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Online Services Experiences (Carsdirect.com, Carwoo.com, etc.)

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Comments

  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    You are right, but this is from their web site:

    CarsDirect.com is committed to provide our customers with highly competitive prices on all makes and models.

    You call prices over MSRP highly competitive?

    And this is what their parent's web site says(Idealab, http://www.idelab.com):
    The online way to buy a new car at dealer invoice and have it delivered to your door

    I will be sure to check them out when I have to get a new car, but I won't be holding my breath. I like new, exciting cars. But it seems that those are the ones that CarsDirect does not want to sell for a "competitive price". It took them forever to put Jag S-type on their web site (2 months or so), and when they finally did - look at the "competitive price!".

    Besides, back a few months ago, over the phone, they promised me a $210 over invoice on this same Jag but then backed out, saying that the car is not shown on their web site yet and therefore they cannot tell me the real price. "Check back in a couple of months when we put it on our web site". All that while the car had already started to be sold by the dealers and pricing info was available on KBB.
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    I talked to CarsDirect about how rebates are considered in the price of the car. According to David, some of the prices listed on the web site take into account the rebate on the vehicle, but some do not. He said they are currently working on making this more consistent. As of right now though, when you are contacted by CarsDirect you can ask them if the price includes the rebate or not.

    - The Merg
  • molliemollie Member Posts: 6
    I have posted this in RX300 topic too but people here may know better. CarsDirect found me RX300 I was looking for. Having read this topic, I thought what I have to pay on top of the price quoted is tax and licence(or registration) fee. But they are telling me that I also have to pay advertisement fee that dealer charges.
    Is it the case? If I'm supposed to pay this, I guess I will. But if it is not, I like to know.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    Mollie, If there are more Lexus dealerships near you, call them all, and ask "what fees are added on top of the price of the car?". Exact wording if possible. This will help you determine if that is something that they all charge, of if this one dealer is using it for profit. If you find a dealer that doesn't charge it, mention it to your CarsDirect rep. They might be able to get the dealer to knock it off.
  • molliemollie Member Posts: 6
    Frank, thanks for a quick response.
    The state I live in have three Lexus dealerships. Interesting enough, I was put through to dealerA through CarsDirect, dealerB through ABT, and dealerC through AAA. DealerC is about 2hours drive away and AAA said they won't quote a price over the phone so I haven't tried them. DealerB (ABT) has shown me higher price than CarsDirect. There is no advertisement fee, but they charge document fee of $300 and licence fee of $110.

    What bothered me is that CarsDirect advisor told me I could commit myself so he can call the dealership, but when I asked him what other fees the dealer charges me, he said probably advertisement fee but he didn't know how much. He said he'd check with the dealer but I haven't heard from him since then. If he doesn't call me till Monday, I'll call the dealer myself. I wonder most people make a committment before knowing the final price.

    If advertisement fee of $300 is the only fee they add, I guess the final price is still good enough although it make it about 6% over invoice, not 5% as I originally expected. But if they add document, registration or whatever they want to charge and those add up to 2-3%, I'll go look further.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    If you want to find out those kind of details, ask for the Finance Manager. They are the folks who have to fill out the paperwork, and they can tell you right off. Now, the sales staff doesn't want to lose a sale over the phone, so they will want you to come down, thinking that they can sell you the car if they get you into their dealership. I would do the same shopping on the Doc fee, or any other fee. If 1 dealership charges this fee, and the others don't, or if it is only $100 in one place, and $300 in the other, USE THAT to your advantage! Ask them why their ink is so much more expensive that dealer B's? They only charge $100! (You might be able to get them to match it, or if it is a potentially BS fee like Ad fee, they might drop it all together). The beauty of the CarsDirect deal is that the dealer really isn't making a concession to sell you a car. Therefore, he can't have the attitude that he is doing you a favor by letting you have the car for that price. So, that puts you in the position to ask for things like dropping the Ad fee, reducing the doc fee to a reasonable amount, etc. I had a BMW dealer tell me that he had Ad fees, a $250 Doc fee, etc. I found another dealer 80 miles away that charged only the price of the car, and TTL. So, I got the car at the "nice" dealer. (I have recently found out, (And I got my car back in February), that this dealership is STILL trying to rip folks off with all these fees. I think it was ~$1000 in fees! So, in closing, get the best price on the car from CarsDirect, (Be sure to check out CarOrder.com also, they have been making good deals on BMWs, and other "hot items"), and then try to negotiate those fees away, and don't be afraid to threaten to walk. (I picked up my BMW on the way back from a business trip, and my boss took me to the dealership. He said that he thought something was horribly wrong with the car. I walked in, looked at it from about 10 feet, and went to the salesman's office, and checked my numbers. Once that was done, I went to the finance manager to write a check, and only then would I get in the car. I wanted to maintain "Mental distance" from the car in the event come crap surfaced I could walk with a clear conscience. I admit, I am somewhat of an extreme case, but that's how I do business. Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions that you don't feel like posting here!)
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    I talked to CarsDirect last week and was told that the additional costs on top of their price would be tax, title, license and advertisting fee. You shouldn't have to pay any other fees though. The advertising fee is generally 1% of the MSRP of the vehicle, so if the $300 is greater than that, you might have a case for getting it lowered.

