What would you do?

DaveT435

DaveT435

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I'll keep this as short as possible. I ordered my 2016 Camaro SS about 8 weeks ago. I offed a deposit not even knowing the price, they said a handshake was good enough. Knowing my handshake is as good as any signed contract I trusted them. My Camaro was supposed to be the first SS that they got. Bottom line it's actually going to be weeks behind their first one. The sales manager made a big deal about how cool it was that I was getting the first one. Lie number one. Two weeks ago I was told my car was status 3800 which means going down the line any day. I actually found out yesterday it had just gotten moved up to status 3300 that's when a production date is issued and the build date is the week of Nivember 30th. Lie number two. As of yesterday the salesman is telling me they still don't have pricing on the car. Lie number three. Also when I ordered the car I asked if my trade in value of 18500 was still going to be good when the car got there. They told me they couldn't be sure of that.
Long story short after the third lie I consider our gentlemen so agreement to be over. I found a dealer who had my identical car coming in at the same time, except it has a vinyl stripe I'll probably end up removing. Anyway they are offering 19500.00 for my car and selling me the new one at invoice instead of MSRP which I figured is what I would have to pay for a new model. I put a depsit on the car.
I'm almost positive dealer "A" is trying to wait until the car is in front of me then try to charge me a couple grand over MSRP. The car was also order as stock, not a sold unit so I expect to hear there was a mistake and the car showed as open inventory and we have someone else who wants the car also. Then I expect them to tell me the value of mine went down, which black book did drop about 1500.00 a couple weeks ago.
Part of me wants to let them go ahead and play their game then laugh in their faces, tell them what I think about the way they conduct business. The other part of me wants to just go in there now and tell them what I think of the way they do business and tell them I'm out. If I go with plan "B" they will probably have another buyer before the car gets there. Plan "A" at least they are going to have to sit on that car for a little while.
Keeping in mind they lied to me not once, not twice, but three times which way would you go?
 
I really think I'd go with plan B. But I've gotten a little surly in my old age :D
 
What would I do? Not buy a new car... but thats beside the point

I would want to do A but would do B. I know a new car dealer is lying cause their mouths are moving so that wouldn't surprise me. I would most definitely let them know why I wasn't happy with their service and that I will be telling everyone and anyone who will listen. Internet reviews and all.
 
I am curious as to why a dealer would be selling you a 2016 SS at invoice. I know there is backend money being made, since I work in the industry...but to sell a brand new car at invoice, is odd...
 
Why deal with a with a dealership who keeps giving you the runaround???

Plan B!
 
99monguse said:
I am curious as to why a dealer would be selling you a 2016 SS at invoice. I know there is backend money being made, since I work in the industry...but to sell a brand new car at invoice, is odd...
Click to expand...
They are TELLING him they are selling at invoice. I work at a dealership and have seen many new cars sold at invoice, but money was made on products (warranties, protections...). And sometimes it's just a numbers game: "Hey, we sold 5000 new cars this month. We're number one."
 
Even if you signed a contract and gave a "non-refundable" deposit, you can get your money back after 30 days if the car isn't delivered. At least that was the case for me in California. Don't let the handshake contract mess with your conscience. There's a limit for everything. One of the most important things to have in line when buying a new car is to have a Plan B so you can walk away anytime.

I'd just give him a call and tell him you've moved on. Makes for a good story that you held your ground.
 
A deal isn't a deal until contract is signed. The worst feeling for me is one that I've been lied too, whether a realism or a gut feeling. I for one am a sucker for the"gotta have it now" but the Camaro just started production and soon they will be plentiful on the lots, ask yourself how important is it to have one of the first ones? I'd stick to the car you want,at the price your comfortable with and walk away happy
 
This is why dealerships are awful places - a problem Tesla has fixed. Regardless, I see all purchases as business transactions. Nothing personal when it isn't in fact done with someone I know as a friend. If there is nothing on paper, then there is no contract. We can be human with each other, but for dealer A, there is nothing personal about the transaction with you. You should consider it to be the same and move on.

