Frustrated with Dealership - What’s Yours?

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Silver21Ram

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Ok, so I get it - people need to sell trucks to make money. My unfortunate experience was in So. California, IE area. I was about ready to sign on a truck with an 8K over MSRP price when I found I could order one from out of state and have a normal buying experience. Thanks to my lady for finding the dealership in NV and I ordered, but just need to wait a bit longer. Guess what….

I just got a call from the dealership here in California. Hey man, the truck you wanted is here why don’t you work with us and all the lines to make ME feel guilty. I simply said the chance to work with me was back when you were charging me 8K over, not now when the truck is on the lot. Not to mention he won’t budge on over 4K of dealer add-ons. We’ll lower your payment, anything to make it happen. Well IMHO that chance has come and gone. Then he wanted to know the dealer and I kept that to myself. Clearly, I’m not here to talk bad because I’m not disclosing the name of the So. Cal Dealership. Or share where I ordered in NV to them.

What is your experience? I really feel tired, tired of the way I was treated and the dealer in Vegas was just open and close simple. I appreciated that And the guys here just ran me into the ground. I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Did I do the right thing here? I think I did. I was polite and simply stated I will wait for mine when it comes and a few guys or gals are going to get an amazing truck at an insane price….but that's their decision as it was almost mine. ——KT
I'm sorry but I could never admit publicly that I was ready to sign at full sticker plus $8K on anything !
 

Fediej

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My situation is a little different than most on this thread, since I was looking for used but dealerships are still dealerships.
Bob Hart Chevy in Vinita had 3 EcoDiesels that would have worked for us but all were 1,000 to 3,000 over our budget. Sales manager said he would rather send them to auction before dropping the price. I asked if he'd rather send them to auction than earn a customer, he said "yep." I didn't buy my 2017 Ram Bighorn from them.
 

TC Retired

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I had similar experience last summer. Local dealers here in Northern AZ wanted between $2,500 to $10k over the sticker price. Kept looking and found one Dealer in Phx who was still giving their discount price. Moral of my story, I got a Limited with way tooooo many bells and whistles for less than I could have got a Big Horn from local dealers.

It never hurts to check around and verify what they are telling U...
 

MarylandHawk100

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You absolutely did the right thing to walk away. You shouldn't lie to a dealer but you have no obligation to tell them everything.
This is the HUGE appeal of buying thru places like Car Max or Carvana - truth in advertising!!! You may not get the cheapest vehicle possible but with the set price places but you know what the price is and it doesn't change. You may have to pay $300 to ship the vehicle to your location but you get that back if you buy it. And... it costs the same when it arrives as it did when you clicked on "BUY".
Got my used 2018 Ram 1500 diesel (Limited) from Car Max for about $30,000 less than new. Not the cheapest I may have been able to get but within about a thousand bucks.
I absolutely hate it when a dealer advertises a vehicle for a low price but you can't possibly get it for that price. They have secret little deals that only apply if you trade in a vehicle you bought from that dealer or their make of car. Or they have a military discount but it only applies if you're over 65 or under 25, or you must have a trade-in (which they will low ball you for) or some other messed up scam.
Before I bought the Ram from Car Max I went to the dealer to look at new trucks they said started at $43K. By the time they applied their secret deals, most of which I wasn't qualified for, they offered me the truck for $68K. I walked out and refused to give the sales manager my cell phone number.
Be nice to the dealership guys and be honest (without telling them everything). That is all you owe a dealer IMO.
 

mudrockatc

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Guess I will tell my little tale, I always deal with Astorg Auto in Parkersburg, WV, they also have a dealership in Charleston, WV, representing Dodge, Ram, MB, Range Rover, Jaquar, Ford. Great folks to deal with, I had a 2018 Ram 3500 dually, asked them last fall what I could get for it, they offered me $6000 more than I paid for it in 2018! Of course I had to order my 2022 Ram 3500 dually Laramie with about every factory option, took about three and half months to get it, they knocked two thousand off MSRP, AND most important didn't add any BS dealer mark ups, I paid the tax and $35 DMV title fee and that was it! Very satisfied!!
 

e3mrk

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I hate Dealerships,I had a issue with a dealership in Denver when I was young and dumb and gave the salesman my keys so they could look at my trade, Well things went south in a hurry and the salesman was doing everything he could to avoid giving back my keys. I finally had my wife leave his office and I closed the door behind her and then I unloaded on the guy. Needless to say he returned my keys in a hurry and we left, What really burned me up was ten minutes after we returned home they had the nerve to call me saying they would make a good deal. I just hung up. The biggest lesson I learned that day was never but never give them your keys until the deal is done so you can leave when you want. Stupid Me.
 

dputnam01

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I am in So Cal (San Diego) and did the same thing in 2018. Shopped around locally, and had them give me their best quote on my factory build configuration. I ended getting a great quote from a dealer in Idaho and saved a bunch of money. They picked me up at the airport, and I had a nice road trip.
 