    HTH,
    The Merg
  • ajuliusajulius Member Posts: 10
    On Carsdirect.com, the Ford Explorer 4dr 4x4 XLT is $40 below invoice. On the website, it mentions no other fees, except a $250 deposit. Yet some people on this forum mentioned they added an advertisement fee? How can this be legit for them to add without mentioning it on the website?

    The problem Im having is finding the Explorer with the color and equipment I want. Dealers around here only have a few in stock.

    Also regarding financing will Carsdirect honor Ford's 2.9% for 48mths financing for in stock vehicles delivered by 10/1/99? Im already preapproved from Ford.

    If I can get this price without the advertising fee, and Ford will honor the financing, I might use CarsDirect. Im assuming that Ford isnt offering additional incentives since Edmunds and Carpoint makes no mention of them.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    ajulius, financing is up to you when you deal with CarsDirect. Also, it is their job to find the vehicle that you want, not yours. If this is really something that you are interested in purchasing, and their deal is that good, I would give them a shot! The price they show on their site, SHOULD be the price that you pay for the car. I would give them a call, and see what they have to say about it. Keep us updated on what happens!
  • molliemollie Member Posts: 6
    Frand and Merg, thanks for your feedback. I have no update as of now, but hopefully I'll speak to CarsDirect tomorrow and get more info.

    The other dealer I spoke to through ABT doesn't charge advertisement fee, should I tell CarsDirect about it and if they want to talk to him, should I let them do? Since the dealer I'm speaking to works with ABT, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to give his name to CarsDirect.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    If you tell CD that the other dealer doesn't charge the Ad fee, and that gives you reason to believe that it might be a bogus charge. CD might be able to get the dealer to drop it, or they might be able to deal with the other dealer. It shouldn't matter that they deal with ABT. My Porsche dealer says he deals with a bunch of the services, so I don't think any service requires exclusives.
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    The advertising fee is not mentioned on the CarsDirect website because that is a fee that is passed on from the dealer to the buyer and not from CarsDirect to the buyer. According to CarsDirect, they have an agreement with the dealers they work with for no fees to be charged to the buyer that are not mandatory. Typically, the advertising fee is considered a mandatory fee by the manufacturer that the dealers are supposed to pass on to the buyer. Of course, not all dealerships pass on this fee and some dealerships try to mark-up this fee more than the typical 1% of MSRP. Just ask the dealer questions and don't stop until you get a reasonable answer out of them.

    - The Merg
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    Yes, ask lots of questions! Start off with my favorite. "Why is it dealer XYZ doesn't charge this fee, and you guys do?"
  • kwrohrerkwrohrer Member Posts: 11
    I believe all carsdirect.com MSRP and invoice totals (and presumably quotes) include the destination charge. Certainly, that's the way the math works out, though the pages don't say word one about destination charges unless the charge varies by area (in which case it's an "option").

    If the carsdirect.com price exceeds their own figure for MSRP, laugh at them. If it exceeds MSRP for just the car, check the destination charge factor...

    (and in any case, especially if they're quoting below invoice, check the web for incentives: they may change their price if there's a restriction on the incentive that their software doesn't understand...)
  • kwrohrerkwrohrer Member Posts: 11
    I just checked the Jaguar ruski was talking about, they are indeed quoting a price over their own MSRP + destination figure. I guess they're just not on good terms with Jaguar or some such...