(Sent via my mobile device)
 
I agree with all the above, just move on and get your money back. Good luck buddy!
 
I had a bad experience at a Volkswagen dealership a few months back. Same old waiting game like you but my vehicle was supposedly "at the dock" for 2+ weeks. I found the same exact vehicle at another VW dealership 8 miles away from the other.

Some dealerships suck, plain and simple. It doesn't take much to run them and doesn't take much to screw a customer either.
 
I'm
DaveT435 said:
Long story short after the third lie I consider our gentlemen so agreement to be over.
Click to expand...
In that case:
After you call and tell them in your most
pleasant demeanor: Thanks, but No Thanks....

Just let it be over and done with.

DaveT435 said:
I found a dealer who had my identical car coming in at the same time, except it has a vinyl stripe...
they are offering 19500.00 for my car and selling me the new one at invoice instead of MSRP which I figured is what I would have to pay for a new model. I put a depsit on the car.
Click to expand...
That's a much better deal all the
way around anyway! :props:


Bob
 
Just a suggestion.....

You may want to consider having a polite, tactful conversation with the dealership you made the deposit with and let them know that some of what is taking place will be reflected in the survey you complete once the car is delivered. I wouldn't come right out and say that as though you were making a threat but I would get the point across. I can almost guarantee you that you will become a priority and that the games will stop, including whatever pricing games they might have in mind. Dealerships do not want ANYTHING negative reflected in those surveys.

You could also give GM a call and tell them what you've told us.

I've had issues with dealerships in the past and the above two approaches work absolute wonders. You shouldn't even have to do this but the manufacturers realize that dealers can still be a little shady which is one of the main reasons these resources exist.

Unfortunately, it is occasionally necessary to take a firm and confrontational type approach....as unpleasant as it can sometimes be. Those guys are in it for the money and they will do whatever they can to shovel it in. They have the upper hand right now and they know it because that car is going to move whether you buy it or not. I can pretty much guarantee you that they will not be giving you $18,500 for your trade-in.
 
Well Dave... brother... I know that you (as well as I) would like to think that our word is our bond. That's the way our father's did it, worked for them. Unfortunately, what we'd LIKE to think and what people actually do are drastically different this day and age.

As for the pricing, being at MSRP or more... unless you are getting VIN# 0001, (which will end up going to somebody like Rick Hendrick) then non of the others really matter.

Personally brother, you need to do what makes the best fiscal sense for YOU.

BTW, that includes selling your current Camaro rather than trading it in, and here are a few reasons why.

  1. You know they are going to give you squat for it (no matter where you trade it).
  2. The dealership will give you a better deal without the trade-in. (usually)
  3. Your car is kept up better than 9 out of 10 out there, (if not 99 out of 100). This is where they make even MORE money because on trades they figure in some sort of 'reconditioning' cost (which they don't need with yours).
  4. Run the numbers on your car on kbb.com, you'll make THOUSANDS more selling it yourself than trading it in. I/we tell people all the time that a well maintained (as in detailed, with perfect paint) vehicle constantly brings 10%~15% or more over even the best daily driver. I even offer to give back half what they spend if they can't recoup more than what they spent doing paint correction, (typically 2~3 times as much) and have never had to give that money back. ;)
  5. The cash up front gives you better bargaining power, and costs you less on the back end.
If they (the current dealership) are this dishonest at this stage.... pfffttt.... it'll only get worse down the road.:eek:
You need to wash your hands of that situation, tell them you were straight with them going in, but they've only lied from day one, and THAT isn't how you do business.
As the man said, "Thanks but NO thanks!"

The survey is an EXCELLENT thing to approach the subject with. :dblthumb2:

The pricing however is the one thing that's the most troubling, considering you can now build out the car online! Couldn't do that just a couple months ago, but you CAN NOW! :) (BTW, mine on the Chevy site would price out at $51.395, if I kept the stripe. Then on Edmunds, with MORE options MSRP isn't but $47,860.) ;)

None the less.... they KNOW the pricing, just don't want to tell ya'.

