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Got a Quick Question for a Car Dealer?

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Comments

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Yeah, I have a quick question for a car dealer - why are you guys all such lying thieves? :P

    Hi, Bill!
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >why are you guys all such lying thieves?

    Ooooh. Oh. You're going to get a host-o-gram. I once said that buyers got cheated the most on the trade value of their used cars at the dealerships. Later two others said the same thing, in a slightly different wording. And even salesmen have said customers have no idea of the real value of their tradein. Customers focus on the "price" for the new one as shown on the payments contract.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    the dealer can declare any trade in value he wishes as long as he's manipulating the MSRP of the new car.

    Sure I'll give you $10,000 for your 1990 Ford Taurus and here's your $40,000 Mini Cooper. :P
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Yeah, that works!

    I know when I go in I have an idea of what I want the difference to be but I'm not nutty enough to go to the old here's my one offer take it or leave it approach. I'm sure dealers make more off me than they do some others but they make a fair piece less with me than others as well.

    Ask Bill how much he made selling me the Camry......
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    A trade is worth what it's worth.

    After 14 years of appraising cars and wholesaling/appraising/buying thousands of cars I have found that Edmunds/KBB/etc are inaccurate more often then they are accurate.

    If your trade is worth $12k, and Edmunds says it's worth $14k, the only way you're going to get $14k for it is by paying $2k too much for the new car.

    I once had a customer when I worked at Toyota come in waving a KBB printout for his Tacoma.. he insisted that he wasn't taking a penny less than KBB good, which was $18k. When I tried to give him my number he cut me off, got nasty and insisted on KBB. OK, so that's what we did. Traded his $22-23k truck for $18k.

    There's one way for the general public to get a true idea of what their car is worth, find a few dealers that sell cars like yours, ask them what they would pay for it. Tell them that you just want to sell the car and you're shopping it.

    After 3 or 4 bids you should have an idea of what it's really worth.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Hmmm...

    $50 or $60 I think.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Sure I'll give you $10,000 for your 1990 Ford Taurus and here's your $40,000 Mini Cooper.

    If it's a loaded Cooper Countryman or loaded JCW, then that $40K might be pretty close to MSRP!
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I think at the time you said $45. The guy with his Tacoma made up the difference for you.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You gotta hand it to the Germans---they have option lists longer than the car's wheelbase. :P
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    That guy was hysterical.

    I think his printout that he was waving around was for something stupid like $18k... at the time Galves was over $22k, but these were doing $23-24k at auction.. i'd have easily gone a grand over book.

    Best part was, and remember that this guy literally would NOT let me get a single word in edgewise, even to the point of telling me to shut up, he came back about 6 weeks later with his friend. Looked at me, then told his friend how he told me how the deal was gonna go down, etc.... and basically laughed at me. I grinned, and said, yeah, too bad the book that we used hit your truck at $22,500! He looked like he wanted to kill me, and I remonded him "Look, you wouldn't listen to ANYTHING I had to say.. you even told me to shut up and give you what you wanted so I did..." :)

    Shoulda seen the look on his face...
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I think I'd have paid money to see the look on his face.

    Hey, do you know if Hyundai is planning a new Elantra Touring? Nice little vehicle.

    Sometime after I'm through recovery I'm thinking a nice, smaller vehicle.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Seriously!!!
    If you want to charge me advertising fees on a vehicle, why don't you add this while your at it:

    1) water bill
    2) water cooler bill
    3) landscaping bill
    4) electricity bill
    5) postage bill
    6) vacation bill
    7) Holiday bill
    8) cable bill
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • mortiennemortienne Member Posts: 30
    Because back when I sold Infinitis, those other items weren't added to the invoice by Infiniti. A $400 advertising fee was.
  • jprocjproc Member Posts: 135
    the advertising fee is a charge that the manufacturer passes on to the dealer.That is the difference between the other expenses you cited.
  • ken117ken117 Member Posts: 249
    edited September 2011
    Perhaps, but it is not a legal fee and it is not on the sticker. There is no requirement for it to be paid by a buyer. For the dealer it is actually a cost of doing business, part of the overhead which is why we pay $80 plus an hour for the dealer to work on our cars, a part of the $80 plus amount is the cost of the labor and the rest is for overhead including advertising. Personally, I have only had one dealer spring this on me, Nissan. I was going to walk from the deal, always a good tactic, and the dealer relented. Consumers must be vigilant about fees of all kind or a good deal can be turned into a bad deal very quickly.

