This is unbelievable.

I helped my female friend get a car yesterday. She got an Accord EX with Leather (auto and 4 cylinder)for $22,000 Out the door.

But,

at the table next to my sales dude, this white early 50's couple came in, and they bought the car in 30 minutes.

$25,500 MSRP
+
$500 Pinstripes and mudguards
$500 inland freight charge (whatever!)
$1000 adusted market value
------------
$27,500 + tags and tax

for a thousand more, you can get the TL.

I asked the sales dude who sold the car if there are many people like that, and he said about 20% of the people who buy cars are like that.

Those stupid people paid $5000 over invoice for an Accord. I've only heard about these people, but I've never met them until yesterday. The thing is, they were Americans! it's not like they were immigrants who know nothing.

By the way, my friend paid $300 over invoice. It took me 3 hours to haggle. For the D.C. folks: it was at Landmark Honda. That sales guy said he will avoid me because he knows I'm a smart shopper.

 

the factory MSRP is including the freight charge.

Those stupid people paid for the frieght TWICE!

 

that's nuts! Two conclusions:

a) people are stupid.
b) Dealers are ***** crooks.

 

I cannot comprehend people like that. Do that have so much money that 2 hours of research and 2 hours of haggling are not worth $4000 in savings to them? Like ArticMax said....you could have gotten the TL for a little more!

 

how can u say dealers are crooks? i mean at least not in this situation. if someone is willing to toss $ your way then you're not going to take it? the buyer was not a educated buyer and didn't do his/her homework..simple as that. that's mainly impulse buying..it's the "i want this now" thing. so your b ties to a. if the dealer sees a sucker they will get all they can. it's how business is done everyday. just look at ebay..u see the people paying for used stuff that cost less in the store w/ a little searching.

 

because first of all, they made the shopper pay for the shipping twice. And because second of all, they made the shoppers believe that the car is in short supply (adjusted market value) when in reality there are plenty made.
Third, charging $500 for pinstripes and mudguards is just plain wrong no matter how you look at it. Of course you can do anything in a capitalist market, but we still have what we call ethics, that's what distingushes us from the monkeys. Ask yourself this question, if YOU were the owner of the dealer, would you sell a car for $2000 OVER MSRP to poor folks who don't know anything?

I sure wouldn't.

I HATE DEALERS!!!

 

Just because the buyers fell for the trick doesnt get the dealer off the hook. They shouldnt have been trying to rip anyone off in the first place.

 

exactly, that was my basis in the assertion I made.

 

Oh well, if there weren't people who pay MSRP (and then some) for cars, then there wouldn't be room left over for dealers to cut good deals on cars (below invoice and holdbacks, etc..) for people who research their cars before purchasing it.

I remember a friend of mine called me from a Honda dealership and asked me what the invoice for a 2001 EX V6 Accord was. I was like "you mean you just went to the dealership without knowing the invoice price?" He said "yeah." I thought to myself this guy doesn't even deserve to know the invoice price. I told him anyways, and he paid $1500 over invoice. Still got ripped off, but well better than MSRP. I just don't get it. Why wouldn't someone spend FIVE minutes looking up the price list on Edmunds.com before visiting dealerships???

 

Hey, since when you saw my parents????

 

I thought I got a great deal on my 98 Maxima at almost 6 grand off list, until someone else in the office got 6500 off list. My kid brother (23) got his car at $1200 below invoice with the help of a $500 incentive. He told me he didn't even know what he was doing, when the salesperson asked him if he's sure the other dealer was giving him that price he said yes even though it wasn't true. There really isn't anything at all to buying a car, if you are willing to walk away and not get emotional. But those people who don't bother to get a low price I'm willing to bet they make up for the money elsewhere by being slumlords or cheating on their taxes or something. *lol*

 

Hehe...I struck my car deal in less than 15 minutes, and still managed to get it at 500 below invoice!

Well, that is because I called and shopped around. I told the dealers that I was able to get the car for such and such price (based on internet, but don't tell them that). I told them if they can do better, then they have my business.

Continental Nissan in Chicago called back and said I should stop by, because they can work out a deal...so I did. And 15 minutes later...I signed for my car.

Yes, it was worth the time researching and comparison shopping...

A piece of advice, NEVER bring out printed copies of price quotes from the internet. Because if you do, then the dealers will tend to bring out the top secret list of extra charges.

Always know what you are willing to pay for the car...after taxes and such. Know your trade in vale if you have one. Take that price, subtract it from the price you are willing to pay, and say you want it for that price or you will walk.

Of course, be reasonable. I usually like to leave the dealer about 1 to 1.5% of the total untaxed value for their profit...that is after you have taken away all the incentives or what not...

Okay...that's about it...I better stop before this turns into a book...

 

all in all....you can just say that the buyer did not do their research.

pay shipping twice - if you can read then you would see that

short supply - maybe it is..maybe it isn't..u weren't at the table dealing..maybe limited color and etc?

$500 for pin striping and mudgards - that is high...but u notice EVERYONE here sees that right? can't this uneducated consumer determine that?..probably not.

business is business...if you're out there to make friends and be ethical then you'll go out of business in a few months. if i was the owner i would try to make as much money as i can. did the dealer do anything illegal?? maybe by charging shipping twice...would the consumer know it??

there's a sucker born every minute...if you fell for it then you deserved to get over charged. a simple search on the internet or 10 min at a local library could've save this consumer a lot of $$..but he/she neglected to do that.

let me ask u this...if someone walked up to u and gave u a hundred dollars w/ no strings attached...would u take it or would it be unethical because you didn't earn it? and don't even say u won't take it. because i sure as hell would.

maybe these practices are unethical...but u can't blame the dealer if they have a sucker on their hands. MOST dealers would say..no u don't have to pay this much..blah blah...but others will take u for all u can.
you hate dealers...then i assume u stole your car?
give me a break man...i don't think dealers are great..but if u did your homework there's nothing they can do. read the fine print and look at everything.