TL_6SPD

I was treated kind of badly. I will not deal with them again. I am now dealing with Sterling Acura, Gunn Acura, and Gunn Infiniti.

I received this message from Gunn offering the car to me. I also even talked to Gunn to clarify the price of a NAV model 6spd TL. They agreed it was $33,800 for nav. David Mcdavid wanted $33,300 for a NON-NAV. I told them that is too high, they said we are lower than anyone else. I said no your not, I showed them the email below I got from Gunn. This is what I got back from them today. And since GUNN is a no haggle dealer, the price they quote is not CHANGEABLE. That is the price of the car. And how dare they tell me IF YOU READ the email.....

David Mcdavid says:


If you read the email from Gunn is states prices start at $31,893 but is does not say you can purchase a nav for 33,800. If they will do that for you it is great deal.

Douglas Abrams and Britt Allen
David McDavid Acura (Austin)
Client Development Center
(800) 575-3553 Toll Free
(512) 335-5555 Office
(512) 576-0182 Cell
acuraaustin@mcdavid.com

From me back to him:

If you READ what it says, it shows $2000 add to the price of the non nav model to make it $33,800 for NAV. I even went by there and already talked to the manager, and YES it is $33,800. It is true what I heard about you guys. You will defintely not get my business or recommendations. Sterling or Gunn will. Thank you for wasting my time.



Gunn Acura Email:


My name is Andrew D'Souza. I'll be your sales consultant at Gunn Acura. Thank you for your inquiry about the ACURA TL.
At Gunn we believe treating customers right is the most important part of our business and our goal is to give you a simply better way to purchase and service your automobile.We offer a haggle free environment and give everyone the same, low price in writing and upfront. It is important for you to know that I am paid a salary, not a commission. Our One Simple Price applies to the value of your trade-in as well. We give you a fair market price in writing to purchase your old vehicle and we'll honor this price even if you choose not to purchase your next auto from us. So why haggle over prices or get surprised by added hidden costs and variable trade-in values. Currently we have a few TL's in stock. They start at 31893+TT&L and that would be for either a manual or automatic transmission. If you wanted a Navigation system on your vehicle it would be an additional $2000. When would be a good time for you to come and experience the new DVD sound system and the awesome drive of Acura's newest car. What color are you interested in purchasing? If you decide to come by the dealership don't forget to mention that you are an internet customer. If you need directions or would like to set up an appointment please contact me at the numbers listed below or email me at adsouza@gunnauto.com I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Andrew D'Souza
Internet Sales Manager
12150 IH 10 West
San Antonio, TX 78230
phone 210-696-2232 fax 210-696-3135
phone 1-800-328-4866
adsouza@gunnauto.com

dafunda

is this your first time buying a car? if it is, i can understand the frustration of being in a "daylight robbery" situation.

Btw, there's no such thing as a non-negotiable price, especially when you're talking about a widely available car such as a non-navi TL. Like some wise boardmember said, dealers can't eat cars.

TL_6SPD

Yes there is such a thing as non-negotible price. Read here:

www.gunnauto.com

And no, I have bought 10-12 cars since 1994.

Lore

I didn't see the part about a non-negotiable price, but I saw this, which sparked my interest:

We give everyone the same, low price in writing, and our sales professionals are paid a salary, not a commission. All of our new vehicles include a 48-hour "No Questions Asked" return policy, and our used vehicles come with roadside assistance and a 3-month/3,000 mile basic powertrain and air-conditioner warranty.


Wow, a 48 hour return policy for a car. I didn't know those existed.

dafunda

lol. seriously. they can say all they want on their website but when it comes to bread and butter at the end of the month, everything's negotiable.

$31893 is an obscene price for a non-nav. while it's a great starting point against bozo dealerships with MSRP openings, that kind of price is open to negotiations. case in point, just offer $1 below that price and i guarantee they'll take it with no questions asked.

Tripp11

$31,893 for a non-navi might not be an "obscene price" for his area. You're from the east coast. He lives in the Southwest. Totally different market areas. Just because you can get a Non-navi TL for one price doesn't mean he can get the same price in another part of the country. It's all based on the market you live in and what that market dictates.

chiawei

Sorry, I failed to see how badly mcdavid treated you.

True they mis-read the e-mail. I think their e-mail to you was not bad.

However, your e-mail back to them was rude. All mcdavid stated that if Gunn can do that price for you, then it's a great deal.

All I see is a redneck sending an e-mail stating how they wasted your time by reading one e-mail.

huskerfan

I don't think that DM treated you that bad. They just said if you could get a better deal from Gunn...go for it. I've been told that by a lot of dealers.

