Should I pay for the dealership's mistake???
03-05-2007, 01:22 AM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Age: 47
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Should I pay for the dealership's mistake???
About a week a go I went into the Acura dealership to give them the title for my trade in. Well when I gave them my title, the financeperson tells me that I was undercharged for my license, tag & title fees and that I owed an additional $198. Keep in mind I paid for the car with a check like over three weeks ago. I paid exactly what was in my contract pertaining to the license tag & title fees, which was like $45.00. The financeperson even told me that I was so lucky to only have to pay that much when I signed the contract. I didn't want to jump the gun and pay the $198 so I gave them an excuse that I didn't have my checkbook and that I would come back to pay it. I've asked around and most people are telling me it's their mistake and they should bite the bullet. I know legally they can't do anything but I feel a little guilty because I actually liked my experience at this dealership minus the finance department. What do you fellow TSX owners think?
03-05-2007, 01:38 AM
#2
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Age: 41
Posts: 7,257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Legally, I believe (but anyone else please correct me if this is only TX) that if they accepted your check as payment in full for your car, then you owe them no more money - regardless of what typos they made. This would be especially true if your contract states a debt of XXXX for your car & a payment of the same amount for said car.
Personally, I would advise you to not make the payment because business is business and you and the stealership have already done your business. It is not a personal thing between you and them, and they should learn their lesson. It's what they do for a living - they shouldn't make mistakes like that.
I'd drop by and tell them that (or call, whichever). If you have relatively oversized gonads, you could try to work out a deal w/them...get a mod @ a $200+ discount from the lowest price you can find. Just a thought. Because I hate stealerships.
Personally, I would advise you to not make the payment because business is business and you and the stealership have already done your business. It is not a personal thing between you and them, and they should learn their lesson. It's what they do for a living - they shouldn't make mistakes like that.
I'd drop by and tell them that (or call, whichever). If you have relatively oversized gonads, you could try to work out a deal w/them...get a mod @ a $200+ discount from the lowest price you can find. Just a thought. Because I hate stealerships.
Trending Topics
03-05-2007, 11:00 AM
#10
Advanced
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Lawrence, KS
Age: 38
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
the contract said that you owed $xxx.xx and you paid $xxx.xx, you have lagally completed the sale of the vehicle. you do not legally have to pay anything else, i took a test about this exact thing about 3 hours ago, the contract was made and each party traded what was stipulated, end of the deal. there is no reason to be rude about this though if you had a good experience at the dealership.
although working at a cardealership myself and learning lots of their 'tricks', there could be a possibility that this is just another thing they do to some customers to attempt to get more money, some saleman, sales managers and gm will stoop to amazingly low levels sometimes to make a sale.
although working at a cardealership myself and learning lots of their 'tricks', there could be a possibility that this is just another thing they do to some customers to attempt to get more money, some saleman, sales managers and gm will stoop to amazingly low levels sometimes to make a sale.
03-05-2007, 11:16 AM
#11
Pro
Legally you don't have to pay them after you signed all the papers and especially when it was three weeks ago. I had a similar problem when I bought my 04 TSX. They appraised my trade in for $12,200 and then after the papers were all signed they said they appraised my car as a 2003 model when it was actually a 2002 which would have been only $11,000, but the papers were signed and they had to pay me the extra on the trade.
03-05-2007, 12:43 PM
#14
Instructor
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 43
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What exactly do you mean by "Good experience" at this dealership?! Did they somehow become angels and care about your financial situation? Did they give you more than what your trade was worth? Did they warn you about the fact that they will f*** with your brain everytime you bring your car in for warranty work? Did they guarantee a premium brand loaner for everytime you have to leave you car there?
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
03-05-2007, 01:27 PM
#15
Originally Posted by synthetic
What exactly do you mean by "Good experience" at this dealership?! Did they somehow become angels and care about your financial situation? Did they give you more than what your trade was worth? Did they warn you about the fact that they will f*** with your brain everytime you bring your car in for warranty work? Did they guarantee a premium brand loaner for everytime you have to leave you car there?