    In cost accounting there are two types of costs. Direct costs which relate directly to the product, in this case price of the vehicle being purchased, and indirect costs, in this case the cost of the dealer doing busines. When a person buys a vehicle, it is reasonable for the buyer to pay the direct costs. That would be the negotiated price of the vehicle and the directly related costs which would include freight, tags, tax, etc.

    The indirect costs, dealer advertising and other costs of running the business are a bit different. These the buyer should not be concerned about as separate items. For the dealer, these items should be built into the negotiated price of the vehicle and not sprung on a customer as separate charges. The results may be the same but the perception to the customer is radically different.

    Once a price of the vehicle is negotiated, both parties should be happy. The buyer should only add the direct fees to that price (freight, tax, tags). The dealer should include all overhead and profit (each dealer will have different overhead and profit objectives so it pays to shop around) should be considered in the negotiated price they can live with.

    Regarding a dealer's overhead and profit objectives, there are many reasons a dealer will sell a vehicle for less than a profitable amount. Some may need the sale to cover fixed cost (another concept), some may need the sale to meet some internal goal. A customer does not need to be concerned about these things other than to find the right dealer with the right price at that time.

    When I shop for a vehicle I do my homework using Edmunds, TrueCar and other sites. I then work the internet with various dealers. I am not out to screw the dealer, not really possible in any case, I am just locating the right dealer. Some will not provide a price and I dismiss those out of hand. They usually ask me to visit for them to provide me a price. I fing this quite disingenuous, since I contacted them via the internet they should assume I do not want to visit for a price. Others will offer a price which is obvious way beyond my objective. I also dismiss those dealers as their profit objectives obviously don't match up with my numbers. With those dealers the chances of reaching a fair deal are slim. Almost always a couple will respond with a fair price. Those I visit and work the deal. Interestingly it is not always the same dealers who offer a good price. Therefore, it pays to work the process anew every time.

    I am curious as to why a dealer will not provide a price over the internet. I understand they may fear a customer using it at another dealer. However, if they provide a fair price they greatly increase the chance the customer may actually visit. If they give no price or an unfair price, it is highly unlikely a customer will visit. In additon, I know I do this, a customer will almost always suggest, when asked, those dealerships who provide a fair price to friends and relatives. While I may not have bought from them, the people I send to them may buy.
  • jwilliams2jwilliams2 Member Posts: 910
    Perhaps, but it is not a legal fee and it is not on the sticker.

    It is not on the sticker, but it is on the invoice to the dealer. It is charged by the manufacturer to the dealer on the invoice. It is a seperate line item, as it varies by market. The dealer pays this, and you never see it unless you see the invoice. You will pay this, as it is included in the dealers cost of goods. And again, it has nothing to do with the actual MSRP or "sticker" as it only affects the dealers cost. And it is most certainly legal.

    Now if you run into a dealer who tries to charge an additional advertising fee, simply insist it be removed or walk away.

    And to answer your question about why some dealers won't give you a price over the internet, it's because they feel they have a better shot if selling you a car if they get you into the dealership. Their feeling is that if they give you a price, you will simply shop it until you find someone who will beat it by $50 or whatever. This policy works very well for some stores, as they consistantly sell a lot of cars.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Advertising fees, if on the invoice, are simply part of the invoice.

    An invoice is nothing more than a billing document from the manufacturer to the dealer. That's basically the dictionary definition of invoice.

