Never ordered a vehicle. Even before the internet, if what I was looking for was scarce, I told my dealer exactly what I was looking for and color options and they always came up with it via dealer trade. I have had several vehicles that my dealer of choice went out found for me. Some had a couple hundred miles on it.
Dealers do "dealer trades" on new inventory all the time. It is in their best interest to work with other dealers because they may be looking for something on another dealer's lot the next day.
But I dunno, Maybe this is not as common in more remote regions?
In 2005, I wanted a specific model and a specific color Nissan Frontier. The dealer less than 10 miles from my house had it. I went and test drove it. Tried to buy it. Dealer was jerking me around on my trade, wanted to try to talk me into things I did not want etc. I got frustrated and tried to leave. It was late in the evening. I really wanted that truck but did not want to deal with the foolishness late on a weeknight. They tried to play "hide the trade in keys" on me.... I about came unglued.... My wife and I had only been together a year and had recently become engaged. She said later, she had never seen me so mad....
Next evening I drove to a dealer with a great rep 25 miles away. Told them what I wanted. Gave them the VIN number of the exact truck I had driven the night before. We sat down, made a deal and I left them a deposit. Next morning the sales manager called me and said, the truck I was looking for, the only one in the color I wanted was the one I had test driven and that dealer would not turn loose of it because they had a deal working on it. The first dealer had been blowing up my phone trying to get me answer. I called the jerk dealership. Insisted on speaking to the General Manager. Had to go through three or four people, held a long time. Finally got the GM... Explained who I was, how I had been treated and that I was trying to buy that truck at another dealer but they were refusing to give it up. Told him if they did not turn loose of the truck, my next call was to Nissan America, then the local news station watch dog reporter, etc. He even tried to talk me back into buying from them. No chance. Finally he said he would take care of it. 30 minutes later, my sales rep from the dealer I was buying from called to tell me they had secured my truck. I picked it up that evening.