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
03-05-2007, 01:32 PM
#16
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Age: 47
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow I guess it's overwhelming that I should not pay the $198 that they claim I owe. I just don't want to get into a pissing match with anyone from the dealership....I do plan to get my future maintenance services done there. I'm planning on writing a letter because I'm afraid if I talk to the finance lady in person it's might get out of hand.
03-05-2007, 01:34 PM
#17
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Age: 47
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by synthetic
What exactly do you mean by "Good experience" at this dealership?! Did they somehow become angels and care about your financial situation? Did they give you more than what your trade was worth? Did they warn you about the fact that they will f*** with your brain everytime you bring your car in for warranty work? Did they guarantee a premium brand loaner for everytime you have to leave you car there?
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
03-06-2007, 10:16 AM
#19
Instructor
Join Date: Jul 2005
Age: 66
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Law May Require Owner of Car Pays
I don't know, I had a fairly good experience buying my car. I told them going in I refuse to dicker on a price, I gave them a price that equaled the lowest price reported on the Internet discussion groups and said take it or leave it and they took it. It helped that I had done my research, could tell them when and where the car was sold at that price and that I could choose from 4 dealers locally.
But as far as paying for the mistake, why should you, with an asterisk. As many point out, what if you decided you had meant to only pay 90% of the price? What if they decided to only accept a higher price and goofed up? That's why it's so important the written contract be right, that is what governs the transaction and nothing else, except for law.
And the law may be the asterisk that changes the answer. Some states are specific about who pays the license fee and taxes. The owner of the car. I've heard of (but haven't actually researched) cases where the cost of the tax was on one party despite a contract saying otherwise. As a practical matter, you would think the dealership would eat the cost as a lesson learned or just to avoid an unhappy customer who is morally right.
But as far as paying for the mistake, why should you, with an asterisk. As many point out, what if you decided you had meant to only pay 90% of the price? What if they decided to only accept a higher price and goofed up? That's why it's so important the written contract be right, that is what governs the transaction and nothing else, except for law.
And the law may be the asterisk that changes the answer. Some states are specific about who pays the license fee and taxes. The owner of the car. I've heard of (but haven't actually researched) cases where the cost of the tax was on one party despite a contract saying otherwise. As a practical matter, you would think the dealership would eat the cost as a lesson learned or just to avoid an unhappy customer who is morally right.
03-07-2007, 04:26 AM
#20
Advanced
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Lawrence, KS
Age: 38
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by synthetic
What exactly do you mean by "Good experience" at this dealership?! Did they somehow become angels and care about your financial situation? Did they give you more than what your trade was worth? Did they warn you about the fact that they will f*** with your brain everytime you bring your car in for warranty work? Did they guarantee a premium brand loaner for everytime you have to leave you car there?
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
wow, i worked at a car dealership before and while you might think that you have to realize that a large portion of their paycheck is based ON COMMISSION. and that this commission is NOT set in stone on a per car basis. this commission is based on how much the margin between the cost that the car caused the dealer to the price that the customer purchases the car for. a car salesman COULD sell you a car at the COST it the dealership, but that is almost NEVER going to happen because both the dealership and salesman are using THEIR time to get you this vehicle. time is in no way free. i have seen car salesmen make $1 off of a car and car salesman make $600 off of a car. you might be fighting to KEEP more money in your pocket while they fight to PUT more money in their pocket.yes, the industry has a bad stereotype to it, and some dealerships, car salesmen, sales managers, and general managers give a large group a bad name but most salesmen are honest people trying to make as much money as possible, JUST LIKE YOU.
not trying to make you think dealerships are all innocent, they arent, but by having an outlook like that you are only going to make things difficult for yourself. if you work with them and are friendly with them they WILL do the same. if you are a dick and are rude 99% of the time they are not going to go out of their way to help you out that much. ive worked customer service all my life and in my current job(large sporting goods store) and position i have the ability to give discounts, accept/reject coupons, and pretty much control the entire transaction if need be. if someone wants to use multiple coupons most of the time i will allow it without a problem(even if coupons say 'one per transaction per visit per day') as it really just irritates the customer and usually accomplishes nothing as they will use all the coupons anyway, this is the same for expired coupons as i honor most regardless of expiration. but if someone comes up to me and is rude or starts complaining about something that is not very reasonable than i have no problem only allowing them to use one coupon and pointing out the small print that only one can be used per day or that the coupon is expired.
it is the golden rule. treat others as you want to be treated.