    Most manufacturers hit dealers with advertising fees, if it's on the invoice, it's part of the invoice. If it's on the retail order it's probably BS.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited September 2011
    What people have to realize is quite often the dealer simply has no use for the car someone wants to trade in. It may be an unpopular car, a bad color, it may be a stick or simply car that the store knows is going to be hard to sell.

    Maybe it's a car that the dealer knows they can buy at the auction for thousands of dollars "back of book" yet the shopper brings in reams of printouts from various sources and he "knows" what it's "worth".

    These customers have to be treated with kid gloves. If one disparging comment is made about his trade in or his numbers are scoffed at he/she will never return.

    Oh, they'll find out after visiting six stores that don't want the trade in but they sure won't give the satifaction of a sale to a store that blew them off.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    And to answer your question about why some dealers won't give you a price over the internet, it's because they feel they have a better shot if selling you a car if they get you into the dealership.

    I understand that's their perception. But that perception is, to many people, no longer valid. "Call for price", "Stop by to talk", etc. stinks of Internet circa 1996 when an Internet presence was primarily used to generate showroom traffic. Doing that today means that the company is only paying lip service to Internet shoppers, which can easily be interpreted by folks like ken & me as: "I don't respect or really want to deal with your method of shopping."
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    And to answer your question about why some dealers won't give you a price over the internet, it's because they feel they have a better shot if selling you a car if they get you into the dealership.

    I understand that's their perception. But that perception is, to many people, no longer valid. "Call for price", "Stop by to talk", etc. stinks of Internet circa 1996 when an Internet presence was primarily used to generate showroom traffic. Doing that today means that the company is only paying lip service to Internet shoppers, which can easily be interpreted by folks like ken & me as: "I don't respect or really want to deal with your method of shopping."


    A couple of weeks ago, I was on the ford website looking at Mustangs. I inadvertently sent out a request to my local Ford dealer. I got a couple of canned emails, then a third email with a specific quote for a Mustang GT with only the security option. This quote was very competitive (not that I'm looking seriously at this point) - so much so that I went to the dealer for a quick look at the car in question.

    Turns out it was for a car they would have to get in trade, but I did have a chance to chat with the internet salesperson who provided me the quote. He knows that he has to be aggressive precisely because of the issue noted above - that it would be easy for me to take his quote and 'shop' it at other dealers.

    I was surprised at how candid he was and that he provided a quote in the first place. He did tell me that he would sell me any Mustang at invoice (minus incentives) and to keep him in mind should my shopping take a serious turn.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    I'll usually award the best initial quotes the most consideration.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think that it behooves a person to check a dealer's reputation rather than throw a dart at the one who is $50 cheaper.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    In the minds of many, the internet has hurt the car business.

    People want hard quotes so they can take that numebr and shop it to death.

    If you don't give them a number (we never would) some would get upset and take you off their list.

    Some stores would really mess with people. They would give low quotes on cars they didn't have and couldn't get or they wouldn't include the destination, things like that.

    I would tell people." Make sure they have the car and have included everything"

    Sometimes they would say..." Ah, they don't have that actual car in stock but they can get it"

    " Well, there is ONE in the state and we happen to have it and we aren't about to dealer trade it".
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Often the quotes I've received are not $50 apart but more like $400 apart. If it was $50 apart and one was 5 miles away vs. 50 miles away, the gas you waste going further would offset the savings significantly; not to mention wasted time.

    I'm particular about options and I only like certain colors, so I'm often better off just visiting a dealer that has what I want on the lot (trades add complications, costs, and wasted time).
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well I see your point but if you pick a bad dealer, that $400 is going to seem like mighty poor compensation in very short order.

    Or look at it this way. On a $35,000 vehicle, $400 represents .0115% of the total price.

    Would you, say, order dinner for two at a restuarant with a surly wait staff and dirty tablecloths (same exact food, with wine) to save $1.15? :P
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Shifty,

    I had people waste three hours of my time on a busy Saturday driving cars etc only to learn that they drove 200 miles the next day to "save" 200.00.