Elkman

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There is a shortage of trucks, new and used, and as a result people have greatly increased their asking price. If you wait until July-August timeframe you can save a lot of money. Impatient people will pay more and that is their choice but nothing to whine about.

My last truck was purchased at a dealer that was 120 miles from my house. There were 10 dealers closer to home but this dealer had the best price. I made a deposit over the phone and then drove to the dealer the following day to complete the deal.

I flew to a dealer located in Oregon to buy my motorhome and drove it the 600 miles back to my house. It was part of the cost of purchasing one that was not available in my state.

A problem is that too many guys are willing to pay $80,000 for a pickup truck and so we all pay more as a result. A notable exception are the new Maverick trucks from Ford that sell for less than $25K. Going to a Ford dealer and buying one off the lot is going to add $10,000 to the price one pays. As it takes $14,000 in gross income to net $10,000 that makes the math simple to decide to go to a dealer at the end of the month and make a deal for a new build from the factory. I am happy to visit multiple dealers and haggle for hours to save the $14,000.
 

Bigskyroadglide

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Ok, so I get it - people need to sell trucks to make money. My unfortunate experience was in So. California, IE area. I was about ready to sign on a truck with an 8K over MSRP price when I found I could order one from out of state and have a normal buying experience. Thanks to my lady for finding the dealership in NV and I ordered, but just need to wait a bit longer. Guess what….

I just got a call from the dealership here in California. Hey man, the truck you wanted is here why don’t you work with us and all the lines to make ME feel guilty. I simply said the chance to work with me was back when you were charging me 8K over, not now when the truck is on the lot. Not to mention he won’t budge on over 4K of dealer add-ons. We’ll lower your payment, anything to make it happen. Well IMHO that chance has come and gone. Then he wanted to know the dealer and I kept that to myself. Clearly, I’m not here to talk bad because I’m not disclosing the name of the So. Cal Dealership. Or share where I ordered in NV to them.

What is your experience? I really feel tired, tired of the way I was treated and the dealer in Vegas was just open and close simple. I appreciated that And the guys here just ran me into the ground. I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Did I do the right thing here? I think I did. I was polite and simply stated I will wait for mine when it comes and a few guys or gals are going to get an amazing truck at an insane price….but that's their decision as it was almost mine. ——KT
You did the right thing. You get to choose who and how you give your money away. No guilt, no regrets
 

pschonig

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I was in the same boat in July 2021. I went online to find the 2021 RAM 2500 I wanted. I found one in Southern Arizona, with all the options I wanted, plus one more, but the color was not wanted. I could live with the white color. This dealership promised to provide the best "online price" and connected me with their Internet Sales Manager. Their "best internet" price was $10,000 OVER MSRP! The sales manager gave the excuse, chip shortage caused the high demand for their trucks and their price was based on market value. I decided to sleep on it for a bit. I happened to be In Prescott, Arizona a couple days later and stopped at York Chrysler, Dodge RAM. Sitting in their lot was a 2021 RAM 2500 diesel Longhorn Limited 4X4 with all the options I wanted and the color I wanted (walnut brown metallic). The only price I saw listed was MSRP, and no crazy list of dealer add-ons. The salesman came and I asked how much over MSRP was he selling this truck for. He said as a company, they decided not to screw the public and said their vehicles are sold at or below MSRP. I was given a very fair trade in on my 2017 RAM 1500 Laramie and I purchased the 2021 RAM 2500....saving myself $10,000.
 

Flynight

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Look around, use the internet, if you are a member of Costco they have a service you can build the exact truck you want and show you the MSRP and exactly what the dealer pays. I drove 3 1/2 hours from home and saved $3500.
 
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OP
KoboldTaco

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Congrats on the new ride!
I got my truck through Costco's Auto Buying Program. No hassle pricing and no dealerspeak; $5,000 off MSRP at Coastline Ram in San Juan Capistrano. Easy deal.
Sadly the dealerships are not participating are not local anymore and the one who is, instantly told me to hell with the program. I reported them to Costco.
 

Dusty

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Ford lost my business because one dealership in Santa Rosa California took my keys to tell me what my trade-in would be and they wouldn’t give them back I finally had to make a scene to get my keys back. I haven’t gone into a Ford dealership since. All dealerships aren’t bad and you clearly made the right decision and dumping the bad one you first went to.
I bought my 2021 Rebel December 2020, at the employee discount for everybody special, right before all the supply chain BS. I’m glad I didn’t wait.
Keeping the keys from the customer seemed to be a gimmick for awhile.

