Smada Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 I had to put a $500 deposit on a new order for my Legacy, and I was wondering if the dealer can legally make this non-refundable? Long story short, I just sold my car and need my new one asap. I found a different dealer with the same car I ordered on his lot and asked my dealer to request a trade or transfer. My dealer wants to tack on an extra $500 for this! So I now want to go to another dealer and see if they'll do it (they said they'd do it for free) but I don't want to lose my deposit! The good thing is that I put the deposit on my discover card and can call to cancel it and have their legal team work it out.. Any thoughts??? Help!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthedeck Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Read the paperwork that you signed, after leaving the deposit. On mine, there was a clause that stated that if the dealer cannot get you the car within the 'estimated delivery date' window, you will be able to get the money back. Otherwise, you will have to wait, as they ordered the car for you. Of course, mine had a blank 'estimated delivery date' so, I would really have had no recourse...had I wanted to go to another dealer, and would have lost the money. I would talk to the credit card co. first...then haggle the dealer to not have to deal with the 500 for bringing the car over from another one. It's just another scam to make more profit. Good luck, though. i. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Usually there is a cooling off period of 3 - 7 days and this should be stated in the contract that you signed. Check it out but dont leave it too long otherwise you will be out of pocket. Hope the new deal is a lot better. Best of luck. Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smada Posted August 24, 2004 Author Share Posted August 24, 2004 Resolution! So the new dealer involved basically has been telling me the original dealer can't take my money before he gets a car on the lot, that I can take him to small claims court and will win. Well my wife and I don't want to deal with that and the prospect of being out $500. But I told the original salesguy I was backing out and he was his usual jerky self. So then I went to talk to the new salesguy and he was going to do the transfer for $150. Better than 500 I thought. Well I get back to work and the sales manager from the other place calls and basically says he will either get my new order in early or get me a dealer transfer at no charge. I told him how I didn't appreciate being jerked around by his sales guy and he told me he'd take care of me from now on. So he said I should have my new legacy by the 3rd, instead of by the 30th or later (as told by my original salesguy). So I could have had a dealer transfer the car I wanted (with some unwanted options) and had it tommorow, but we decided to stick with the original guy so we had no chance of losing our deposit. Plus we are getting our new car with 0-1 miles on it in 2 weeks instead of 5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Well that is a great story and a fantastic outcome. Sometimes you just need to be up front and tell them yr not happy. No one likes confronting ppl but sometimes you have to. Dealers will usually do what they can for you UNTILL they have yr cheque in hand, then it can be an uphill battle. Best of luck with the new ride and post some pictures when it finally turns up. All the best Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssaldana Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 I had the same problem. If the dealership is a reputable one (platinum dealer), they will be more than happy to accommodate you. I put a $500 deposit on a Subaru Baja before I even saw the Legacy. They ordered a transfer from another dealer about 60 miles away. By the time the car reached the lot, I had changed my mind. Yeah I know, its jerkish and stupid of me to back out, but I wasn't about to spend 24k on a car second on my list. The dealer was obviously peeved. Initially, he was very helpful in dealing with the Baja but now he was flaky. I would toss out a number and he would just say, "sorry wont do it for that price." I decided to take my business elsewhere with the intention of losing my $500 deposit. I wanted to feel comfortable with my purchase and not hassled. So a week passed by and the baja salesman called me back. I noticed a greater eagerness to help me out and so I negotiated other daelerships with his. Eventually I stuck with the same dealer, and he was able to offer me one heck of a low price. In the end I was happy I did not lose my deposit and glad I stuck with the same dealer. I know you already resolved the situation but this is aimed towards others in the same situation. I read the paper work during my ordeal and if I remember correctly, they can take your deposit when the car hits the lot. Of course it's morally wrong to place a stop payment on the deposit check when the dealer has not violated the original delivery agreement. If you are at a reputable dealer, they will do what they can to keep their customers/potential customers happy. Buying from a Platinum dealer has its benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.