency lane), but it never feels like enough. I got out of the car and stood or sat on the embankment nearby, because the weather was decent and I felt like a sitting duck in the car. AAA was kind of a snafu, but the tow truck driver was nice.

Left the car powered on and in neutral during the tow, so the 12V battery is dead, and I got an "unable to charge" message when I plugged in the Level 1 charger. That can be caused by either a low 12V battery or the aforementioned BECM problem, so I'm trying to charge the 12V using the Battery Tender first to see whether that helps and whether I can retrieve any stored codes.

28firefighter · February 3

That’s annoying, @corvette.

Re: my delay. We waited two hours to de-ice, then used up too much fuel and had to go back to the gate. Finally in the air and on our way. Treated myself to a buffalo trace to sip on.

corvette · February 3

Volt is showing a bunch of codes, thankfully not the ones that indicate a BECM failure, but the only ones that seem directly related to the engine are a couple of misfire codes. I'm trying to figure out whether those alone would cause it to refuse to run the ICE. Many of the codes are related to the 12v battery being drained because it was left powered on in neutral on the flatbed home.

jmonroe1 · February 3

corvette said:
Volt is showing a bunch of codes, thankfully not the ones that indicate a BECM failure, but the only ones that seem directly related to the engine are a couple of misfire codes. I'm trying to figure out whether those alone would cause it to refuse to run the ICE. Many of the codes are related to the 12v battery being drained because it was left powered on in neutral on the flatbed home.

————————————————
That break down sounds like a real PITA. Let us know what you find.

Good luck.

jmonroe

corvette · February 3

Checked it one last time before going to bed... It was stuck at zero miles of range for a while, since the HV battery had been completely discharged, but it's now showing five miles of EV range. Still showing the warnings about the ICE being unavailable. I'll drive it around the block tomorrow, assuming it continues to charge.

qbrozen · February 4

I don't think many sellers understand facebook marketplace. On my most recent endeavor, I've gotten a 25% response rate on my inquiries. I'm not asking "is it available?" I always start with Hi and state my questions. Usually things like: which engine does it have? any rust underneath? any leaking fluids? are you a dealer? Maybe they don't like questions, but then they should give better details to start and probably NOT post in a marketplace that leaves no choice but to reach out through messenger.

oldfarmer50 · February 4

Not giving pertinent information that a buyer would need isn’t limited to Marketplace. There’s someone selling a 2019 Nissan Frontier in his driveway near me who has “for sale” and a phone number on his sign. No price, no mileage, not even a trim level since apparently it has been debadged.

Maybe he’s a first time seller or maybe he figures that creating an air of mystery will intrigue people.

qbrozen · February 4

they all just want this:

tjc78 · February 4

@qbrozen

FB marketplace is as bad as CL now IMO.

I may have mentioned this but we made our own wine (36 gallons+) so I need to start bottling soon.

New bottles are about $30/dozen. I see them on Marketplace all the time so yesterday I searched and a listing a few towns over listed $10/case (dozen) with 13/14 cases available.

I shoot a note over… “hey if you still have the 13 cases I’ll take them all for $100.

He responds “Sold!!”

I say ok when is good for you to meet for pickup.

He then says “all sold”.

I had some people over and everyone took it as I did. Was I wrong? Why was the ad still up?

jmonroe1 · February 4

tjc78 said:
@qbrozen

FB marketplace is as bad as CL now IMO.

I may have mentioned this but we made our own wine (36 gallons+) so I need to start bottling soon.

New bottles are about $30/dozen. I see them on Marketplace all the time so yesterday I searched and a listing a few towns over listed $10/case (dozen) with 13/14 cases available.

I shoot a note over… “hey if you still have the 13 cases I’ll take them all for $100.

He responds “Sold!!”

I say ok when is good for you to meet for pickup.

He then says “all sold”.

I had some people over and everyone took it as I did. Was I wrong? Why was the ad still up?

————————————————-
That’s what happens when you hang out with crowds that think like you.

In any case, when you get bottles to make the transfer, let me know so I can come over and lick the spill pan.

jmonroe

au1994 · February 4

qbrozen said:
I don't think many sellers understand facebook marketplace. On my most recent endeavor, I've gotten a 25% response rate on my inquiries. I'm not asking "is it available?" I always start with Hi and state my questions. Usually things like: which engine does it have? any rust underneath? any leaking fluids? are you a dealer? Maybe they don't like questions, but then they should give better details to start and probably NOT post in a marketplace that leaves no choice but to reach out through messenger.