I've had good luck with Gunn's service dept, but not with their sales department. They quoted me a price one week and the next week told me it was several hundred higher. They told me they had checked around the state and that their prices were too low. I gave them lower quotes from several other dealers around the state and they tried to convince me that the other quotes were not valid. Also, check on the prices of their accessories. My experience is that they are 30-50% higher on their prices on installed accessories than other dealers. The dealers in Houston and Dallas will offer better deals on the price and the accessories.

TL_6SPD

Well since you don't know these dealers why you say this? They can't have negotitations. Only on the trade in they can do some movement, but not on the car. The car's set price is it. That's it.

TL_6SPD

A dealer who isn't willing to try isn't worth my time. He said they can't touch that, but you and me both know they could IF they wanted too.

dafunda

their no-hassle, fixed price policy may be perceived in any number of ways depending on the level of gullibility (or trust as a more p.c. word).

The fact of the matter is, the price is negotiable, you just have to talk to the right man (i.e. the manager) and have the right negotiating attitude. Regardless of whatever bull**** they try to feed you, if you walk in, take out $31,500 in cash and say, "hey, I will buy this car instantly for this price, do you want my business?" - do you not think that someone will want to at least talk it out with you - i.e. negotiate?

BTW, the internet sales manager is, at least in many places on the east coast, seems to be about at the lowest rung in the sales hierarchy. The people i've spoken to from infiniti to acura to audi employ all these young, fresh newbies familiar with the internet and have them respponding to emails all day. When it's crunch time on location, you see them bring in their deal closer to talk numbers (who in turn consults with his manager).

This is why i dismiss all their idiotic claims. The question really becomes, like you say, why spend time and money dealing with them. Probably not worth your time but if for whatever reason it may make sense to buy from them, don't be afraid to go in and name your price.

huskerfan

People who are not familiar with Gunn's policies should defer to people who are. Gunn has multiple dealerships in San Antonio and their "one simple price" policy is how they operate. Their salesmen are salaried and don't negotiate. I am in the process of buying my 2nd Acura and have brought them offers from other dealers on several occasions. In every case they wouldn't even talk to me about price (including the sales manager). I've walked out several times and they just let me go. I think they feel if the word gets around that they will negotiate their "one simple price" policy is worthless. They try to price there cars competively and lets the chips fall where they may. For example, in November they were discounting Nav units $1200 even if it was not in stock. They set what they think is a fair market price and stick to it.

SUNNYSIDEACURA

All car prices are negotiable. I dont care what make or model it is. No dealer will sit on a price. This looks like more a dealer that was arguing with you just to make you feel stupid. Hopefully you were taken care of at Gunn.

huskerfan

No...I was always treated with respect at Gunn. They simply had a policy of not negotiating on the price. I bought my 1st Acura TL last year from a dealer in Dallas and have a 2004 TL on order from a Dallas dealer. Both times I told Gunn that if they would come close to the price the other dealer was offering, I would buy from them because it would be more convenient for me. The Sales Manager wouldn't even look at the quote from the other dealers. Also, remember, they are the only Acura dealer in San Antonio. The next closest dealer is in Austin about 70 miles away. I have friends who bought Acura's from Gunn and they all have had the same experience. Please realize, they were pricing their cars below MSRP when all the other dealers (according to this forum) were asking MSRP. I think they try to price their car competively and bank on the fact that most people won't travel to another city to save a little on the purchase.

chiawei

Regarding internet pricing. I had very good experiences so far.

I did mass e-mailing for my Sienna and E55 last year and it worked out great.

There was a significant shortage of both sienna and E55 last year.

Quoted every dealership i can find within 200 miles radius.

Sienna at time was at MSRP of MSRP+$2k premium at any dealership walk in price.

I was able to find 3 dealers in the bay area doing discount on Sienna. Cheapest was dublin Toyota at $1800 off sticker on a XLE limited with HO package. Used that price and walked into fremont toyoa (closest to my house) and bought it there.

E55- MSRP only, but I was competing for slot on 2004. Bought at Beshoff with about 1 month wait. Not bad consider wait list at all MB dealer in the bay area is about 6 months.

I have been treated well by all dealers I send e-mail to. Even thoug a lot of dealer can't touch the price I got, all were courteous enough to tell me that I got a good deal and wish me luck.

