I have just discovered "air conditioned" seats. I rented a 2005 Cadillac Deville to drive to LAX and, oh my god, the air conditioned seats are a must have!
Most of the cars that I have owned in the last 20 years have been fully loaded; I've had power windows, power locks, power seats since 1981. And, since 1984, every car has had a sunroof.
Some things you just gotta have!
Mark
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
I don't know if I'm not being clear or you aren't comprehending me.
I think we're communicating very clearly... You're explaining how the "real world" car market works, while I'm approaching the discussion more from a "markets in general" perspective. Car purchases involve a lot of emotion, in no small part resulting from dealers doing everything they can think of to encourage said emotion. This substantially skews the car market relative to... everything except maybe jewelry. Basically, we're not a agreeing but that doesn't make your feedback any less valuable. (Thank you, by the way, for engaging for so long here - I definitely appreciate it.)
Beacon or Isaac scores don't really reflect income.
Uhh, OK. Technically, you are correct, they are indicators of spending. Since you can't spend what you don't have... Would you feel better if I characterized them as "minimum income statements"?
My point is that there is a certain amount of resentment towards making money. No argument, but the solution is to fix the resentment, not come up with pretty lies to divert the hostility. I firmly believe net unit margin should be right above "tax" on the invoice, and for very similar reasons: If you're ashamed of your margin, well...
How would the clerk at starbucks feel? I've never worked at Starbucks, but I can tell you that if I ever get an opportunity to serve coffee to Mr. Buffett, I'd buy it out of my own pocket and listen very carefully in case he said something interesting. I don't hate rich people - I want to BE rich some day!
BTW, I'm sorry your builder sucked Fortunately, I missed those particular land mines, but I know folks who didn't. After the experiences of the last few years, having been involved in construction in both Georgia and Florida, I firmly believe the entire construction industry is a hazard.
Here's why: There are laws on the books designed to protect the subcontractors, who by and large are good folks just trying to raise their families. They need protection mostly from builders/general contractors who are constantly behind the ball. The GC is behind the ball because developers won't work with GCs who don't have at least one spec[1] going in a given development. (I've seen 3-project developments) The developers force the GCs to build specs so the airheaded captive sales agents can sell them and let the developer pocket the bulk of the commission.
Now, telling a home owner you're going to charge them $33,000 commission on an empty lot they might-or-might-not buy for $80,000 is... unpopular. So, the developer tries to bury the margin. Of course, developers being developers, instead of contracting their own spec houses at their own risk, the developer requires the GC to build specs as a condition of accessing any projects in the development. This forces the builders to assume the risk but without the reward. The builders do this in order to stay in business, but without any reward to balance the risk eventually an economic downturn forces them into bankruptcy. The subcontractors then cannot feed their kids, and start screaming bloody murder. The politicians, upon seeing the gaggle of moms toting starving infants in the reception of the Capitol building turn around and go after the closest folks with money - the home owners.
The way the banks, brokers and developers operate, I cannot see how to operate a Georgia general contracting business in a fiscally responsible manner - it's an industry whose very design relies on the regular bankruptcy of it's participants. In my opinion, this is the logical conclusion of adopting the "hear no evil" position you are advocating and pushing it to it's limits.
-Greg
[1] A speculative house, or "spec" project is one started without a known buyer, usually in the hopes one will be found before the construction lan must be rolled to a permanent loan. Think "Throwing $500,000 at the wall and hope it sticks". Now, do this three times in quick succession, depending on the development. Then, try to figure out how to work with people who say "i want this exact house, but with that room over on the other side, and in my colors. So, I won't buy this one, but I'll talk about building over there..."
There's probably more emotion there than any other product .... jewelers love folks that come in off the $199 TV Ad, and go home $500 later, especially with a 300% mark-up ............ :P
Beacon or Isaac scores don't really reflect income.
Uhh, OK. Technically, you are correct, they are indicators of spending. Since you can't spend what you don't have... Would you feel better if I characterized them as "minimum income statements"?
Au Contraire.... There are many people out there in debt like there's no tomorrow. Those folks are certainly spending more than they have! :P
tag and title fees vary from state to state. i cant speek for new jersey, but in God's country (texas), tag and title on a new car will be about $135. that includes the registration fee and the dealer inventory tax (also a state fee). there is usually a doc fee charge by the dealer of $50, making the total about $185. its not the same on every vehicle because the dealer inventory tax is variable. i would not want to handle these charges on my own, and would gladly pay the $50 to the dealer to do it. if you'd rather save the $50, i'd just insist to the dealer that i wasn't going to pay it and look like a cheapskate.
Each state has its own fee structure. This is completely separate form any doc fees the dealer charges. Most states require the dealer to collect the taxes and fees due to the state.
you can always call up your local dmv, give them a VIN and they should be able to tell you what money they will require if you don't trust your dealer.
Documentation fees (if you so chose to pay) run about $95- $150. TTL, depending on vehicle can run from $150- to I believe $600. But take heart, this is due to NJ has enacting a new law that the car is registered for 4 yrs. How much depends on how much the car weighs. Depending on where you live in NJ, going to the DMV can either be heaven or hell. Where I am at it is hell, so I let the dealership deal with it.
Oops. Just wanted to clarify that I am not a car dealer, just someone who recently purchased a car. When I was given the quote, I went on the DMV website to verify the charges, so that is how I know about the weight class.
Don't want anything thinking I am trying to be fraudulent since the forum is "Ask a Car Dealer" :shades:
It's a little different here with BMW. We're at 25% of gross (front end) after close to 2% of adds ahead of invoice (1.5% to the dealer, $125 pack, $11 dealer-ups fee). We also get 6% of back end gross. Example: $36,520 MSRP for a new 2006 325i. Invoice is $33,530. Take 1.5% of MSRP ($548) plus $125 and $11. Add $113 for mats and total cost on this car is $34,327 (Zero Sheet). So, if I sell the car for $35,000, my commissionable gross is $673. Take 25% and that equals $168, plus 6% of whatever is done on the back end. Of course, we get deducted 2% for CSI and 2% (of total gross) if we don't sell a CPO. By the way, our minimum pay is still just $100.
Terry, you must not know how Gulf States Toyota Distrubitorship works.
He probably isn't talking about a 'base van'. He's talking about every Toyota on every Toyota lot.
All Toyotas in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisana, Arkansas (maybe more, I'm not sure about the exact area) are sold to Gulf States. This companys then installs 'packs' on all the cars. And they do terrible things. I've seen a mid-level sedan that they removed cloth seatscovers and installed leather.
Striping, mudguards, remove stock mag wheels and replace with their version (keeping the orginial ones for resale), electronic rear view mirrors, color cordinated rear view mirrors, stainguard, on and on and on.
The addons are almost always $2,000 or more.
I live in northern Oklahoma. Kansas is not in Gulf States zone, and the dealerships near the border say they get a lot of business because their cars have only the factory options installed.
There is another 'distributorship' in Florida and adjoining states also that does it this way.
Why Toyota does this, I just don't know. But this was one large reason for me to buy a Honda rather than a Toyota.
I know, some dealer on here said cars can be special ordered through Gulf States without the 'packs'. But I've never seen one in my area.
Disbelief that treating each other like human beings isn't the way to act is more like it. How can you be so crass about a relationship with someone, be it your neighborhood car dealer or your trash service ? Yeah I guess I am pretty stupid to think that I would be treated with any thing other than contempt because I happen to really like a certain car. And yes I happen to be 47, and yes my family is just as excited because we are in the car business too, and we happen to collect cars. I don't know what floats your boat but I'm certain none of us can do back flips at our age. And as for your "Advice," I've ordered the car and I follow through when I involve someone eles financially, even if they turn out to be a [non-permissible content removed], which I obviously have gotten into. What a shame he burns his bridges, I might have been able to help him someday down the road. But he is the only one looking back from the mirror every morning.
Some but not all. I only wish I was old enough to go to Don Yenko Chevy in 1969, order a new Camaro or Nova and tell the sales guy " add on everything you got, I'll take it all" lol
But I don't think today's add on's such as mop & glow and the "deluxe" floor mats would be the same. I guess I'm comparing Roten apples to Cavier.
......we are in the car business too, and we happen to collect cars.
From your post (13377) I didn't know you were in the car business, you didn't mention it. So, with this being the case, I don't know why you were asking for help with a car purchase. Therefore, I must assume the question was purely rhetorical. The guys in the business on this site probably picked up on this and didn't want to waste their time. I'm going to have to learn how they do this.
It's nice that you do business the way we would all like to treated but unfortunately you have found that not everyone in the business does.
Again, good luck with you purchase and forgive me for trying to help.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Last night I was turned away from a test drive, which had been scheduled in advance, for this reason - 'we don't currently have any dealer plates, as they are transporting the car or something else...'.
