Arrrrrgh. Some car dealers suckass.
 

Present company excepted.

So here's how my deal went down. I print out a buyers certificate from my bank that got me $500 over invoice at a specific Baltimore dealership. I went in there with the jeep, they agreed to the $500 over invoice deal and after an appraisal offered me 22K for the jeep on trade. Not bad considering a busted bumper and 90K on it, but I walked that night telling them I wanted 23K for the jeep. The next day the salesman called me and said they would do the 23K on trade.

Yesterday afternoon they confirmed that they had cut a deal with the dealership that had the car I wanted. The salesperson called and asked for my credit card to put a deposit on the car as they planned on transporting it down to Maryland that night for delivery to me today. I gave her my cc info, then realized I had never seen a purchase order. I told her I didn't want to go further until they faxed me the PO. She agreed they'd do nothing with the CC until I had signed the PO which would be on it's way to me "immediately".

Finally at about 6 pm last night I get the PO. The $500 over invoice changed to $750 over invoice. And the 23K trade changed to 22.5.

I called and left 2 messages last night for the salesperson and the sales manager that the deal was dead unless they honored what they originally agreed to. I finally got an email from the salesperson at 10 pm last night telling me the deal "was the best they could guarantee" and that they wanted to "see the jeep one more time when I come in to pick up the new car" at which time they would determine whether they would give me 23K for it. She never addressed the additional $250 they added to my original $500 over invoice in their email.

Quite honestly, negotiated correctly, the $750 in difference wouldn't have been a deal breaker to me, especially because I think the trade value is still fair. But the way they're just trying to sleeze another $750 out of a deal makes me want to take a shower. Do they think buyers are stupid or emotional? Or both?

So I fired off a letter telling them I need a PO emailed to me by noon today reflecting the deal we negotiated, or I'd work a deal with another dealer. I'll take bets that there will be more to this story.

Next step is to see if they try to bang my cc for the $1000 deposit, because I wouldn't be surprised if that car is now sitting on their lot.

Alex

Sounds kind of like my father's Jeep deal. He tried to use the AAA buying service which directed him to a local dealer. Once at the local dealer he was only allowed to shop from vehicles on the lot for the AAA special price - of course it took a drive to the other side of town and over an hour with a salesman to get that info. Then they tried to strong-arm him into paying $1.5k more than the AAA deal to order the car he wants.

Or my BIL who drove up from the eastern shore to look at a car advertised on the internet. Once at the dealer they tacked on a $1200 fee (on an $8k car) for "reconditioning" and some other misc. crap. He called before going to look at it and this was never mentioned prior to setting foot on the lot.

The car buying process is seriously broken, between the salesman not knowing anything about the product, and the finance dept treachery, it's just a total mess. I've realized this might be the worst part about leasing - you're stuck doing this dance far too often than if you buy and hold.

And where did David Boorum go? I sent a coworker to Towson to buy an 135i and they said he wasn't there...

Alex

That's the other problem - find a guy you can mostly trust and they leave.

He spent some time at the Porsche dealer, and now is at the Jag/Land Rover place just up the road.

Last I spoke with him he's looking hard to get out of the business. Selling 1 Porsche a month really did him in on the whole car sales thing.

Just got a call from the dealer.

"Math errors, so sorry!"

Alex

:lol::lol::lol:

More like "moral compass errors."

You probably won't find a bible in the glovebox of this one.

:lol:

Yep! And Alex, I'm surprised that the salesperson even remembered who you were. Normally, you no longer exist the second you get off the phone with them, or leave the dealership.

:lol: :lol:

Did I tell you $500 over invoice? Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot!

:ack: