What the dealer has been up to since my accepted offer

[SeaNile31]

No wonder dealers are not well liked and people do not trust them. So I have been eyeing this 02 Boxster for 2-3 weeks now, it's been on the lot since Oct 23rd and cars have 30 days to sell then they head to auction. Go back 2 weeks ago and the car was $16,995 and "we have no room on this car at all." I go and look at it, love the color combo, options and miles but it's no garage queen. Needs a little TLC and bodywork (minimal) by rear tire. Offer 13K and obviously they decline. So a week later I take a better look at the car and figure between the work needed and the rear plastic needing replacing in a few months 14K is realistic not knowing they just lowered the price to 15995. They counter at 14850 and I accept. A day goes by and they call strongly suggest as deposit as they have several interested parties. Ironically even with all the communication with dealer they never ask for a deposit, actively have the car listed (don't blame them) and they continue to lower the price, now at 15500.

Bottom line is they are in no rush to take my deposit at 14850 because every 3rd day they lower the price of the car in an effort to get just a few more hundred than my offer. Kind of makes me want to lower my offer. Car goes to auction in a week....

[Giller]

Having worked at a dealership in my younger days - if you haven't given them a deposit, then you have no deal and they can do what they want. Money talks. If you want the car and have agreed on the price, get it in writing and put down a deposit.
Or - if you or you have a connection - wait for it to go to auction and bid on it there. Might end up with a steal of a deal.

[jbs986]

Originally Posted by Giller

Having worked at a dealership in my younger days - if you haven't given them a deposit, then you have no deal and they can do what they want. Money talks. If you want the car and have agreed on the price, get it in writing and put down a deposit.
Or - if you or you have a connection - wait for it to go to auction and bid on it there. Might end up with a steal of a deal.

+1 Could not have said it better myself.

[SeaNile31]

I completely understand that there is no deal without a deposit. Just find it ironic that they were ready for a deposit and now are in no rush as they continue to lower the prices. Every time I reach out to the dealer they always reply with "let me get back to you tomorrow." Seriously, over a few hundred dollars they want to drag this out? My last conversation was about what time can I pick the car up this week and who to make the check out to. Oh well, being in sales I find it funny to observe their tactics. Not offended at all, just find it funny....and slightly slimy.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by SeaNile31

I completely understand that there is no deal without a deposit. Just find it ironic that they were ready for a deposit and now are in no rush as they continue to lower the prices. Every time I reach out to the dealer they always reply with "let me get back to you tomorrow." Seriously, over a few hundred dollars they want to drag this out? My last conversation was about what time can I pick the car up this week and who to make the check out to. Oh well, being in sales I find it funny to observe their tactics. Not offended at all, just find it funny....and slightly slimy.

They likely don't have much room honestly, and can expect similar to your offer from auction, the way I see what's wrong with a business trying to turn a completely fair profit, I agree with your price point, but if someone is willing to pay more any right minded dealer would be more interested in that buyer.

[jacabean]

dealers are seriously scum to deal with , show them no kindness what so ever . private sale is the only way to go .

[Giller]

Originally Posted by jacabean

dealers are seriously scum to deal with , show them no kindness what so ever . private sale is the only way to go .

False. A dealership is a business like every other business out there. Some are crappy, some are very good. At least with a dealership (in most places) there are avenues to file complaints. With a private sale, you're on your own.

[keysguy]

Before I bought my car I was negotiating with another dealer. (Delray Beach Mazda) They had a nice Boxster that I was very interested in. I had a friend in the area go and do a quick inspection for me. (is about 5 hours from my house) Based on his report back to me I started negotiations. We arrived at a price and I gave a deposit via credit card over the phone. My friend went back to get the car and take it for a PPI. The car wasn't there. They had given it to another customer to take home for the evening. When this was reported back to me I was PISSED. They refunded my CC. I ended up two days later buying my car from Jim Ellis Porsche In Atlanta. (VERY NICE to deal with) I flew to Atlanta to pick up the car they even picked me up at the airport and had all my Florida license plate and registration taken care of. Anyway, I get back to Key West and the dealer in Delray is calling me asking if I'm interested in the car still. I negotiated with them back and forth for a couple of days got them about $1000 less than the first price we agreed on, then e-mailed them a picture of my new car and told them to EFFF off.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by BIGJake111

They likely don't have much room honestly, and can expect similar to your offer from auction, the way I see what's wrong with a business trying to turn a completely fair profit, I agree with your price point, but if someone is willing to pay more any right minded dealer would be more interested in that buyer.