    I never realized how downright cheap some people can be until I got into this business.

    Then they sometimes had the gall to come to OUR store to see if we wojuld fix some scratch they hadn't seen at thae other store.

    And, guess who get's to do the warranty work?
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    In the minds of many, the internet has hurt the car business.

    It's certainly changed the way most businesses need to operate. If they don't adapt they wither & die. On the retailer side, see Borders Bookstores, Circuit City, and countless others. On the industry side, see how the music industry is still struggling to come up with a viable long-term business model (IMO the RIAA's days are numbered) that includes digital tech.

    The Internet has a way of commoditizing things. If you're looking for Item X and have no seller preference, relationship, or obligation, why not go with who offers it for the best price?

    This is the new reality. (And really, it isn't all that new; it's just a different communications medium that's faster and can handle automated querying. Using the 'net v. making lots of phone calls or driving around on a Saturday afternoon.)

    Questions for the group: How are you using the 'net to drive business? Beyond having a dealership web page, does your dealership have a Facebook page? Is it maintained, i.e. actively updated with wall posts at least once a week? What attempts are being made to engage the public? Do you post video walkarounds of your used cars? Let people know about the next hot dog & pop corn event? Have contests for $50 gas cards or other promotions? Ask trivia questions about your cars or local events? In short, what is being done to build presence, excitement, and ultimately a relationship that'll encourage someone to buy from you v. the guy down the street?
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Yeah, it is the "new reality" and this has driven a lot of brick and morter business out of business. Stores that have survived for generations by providing good service and good value.

    but, I guess this is a "good" thing since it's all about paying the least a person possibly can for something.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Circuit City had serious customer service issues and was notorious for bad service which led them to go under. The internet just expedited it.

    What is ironic, is CircuitCity.com was one of the best electronic items websites around! They had some good deals on there. I remember they had very competitive music (CD's) prices.

    I do find it annoying that you can't really go into a brick and mortar store anymore and sample/test electronics products in any meaningful way. Everyone abused the stores for "tests" then made a cheaper purchase online from someone with lower overhead. Hard to get around that or defeat it. Now all the stores are gone.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    That's right. Go into the stores and twist all of the knobs and pick the salesperson's brains asking dozens of questions.

    Then, scour the internet with zeal to maybe save 20.00 on that smart phone!

    " Now all the stores are gone"

    Well, I wonder why?

    They are not ALL gone. Some survive and then people complain about their return policies!
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    You were off two decimal points. It is 01.15% off, or more than 1%.

    Another way to put it is that it is silly for a dealer to not match the lowest price and lose business over 1.15%.

    The thing with cars is ALL dealers are obligated to provide service for your vehicle. You can buy it in NY and service it in LA, and vice versa.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    " Silly"? Maybe not if the car is worth more and in short supply.

    ALL dealers are obligated? That's true but that doesn't mean they enjoy doing vexacious warranty work like finding an elusive dashboard rattle.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Well, in the electronics industry, MOST are gone, there isn't really much competition:

    1) Best Buy is hated by most so they don't count.
    2) Fry's is ONE.
    3) Circuit City, Good Guys, & Tweeter all fell victim to the internet (and Good Guys had a good website business too!)

    Who else remains? Costco and Wal-Mart are a joke for electronics. The salesman knew nothing at Circuit City (in its last few years), they know nothing at Best Buy, are useless at Frys, and just forget it at Walmart or Costco (if you can even find someone not at a register).

    That was/is part of the problem. A lot of salesman are bad at knowing their product, but I don't completely blame them, it's a tough way to make a living; makes sense there's a lot of turnover.

    Pretty soon well have internet order car dealers direct from the factory.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The thing with cars is ALL dealers are obligated to provide service for your vehicle. You can buy it in NY and service it in LA, and vice versa.

    They are obligated to do warranty work but they can refuse to service your car if you become a pain in the neck. Firing customers is very common.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    That's true but that doesn't mean they enjoy doing vexacious warranty work like finding an elusive dashboard rattle.