03-07-2007, 10:31 AM
#22
Instructor
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 43
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by slfmade
wow, i worked at a car dealership before and while you might think that you have to realize that a large portion of their paycheck is based ON COMMISSION. and that this commission is NOT set in stone on a per car basis. this commission is based on how much the margin between the cost that the car caused the dealer to the price that the customer purchases the car for. a car salesman COULD sell you a car at the COST it the dealership, but that is almost NEVER going to happen because both the dealership and salesman are using THEIR time to get you this vehicle. time is in no way free. i have seen car salesmen make $1 off of a car and car salesman make $600 off of a car. you might be fighting to KEEP more money in your pocket while they fight to PUT more money in their pocket.yes, the industry has a bad stereotype to it, and some dealerships, car salesmen, sales managers, and general managers give a large group a bad name but most salesmen are honest people trying to make as much money as possible, JUST LIKE YOU.
not trying to make you think dealerships are all innocent, they arent, but by having an outlook like that you are only going to make things difficult for yourself. if you work with them and are friendly with them they WILL do the same. if you are a dick and are rude 99% of the time they are not going to go out of their way to help you out that much. ive worked customer service all my life and in my current job(large sporting goods store) and position i have the ability to give discounts, accept/reject coupons, and pretty much control the entire transaction if need be. if someone wants to use multiple coupons most of the time i will allow it without a problem(even if coupons say 'one per transaction per visit per day') as it really just irritates the customer and usually accomplishes nothing as they will use all the coupons anyway, this is the same for expired coupons as i honor most regardless of expiration. but if someone comes up to me and is rude or starts complaining about something that is not very reasonable than i have no problem only allowing them to use one coupon and pointing out the small print that only one can be used per day or that the coupon is expired.
it is the golden rule. treat others as you want to be treated.
Your points are all valid. I may have come down as an ass in my post and that's exactly what I intended to do.
To be frank, my experience at the Acura dealership was nothing disasterous. It was a typical car-buying experience with the usual games played by both parties.
I've been a salesman myself and for a good number of years 100% of my income was pure commission made on big-ticket items(home appliances, electronics, furniture), so I know a thing or two about relying on commission.
As you said, it's not the personality of the salesman or their managers that irritates the customer. Deep down, I'm sure they're all decent human beings. However, working for commission REQUIRES you to lose a big portion of your decency. Being good-hearted and commission do not mix too well. I know this, because I eventually had to give up my well-paying commission job for the sole reason of being sick of lying to people and ripping them off. It just didn't feel right anymore.
Car dealerships are pretty much the same as any other commission-based retail business except that here we're talking big money. People are not buying toaster-ovens or $300 mattresses at dealerships. They're making critical financial decisions that could affect their life for as long as they live. Ironically, the salesmen are not making much more than they would have if they worked at a furniture store, so to them, a few more dollars means playing major games with the customer's time and money. Cars are depreciating assets, so the financial loser is always the customer(unlike real-estate where the buyer almost never loses even if they buy the property at a higher price than normal). This opens the room for severe buyers' remorse and the general feeling of being "ripped off" among customers, hence the stereotype against car salesmen and dealership.
It doesn't help that car manufacturers have absolutely no intention of addressing this issue in our societies and dealerships(at least on surface) are happy with the way things are. What they don't realize is that cars are not typical retail items. They are more than that. Next to real-estate assets, vehicles are the biggest items that a typical middle-class individual purchases in their life. The experience of buying a car should not have to equal worrying about getting ripped off by hungry dealerships that will go to very low levels to milk you 6 ways from sunday.
There's a lot to be said on this topic, but I don't want to threadjack. Sorry for the long post.
Cheers
03-07-2007, 12:45 PM
#23
Still Lovin my 06
Originally Posted by synthetic
What exactly do you mean by "Good experience" at this dealership?! Did they somehow become angels and care about your financial situation? Did they give you more than what your trade was worth? Did they warn you about the fact that they will f*** with your brain everytime you bring your car in for warranty work? Did they guarantee a premium brand loaner for everytime you have to leave you car there?