    All the other prices I've seen are either MSRP, or actually discounted, if not by much. I don't remember which I saw for below invoice, but I'm sure a rebate was involved. For most cars I've looked at, the price they seem to offer is more than 3% over invoice...but that may still be a good deal, as I think demand is still pretty good... 10% on the Acura TL, 4% on the Prelude, ~5% on Lexus ES300 (that last without factoring out the destination charge)...
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    I think I have figured out why some of their prices show up over MSRP. What the deal is, is that they are unable to get a discount on the car, so it is an MSRP deal, and they add their fee to the price, and that pushes it over.
  • binksterbinkster Member Posts: 4
    Check out CarOrder.com. I got my Acura TL at invoice (plus destination chrg, and other assorted State and Fed fees), no problems. My experience was good.

    They are avaliable in the CA market and some other states. Internet site is a little buggy but you can call or e-mail for more info.
  • molliemollie Member Posts: 6
    Hello everyone. CarsDirect called me today to confirm a few things, I went to the dealership to test drive it, and bought it. (a quick progress isn't it)

    Overall the price I paid was satisfactory compared to other offers I received. However, there were a few surprises before I figured the final number.

    1. CarsDirect confirmed that this dealership does not charge adv fee, but it turned out that they charge doc fee of $95 which CarsDirect asked me to pay. This fee was taxable, so I assume it's part of the dealer's price rather than service.

    2. This is something people may be aware but I was supid enough not to be aware until I was shown the final number. CarsDirect pays the difference of their guaranteed price and the dealer's offer, but they don't pay the tax on the price difference. Larger the price difference, more tax I pay.

    3. Since I didn't know the dealer's price, just CarsDirect price which was below 36k, I didn't include luxury tax in my calculation. However, dealer's price was above 36k so I had to pay luxury tax.

    Doc fee, tax on doc fee, luxury tax and tax on price difference was about $250 in total. When I called CarsDirect to say I got the deal done, he said `oh, by the way, you should be aware that you pay tax on the price dealer showed, not our price'. I wish they made all these clear from the beginning rather than stressing the guaranteed price, then I wouldn't have felt somehow misled.

    Even with this additional cost, I consider it a good enough deal so no major complain. I just hope people who're considering using them are all aware of these additional cost when calculating out-the-door price.
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    I have a particular dealer that I would like to use. (Close by, free loaner and car wash for life, lots of recommedations from friends and co-workers) Is there any way to have CarsDirect try to work with that specific dealer? Can I ask CarsDirect to use this dealer when I submit my request. This won't be happening until end of Sep., but I figured I'd ask now to get all my info together.

    Thanks,
    The Merg
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    With the $250 deposit to CarsDirect... what happens to that money? Is that money returned to you even if they find a car and you decide not to buy it? Is that money applied to your payment of the car if you decide to buy it?

    - The Merg
  • dkfanndkfann Member Posts: 6
    A warning for those considering Cars.Direct: They are not necessarily as quick as you may be led to
    believe. I submitted my vehicle request 7/6 through their website, which promises someone will call within one business day. No one called me within that time, so since I wanted to get my car quickly, I called them on 7/7. I paid my $250 deposit (still waiting to find out if you get that back if the deal falls through -- no one seems to know for sure) and was promised by the guy on the phone that I would be contacted by a "service advisor" within 72 hours (did not say business days this time). After waiting until morning of 7/13 and hearing nothing I called them again. Spoke to another person on the phone who said she would have a service advisor call me back within an hour. Several hours passed, no one called. I called them again 7/13 afternoon, talked to yet another person, got another promise of service advisor will call back in an hour. Evening passed, no one called. Just called them again this morning, got still another person with the same answer again. We will see if someone really calls this time.

    So far I am hoping they are just temporarily overwhelmed and it won't really turn out to be a bad deal. I have already paid the money to find out, I guess!

    So anyway if you want a car quickly you might be better off to go local instead.

    Did anyone out there actually buy a car from them recently, within the last couple of weeks? How long did the entire process take you?
  • whchanwhchan Member Posts: 5
    My father-in-law used carsdirect.com just last week to purchase a 1999 Lexus ES300. He submitted the request on Sunday and they located the car for him on Wed. BTW, someone did call on Monday to confirm the order but he never ask for that $250 deposit!!! Carsdirect did chip in about $400 for the extra options (floor mat, wheel lock and heated seat) that he didn't ask for. Overally, we're happy with their service.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    I started dealing with them back in early April, and they have been overwhelmed with orders ever since. Calls are almost NEVER returned, (but e-mails are!). They are still good to deal with, and when they are throwing free money around, why not!