Jake you have a lot to learn. Your word is your bond, or at least that's what I grew up believing. He made a deal. They accepted his offer and the car is sold. Anything else is as shady and wrong as it gets. If they werent making a profit they wouldn't make the deal. They are engaging in incredibly poor business over a couple extra bucks. Greedy is putting it nicely. Yelp review this place and make sure others avoid. Hope you get your car.

[woodsman]

Originally Posted by jdraupp

Jake you have a lot to learn. Your word is your bond, or at least that's what I grew up believing. He made a deal. They accepted his offer and the car is sold.

Agreed except that people call businesses daily and make appointments or deals and are never heard from again. Hopefully they honour their commitment once a deposit is in their hands...

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by woodsman

Agreed except that people call businesses daily and make appointments or deals and are never heard from again. Hopefully they honour their commitment once a deposit is in their hands...

Right, and if the dealer was serious about business they'd have required a deposit and paperwork would've drawn up. Not a place that I would give my business to. I'd be looking into what auction its going to and be prepared to really make them pay for their mistake.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by jdraupp

Jake you have a lot to learn. Your word is your bond, or at least that's what I grew up believing. He made a deal. They accepted his offer and the car is sold. Anything else is as shady and wrong as it gets. If they werent making a profit they wouldn't make the deal. They are engaging in incredibly poor business over a couple extra bucks. Greedy is putting it nicely. Yelp review this place and make sure others avoid. Hope you get your car.

People back out of deals all the time. Having worked at a dealership, never once did the dealership ever back out of a signed deal, but lots of customers have. That's why dealerships require a deposit and something signed. It protects both the buyer and the seller.

[brjak]

Just honour the deal, if they accepted 14850. They are making money. Otherwise it would goto auction. If I were the dealer i would want it gone asap.

[SeaNile31]

Hope to wrap this up tomorrow and get the deposit to them. Can't imagine them wanting to drag this out any longer. Depending on weather and work I should be able to have it home Wednesday or Thursday.

[kjc2050]

What I don't understand is this: if the OP and the dealer agreed upon a price, why hasn't he put down a deposit?

[JayG]

Until money changes hands and you have a signed agreement there is no deal.

Not all dealers are bad. I recently bought a 04 996 Targa from a small dealer and her was a pleasure to deal with. He was 100 miles away and one weekend I drove up to look at the car and test drove it. A week later I decided I wanted the car. Didi the negotiating over the phone, gave them a deposit over the phone with a CC and arraigned for a local PPI at a P-car Indy .

Within an hour of running the credit card, they took the listing down from their website, Craigslist, cars.com and autotrader.

While tour dealer wasnt asking for a deposit, had you insisted on giving them one and got a written deal, it would have been different

I sold cars for a little while and one we had an agreement on the deal and a handshake at the table it was a deal, even if there was someone else in the showroom trying to make a deal on the same car for more money.

YMMV with car dealers, some are honest and some are not

[cas951]

The OP really have me confused.
The OP and Dealer agreed on a price but yet the OP did not go to the dealer and make a deposit. You don't need to wait for them to ask you for a deposit. If you want the car why don't you go over and give them the deposit and finalize the deal? It seems to me that you maybe holding out as well hoping for the price of the car to be lowered since the price have been going down as the days go by.

I'm from the west coast and bought a new car from this same dealer. I've had nothing but great experience with them and all communications was over the phone. During the viewing process they sent me pictures, detailed videos of the car inside and out. When we agreed on a price They sent me documents of the sale and I sent them a cashiers check. They even helped arrange shipment of the car directly to the front of my house.

[Perfectlap]

The old "nah...don't worry about the deposit" move. Works every time.


Most brokers in my experience become very pound foolish over a few hundred bucks.
You build businesses on clientele not the last 0.5% of a deal. This dealer should know by now (if they bothered to "feel you out" like all good sales departments) that you have a history of regularly switching cars... which is exactly the kind of customer they like to have on an email list. If the sales manager knows what he's doing he can identify the difference between a repeat customer from a guy just passing through. Very dumb, because now even if you do buy the car you might not go there again or recommend them.

[kjc2050]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

The old "nah...don't worry about the deposit" move. Works every time.

You may be right, but I haven't read anything from the OP which states that this is the case.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by kjc2050

You may be right, but I haven't read anything from the OP which states that this is the case.

Now I'm confused. Reread the original post. From what I reread they suggested he put a deposit down and he hasn't. If this is the case then he's got no reason to complain, he's not serious enough. Agree with Timco they cant force you to come in and put a deposit down and dont think they should have to bully you into basically stealing what sounds like a very nice example of a 986s. Go put money down and sign the agreement before it gets away.