My question, how many dealer plates does an average size dealership have that are used for test drives?
I gather that after this cock and bull answer (if you can even call it that), the dealer didn't even bother to offer an "I'm sorry you wasted a trip down here", " this is really unusual ", "this has never happened before in all the time I've been here", dah, dah, dah.
I hope there is another dealer that you can go to, because this one has already shown that he can't be trusted. Consider yourself fortunate that you found this out now.
Good luck,
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Well it happens....It's not typical or normal but occasionally we have a motor vehicle paperwork snafu or a title cramp and we have to deliver cars on dealer plates instead of the regular consumer plates...which reduces our supply.
Some dealers only issue X number of plates to the sales department and if they run out for any reason, tough luck. It may not be a good system but it happens.
OTOH, sometimes on a busy day our sales department may have all the test drive plates out on test drives but they usually return in a few minutes....or we just go without...no big deal. We avg apx 40 plates (not just sales) per dealership .
If we had a consumer who wanted a test drive we would find a way to go.....so I wonder if there is more to this.
If the original poster is 19 and wanted to test drive a new Corvette, I suspect we might have a clue.
Have been removed, and members are disappearing from the list of those allowed to post in this discussion.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Well, I don't smell, 35 y/o, and dress appropriately. The dealership looked empty, and it wasn't a tiny place either - part of a multi-brand store. The car I was interested in is a Subie Legacy, albeit with a manual tranny, which makes it somewhat of a rarity in this area (Northern NJ). The car I was promised for test drive had the same engine/tranny, as the showroom car (which is what I'm interested in).
Anyway, I have heard not-so-good things about this dealership, but they do have what appears to be one of the three cars in the 150-mile radius that fit me. I asked them to call me when they get the plates back, but they haven't yet. Hmm, maybe I do smell :-)
May I suggest that, if you're looking for a quality Subie dealer in your area, that you make a quick post onto one of the Subaru forums? Lots of folks from your general vicinity, so I'm sure they'll have a good suggestion for finding a better dealership.
ok...after reading your second post it seems that the dealership just isnt interested in the sale....for whatever reason. I agree with the others that its time to find another dealer.
Do you have any friends or co-workers who have recently purcahsed a Subaru? Nothing is better than a good referral....
Mark: Since you've mentioned, I checked out Kia SUV, you are totally right. Gave me a good laugh! Yes, Cayenne is a lot smaller in the cargo than ML, even just for my two dogs. I just justified it by thinking that my dogs are at home more than in the car....
Thanks to all for your advice. I have contacted another Subaru dealer, who have a very good repution in these forums and elsewhere. While they don't have the car in stock, they should be able to do a swap, I'm hoping.
OK, I have an actual question for a car dealer. (Is that still allowed here? Heh.)
In three months, I'll be turning in my leased Passat. The lease was for 3 years and I'm not turning it in early or anything. It's going to be 5-6K under the allowed mileage (which was 10K per year).
The thing is, it has a few dings. No paint is gone, and they aren't huge, but a couple of them are not the tiniest dings, but more like the next level up. (I realize that's vague, but not sure how to describe them better.)
Are they (likely) going to charge me a ton of money for that? Any advice on negotiating that situation?
If the Subie your interested in is rare because of the manual tranny, more then likely the new dealer many turn to the one your having problems with for the dealer trade. If that’s the case, you need to let the 1st dealer know right away you are no longer interested.
Dealers are reluctant to dealer trade if the think they have someone on the vehicle or they think they are trading away a prospect. We get calls the next day on units we had someone we couldn’t close the day before all the time.
Many leasing companies offer a pre-inspection just before you turn in the car....if you have some customer pay charges, you have time to get them repaired. There is a company called dentwizard that is great for dings that don't need any paint work. Mazda credit, for example, does a pre inspection and send the dealer and the customer the report via fax a few days later. If they find anything they spell out what they would charge for the dings/dents.
Also...many leasing outfits will send you a lease end/turn in package which helps to navigate the lease end process.