    hmergler, If your local dealer offers good deals, you will have no problem specifying your dealer, that is what I did. I had found a better deal than they could, and had my deal all arranged before I found them, so they had very little work to do on my deal. Since my deal was better, they took it.
  • chlobochlobo Member Posts: 5
    Hi,

    I'm dealing with Carsdirect to find a Mazda Protege Es manual transmission (very rare) and I can understand why they might be slow. Somethings are hard to find so they take a little longer. Also, as with any service to find a new car, people should read the fine print and know what they are getting into. If you don't understand something, ask. No one service has it all.
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    I have called an been unable to talk to my person, so I e-mail her. Did it tonight, and got a respone in about 30 minutes. E-mail seems to work GREAT!
  • chlobochlobo Member Posts: 5
    dkfann,

    I'm currently working on a week. I first contacted them last Friday. I may pick up the car tomorrow.
  • merlin6merlin6 Member Posts: 5
    Just wanted to let you all know about my recent experience with carsdirect.com, which was a VERY positive one. I had read the comments on this board and others, but was highly dubious/skeptical about the "free money" part. I have been shopping for a 1999 Mazda Protege ES 5-spd. Found 2 of them at 2 local dealers, but wasn't happy with the final deal either of them proposed (about $500 too high in both cases, IMHO). So I decided to give carsdirect.com a shot, figuring I didn't have anything to lose. Their guaranteed price was actually slightly lower than what even I would have been happy with. I placed my order with them on Friday, and they called back to confirm that same day. Called me on Monday with an "update" saying they found the car (at one of the local dealers), and were working out the details. Tuesday they called again to tell me it was done, I just had to contact the dealer and arrange to pick up the car! The dealer wanted to wait until they received the check from carsdirect.com (in the amount of $550), so I picked up the car on Wednesday. The dealer asked me if I'd had to pay a "service fee" to carsdirect.com, because they didn't understand how/why they were able/willing to send them a check like that. I don't understand it either, but I'm very happy with the deal I wound up with ... and so far, EXTREMELY happy with the Protege!

    As others have noted, the the buyer must pay sales tax on the amount that carsdirect.com kicks in. Part of this deal on the Protege also included the $1000 rebate (customer cash) that Mazda is offering on the Protege right now, and the buyer also pays sales tax on that. But there were no further "hidden" add-on costs/fees (i.e., no "advertising" fee, etc). I'd recommend anyone else to try out this service ... hard to imagine how they'll be able to keep this up for long, though! :-)
  • dkfanndkfann Member Posts: 6
    Thanks, everyone, for all your comments! Unfortunately I still haven't heard from a human yet, despite calling them a total of 6 times now... Plus I scoured their web site and emailed every address I could find but still no response... So far I do not know for sure they are even working on my order; I am hoping they are working on it but just haven't found the car and that is why they haven't called! When/If I do talk to a human I will suggest that they call periodically just to let you know that something is happening. Anyway I am still waiting, and all your comments have made me hopeful that things will turn out ok in the end! Thanks again!
  • cmullinscmullins Member Posts: 1
    Have you checked out the revision to the CarsDirect site? I checked a few cars; didn't see any price changes. However, there is a posting which says "Car delivered by (such and such a date)." On Sunday the 18th, delivery was promised by this coming Sunday, the 27th. If you click the banner for more info, they promise to reduce your price by $500 if they can't meet the date. Seems like an even better deal now.
  • shinershiner Member Posts: 19
    Binkster,

    I tried to email carorder with a few questions, but apparently the email address was incorrect since the message was returned to me.

    Do you know if carorder will sell to non-Californians if they are willing to pick up the car in California? For invoice price on a TL, the trip just might be worth it.
  • dkfanndkfann Member Posts: 6
    Here is a little more information for those who would like to know:

    I sent an email to CarsDirect last week asking 3 questions:
    1) Why do some people get charged the $250 and some do not?
    2) Why do some requests take so much longer than others before someone calls back? Is there a prioritization system?
    3) Why does the 888 phone number throw the caller immediately into "hold" without a greeting (i.e. you don't know if you got the right number)?

    Here's the response I got back (edited for brevity):

    1. We have tried different ways to do things and have changed our policies to see what works best. We have for the moment settled on the fully refundable $250 deposit. It is now taken on line.
    2. We had some trouble with our database and may have had some things slip through the cracks.
    3. The 888 number is no longer valid, we have streamlined that process and eliminated that step.