I genuinely don’t understand the animosity around “is it still available?”. Its a logical question and I know I’ve got about 382 things going on at once so I could see forgetting to takedown a FB Marketplace post.

qbrozen · February 4

@tjc78 said:
@qbrozen

FB marketplace is as bad as CL now IMO.

I may have mentioned this but we made our own wine (36 gallons+) so I need to start bottling soon.

New bottles are about $30/dozen. I see them on Marketplace all the time so yesterday I searched and a listing a few towns over listed $10/case (dozen) with 13/14 cases available.

I shoot a note over… “hey if you still have the 13 cases I’ll take them all for $100.

He responds “Sold!!”

I say ok when is good for you to meet for pickup.

He then says “all sold”.

I had some people over and everyone took it as I did. Was I wrong? Why was the ad still up?

I immediately saw that as confusing. I would have replied, “meaning they are already sold? Or you accept my offer?”

explorerx4 · February 4

Maybe the seller didn't want to accept your offer and didn't want to negotiate.

stickguy · February 4

not taking down ads seems to be a common problem. We sold a lot of stuff on marketplace a couple years ago when we are cleaning out to move. You do get a lot of flakes, and guaranteed to immediately get some scammers to weed through. But I made sure to take the ad down as soon as item was gone. Because it is the polite thing to do, but more so to stop getting contacted about it!

qbrozen · February 4

Hell, I take down the ad before they are out the driveway!

mjfloyd1 · February 4

corvette said:
Volt is showing a bunch of codes, thankfully not the ones that indicate a BECM failure, but the only ones that seem directly related to the engine are a couple of misfire codes. I'm trying to figure out whether those alone would cause it to refuse to run the ICE. Many of the codes are related to the 12v battery being drained because it was left powered on in neutral on the flatbed home.

That’s reVolting😎

corvette · February 4

I feel pretty dumb. I may have mentioned that a few weeks ago, I decided to empty about a gallon of fuel that I had left from my mower into a vehicle, and I couldn't find the capless fuel filler device for the Maverick, so I put it in the Volt, which had about half a tank. This morning, since the Volt had recharged its electrons, I decided to fill up the tank (which was at 4/10), just to dilute any possible bad fuel. As soon as I pressed the start button, the ICE started revving at full chat, and there were no more error messages about reduced performance and the ICE not being available. I put it in "hold mode" to keep the ICE running as much as possible, and it drove flawlessly. The misfire codes appear to have cleared themselves. There are a few random body module codes which seem to indicate a questionable 12V battery (it appears to be the original), and those come back immediately when I clear them. I'm planning on driving it locally in hold mode with the battery fully charged for a while before I attempt another longer trip where I will actually deplete the battery and need to run the ICE.

tjc78 · February 4

@qbrozen said:

@tjc78 said:
@qbrozen

FB marketplace is as bad as CL now IMO.

I may have mentioned this but we made our own wine (36 gallons+) so I need to start bottling soon.

New bottles are about $30/dozen. I see them on Marketplace all the time so yesterday I searched and a listing a few towns over listed $10/case (dozen) with 13/14 cases available.

I shoot a note over… “hey if you still have the 13 cases I’ll take them all for $100.

He responds “Sold!!”

I say ok when is good for you to meet for pickup.

He then says “all sold”.

I had some people over and everyone took it as I did. Was I wrong? Why was the ad still up?

I immediately saw that as confusing. I would have replied, “meaning they are already sold? Or you accept my offer?”

I guess I can see it both ways after talking about it… I was just in the mind set of making an offer and then the seller saying “sold”.

mjfloyd1 · February 4

Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).

28firefighter · February 4

BMW has this too. I think it’s primarily available in states that charge full tax on the sale price of the car, so you don’t get double taxed if you intend to buy it out.

qbrozen · February 4

mjfloyd1 said:
Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).

Huh. Would be curious to see how the numbers fair.

kyfdx · February 4

qbrozen said:

mjfloyd1 said:
Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).
Huh. Would be curious to see how the numbers fair.