Most leases allow for normal wear and tear. You need to contact the lender that you leased from and ask them if you can have the vehicle inspected. This way you get no suprises and can have some of the dings repaired if required. By the way. If there is no missing paint, paintless dent removal is great. Contact them as soon as possible so you have time to have any repairs done right and not rushed. good luck Mike
I took my car in for maintenance and got it back with all of these spots on the lower sides of both doors. They were all different sizes and they looked like they ate through the clear coat of my paint. I tried to remove them with wax but they wont budge. I brought it to a body shop and they can not even buff them out. I was fortunate to insist on a body inspection when I dropped off the car. I know they were not there before. I told him it looks like some type of burn on the paint or like something ate through the paint. The service guy had the nerve to tell me they dont have any chemicals in the repair department at the dealership that could damage paint. Mind you this was a Lexus dealer. My car is six years old and I dont even have a ding in it. I park miles away from everyone. I take super care of my car and that is why I demanded the inspection. Now they are making me take it back to the service manager so he can look at it. I need some ammunition when he lays the line on me that it could not have happen there. Can anyone help me list the chemicals that could have splashed on my car and ruined the paint. I am sick about it!
Since you can't spend what you don't have... Au Contraire.... There are many people out there in debt like there's no tomorrow.
Too true. Allow me to "revise and extend" as the congresscritters say:
"Since you can't spend what you don't have without trashing your FICO score..."
Granted, you can do lots of really, really stupid things before you can't get a loan from GMAC. Still, your FICO score'll get hit a lot earlier in the process.
I mean, really, the whole thing is designed to be a statistical predictor of ability to pay, mostly for unsecured creditors.
On the flip side, it sure would be fun getting there... "Why yes, I think I will have a little more Beluga with the next magnum of Cristal, and get some for yourself while you're at it... Say, I've got some beautiful etchings at the penthouse - should we take the Prowler or the Vanquish?"
.. **Terry, you must not know how Gulf States Toyota Distrubitorship works**
I'm very familiar with Yota and their distributors ... I'm from Florida and Jim Moran was my first boss (actually my 2nd) waaay back in the early 80's .... the largest distributor on the planet .. www.jmfamily.com ..
Excuse my anger. I misdirected it at you. We are in the car repair business and do a lot of sub work for dealers. We like classic cars and muscle cars, and my prior sales experiences have all been pleasant. Welcome to the real world eh? Thanks for your responses.
Sorry to hear about the damage. Brake fluid, Brake cleaner, carb cleaner all will have a bad effect on paint. Infiniti took the paint off the top of my fender cleaning my battery terminals, right down to the primer. I suspect brake cleaner was used.
Dodge dealer damaged my car then blamed it on me. Of course they have complete control over the inspection process which makes it convenient to add damage to the report "as needed" to cover their mistakes. I saw the original report as no damage, but was refused a copy. Later when I picked up my car there was a nasty door ding, with paint scratched.
Get down there with a magnifying glass or loupe and look closely at the spots. You need to know whether they are on the paint surface (like a blob of tar or tree sap) or if they are below the surface (like etched paint from a chemical). Don't assume you can tell - get a good look and know for sure.
If its above surface, you can try household products like rubbing alcohol or bug & tar remover, Goof Off, Goo Gone, etc etc etc.
If its below surface, it might need the services of a body shop. Perhaps the paint could be lightly sanded to reduce the appearance.
BTW, brake and carb cleaners usually will not damage fully cured paint. I used brake cleaner when detailing cars that have really nasty crud on them. Brake FLUID is very caustic and will certainly damage paint.
I thought that the clearcoats were impervious to most damaging chemicals. I guess that's not true!!! Live and learn. I remember the body shop buy throwing a paint solvent rag on a hood of a car with clearcoat since it wouldn't hurt it.
All it takes is some heat and acid rain (almost a daily occurance this time of year in some places) and your paint is PermaEtched. A black or dark green paint job can reach well over 150*F sitting in the hot sun. Some cars have notoriously thin paint and it doesn't take much to affect it.
A little bit of solvent won't hurt anything because most of its harsh ingredients evaporate quickly. Bird doodoo will damage paint much much faster than your typical solvent like naptha or similar.
Getting back on topic...... Dealers, when you have cars in inventory that are damaged by acid rain, what do you do with them? Buff out the etching? Wetsand and buff out? Sell the car cheap like a hail damaged car?
Pursuant, how much does an acid rain-damaged car affect trade in value vs. one without the damage?
Why did the dealer make me fill out "credit application" form?
I paid for my car cash and when the salesman presented me with "credit application" form, I told him that I am NOT taking out a loan with them whatsoever and I'm paying cash. He said they make customers fill them out anyway and I had to fill it out.