Shouldn't give it anymore thought... get your money back, sell your car, buy the new one. Then come down this way and let me borrow it for a few months! :props:


Another CarDaddy story from the archives.

Way back when, I used to do towing for CarMax here in Atlanta. Actually did a ton of new car towing for two locations, as well as the Stockbridge service towing. This was when the before (and after) Plymouth Prowler had come out. That car was, and still is quite a marvel. (just had ugly bumpers)

First year run wasn't but 457 units, all in purple metallic. There was such a demand for them that most dealerships didn't get ANY. CarMax only got 1 in 97 for the entire Atlanta market. That car had a MSRP of $39,7--- something at the dealer. Which was crazy priced back then, especially as they didn't have but 214HP and were pretty slow. (Next year in 98 it went up, but nothing fantastic, although the V6 was a much more hot rod engine than the V8's of the time.)

Anyhow... that one purple metallic car went everywhere, I mean EVERY - WHERE! Just not driving it that is. It was on the back of my truck! I transported that puppy to all three dealerships, to the Bulldogs game, to the Peach Bowl, to the Peach Bowl parade (where they drove it then I went back and got it) to Atlanta Motor Speedway (THREE TIMES), to the World of Wheels a couple times, and of course moving around from dealership to dealership every few months. I mean I moved that thing around about 800 miles myself.

I'd have people honking the horn, turning around in the roadway (even on the expressway) and following me to wherever I was going. Just to SEE the car! :laughing:
(It was a PITA to tow btw as there were hardly no places to put transport straps on the hand welded aluminum box frame.)

All that, and it wasn't for sale. I mean they WOULD - NOT sell it.

So anyhow, the 1999 model came out, and CarMax got a yellow one. Now I had two to transport, one on the trailer, the other on the truck. (Well they'd both fit my 41' trailer so I'd put something else on the flatbed and both of them on the trailer when going to display them.)

This guy came in at the Norcross location one day and was talking to the GM. He said he wanted the car (the purple one) and that they (CarMax) could keep it. Just that he wanted to have a climate controlled Lexan enclosure built around it. He'd pay for it, and CarMax could keep the car as long as they wanted it. Then he offered them a briefcase with $75,000 cash for the car!!!!

Guess what?

The GM said the car wasn't for sale! :eek:
Mind you, it wasn't VIN #1 either! :rolleyes:

When the 2000 model came out (and they got a red one) they had a raffle of sorts. Basically, any employee that was interested in the 97 model was entered in the raffle. Then the 'winner' could be blessed to purchase the (then three year old car with 151 miles on it) for full MSRP! What a deal! :laughing:
I was there... it was unbelievable. :rolleyes ::dunno: :rolleyes:
 