SilverBulletCLS

He is right Sunny. You guys don't know the policys of Gunn. That is the way they have worked for years. Alot of people go there because they don't have to deal with high prices or overmarked cars like alot of dealers do.

legendguy

Weighing in...
1. Agree with Chiawei that TL 6spd wasn't treated unfairly. McDavid never tried to string you along from what I see in your emails, only that they wouldn't match Gunn's price. No sin in that. Its a free world and unless someone promises the lowest price, its their choice to make you a lower offer.
2. Agree with Huskerfan that the price may not be negotiable. Like he said, if the word got out that their fixed price policy could be beat by even a dollar, it would defeat their whole marketing approach. Instead, Gunn probably knows that they can keep their overhead down by having a reasonable price and not wasting so much time playing games.

I remember shopping for a car and the salesman telling me that, seeing that I was such a discerning shopper, that he could give me a rock bottom price because he could make it up on someone else who would not care to negotiate a low price. I was thinking "yeah, sure, and you think that sucker is me, don't you". Bottom line is you do your research, ask around, shop 2-3 places and see where you get the best deal.

P.S. I don't know if Saturn still does their fixed price sales, but it would be nice if that was the way it worked everywhere in the auto industry. People are happy to pay what is fair on a car, they just don't want to pay more than the next guy.

AggieTL

I've bought 4 Acuras from Gunn, the last 2 of which under their "no hassle" pricing. They are a very good dealership, but are very strict on this policy...not only at their Acura dealership, but also at their Honda and others. Like stated previously, they almost always offer at below MSRP, and make their money back on options. I don't fault them, and honestly, they've always treated me very well (obviously or I wouldn't have bought 4 Acuras and 2 Hondas from them).

ndabunka

Defunda - You sir, are an idiot. There is an ENTIRE auto industry based on the no-haggle strategy. In many cases it works GREAT if the dealer is realistic and offers an appropriate discount on their ONE price. In this case, they have. If you walk into that dealership with your 'take this cash or loose my business" attitude...You will be walking out with your tail between your legs. I am not a fan of car salesman at all but it's nice to see a company that sticks to it's sales models and lets idiots like you go to the "haggle dealers". Reality is that you will simply be starting at a much higher number (like MSRP and then trying to get down to what this one-price dealer is already offering). If that's your bent, then go for it. By all means come back on here afterwards and relay your experience...SHould be interesting.

Mav

I agree...car dealers couldnt care less about your cash in hand. When they finance a car they get all there money anyways. And believe it or not...some car dealer would rather you finance it, because those of you who do not have good great get a dealer interest rate surcharge. So they would much rather look at 2% on your $31,000 than you holding your cash in hand and bad additude. Sorry...your simply wrong.

NOX 3.2

what's 1000-1500 difference ?
many people spend more than that just in beer and cigarettes...

you may have a heart attack, and that would cost a lot more...
just go where it makes you happy, and avoid bad treatments.

you will live longer...

SUNNYSIDEACURA

Let me rephrase. All prices are negotiable but it depends on where you go and there demographics in there area. McDavid has a good thing being the only dealer within 70 miles. Also, buying at the end of the month usually reaps more reward if they are trying to meet a goal.Silver, I never said either dealership was bad. I was simply stating that by the looks of the email it does not look as though he was delt with the way it should have been. I did'nt look to me as they cared how the customer felt. Also Gunn was the dealer he went to it appears so who cares what there policies are as long as he got the price he wanted.

Formula 350

Man, you are the kind of person that makes cheap people like me mad. What is 1000 to 1500? A LOT... If you do not think so, then just cut me a check each year and send it to me.

SUNNYSIDEACURA

I dont believe he was trying to make you look bad. I am sure he understands that to some people that 1000-1500 bucks is a big deal but not for everyone. Basically he was stating his opinion and then he says avoid the haggle and headaches all together and just go where the good deal is already if your worried about paying too much. If they say no repeatitivly then go to the dealer who gave you the good price. Trust me that is a alot of money but to say cut me a check everyyear and send it to him is far from buying a car and paying that much more. Do you buy a new car every year? Sometimes you pay for what you get. That dealership that you pay a little less at MIGHT not have the same great service as the next guy.

Formula 350

My point was that even $1000 is a lot of money even if you buy a car only every 5 years or so.... People who are willing to just buy at any price because they do not care about the price makes it difficult for us cheap bastards to get a good deal. They will wait around for someone like him and NOT sell to me....

I was just 'suggesting' that he send me a check guess I did not make that clear in the other post..

SUNNYSIDEACURA

I dont know if thats 100 percent true but i am quite sure and would not doubt that it happens. I do understand your point thought. I my self would love to save 1000.00 bucks.