So they ran a credit report knowing I will not be getting a loan, which is bad for my credit(inquiry lowers your score by a few points and it looks bad on your report when you have inquiries but no loan taken out). He says because I'll be paying by check, they need to do it in case my check is bad. I offered to come back the next business day with a certified check, but he declined that and said my check is just good if I fill out the form.
When I cut them a check, I see that finance guy was punching in "finance term" into the computer. I stated I'm not financing and questioned why they were doing it. He says "we setup back-up plans just in case your check bounces".
Are they trying to screw with me? It's been like two weeks since I got the car I see that they haven't even cashed my check. Having had filled out "credit application" I don't know what they're doing on my account. :mad:
........ The word "cash" doesn't mean much to a dealer .... "cash" in most dealer experiences means that folks are getting their money from the Credit Union 10 miles away or from a home equity loan that takes 2 weeks or they borrowed the money against some investment property that might drag on 3/4 weeks ... you would be amazed how many times a dealer has to wait or call a customer on a "bad" check - of course, it's always the banks fault .....
In your case, call your bank and make sure the check has cleared .. if not, call the dealer and find out -why-, and make sure someone didn't do something stupid and "cash" the finance contract ..... 99% of the time, if you're really a cash buyer bring a certified/bank check for the big amount and only write a personal check for a few bucks after that to cover the small stuff .. this way you're happy, the dealer is happy and feels covered ..... simple.
Thanks to the recent history of terrorists, car dealers are required to do a OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) check to make sure you're not Saddam's brother or something, which may require your SSN and DOB..... However, they shouldn't have to do a full credit report.
It is very true that many checks bounce for one reason or another, even from people that don't "look" like their checks would be bad. Rather than waiting for the check to clear before delivery, you'll take the car and the dealer will pray that the check clears. Since you have the car at that point, if the check doesn't clear than the dealer is in a tough spot. Hopefully they won't have to work too hard to get legit funds from you. Perhaps the financing is a "backup plan" just in case you try to take the car and run by paying with a bad check? Like it is covering their back.... or they are just hoping for some finance profit. Either way, it seems like a weird thing to do.
I'm looking to buy a used minivan(expanding family). I went to a dealership yesterday and I was told that I was upside down on my 2001 Montero Sport. I finally figured out that I was $3,700.00 upside down on my car. Also, I have an extended warranty ($2,000) on the Montero that was financed into the total price. Would cancelling help? What are my options?
depending on what kind of minivan you are looking at, you may be able to get some help burying the negative equity in a vehicle that has big rebates (ex. ford freestar). it doesn't mean you cant buy, it just puts you in a not so great position. if you could find someone to sell your montero to, you may be able to get more money that way. if you arent in a rush to buy a van, see if you can sell your montero privately.
...the warranty company and see if they'll refund you anything if you cancel the policy. I doubt it, but it's worth a check. Your choices are basically two bad ones - pay off the $3700 before you buy a new car (which I recommend), or bury the $3700 in a new car (so you would finance, say, $23,700 for a $20,000 car - which I DON'T recommend). How badly do you need that minivan?
We rented a movie named 'Flywheel' in Blockbuster. On the cover, it had a guy looking at a Triumph TR3, so we had to rent it.
It was about a buy-here-pay-here used car salesman who would overprice his cars and cheat his customers, but then he saw the error in his ways, brought God into his life, and it changed his life.
When I looked at the movie credits, I saw that it was made by some company called Sherwood which seemed to be affiliated with a Baptist church in Georgia. The movie definitely had a religious theme, which may bother some people, but I am not a Christian and I liked it a lot.
Not quite up to the standards of 'Vanishing Point' (the besr car movie of all time), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Comments
Most of the cars that I have owned in the last 20 years have been fully loaded; I've had power windows, power locks, power seats since 1981. And, since 1984, every car has had a sunroof.
Some things you just gotta have!
Mark
I think we're communicating very clearly... You're explaining how the "real world" car market works, while I'm approaching the discussion more from a "markets in general" perspective. Car purchases involve a lot of emotion, in no small part resulting from dealers doing everything they can think of to encourage said emotion. This substantially skews the car market relative to... everything except maybe jewelry. Basically, we're not a agreeing but that doesn't make your feedback any less valuable. (Thank you, by the way, for engaging for so long here - I definitely appreciate it.)
Beacon or Isaac scores don't really reflect income.
Uhh, OK. Technically, you are correct, they are indicators of spending. Since you can't spend what you don't have... Would you feel better if I characterized them as "minimum income statements"?
My point is that there is a certain amount of resentment towards making money.