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
Or, NO! All they did was screw you on your trade-in, tried to sell you all sorts of bullshit warranties, delivered your car late, gave you a cup of coffee and made you think like you were being treated like a special customer while figuring out how to milk you even more in the back-office?
A good experience at a dealership DOES NOT EXIST. Car salesmen, their managers, their finane managers, their lot-boys, their mechanics, their district-managers, and everyone associated with a dealership are all thieves. Don't forget that.
I would say the same thing, even if my own dad worked at a dealership.
wow, i feel bad for you that you don't know any good dealerships. i got screwed by one dealership, while two others bent over backwards for my business. i bought a brand new 2006 tsx shortly after it came out, before dealerships in NJ had much inventory at all, in a color that was hard to find (RBP), for $500 over invoice. Every service trip i've gotten a loaner (acura brand car every time, that's all they have) as long as i asked for one ahead of time. my dealership has been outstanding, from the salesman, to the GM, to the finance manager.
the salesman gave me the facts about the extended warranty and simply said "i'm not going to pressure you, but that's the information" and did the same about all the "extras" such as the window etching. he did not pressure me at all.
the finance manager told me about the extended warranty one final time when we signed, but didn't push me either.
i've been loving it so far.
i also have a family friend who owns a honda dealership in scranton, and he's always treated our family well.
you need to lighten up!
03-07-2007, 04:21 PM
#25
Doesn't Rice His Car
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Kansas City Area
Age: 42
Posts: 1,053
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
1 Post
Not to validate or invalidate any of the points made here, but keep in mind, there are many people out there who have no problem cheating you with a friendly handshake and smile on their face. People may be deceived into thinking it is a good experience when comparing it to the stereotypical dealership they have in their head.
03-07-2007, 04:28 PM
#27
Instructor
Join Date: Jul 2006
Age: 51
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by jimbo3123
Ask yourself this:
If the tables were turned, do you really think that they would refund the money to you, despite the signed contract?
No f'ing way.
If the tables were turned, do you really think that they would refund the money to you, despite the signed contract?
No f'ing way.
Acutally if the tables were turned they would probably say that they couldn't give you any money back, but would give you a measly discount on some service that they are over charging for anyways.
03-07-2007, 11:33 PM
#28
Instructor
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 43
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bradykp
wow, i feel bad for you that you don't know any good dealerships. i got screwed by one dealership, while two others bent over backwards for my business. i bought a brand new 2006 tsx shortly after it came out, before dealerships in NJ had much inventory at all, in a color that was hard to find (RBP), for $500 over invoice. Every service trip i've gotten a loaner (acura brand car every time, that's all they have) as long as i asked for one ahead of time. my dealership has been outstanding, from the salesman, to the GM, to the finance manager.
the salesman gave me the facts about the extended warranty and simply said "i'm not going to pressure you, but that's the information" and did the same about all the "extras" such as the window etching. he did not pressure me at all.
the finance manager told me about the extended warranty one final time when we signed, but didn't push me either.
i've been loving it so far.
i also have a family friend who owns a honda dealership in scranton, and he's always treated our family well.
you need to lighten up!
the salesman gave me the facts about the extended warranty and simply said "i'm not going to pressure you, but that's the information" and did the same about all the "extras" such as the window etching. he did not pressure me at all.
the finance manager told me about the extended warranty one final time when we signed, but didn't push me either.
i've been loving it so far.
i also have a family friend who owns a honda dealership in scranton, and he's always treated our family well.
you need to lighten up!
I like the last line of your post. I really do.
Had you scrolled down enough to see my 2nd post, you would've noted the real meaning behind my post(or would you?!)
I'm glad you are in love with your dealership. It really means they're good at what they're doing(which is to milk you as much as they can without being the least concerned about your financial life). The fact that they sent you home with a big smile on your face and a loving sense towards their service is truely outstanding. I think they're going to heaven for this.
As for the family friend that you have, I'm sure he's also going to heaven.