    They also provided a real person's phone number to call for more help.
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    I noticed that I didn't really get an answer to this question before, so I figured I'd try agaon. How does the deposit work? I realize that if CarsDirect does not find you a car, you get it back. What if they find you the car and then you decide not to buy? The reason I ask is although I will probably be happy with the CarsDirect price and the car, I will be trading in (to help with the downpayment). If the dealer does not give me enough for the trade-in, I am obviously not going to buy the new vehicle. Anyone have any ideas on this? Also, after you buy does CarsDirect just credit back the deposit to your credit card?

    I figured I'd ask here first and then try to contact CarsDirect as it seems fairly hard to get in touch with them.

    - The Merg
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    I was wondering if anyone has had the experience of getting a college grad/first time buyer rebate while using CarsDirect? I know that the CarsDirect pricing includes normal rebates and incentives, but has anyone had any problems with showing up at the dealer and saying "Oh yeah, I have this rebate I want to apply too."?

    - The Merg
  • erthquakeerthquake Member Posts: 12
    Merg,

    I called CD yesterday and asked about the deposit. You basically get it back no matter what. Two people I talked to told me if I was unsatisfied for any reason, I would get it back. They also told me if the sale went through, I could get it refunded or apply it towards the car's purchase. One of them told me it's never actually charged to your credit card, it's just held on the card. Then why charge it the first place? Maybe as the service gets more popular, they will end up charging it as a fee, so they're setting up for.

    Anyway, I just placed my order. The following message was on the final 'Hold My Car' page/form.

    "To confirm your order, hold your car, and lock in your price and delivery date, please enter your credit information here. Your fully-refundable $250 deposit will be applied to the purchase price of your vehicle. There is no charge for this service.

    At CarsDirect.com your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, we will fully refund your $250 deposit. In addition, if we are not able to get you approved for financing, we will refund your $250 deposit."

    -Bryan
  • merlin6merlin6 Member Posts: 5
    As I mentioned in my previous post about my recent
    experience with CD (post #137), I too was "charged" the $250 deposit. As others have noted, in my case the charge was never actually posted against my credit card. My CD Sales rep (Stephanie Nice) said they use that just to "filter out the non-serious buyers", whatever that means. Anyway, as I mentioned previously, I'm happy with the deal (and the car), the dealer is happy, and neither of us can fathom how/why CD can do what they do.
  • jeffsjeffs Member Posts: 23
    You don't want to do that. CA cars have enhanced catalytic converters to comply with CA emmissions and will have some performance. Sometimes at the cost of additional weight because (2) CATS are needed.
  • jeffsjeffs Member Posts: 23
    sorry. Got distracted and cut my reponse off. I Was just trying to say that cars sold in CA MAY perform differently than sold in TX and you may want to be aware of the differences. The catalytic converter MAY be one difference (for CA emmissions regulations) and could have an effect on performance and weight. Some vehicles were required to have (2) cats to comply. There of course will be exceptions.
  • shinershiner Member Posts: 19
    Thanks, jeffs, for the reminder about California emmissions equipment. Someone in the TL topic posted that CarOrder has recently expanded its service to Texas. That's great news for me!
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    This is my guess... CarsDirect is going to be opening its own financing wing down the road (A CD rep told me this). Right now they are building a customer base and dealer network. In the long run, the finance department is what will bring in the $$$. Right before the finance wing will start, CD will go IPO. This will bring in a large in-flux of cash that CD will be able to use to start making loans with.

    IMHO,
    - The Merg
  • frankrizzofrankrizzo Member Posts: 67
    That's a great idea there Merg. (I know it's not YOUR idea, but you brought it up). My daughter's softball coach works for a company that distributes Toyotas, and teaches the dealers about how to make more money on the financing of the car, than they do on the sale of the car. He says, that if played right, a dealer can make $1000 on just financing. So, they CAN survive like that.
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    I just read an interesting article about CarsDirect in the most recent issue of "Automobile". It was the very last article in the mag. Jean Jennings wrote it in her "Vile Gossip" column.

    Essentially, she said the the car buying public was tired of the "dealer experience" of yesterday and that internet car buying is the wave of the future. She also said that the car dealers that have a pro-active internet strategy, close more deals than those that don't. I think she said that 50% of the intenet leads were closed if they were followed up in a timely manner from the dealer and that customer satisfaction with internet car buying was much higher than with traditional sales methods.

    This flies in the face of the dealers/salespeople that say that they don't take internet car buyers seriously.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • andrewhandrewh Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking for a BMW. Their site is offering a $500 off of MSRP. This is allowing the dealer 90% of their invoice-to-MSRP markup!