No argument, but the solution is to fix the resentment, not come up with pretty lies to divert the hostility. I firmly believe net unit margin should be right above "tax" on the invoice, and for very similar reasons: If you're ashamed of your margin, well...
How would the clerk at starbucks feel?
I've never worked at Starbucks, but I can tell you that if I ever get an opportunity to serve coffee to Mr. Buffett, I'd buy it out of my own pocket and listen very carefully in case he said something interesting. I don't hate rich people - I want to BE rich some day!
BTW, I'm sorry your builder sucked
Fortunately, I missed those particular land mines, but I know folks who didn't. After the experiences of the last few years, having been involved in construction in both Georgia and Florida, I firmly believe the entire construction industry is a hazard.
Here's why: There are laws on the books designed to protect the subcontractors, who by and large are good folks just trying to raise their families. They need protection mostly from builders/general contractors who are constantly behind the ball. The GC is behind the ball because developers won't work with GCs who don't have at least one spec[1] going in a given development. (I've seen 3-project developments) The developers force the GCs to build specs so the airheaded captive sales agents can sell them and let the developer pocket the bulk of the commission.
Now, telling a home owner you're going to charge them $33,000 commission on an empty lot they might-or-might-not buy for $80,000 is... unpopular. So, the developer tries to bury the margin. Of course, developers being developers, instead of contracting their own spec houses at their own risk, the developer requires the GC to build specs as a condition of accessing any projects in the development. This forces the builders to assume the risk but without the reward. The builders do this in order to stay in business, but without any reward to balance the risk eventually an economic downturn forces them into bankruptcy. The subcontractors then cannot feed their kids, and start screaming bloody murder. The politicians, upon seeing the gaggle of moms toting starving infants in the reception of the Capitol building turn around and go after the closest folks with money - the home owners.
The way the banks, brokers and developers operate, I cannot see how to operate a Georgia general contracting business in a fiscally responsible manner - it's an industry whose very design relies on the regular bankruptcy of it's participants. In my opinion, this is the logical conclusion of adopting the "hear no evil" position you are advocating and pushing it to it's limits.
-Greg
[1] A speculative house, or "spec" project is one started without a known buyer, usually in the hopes one will be found before the construction lan must be rolled to a permanent loan. Think "Throwing $500,000 at the wall and hope it sticks". Now, do this three times in quick succession, depending on the development. Then, try to figure out how to work with people who say "i want this exact house, but with that room over on the other side, and in my colors. So, I won't buy this one, but I'll talk about building over there..."
There's probably more emotion there than any other product .... jewelers love folks that come in off the $199 TV Ad, and go home $500 later, especially with a 300% mark-up ............ :P
Terry.
Are you sure about that? I thought half of our society's credit problems were due to spending what one doesn't have! LOL
Uhh, OK. Technically, you are correct, they are indicators of spending. Since you can't spend what you don't have... Would you feel better if I characterized them as "minimum income statements"?
Au Contraire.... There are many people out there in debt like there's no tomorrow. Those folks are certainly spending more than they have! :P
This is completely separate form any doc fees the dealer charges.
Most states require the dealer to collect the taxes and fees due to the state.
you can always call up your local dmv, give them a VIN and they should be able to tell you what money they will require if you don't trust your dealer.
Hope this helps
Don't want anything thinking I am trying to be fraudulent since the forum is "Ask a Car Dealer" :shades:
We're at 25% of gross (front end) after close to 2% of adds ahead of invoice (1.5% to the dealer, $125 pack, $11 dealer-ups fee). We also get 6% of back end gross.
Example: $36,520 MSRP for a new 2006 325i. Invoice is $33,530. Take 1.5% of MSRP ($548) plus $125 and $11. Add $113 for mats and total cost on this car is $34,327 (Zero Sheet). So, if I sell the car for $35,000, my commissionable gross is $673. Take 25% and that equals $168, plus 6% of whatever is done on the back end.
Of course, we get deducted 2% for CSI and 2% (of total gross) if we don't sell a CPO.
By the way, our minimum pay is still just $100.
He probably isn't talking about a 'base van'. He's talking about every Toyota on every Toyota lot.
All Toyotas in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisana, Arkansas (maybe more, I'm not sure about the exact area) are sold to Gulf States. This companys then installs 'packs' on all the cars. And they do terrible things. I've seen a mid-level sedan that they removed cloth seatscovers and installed leather.