DaveT435 said:
I'll keep this as short as possible. I ordered my 2016 Camaro SS about 8 weeks ago. I offed a deposit not even knowing the price, they said a handshake was good enough. Knowing my handshake is as good as any signed contract I trusted them. My Camaro was supposed to be the first SS that they got. Bottom line it's actually going to be weeks behind their first one. The sales manager made a big deal about how cool it was that I was getting the first one. Lie number one. Two weeks ago I was told my car was status 3800 which means going down the line any day. I actually found out yesterday it had just gotten moved up to status 3300 that's when a production date is issued and the build date is the week of Nivember 30th. Lie number two. As of yesterday the salesman is telling me they still don't have pricing on the car. Lie number three. Also when I ordered the car I asked if my trade in value of 18500 was still going to be good when the car got there. They told me they couldn't be sure of that.
Long story short after the third lie I consider our gentlemen so agreement to be over. I found a dealer who had my identical car coming in at the same time, except it has a vinyl stripe I'll probably end up removing. Anyway they are offering 19500.00 for my car and selling me the new one at invoice instead of MSRP which I figured is what I would have to pay for a new model. I put a depsit on the car.
I'm almost positive dealer "A" is trying to wait until the car is in front of me then try to charge me a couple grand over MSRP. The car was also order as stock, not a sold unit so I expect to hear there was a mistake and the car showed as open inventory and we have someone else who wants the car also. Then I expect them to tell me the value of mine went down, which black book did drop about 1500.00 a couple weeks ago.
Part of me wants to let them go ahead and play their game then laugh in their faces, tell them what I think about the way they conduct business. The other part of me wants to just go in there now and tell them what I think of the way they do business and tell them I'm out. If I go with plan "B" they will probably have another buyer before the car gets there. Plan "A" at least they are going to have to sit on that car for a little while.
Keeping in mind they lied to me not once, not twice, but three times which way would you go?
Click to expand...
I don't like the part of selling at invoice doesn't make sense on a limited production car.being that you are in Texas where it doesn't snow,I don't think it will sit on the lot.maybe get some kind of agreement as far as trade for your car put a deposit down and wait it out.are you stuck solely on the camaro,maybe get a vette if you don't need the room.
 
When that car comes in they there gonna play more games,your in a tough spot good luck on the car though seems really nice.
 
I know it's over 1000.00 under MSRP. I thought being a new model I would be paying sticker so that's a plus. The other thing is I went in the first dealership a couple weeks before, I had been talking to an Internet salesperson. The kid was not helpful. I had to tell him he had a car I wanted to look at in stock...then I had to show him where it was. I wrote an email to the Internet salesperson, not planning on going back, she said she would set me up with a manager and I would be treated like "royalty" I don't need to be treated like royalty. I just want a competent salesperson. Anyway you see where that got me!
The second dealership I have a friend of a friend there. He was straight forward. He was showing me invoices on the computer. He said he'll print out the invoice on the car when I'm buying it. I figure anything under retail on a new car which is also Motor Trends car of the year is a descent deal. Plus the extra grand on the trade in! I like the salesman I was dealing with at the first dealership. I feel bad for him because I'm pretty sure he's telling me what management is telling him to tell me.
Thanks for the input, I'll sleep on it and make a decision.
 
vobro said:
A deal isn't a deal until contract is signed. The worst feeling for me is one that I've been lied too, whether a realism or a gut feeling. I for one am a sucker for the"gotta have it now" but the Camaro just started production and soon they will be plentiful on the lots, ask yourself how important is it to have one of the first ones? I'd stick to the car you want,at the price your comfortable with and walk away happy
Click to expand...

Excellent advice. 6 months from now they will be dealing big time on those cars. It's a matter of supply and demand.

Remember how hot the new Z-28 was when it came out, they were selling over sticker, they can't give them away now. This ones discounted $15,000!

This is a huge Chevy dealership near where I live:

Tampa Chevrolet Camaro in Plant City | Stingray Chevrolet Deals | 2G1FZ1EE0F9700537
 
custmsprty said:
Excellent advice. 6 months from now they will be dealing big time on those cars. It's a matter of supply and demand.

Remember how hot the new Z-28 was when it came out, they were selling over sticker, they can't give them away now. This ones discounted $15,000!

This is a huge Chevy dealership near where I live:

Tampa Chevrolet Camaro in Plant City | Stingray Chevrolet Deals | 2G1FZ1EE0F9700537
Click to expand...

Right, on the flip side when these cars become readily available there is a good chance the market will be flooded with the older body style driving prices down. As it stands I'm getting above Black Book, really close to Kelly Blue Book which everyone knows is usually way more than a realistic trade in figure. I'm comfortable at paying 1200.00 off MSRP for a new model and getting the amount I'm getting for mine. It's the exact car I had ordered except it has a stripe. This way if I end up liking the metallic black stripe on it I'll leave it, if I don't like it I'll take it off. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking it off. In my opinion it draws attention away from the body lines on the car. They really did a nice job designing the body on this car.
 
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