What I'm concerned about is that there isn't enough room in hell for the other 99% of car dealers that exist on earth. Maybe we should all go to your dealership and ask them to guide all the others to light.
Amen...
03-08-2007, 05:36 AM
#29
Advanced
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Guilford, CT
Age: 53
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by DeeCee
Wow I guess it's overwhelming that I should not pay the $198 that they claim I owe. I just don't want to get into a pissing match with anyone from the dealership....I do plan to get my future maintenance services done there. I'm planning on writing a letter because I'm afraid if I talk to the finance lady in person it's might get out of hand.
03-08-2007, 09:15 AM
#30
Do not pay them.
03-08-2007, 09:50 AM
#31
Still Lovin my 06
Originally Posted by synthetic
Your points are all valid. I may have come down as an ass in my post and that's exactly what I intended to do.
To be frank, my experience at the Acura dealership was nothing disasterous. It was a typical car-buying experience with the usual games played by both parties.
I've been a salesman myself and for a good number of years 100% of my income was pure commission made on big-ticket items(home appliances, electronics, furniture), so I know a thing or two about relying on commission.
As you said, it's not the personality of the salesman or their managers that irritates the customer. Deep down, I'm sure they're all decent human beings. However, working for commission REQUIRES you to lose a big portion of your decency. Being good-hearted and commission do not mix too well. I know this, because I eventually had to give up my well-paying commission job for the sole reason of being sick of lying to people and ripping them off. It just didn't feel right anymore.
Car dealerships are pretty much the same as any other commission-based retail business except that here we're talking big money. People are not buying toaster-ovens or $300 mattresses at dealerships. They're making critical financial decisions that could affect their life for as long as they live. Ironically, the salesmen are not making much more than they would have if they worked at a furniture store, so to them, a few more dollars means playing major games with the customer's time and money. Cars are depreciating assets, so the financial loser is always the customer(unlike real-estate where the buyer almost never loses even if they buy the property at a higher price than normal). This opens the room for severe buyers' remorse and the general feeling of being "ripped off" among customers, hence the stereotype against car salesmen and dealership.
It doesn't help that car manufacturers have absolutely no intention of addressing this issue in our societies and dealerships(at least on surface) are happy with the way things are. What they don't realize is that cars are not typical retail items. They are more than that. Next to real-estate assets, vehicles are the biggest items that a typical middle-class individual purchases in their life. The experience of buying a car should not have to equal worrying about getting ripped off by hungry dealerships that will go to very low levels to milk you 6 ways from sunday.
There's a lot to be said on this topic, but I don't want to threadjack. Sorry for the long post.
Cheers
To be frank, my experience at the Acura dealership was nothing disasterous. It was a typical car-buying experience with the usual games played by both parties.
I've been a salesman myself and for a good number of years 100% of my income was pure commission made on big-ticket items(home appliances, electronics, furniture), so I know a thing or two about relying on commission.
As you said, it's not the personality of the salesman or their managers that irritates the customer. Deep down, I'm sure they're all decent human beings. However, working for commission REQUIRES you to lose a big portion of your decency. Being good-hearted and commission do not mix too well. I know this, because I eventually had to give up my well-paying commission job for the sole reason of being sick of lying to people and ripping them off. It just didn't feel right anymore.
Car dealerships are pretty much the same as any other commission-based retail business except that here we're talking big money. People are not buying toaster-ovens or $300 mattresses at dealerships. They're making critical financial decisions that could affect their life for as long as they live. Ironically, the salesmen are not making much more than they would have if they worked at a furniture store, so to them, a few more dollars means playing major games with the customer's time and money. Cars are depreciating assets, so the financial loser is always the customer(unlike real-estate where the buyer almost never loses even if they buy the property at a higher price than normal). This opens the room for severe buyers' remorse and the general feeling of being "ripped off" among customers, hence the stereotype against car salesmen and dealership.
It doesn't help that car manufacturers have absolutely no intention of addressing this issue in our societies and dealerships(at least on surface) are happy with the way things are. What they don't realize is that cars are not typical retail items. They are more than that. Next to real-estate assets, vehicles are the biggest items that a typical middle-class individual purchases in their life. The experience of buying a car should not have to equal worrying about getting ripped off by hungry dealerships that will go to very low levels to milk you 6 ways from sunday.