Striping, mudguards, remove stock mag wheels and replace with their version (keeping the orginial ones for resale), electronic rear view mirrors, color cordinated rear view mirrors, stainguard, on and on and on.
The addons are almost always $2,000 or more.
I live in northern Oklahoma. Kansas is not in Gulf States zone, and the dealerships near the border say they get a lot of business because their cars have only the factory options installed.
There is another 'distributorship' in Florida and adjoining states also that does it this way.
Why Toyota does this, I just don't know. But this was one large reason for me to buy a Honda rather than a Toyota.
I know, some dealer on here said cars can be special ordered through Gulf States without the 'packs'. But I've never seen one in my area.
And as for your "Advice," I've ordered the car and I follow through when I involve someone eles financially, even if they turn out to be a [non-permissible content removed], which I obviously have gotten into. What a shame he burns his bridges, I might have been able to help him someday down the road. But he is the only one looking back from the mirror every morning.
But I don't think today's add on's such as mop & glow and the "deluxe" floor mats would be the same. I guess I'm comparing Roten apples to Cavier.
Ok, I'll quit.
......we are in the car business too, and we happen to collect cars.
From your post (13377) I didn't know you were in the car business, you didn't mention it. So, with this being the case, I don't know why you were asking for help with a car purchase. Therefore, I must assume the question was purely rhetorical. The guys in the business on this site probably picked up on this and didn't want to waste their time. I'm going to have to learn how they do this.
It's nice that you do business the way we would all like to treated but unfortunately you have found that not everyone in the business does.
Again, good luck with you purchase and forgive me for trying to help.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
My question, how many dealer plates does an average size dealership have that are used for test drives?
Unreal....
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I gather that after this cock and bull answer (if you can even call it that), the dealer didn't even bother to offer an "I'm sorry you wasted a trip down here", " this is really unusual ", "this has never happened before in all the time I've been here", dah, dah, dah.
I hope there is another dealer that you can go to, because this one has already shown that he can't be trusted. Consider yourself fortunate that you found this out now.
Good luck,
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
The bimmer dealer across from me is selling at sticker.
our mini is $300 a car for new Volvo's.
Some dealers only issue X number of plates to the sales department and if they run out for any reason, tough luck. It may not be a good system but it happens.
OTOH, sometimes on a busy day our sales department may have all the test drive plates out on test drives but they usually return in a few minutes....or we just go without...no big deal. We avg apx 40 plates (not just sales) per dealership .
If we had a consumer who wanted a test drive we would find a way to go.....so I wonder if there is more to this.
If the original poster is 19 and wanted to test drive a new Corvette, I suspect we might have a clue.
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Anyway, I have heard not-so-good things about this dealership, but they do have what appears to be one of the three cars in the 150-mile radius that fit me. I asked them to call me when they get the plates back, but they haven't yet. Hmm, maybe I do smell :-)
-Dan-
Anyway, I have heard not-so-good things about this dealership ...
Uah hah, just as I thought, (and probably others also), you aren't the only one that's had a problem with this guy.
I hope you don't have to go too far to get what you want because you'll probably regret it if you stay with this guy.
Good luck,
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Do you have any friends or co-workers who have recently purcahsed a Subaru? Nothing is better than a good referral....
Yes, Cayenne is a lot smaller in the cargo than ML, even just for my two dogs.
I just justified it by thinking that my dogs are at home more than in the car....
In three months, I'll be turning in my leased Passat. The lease was for 3 years and I'm not turning it in early or anything. It's going to be 5-6K under the allowed mileage (which was 10K per year).
The thing is, it has a few dings. No paint is gone, and they aren't huge, but a couple of them are not the tiniest dings, but more like the next level up. (I realize that's vague, but not sure how to describe them better.)
Are they (likely) going to charge me a ton of money for that? Any advice on negotiating that situation?
Dealers are reluctant to dealer trade if the think they have someone on the vehicle or they think they are trading away a prospect. We get calls the next day on units we had someone we couldn’t close the day before all the time.
Also...many leasing outfits will send you a lease end/turn in package which helps to navigate the lease end process.
Mike
Au Contraire.... There are many people out there in debt like there's no tomorrow.
Too true. Allow me to "revise and extend" as the congresscritters say:
"Since you can't spend what you don't have without trashing your FICO score..."
Granted, you can do lots of really, really stupid things before you can't get a loan from GMAC. Still, your FICO score'll get hit a lot earlier in the process.
I mean, really, the whole thing is designed to be a statistical predictor of ability to pay, mostly for unsecured creditors.
