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Well actually I drove 80 miles, not 100. And the reason I did so is because the local dealer did not have a single car with a 5-speed in inventory, while the dealer 80 miles away, the second closest dealer, not only had one, but had had it in inventory SINCE LAST AUGUST. That's right, the car had been on his lot for 11 MONTHS. I wonder what it cost to floor plan that car for 10 months? It was probably a lot more than the $10 you are worried about!
I walked into the showroom humbly, introduced myself to the salesperson politely, clearly and directly stated my interest, did not make any misreprentations about anything, and politely received the dealership's proposal courteously. It would have been very foolish for me to have accepted that proposal. I responded to it by courteously presenting several pieces of additional information to be considered, including information about the private incentives: owner loyalty incentive, lease incentive, and promotional lease rate. The price was adjusted accordingly, a mutual agreement was made, and the transaction was closed immediately.
I have no idea whether, as described in another post on this thread, the dealership's staff earned an entire week's pay in three hours as a result of this transaction, or whether they exchanged high fives. I can tell you that the deal was concluded quickly with no nonsense and no discourtesy.
Did the dealership make money on this sale? I don't know, and it's none of my business. I suspect that they would have lost money on this particular car at just about any reasonable price because of inventory holding costs, but I could be wrong; there could be incentives, holdbacks or other forms of kickbacks unknown to me. And as I say, it is really none of my business. I merely made the best deal I could based on the limited information that was available to me.
The deal included various nickel and dime charges such as dealer prep, document prep, etc. I agreed to them cheerfully, as I considered them to be part of the total package price, and because it is important to the dealership to present the price in that way. Why should I care whether they give me a single number, or the sum of one large number and several small ones? The problem with junk fees is when there is an attempt to impose them unilaterally and adhesively after a deal has been struck. In this case, after agreement was reached, and while I was completing the paperwork and writing my check, I was offered the opportunity to buy several insurance products. I courteously declined, and my decision was received courteously.
I believe that the deal was mutually beneficial because I bought the car at a fair price, and they sold the car at a fair price -- a car that for whatever reason they had been unable to sell to anyone else in ten months. Maybe the problem was not with me, but with the previous customers who presumably considered but did not buy the car, or with the salespeople who dealt with those other customers.
By the way, I will give max marks on the survey. I always do, even when there is some criticism that could reasonably be offered. The appropriate way to resolve grievances is informally and at the lowest possible level. Giving bad marks on the survey is unfair to personnel who are evaluated based on the survey results, and giving bad marks on the survey can only destroy good will that may be useful in future business dealings with that dealership.
Am I a "customer from hell," as was stated in another post on this thread? Apparently not in the eyes of the people I dealt with, as they chose to do business with me. I guess they came to work that morning without chips on their shoulder.
posted by 67.100.216...
, Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:58:26
, Sat, 24 Jul 2004 11:59:34, Sat, 24 Jul 2004 14:49:16
, Sun, 25 Jul 2004 00:30:38
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