    Is this typical of the site or just for BMW's?

    I've been reading that the dealers will allow a $2000 - 2500 discount from MSRP. Why is CD allowing such a HIGH profit?

    Any thoughts, experiences? I REALLY think I could do better in person at a dealer!

    Thanks
    Andrew
  • larssclarssc Member Posts: 2

    andrew

    Prices I see are generally invoice, minus any rebates on other makes. Maybe this model is a hot
    seller in your area, or the dealer won't play with carsdirect. I intend to use their price as
    a starting point, as many dealers here deal from 90 to 100 over invoice. (of course on less exotic
    makes, not BMW)
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    I noticed that for some high demand cars (Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, ect), you could typically do better by yourself. But with some common model, they can do better than you (Mazda protege, Corolla, Civic). So doing your home work is still important. But it's good to check them out before going in for the dealer show down. :)
  • ryandoughertyryandougherty Member Posts: 11
    Ive posted this same comment in the Carorder forumn, but I want to make sure noone is left out there on this...

    I have a question for anyone who has completed a
    deal with Carorder.com or Carsdirect.com...

    Did either one of them at anytime request your
    Social Security number? If so, then watch out!
    That's a sign that you may recieve a 1099 form at
    the end of this year.

    I dont know if they will do it for sure or not (Im
    just speculating), but IRS code requires you to to
    file the "gain" as a gift. Certaintly not a big
    amount due comparing your discount... But, it is
    something you should check into before the end of
    the year...

    Trust me, I know all about this tax fiasco as I
    was caught-up in it earlier this year. This
    invoice pricing concept is cool. However, if
    either one of these companies cut a check that went
    towards your car, then you legally are required to
    report it as a gift to the IRS (They may do it
    before you...). It sucks, but its true.

    Im truly sorry if this is the case, but I thought
    I should bring it up. Better to know now than at
    the beginning of next year.

    If you want, call up the company you dealt with
    and ask them if they intend to report the money
    that they contribute to the IRS... If they say no,
    then ask them to fax it to you in writing. TRUST
    ME! You need to cover your butt on this one. I
    didn't, and I got burned (not by carsdirect or
    carorder...)
  • jhagenjhagen Member Posts: 1
    Just recently discovered CarsDirect.com

    Their site is WAY COOL in that they actually seem to have a good grasp on a fair selling price for just about any car.

    Examples:
    BMW 323i - near MSRP
    Audi TT - OVER MSRP!
    Honda Odyssey - not even listed!

    Most non-rebate cars are a few $$ over invoice.
    Most rebated cars are the same few $$ over (invoice minus all rebates). But what's cool is that they've already done all the homework, so you get all the rebates, even the unadvertised ones.

    Even if you don't buy a car from them, this is a great tool.

    I predict that this one website, if they maintain this approach, will do more to tear down the traditional dealer system than any other!
  • jondjond Member Posts: 43
    I may have gotten the last "Acura 3.2TL special deal". Ordered the car through Cars Direct in April and picked it up today (took a while to get it ordered and for it to get here). I too was skeptical as to whether I would really get the car at the price quoted by Cars Direct but they came through and the car is in my garage. Transaction went through with no difficulties although sometimes the communication between us took a bit longer than I would have liked. Important thing to me is that transaction was completed as promised.
  • consult1consult1 Member Posts: 2
    Well,

    The check didn't arrive at the dealership on Saturday as promised. In fact, It didn't arrive at the dealership until Tueday. The manager told me he had to call Monday to see what was going on and why the delay. My check (left as a deposit until CarsDirect.Com's check arrived) is supposed to be in the mail on its way back to my possession from the dealership.

    I have yet to hear anything from Michelle. She said she would contact me, but I'm still waiting. I'm trying to be patient. I may have to initiate contact again.
  • kimtkimt Member Posts: 9
    Check out http://www.carorder.com

    This site is also good. Most cars at invoice.
  • satovbissatovbis Member Posts: 1
    I went to a dealer several days ago and they told me that for any car they sell they would add additional $300 for delivery or something like that. And they add it after the price is negotiated. I called Carsdirect and they told me that the price they give me includes everything but tax, so there are no other fees involved(I am not talking about registration fees). Would anyone tell me if its true or not? I am not sure because if you buy a car through carsdirect, you still have to pick it up from the dealership and actually they really CAN charge me that. Please tell me what you had to pay in addition to what carsdirect originally priced for you.
    Any information would be helpful.

    Thanks

    Sam
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