    I think any negative energy generated from the customer that brings in a problem car from another dealership would be better spent on sending hate mail to the assemblers in the OHIO factory where those Accords were made with rattles than on the customer who is a victim of sloppy work.

    I mention the Accord from Ohio cause I had one and you used to sell them. I'm reminded I did take in my 2003 Accord Coupe for warranty service a time or two or 3 for rattles (the front center console/dash storage door and sunglass storage bin in headliner were two locations I think I can remember rattles coming from). Amazingly, they were able to solve them on one try. Funny, my wife's two different Civics made in Japan have never had any rattles whatsoever.

    You should cross those Ohio guys off your Christmas list if that kind of work bothers you.

    I did buy my Honda locally at the dealer I had it serviced at.

    My Audi, I was forced to go to LA for two main reasons:

    1) No dealer in San Diego had the A3 the way I wanted it (options/colors).
    2) $saved $400 by going to LA and not "ordering" from SD dealer.

    I remember my first visit to get it serviced "for free" the dealer in SD almost balked at offering the promised free loaner vehicle. They said something about salesman sometimes overselling, and I probably looked like I was about to burn the place down so they agreed to honor the deal and give the free loaners for A3's.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Questions for the group: How are you using the 'net to drive business? Beyond having a dealership web page, does your dealership have a Facebook page?

    As another aspect of my work w/Edmunds, I visit dealership websites & FB pages rather frequently. As a general rule, I'd say that many dealerships are using their websites in a way that virtually guarantees they will annoy consumers into "X"-ing out of the page within 5 seconds. Full of flashing banners or other crap, any time you click on or near anything, you get a pop-up to enter details for a price quote, or financing (often multiple times per visit), and some have a little chat window that slides down from the top and says, "my name is John. How can I help you", and then that chat window follows you as you scroll up or down the page, and reloads again on every single page on their site. Most of them are SO cluttered with badges, links, images, etc. (get our app, value your trade, apply for financing) and auto-playing videos, that it's impossible for your eyes to focus on any one thing. It's like the digital equivalent of "what will it take for you to buy a car today?" or a screamer ad.

    Here are a couple of examples:
    dealership 1
    dealership 2 (this one even has the chat window bouncing all over the page)
    dealership 3 (double pop-up, followed by chat pop-up = I leave)

    I'm not picking on those three - I just happened to find them, but there are numerous examples. Some do their website well, but they're the exception.

    Facebook, on the other hand, is a different story. Once the ability to abuse Flash is removed, and no flashing stuff or pop-ups happen, you can actually SEE the text posted. I've seen it used to post specials, inventory announcements ("we just got 23 new 2012 Elantras") and community activities. It's a lot less noisy. I don't know if it WORKS any better, but it's a better consumer experience when the FB page is actually staffed. You can ask questions and someone answers right there.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • 28firefighter28firefighter Member Posts: 9,334
    isell,

    I really appreciate your views on car buying/selling. It is what you and others here have talked about that make me realize that in the scheme of things, a couple hundred bucks doesn't make a difference if the buying experience is pleasant. I don't want to overpay for a car, but there are too many factors that go into the experience to get nitpicky, and if all else is fair then saving 200 bucks doesn't mean much to me.

    While in some ways I think online car buying direct from a manufacturer would be interesting, there is something to be said for supporting your local economy by buying from a local dealer - something that has become increasingly more important to me. It pains me to see local businesses go under, car dealers included.
    2022 Tesla Model Y Performance, 2018 BMW M240i Convertible
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Do you use an agent and middle man to buy your auto insurance? What about home insurance? Life Insurance? Do you buy all of your retirement investments through a commissioned agent?

    Or do you buy "direct"?
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Ultimately, there is only one way an automobile dealer will stay in business---in spite of perhaps a short 'boom time"---and that is.....REPEAT BUSINESS....

    And logically speaking, is repeat business cultivated by videos and price-shaving on the internet? I don't think so.

