Interesting Buying Experience

[MtnSub]

Months ago, I said I was going to buy my car the first week of September. Well, its the second week and I made the deal yesterday and will sign papers/deposit chech Monday. I had a VIP form that should have made the process very simple and I had a 99 Lexus RX300 to trade in so that should be pretty easy because at 117k miles, they are just going give you auction price +- $500. Car dealers true to the steriotype always find a way to infuse mumbo jumbo, but like any group there are really good dealers out there and you just need to find them. Being in SoCal, I have 5 Suby dealers within 30 miles of my home and maybe 7-8 within 50 miles. I faxed a fact sheet with specific car details I wanted to order on VIP program and details of car I wanted to trade. I even indicated that I expected dealer auction level price for trade in. I sent fax to three dealers nearest my home so they would be prepared for my call and not waist there time or mine. I hoped to make deal with only dealer calls. I called first Suby dealer and he did not have a Leg GT in stock so he tried to switch me over to that new Chrysler HEMI wagon monster for xyy types. (just kidding about xyy types, I am sure it is a fun toy if that is your thing) I understand selling what you have to sell today, but when a customer asks to order a specific car and you recommend something from another universe, you don't pass go. Next dealer sales person near my house was very nice, but said they could not give me an exact price of the Leg GT I would order on the VIP program until it was ordered, built and they had paperwork from Suby on car, but they would give me "ball park" quote if I oredered the car. After almost 45 minutes, this dealer gave me a ball park price for the car I wanted to order and pay cash for. This dealership never knows anything about Suby cars and gives wrong info on every request. Needless to say, I moved on to next dealer. Third dealer was very direct on telephone, new what I wanted, knew the product and had a long-term Suby history. Within 15 minutes of entering their dealership, they gave a realistic trade in price for my car, plus told me how I might get a better dealer trade in from Lexus dealer down the street and they filled out online Suby form for new car order that showed all dealer/msrp prices and all dealer hold backs, service charges etc. They gave me all accessories, including dealer options at invoice. I will deliver my deposit check to this, third dealer on Monday morning. I never use one dealers offfer numbers to work against another. As an X VP of sales, I dislike that mentality. I give each dealer the same spec, tell them to give me there best price and I tell them that, within 3 days, I will order my car from the dealer that generates the most confidence and provides the best price. I never do the you must talk to my sales manager routine or any ot that BS. Yes, some Suby dealers are really marginal, but a couple in SoCal love their product and are rock solid. It is no better at Benz or BMW dealers, just nicer furniture in show room. LEXUS dealers are another story. Most are very good and any PENSKE group dealer, be it Lexus, Benz, BMW is the best buying and service experience I have ever experienced with any product. Glad to passed the shopping phase and ready for the driving phase. Next update will be on HOW LONG will I wait.

[Stef]

LOL @ xyy type I'm impressed with how you decided what you wanted, and pursued it until you got it, dodging annoying bad dealers. We could definitely learn a lot from you in terms of how to purchase a car without getting ripped off. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have the luxury of having that many dealers within a reasonable distance. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with bad dealers? I hope you get your new car soon!

[MtnSub]

Thanks for nice words Stef. Typo in my message may have given slighty wrong info on one point. I did visit two dealers and did not do it all over the phone or net. I called three dealers and told them I would fax/email over my spec for new car and buy criterion. I did offer to go to the dealer for actual quote, but I said I only had about 30 minutes. They had the spec, they new the deal, they should have it ready and 30 minutes no problem. Because some people really jerk dealer sales people around, I understand not wanting to give best quote over phone. Of course, some dealers do entire deal on the net, but they have gotten your personal financial data as proof of real intent. YOUR question about how to deal with bad dealer: First lets assume you are talking about the sales side of business and not the service. Not always, but one can be really bad and one can be okay. Bad sales dept waist lots of your time and repeatedly try to work the deal they want. If they no you are going to buy and have the $/finance ability to buy, you must be willing to walk away and not call them until you get the deal you want. You tell them you do not want meetings with mgrs etc. Call me if you want to do the deal and I will leave if it takes more than an hour. Much better to drive to a good dealer than work with schmucks, but if you want a Suby and only have one dealer withing a 75+miles. Oh, for your own sake and for presenting best power image, try not get irritated. Calm, firm and be willing to walk. All this is easier for me because I am a 54 yr old male, I dress well, like I would for any business meeting and I go in prepared to pay cash, even if I borrowed the $ from my credit union. My twenty-four year old son is very capable, but they try to jerk him around longer. Same thing happens getting a good table in nice restaraunt. It is not fair, but it is that way. Good luck, have fun

[MtnSub]

Pardon second post, but I should have mentioned that people on this site have posted info and sources that really helped me know what a reasonable price was for the Suby of my choice. If you know the invoice price and what people in your area have paid, how can you get ripped off. You can have alot of your time waisted, but with the info and sources provided by this site, it is hard to go wrong.

[scubie02]

I have thre subaru dealers in my area. I had driven am auto LGT at the one dealer and liked it ok, they didn't have a stick in stock and were busy so I didn't really talk turkey to them. But what I DID do was go home that night and send an email to all three of the dealers in my area saying specifically what I wanted--I GT with a mt in either black or the Atlantic Blue. The one dealer got back to me THAT day, said they had just what I wanted in the form of a black GT with mt, and that they would give it to me for invoice--no messing around. It was the "internet sales person" and she said she'd deal with me directly or I could print out the quote and get that price from any of the sales people. The dealer I had driven the auto at took three or four days to respond, and it was just a message from the "internet sales person" saying they'd forward on what I was looking for a a regular salesperson who'd get back to me. Another 3 or 4 days passed before a sales guy emailed me. The third dealership never responded at all. The nest day after receiving the email from the first dealer, I went in about 11 to test drive the stick (didn't even make an appointment). I happened to get the woman who had emailed me when I arrived (she saw me looking at it on the lot and said "are you _____ by any chance?" before I even said anything--remembered the name and email. I said yep, and she went with me for the test drive. When I got back they had looked over my wrx already if I recall correctly and she made an offer and said if I wanted it I could have it that day. I drove it home that afternoon. I appreciate not messing around, being treated seriously, and that they got back to me IMMEDIATELY when I contacted them. With the others--I figure if they take their time getting in touch with you and act lukewarm BEFORE they sell you the car, or don't bother to contact you at all, how will they treat you AFTER they already have your money?