It's a balloon note. They've been around forever..

qbrozen · February 4

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

mjfloyd1 said:
Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).
Huh. Would be curious to see how the numbers fair.
It's a balloon note. They've been around forever..

Oh, I know the method existed. Ford has been using it, for one. Just curious how their rates and residuals compare to their actual leases.

qbrozen · February 4

alto is now on facebook marketplace. I usually wait until I have everything done but just didn't want to hold off any longer. I still have to see if the AC even works and take driving video(s). Went ahead with cell phone pics this time just to get things moving (hopefully).

mjfloyd1 · February 4

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

mjfloyd1 said:
Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).
Huh. Would be curious to see how the numbers fair.
It's a balloon note. They've been around forever..

But Audi has a turn in option and you walk away unless excess mileage or excess wear and tear.

Is the BMW program the same? When I look, I only see balloon financing and you owe the final payment. I don’t see any option to turn it in and walk away.

stickguy · February 4

looks like a normal purchase financed with a balloon note, but they give you a guaranteed trade in price up front.

oldfarmer50 · February 4

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:
I don't think many sellers understand facebook marketplace. On my most recent endeavor, I've gotten a 25% response rate on my inquiries. I'm not asking "is it available?" I always start with Hi and state my questions. Usually things like: which engine does it have? any rust underneath? any leaking fluids? are you a dealer? Maybe they don't like questions, but then they should give better details to start and probably NOT post in a marketplace that leaves no choice but to reach out through messenger.

I genuinely don’t understand the animosity around “is it still available?”. Its a logical question and I know I’ve got about 382 things going on at once so I could see forgetting to takedown a FB Marketplace post.

It would be courteous to take the listing down quickly. Once I sold a car on CL and as I was walking back from the driveway my wife was hanging up the phone. She said the caller was angry that I hadn’t taken down the ad yet.

kyfdx · February 4

mjfloyd1 said:

kyfdx said:

qbrozen said:

mjfloyd1 said:
Interesting option with Audi - premier purchase

https://www.audiatlanta.com/audi-premier-purchase.htm#:~:text=A Premier Purchase provides Audi,payment (the residual value).
Huh. Would be curious to see how the numbers fair.
It's a balloon note. They've been around forever..
But Audi has a turn in option and you walk away unless excess mileage or excess wear and tear.

Is the BMW program the same? When I look, I only see balloon financing and you owe the final payment. I don’t see any option to turn it in and walk away.

BMW works the same way

28firefighter · February 4

I would imagine it’s easier than a lease to flip out of too from a sale perspective.

stickguy · February 4

well, it is in your name so should be like selling any other car. I would assume the balloon part/residual goes away at that point, and you just payoff the outstanding balance like with any other loan when you sell it.

Sandman6472 · February 4

Saw something interesting in the pre-owned section of the Hyundai store across the street. A 2020 Elantra GT N-Line 5 door with just over 13K for $21K, in silver over black with orange piping. Metal brake, accelerator and foot rest. Guessing the "T" on the engine must mean it's a turbo and it has the 1.6 engine. Looks clean from the pics but one can't go by that. Size wise, it'll fit perfectly and with the turbo, think it'll have no issue getting out of it's way. Haven't bought pre-owned in many many years so a bit hesitant but it seems very close to what I have now. No safety nannies unfortunately but don't have them now, so won't be missing them.

Might stop over on Wednesday or Thursday to give it a look see & possibly test drive it. Just for s-its & grins, might be something I would enjoy for the next few years. Vehicles in the size parameters that I'm looking in are kind of scarce right now as everything seems to be growing slowly every few years. And am sure there are plenty of folks who still want a small vehicle like me at an affordable price. And kind of think getting any Mini Cooper will be a bit high to maintain, something I want to get away from honestly. Think I'm finally ready to get something new but nothing out there is 100% what I want!

corvette · February 4

Not a huge fan of JRGo's transition to being a vehicle salvager. I get that he's making money doing it, but making videos about disassembling and parting out wrecked cars you bought for $1,000 isn't nearly as interesting as fixing hoopties.

stickguy · February 4

agreed. I would guess that his views will agree also and it won't last (the business might, assuming it really does make him money and he doesn't get bored with it, but not the videos). so either also does side stuff for youtube, or gives up on that.

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