There was a dealer in this area that had tried the same thing with a young single lady. She called her boyfriend/brother/whatever who advised her to call the police. She left the sales floor and went outside and stood there until a deputy sheriffs car pulled in. While talking to the deputy the salesman and the manager came out with her keys and contradicted her story.

Following them were two customers unrelated to the lady who told the deputy what really happened. Meanwhile the boyfriend had called a local TV station who came to the dealership and aired the story on the evening news.

The owner was later interviewed and stated that the salesperson and sales manager had been fired and offered the lady a new vehicle below cost. After the TV spot aired apparently sales floor traffic had dropped about 90%.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 067112 miles.
 

dhay13

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Way back in the mid 90's we went to a local GMC dealer to look at a 2500 Suburban. The salesman asked what we wanted our payment at so I threw out a number. He then wanted me to sign a paper saying if they got it to that amount I would buy it. I hadn't even driven it yet and refused. They said they don't want people wasting their time. I did get to drive it without signing this paper but my wife was so put off she didn't want to buy from them anyway
 

KKBB

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Way back in the mid 90's we went to a local GMC dealer to look at a 2500 Suburban. The salesman asked what we wanted our payment at so I threw out a number. He then wanted me to sign a paper saying if they got it to that amount I would buy it. I hadn't even driven it yet and refused. They said they don't want people wasting their time. I did get to drive it without signing this paper but my wife was so put off she didn't want to buy from them anyway
And that is why you never tell them what you want your payments to be. They can always make it work if you are reasonable. They will just make your monthly terms longer. When I have been asked what I want my monthly payments to be I always tell them zero...I love the look on their faces after that!!
 
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OP
KoboldTaco

KoboldTaco

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By the way, KoboldTaco, if that's your truck in your avatar, it looks almost identical to mine:

3500, HO TD, long box, crew cab, night version, billet silver, marker lights on mine though.
It is…2500 short box tho.
 

Silver21Ram

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You absolutely did the right thing to walk away. You shouldn't lie to a dealer but you have no obligation to tell them everything.
This is the HUGE appeal of buying thru places like Car Max or Carvana - truth in advertising!!! You may not get the cheapest vehicle possible but with the set price places but you know what the price is and it doesn't change. You may have to pay $300 to ship the vehicle to your location but you get that back if you buy it.

"You shouldn't lie to a dealer....."
Wow. That's too funny ! They spend a lifetime lying to you. It's just a normal part of the DNA for them.
And I say this not to be critical of dealerships. They do their job better than you because you show up once every 5 years or so, but they do it everyday all day.
 

stormcom

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It is the adage "Figures can lie and liars can figure". Mega dealership training and no more one on one haggling. My last 3 vehicles came from little out of the wall places where I could actually talk to someone. The big cities with their Automotive Groups just do not understand. They train (brainwash) their sales people to do it their way. Best example is "One price dealership". You think you are getting the best deal. You are just guaranteeing the dealership their percentage. And the other is "market adjustment". Their cost has not gone up just how deep they can get in your pocket. When this bubble bursts is your 10k market adjustment still going to hold. No folks, you just blew 10k. You might as well go to the bank and get a bundle of 100.00 bills and hand them to people because you will feel better than what just happened to you.

I had lunch with the president of a regional bank and asked what is going to happen when the bubble bursts. The answer was repos and government bailout.
 

My_Looong_Horn

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Ok, so I get it - people need to sell trucks to make money. My unfortunate experience was in So. California, IE area. I was about ready to sign on a truck with an 8K over MSRP price when I found I could order one from out of state and have a normal buying experience. Thanks to my lady for finding the dealership in NV and I ordered, but just need to wait a bit longer. Guess what….

I just got a call from the dealership here in California. Hey man, the truck you wanted is here why don’t you work with us and all the lines to make ME feel guilty. I simply said the chance to work with me was back when you were charging me 8K over, not now when the truck is on the lot. Not to mention he won’t budge on over 4K of dealer add-ons. We’ll lower your payment, anything to make it happen. Well IMHO that chance has come and gone. Then he wanted to know the dealer and I kept that to myself. Clearly, I’m not here to talk bad because I’m not disclosing the name of the So. Cal Dealership. Or share where I ordered in NV to them.

What is your experience? I really feel tired, tired of the way I was treated and the dealer in Vegas was just open and close simple. I appreciated that And the guys here just ran me into the ground. I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Did I do the right thing here? I think I did. I was polite and simply stated I will wait for mine when it comes and a few guys or gals are going to get an amazing truck at an insane price….but that's their decision as it was almost mine. ——KT
Business is business…they wanted to sell you at a certain rate, you walked and got what you wanted. There’s NO reason why you should feel guilty at all. No matter what the sales rep says. He’s pissed he’s not making a massive commission without doing more work OR worse, someone else at the dealership selling it…and that’s it!
 

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