On the flip side, it sure would be fun getting there... "Why yes, I think I will have a little more Beluga with the next magnum of Cristal, and get some for yourself while you're at it... Say, I've got some beautiful etchings at the penthouse - should we take the Prowler or the Vanquish?"
-Greg
I'm very familiar with Yota and their distributors ... I'm from Florida and Jim Moran was my first boss (actually my 2nd) waaay back in the early 80's .... the largest distributor on the planet .. www.jmfamily.com ..
Terry
Dodge dealer damaged my car then blamed it on me. Of course they have complete control over the inspection process which makes it convenient to add damage to the report "as needed" to cover their mistakes. I saw the original report as no damage, but was refused a copy. Later when I picked up my car there was a nasty door ding, with paint scratched.
If its above surface, you can try household products like rubbing alcohol or bug & tar remover, Goof Off, Goo Gone, etc etc etc.
If its below surface, it might need the services of a body shop. Perhaps the paint could be lightly sanded to reduce the appearance.
BTW, brake and carb cleaners usually will not damage fully cured paint. I used brake cleaner when detailing cars that have really nasty crud on them. Brake FLUID is very caustic and will certainly damage paint.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
A little bit of solvent won't hurt anything because most of its harsh ingredients evaporate quickly. Bird doodoo will damage paint much much faster than your typical solvent like naptha or similar.
Getting back on topic...... Dealers, when you have cars in inventory that are damaged by acid rain, what do you do with them? Buff out the etching? Wetsand and buff out? Sell the car cheap like a hail damaged car?
Pursuant, how much does an acid rain-damaged car affect trade in value vs. one without the damage?
I paid for my car cash and when the salesman presented me with "credit application" form, I told him that I am NOT taking out a loan with them whatsoever and I'm paying cash. He said they make customers fill them out anyway and I had to fill it out.
So they ran a credit report knowing I will not be getting a loan, which is bad for my credit(inquiry lowers your score by a few points and it looks bad on your report when you have inquiries but no loan taken out). He says because I'll be paying by check, they need to do it in case my check is bad. I offered to come back the next business day with a certified check, but he declined that and said my check is just good if I fill out the form.
When I cut them a check, I see that finance guy was punching in "finance term" into the computer. I stated I'm not financing and questioned why they were doing it. He says "we setup back-up plans just in case your check bounces".
Are they trying to screw with me? It's been like two weeks since I got the car I see that they haven't even cashed my check. Having had filled out "credit application" I don't know what they're doing on my account. :mad:
Are they screwing with me?
In your case, call your bank and make sure the check has cleared .. if not, call the dealer and find out -why-, and make sure someone didn't do something stupid and "cash" the finance contract ..... 99% of the time, if you're really a cash buyer bring a certified/bank check for the big amount and only write a personal check for a few bucks after that to cover the small stuff .. this way you're happy, the dealer is happy and feels covered ..... simple.
Terry.
(Office of Foreign Assets Control) check to make sure you're not Saddam's brother or something, which may require your SSN and DOB..... However, they shouldn't have to do a full credit report.
It is very true that many checks bounce for one reason or another, even from people that don't "look" like their checks would be bad. Rather than waiting for the check to clear before delivery, you'll take the car and the dealer will pray that the check clears. Since you have the car at that point, if the check doesn't clear than the dealer is in a tough spot. Hopefully they won't have to work too hard to get legit funds from you. Perhaps the financing is a "backup plan" just in case you try to take the car and run by paying with a bad check? Like it is covering their back.... or they are just hoping for some finance profit. Either way, it seems like a weird thing to do.
I'm looking to buy a used minivan(expanding family). I went to a dealership yesterday and I was told that I was upside down on my 2001 Montero Sport.
I finally figured out that I was $3,700.00 upside down on my car. Also, I have an extended warranty ($2,000) on the Montero that was financed into the total price.
Would cancelling help? What are my options?
Please Help.
DS210
good luck!
-thene
It was about a buy-here-pay-here used car salesman who would overprice his cars and cheat his customers, but then he saw the error in his ways, brought God into his life, and it changed his life.
When I looked at the movie credits, I saw that it was made by some company called Sherwood which seemed to be affiliated with a Baptist church in Georgia. The movie definitely had a religious theme, which may bother some people, but I am not a Christian and I liked it a lot.
Not quite up to the standards of 'Vanishing Point' (the besr car movie of all time), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.