    Repeat business is cultivated by people like yourselves who tell us about how well a dealer took care of you when you *really* needed them to step up to the plate.

    "Oh, (you say)...those instances are pretty rare!"

    True enough, which is why the exceptional dealers prosper in good times AND bad.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Our local "family of dealerships" site drives me nuts. Little useful information and when you go looking at used inventory most of the prices say "Call us." Screw 'em.

    Nice enough folk in there but they don't want to divulge anything except in person and then the want way too much for things.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    I'm seeing that right now with Elantras.

    I work for Hyundai, granted I am the Used Car Manager but I do sit at "the desk". There's a few dealers out there who supposedly will sell, per Zag/TrueCar a new Elantra GLS for $500 under invoice.

    Yeah. Sure they will. Right after I trade my 356A in on a Pink Prius.

    We went through this with several customers... they come in with the printout, we sell them at sticker, they claim the other dealer can do the deal but they'd have to locate the car. No, they'll take their deposit and pull them out of the market, maybe.

    We've had a number come back to us after they got jerked around elsewhere.
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    "...he would sell me any Mustang at invoice (minus incentives)..."

    Sounds too good to be true. Care to name the dealer? I might call him. :)

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • 28firefighter28firefighter Member Posts: 9,334
    edited September 2011
    I do. I don't know enough about these things to do them myself, but my family has a long history with both the insurance agent I use as well as my financial planner. I am a "repeat" customer, and trust them both.

    Just because someone is on commission does not mean I immediately discredit their advice, but much like car buying, they must earn my trust. The dealership I bought my Volvo from is one we have used for many years (since before I was born) and they have not once burned us when it comes to sales or service. Similarly, my insurance agent has never steered me wrong - when he experienced less than stellar service with the auto insurance carrier I was using at one time, he moved me to another that he used personally, and saved me money in the process.

    Are there some sleazy individuals who work on commission? Sure. But burn me once, and I'll make sure you never see me again or anyone else I know.
    2022 Tesla Model Y Performance, 2018 BMW M240i Convertible
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    "...he would sell me any Mustang at invoice (minus incentives)..."

    Sounds too good to be true. Care to name the dealer? I might call him.


    Not a problem .. Medved Ford in Castle Rock, Colorado. You can find their website here.

    Per Edmunds regulations, I cannot name the internet manager that I dealt with; however, I got the email from him after requesting a search of inventory through the Ford website. Zip code 80104.
  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,286
    Then they sometimes had the gall to come to OUR store to see if we wojuld fix some scratch they hadn't seen at thae other store.

    And, guess who get's to do the warranty work?


    I'm with you on the scratch, but who cares about the warranty work. You get reimbursed by the manufacturer.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, so far cars aren't sold "direct" as some think they should be.

    If anyone thinks this will cause prices to drop, I don't think that would happen.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Good post.

    In my last few years, the bulk of my business came from repeat customers and from referrals. Also the internet. I didn't take many "fresh ups".

    I guess I did some things right. Plus, I picked a great store to work for.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    " You get reimbursed by the manufacturer"

    Yes, but it's not desirable work in most cases and the level of reimbursement isn't the same as customer pay jobs a lot of times.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I've used the same State Farm agent for over 20 years. I've never had a claim and he does his best to keep rates under control. It's nice to pick up the phone and hear.." Hi Craig...what can I help you with".

    Could I save 100.00 a year using one of the internet companies or the one with the annoying lizard? Perhaps but I know they would drop me like a bad habit if I were to suddenly get three tickets in a row or have a copld of claims.

    We use the same Edward Jones guy for 20 years too and he has never steered us wrong and has made us a lot of money. If I need to be peeled off the ceiling (like last week) he is a phone call away.

    Same barber over 20 years. Up to 20.00 now plus tip. Cold I go to Supercuts and save 3.00. Probably so.

    Guess I'm a dinosaur but it works for me!
  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,286
    Yes, but it's not desirable work in most cases and the level of reimbursement isn't the same as customer pay jobs a lot of times.

    Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
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