Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Dealer's Tricks - bait & switch, etc.
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Comments
1) Jspry's fudging in his account.
2) The dealer's 'persistently mistaken' about his own inventory.
3) The dealer's lying.
Somebody taking bets? LOL, I bet on the last. It's a no brainer.
Proving it? Not Jspry's problem. It'll be simple enough for the AG or Lexus to prove - if they take ownership of the task and if Jspry complains.
This happened to me awhile back. We had a Volvo 850 advertised. I knew a deal had been put together and I honestly thought the customer had taken delivery.
Another person came to look at it and I told them it had been sold.
Later on, when I discovered the first deal had fallen apart I called my customer back.
They came to look at it, stuck their nose up at the color and left.
I hate it when it's assumed every car salesperson is a [non-permissible content removed] liar!
It would be really cool if one ran into [non-permissible content removed] lying so rarely when buying a car that one could realistically put that explanation low on the list of probable explanations when a car deal goes kerfluky. Life for customers and especially honest salespersons would be sooo much better.
That certainly allows for car deals to go backwards, which the salesman has no control over.
But of course, the salesman's lying, yada, yada, yada....they're all scumbags, yada, yada,...customers NEVER lie, yada, yada....
Thanks for the advice, I should've posted earlier. I realize now that I should've just walked. I had my own financing but the sales guy told me he KNEW he could get me a better interest rate, so Friday night (yes, now I realize I shouldn't have looked at a vehicle at NIGHT) I signed the papers and took it home. Come Monday morning I received a phone call stating that I'd have to go with my own financing because they just couldn't get the deal done, even though he guaranteed me and reassured me that they would be able to get a better rate. When I called him on it Monday morning he denied any such claim.
As for the scratches...I called in and asked the manager what they could do about it and was told to come in and they would take care of it because "we would never sell you a bad car." When I got to the dealership and asked to speak to the manager I was told he was out and that I should speak to my sales guy. He said "I assumed you knew they were there" and was then told there's nothing they could do and it was my problem.
I then went to speak with another manager who kept calling me "honey" and said "well that's up to your salesman, and if he says there's nothing that can be done, that's just the way it is, HONEY."
As for the them using the bait and switch technique:
I'm not saying all car salesmen are scum, but I certainly think the ones at this dealership may be. I tend to think it's a "phantom" vehicle that's advertised, because my buddy was told the car was available and when he went in to look at it he was told "we have over 500 cars on this lot, why don't you take a look at this one over here instead..." When he stated that he only wanted to look at that particular vehicle he was told "oh, I'm sorry, I'm afraid it was just sold this afternoon."
I've always had really good experiences purchasing vehicles in the past, but from the treatment I received this time around (especially from the last sales manager I spoke with) it makes me wonder if it was because I always had a guy with me before? (Just a thought...)
Bait 'n switch managers . . .
(Good thing it wasn't a bait 'n tackle shop. Sorry. ;~}. )
I can't tell what you're wanting to do about that car, but I hope you report the lying scumbags to the AG's office.
FWIW, I don't think they ran this on you because you're female. They ran, still run, the game on guys and gals alike - because it works, because the risks are low, and because the industry tolerates it.
TB
Bait and switch is considered an illegal tactic in many jurisdictions when the "bait" does not exist. Sounds like this place may need a little heat to staighten them out, Lexus dealer or not.
When I said "well what am I supposed to do about it if it can't be buffed out?" I was told that "well, you're going to have to get that entire section stripped and repainted." Um, EXCUSE ME??? I just bought this car and now I have to get it repainted?? I'm a bit disgusted by this whole ordeal, I may try to contact the owner, but how do I ensure I don't get the run around when trying to get ahold of him?
P.S. Since 'paintwork' will hurt resale, it would be legit to get some bucks, too.
Bottom line: don't assume that a Lexus dealer is less likely to pull a fast one just because they sell Lexus.
-Jason
Yeah, never look over a car when its dark. I dont know if you'll have much recourse regarding the scratches. I have bought a few used vehicles and not once has the salesman/dealer pointed out scratches/chips etc. Thats why all used cars have those 'Sold AS IS' papers on the window. Now I have found that if you catch something like scratches and state you want them taken care of as part of the deal, more often than not the selling dealer will oblige.
Good luck.
"NEW CAR FOR FREE"
ads.
It's sometimes a little more difficult to tell the 'good deal' ads from the 'impossibly good deal' ads.
The paint scratches: You didn't look at the car before you paid for it? Yes, I know it was night, but that doesn't relieve you of your responsibility to check what you are buying.
baits 'n swtiches and
sells car in dark
Sounds like a line from a Charley Chan movie, LOL.
As for the pricing, it wasn't an unreasonably unbelievably good deal, it was just a couple thousand under what other dealers in the area are advertising, which seemed like a good price. However, in the end I could've gone with anyone considering I had to use my own financing anyways.