There's a lot to be said on this topic, but I don't want to threadjack. Sorry for the long post.
Cheers
dealerships on the large don't realize the power of word of mouth, especially with the internet now.
how easy is it for me to tell people how i had a horrible experience at springfield acura in new jersey, but a wonderful experience just 30 miles away at open road acura in wayne nj?
you're right, most dealerships want to rip you off, but what people don't want to admit is that the CONSUMER has the power. there's tons of information out there, and if for one second you feel you're getting "ripped off" you can leave that dealership.
more difficult in areas with less competition, but consumers don't complain to companies all that much about the dealership experience.
the bottom line is, we can all go in equipped with two numbers: MSRP and Invoice.
if you're really ambitious, you can figure out dealer hold back also.
then, go in, tell them what you want to pay, and if they don't agree, leave. bingo.
Originally Posted by synthetic
I like the last line of your post. I really do.
Had you scrolled down enough to see my 2nd post, you would've noted the real meaning behind my post(or would you?!)
I'm glad you are in love with your dealership. It really means they're good at what they're doing(which is to milk you as much as they can without being the least concerned about your financial life). The fact that they sent you home with a big smile on your face and a loving sense towards their service is truely outstanding. I think they're going to heaven for this.
As for the family friend that you have, I'm sure he's also going to heaven.
What I'm concerned about is that there isn't enough room in hell for the other 99% of car dealers that exist on earth. Maybe we should all go to your dealership and ask them to guide all the others to light.
Amen...
Had you scrolled down enough to see my 2nd post, you would've noted the real meaning behind my post(or would you?!)
I'm glad you are in love with your dealership. It really means they're good at what they're doing(which is to milk you as much as they can without being the least concerned about your financial life). The fact that they sent you home with a big smile on your face and a loving sense towards their service is truely outstanding. I think they're going to heaven for this.
As for the family friend that you have, I'm sure he's also going to heaven.
What I'm concerned about is that there isn't enough room in hell for the other 99% of car dealers that exist on earth. Maybe we should all go to your dealership and ask them to guide all the others to light.
Amen...
03-08-2007, 09:58 AM
#32
Still Lovin my 06
Originally Posted by jfbradley
I wouldn't get maintenance at a dealership anyway. Usually their hours are crap and they overcharge. Find a reputable mechanic for the more difficult services, but go to a jiffy lube or something for oil changes. Dealers rip you off.
the only thing you need the dealership for is warranty issues. no real reason to get maintenance there unless you need the loaner when you get the maintenance (sometimes worth the few extra bucks)
also, you can often get the same maintenance for much cheaper at a Honda dealership simply because it is Honda and no Acura
03-08-2007, 10:21 PM
#33
Advanced
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Middletown NY
Age: 42
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wouldnt pay...They should have calculated it for you. The dealer I work for tried making me pay extra $50 for a title fee on a wholesale car I bought but I didnt pay bc I stressed that We made a deal and the number the Sales manager stated was all inclusive.
The acura dealer I dealt with was great and begged for my business bc the other dealer was trying to screw me. I drove 45 min for a deal instead of the dealer 8 miles away. I generally do all my own service work other than Warranty. We have a great honda/acura service place that a family friend owns and I will be giving him the business of doing my trans. service and other things.
Dont pay it. you made a deal and they screwed up the calulations. so the dealer makes $100 less and the salesman makes $98 less. Hell where I work I have seem people make $2k off a deal. someone is eating it but you!
The acura dealer I dealt with was great and begged for my business bc the other dealer was trying to screw me. I drove 45 min for a deal instead of the dealer 8 miles away. I generally do all my own service work other than Warranty. We have a great honda/acura service place that a family friend owns and I will be giving him the business of doing my trans. service and other things.
Dont pay it. you made a deal and they screwed up the calulations. so the dealer makes $100 less and the salesman makes $98 less. Hell where I work I have seem people make $2k off a deal. someone is eating it but you!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post