What I failed to remember once I stepped into the dealership was that they were trying to sell me something that I was under no obligation to buy. My first "on my own" car buying experience ...now I know.
jaser---I agree with you. Not underhanded, but same sales tactics. I was looking at a CPO 99 Rx300. The asking price was $27,000. I got them down to $25,325 and I was on my way home to get a check for a deposit. I decided I was looking at more than i could afford so i called the salesman and told him that and that I was no longer interested. he said fine. A few days later I get a voice mail from him saying he had great news. I called him back and he gave me the, "we really want to see you in this car so i am going to sacrifice my commision (yeah right) and we can sell it to you for $25,000." I told him what I meant by looking at more car than I could afford was like by a few thousand. I would not throw away a deal over $300. In the end I was glad I avoided it. Edmunds says the price should be $25,000 for a 99 cpo in that condition, so it was not really that good of a deal.
If everyone is selling something at $XXXXX and one person/dealer is a couple thousand less it should be a big red flag saying buyer beware. Nobody I know of would sell something for a couple thousand less if the free market values something at couple thousand more. I've never met anyone who was giving away thousands of dollars when they didnt have to!!
'Tweren't a newspaper ad, screaming or otherwise; 'twas a website.
'Tweren't a greedy, gullible, anything-else-bad customer; 'twas a lying, [non-permissible content removed] dealer.
Anyone have any constructive advice?
Nicole
I'm really not happy with the purchase, due to some cosmetic blemishes I've found ..and the fact that my engine light went on the other day and stayed on for about 30 miles and then spontaneously shut off ..I need to call them about that as well, though I'm sure they'll probably just say "well that's your problem" to that as well **anyone have any ideas on how to handle that one???** I'm just really disgusted with the overall experience, but again, I do realize that I was 50% of the problem because I should have trusted my gut instinct that it wasn't the right thing to do.
I am so frustrated at this point...
if you don't mind me asking, what year, mileage and price was this rx300?
The classic advice on buying any used car is to have a mechanic check it out prior to the sale. I know 'prior to the sale' is out of the barn, and I'm not doing a spilt milk thing; but I'd have the car checked out, so you'll know what you're actually dealing with and be able to make the best decision for you. The right steps in the wrong order, perhaps; but helpful anyhow.
Whatever the actual condition of the car, I doubt you'll have any recourse with the Bentley dealer; but you can always try. And, you'll have real info if you decide to file complaints anywhere.
Me, I'd be so totally yucked out by now that I'd want out of the car, in spite of the $ hit of trading. Perhaps a mechanic's careful evaluation would change that feeling; or having that info could validate an expensive decision to trade. You might have a diamond in the rough, which would be cool; put some bucks into the car and have what you wanted in the first place. Or you might have a lemon and be able to cut your losses early.
Someone better informed than I should be able to say for sure; but a Lexus dealer should be able to get the service history on the car.
It's a good thing you bought used. A good friend bought new, wanted out, and had a BIG bullet to bite.
Know the story of Br'ier Rabbit and the Tarbaby? I'm suggesting that you find out if you're tied into a Tarbaby first and take it from there.
Bob
And that's what I would have told the F&I guy, sir, if this $159 manditory charge is truly manditory, then maybe I should invest that money in a rental for the week and make sure I am getting the best deal. Or you could drop the window etch right now and I continue to buy this car at the price I've already agreed on.
I understand that it is their job to sell you something. However, you should not feel manipulated or forced into buying what is being offered.
Use the power of no.
TB
The price seemed pretty good for this area ...anyone know? (I'm in Chicago.)
Sorry you had such a bad experience. You should not have gone alone, and it sounds like you broke every rule in the book. You have to be strong enough to walk. Read some of the other threads here and try to learn. Better luck next time.
Not to sound smart, but I think you might have had a communication problem .. they Will payoff your vehicle, but if every dealer calculated a deal based on pay-offs they could hardly sell anything - see, a pay-off is a pay-off, and it's worth what it is worth ~ "2 separate entities" .. about 85% of the buying market owes more on their vehicles than what it is worth ..
Terry.
Kinda keep in mind, the lower the miles, the greater the value .. and a 99 21k RX300 4x4 in a light color in the SE is worth some jingle, could easily see $20/$21 at the auctions ..
Terry.
I jumped at it because of the miles. Most I had looked at that were 99 had like 35-40K. They were asking 27K, so i thought 25K was not too bad. But when i researched a little more, it looks like 25K is middle of the road price for that vehicle. So you are right, 23-24K would have been a much better deal. Oh well, I was looking at more car than I could afford anyway and it was used. I have decided on something different that I will order next week and it will be brand new and within my budget.
But you are right, it's hard to find those miles. Yuk, green .. it's gonna take a "real" salesman to sell that puppy for $25 .. it's about a $500 deduct at any auction, including the yankee auctions .l.o.l..
Terry.
As for the light ...it's the service engine light that came on. I don't have a manual for it though, so I had to order one from Lexus.
Like "tk", somehow or other I also was under the impression that this was a new car, and voiced my opinion based on that. Since it was a used car, IMHO, you're on your own. It had scratches, you didn't see them, you bought it, it's your own fault...
Another good reason to have the car looked at.
In some states, persistent emissions probs are grounds to rescind a used car sale or for a warranty claim against the seller.
: )
Mackabee
What do diamonds, lemons, and tarbabies refer to ?? I would guess that diamonds and lemons refer to really great and really poor (used) cars. Who knows about tarbabies ???
My point to Jspry was that if she made the dealer trip she might find out whether or not she should dump the car before she put more into it.
LOL, too many analogies in that post!