Dealer bait and switch.. Or?

I'm car shopping.. I've had this happen several times. Bait and switch? Or is something else in play?

I see a car online for $4-5k at a big dealership. There are a few photos in the listing. It's a good, but not great looking car. It's been washed but not detailed. The car appears to be a great value for the money.

I call the dealership and they tell me the are deciding whether or not the car will go to auction. Meanwhile, they try to upsell me into a more expensive car. When I tell them I'm only interested in the "cheap" car. I typically don't hear anything from them.

Bait and switch. Just a means to get you thru their doors

go in with a camcorder

If the car's advertised it's probably on the lot, go find it before talking to sales staff.

I've told this here a couple times; Buick dealer did this on a new '02 Century my grandma bought. Their sales flyer had a great deal on a new Century, in their Sunday paper ad, way cheaper than anything else we'd seen. The car was pictured in the ad, and you could actually read the grease pen writing on the windshield. We went to the dealer and did a scavenger hunt for the car, found it tucked away back in the corner, same make, model, color, and grease pen numbers on window. Then we found a salesman, showed them their ad in the paper, said, "we want this car." You can guess what they said, "oh I think we just sold that one," or "you just missed it," etc. When I told them they still had it, and told them right where it was on their lot, they weren't too happy. It was an all day ordeal, and the sales staff made everything way more difficult than it should have been, but in the end we left with grandma's new Century at the crazy "bait and switch" low price they advertised.

That's not bait and switch.

I'm interested in what's behind this, sounds like a perfect plan to sleazily try to bait in used car buyers.

If it's what bigdaddylee says, you can try to push and buy their "bait car" from them. For them the buyers they bait in probably make up for losing a bait car to a determined buyer every now and then. Just like the bait you put on fishing hooks.

If it's totally made up, they could find themselves at the wrong end of a false advertising suit.

z31maniac wrote: That's not bait and switch.

Sounds like it is, in my book.

Yeah, a lot of them do something like that. Ads in a newspaper stating a sale. Ad appears to be for a sale on a model, everything in that model but read the fine print and it shows that price for a specific VIN. Which they did sell at that price but all the others are higher. Ran across this numerous times.

Around here I think they have to provide stock numbers in the add, and if sold, had better be able to prove it. I won't swear to that though.

I've talked to a few of the sales guys there. They do have the car and now the story is that they will sell it.

The car is listed online as a black/black '96 Miata with a hardtop for $4k. Photos show it with hardtop. Sounds like a deal. But, the last guy I talked to said the listing is wrong and the car is actually dark blue with tan leather.

I'm in Colorado, the car is in Fort Worth. I've decided that I'm not going to get on a plane and Berkley around with trying to buy it when I can't get a straight answer from the staff.

Bait and switch. This has happened a few times to me. Listing goes up. You call to say you're interested. The guy answering the phone says "oh, that's Bob's territory, he's out on a test drive, can I have him call or email you back?" Give your info. Bob calls back and says, "it just went to auction" or "I literally just sold it, had you been an hour earlier I could have held it for you, but what do have is something you're not remotely interested in that I can give you a horrible deal on". I say nevermind and get calls and emails for other, non-relevant, much more expensive cars until I tell them 5 or 6 times to stop.

Never call. Bring the ad to the dealer, with either a VIN or stock # of the specific car.

There are usually laws in place that prevent such a thing... of course, how much is your time worth to fight the dealer?

I've actually had a couple good deals from used lots at dealerships. If its a car they don't know or don't understand, they usually want it gone asap.

Anyone notice that when Wirewheel advertises in GRM, there's usually a screamin' deal in the mag that's no longer on the site?

HiTempguy wrote: Never call. Bring the ad to the dealer, with either a VIN or stock # of the specific car.

This^

Wirewheel absolutely does not bait and switch--- The problem with running classified ads in a print magazine that only comes out every 6 weeks is that much of the inventory is gone by the time the ads appear. He runs those ads to give our readers an idea of what he carries. Sometimes the cars are still available--- sometimes they are sold.

Hayes Harris (owner of Wire Wheel Classics) is a totally respectable and honest guy. I'd buy a car from him--- because I know I'd get a good (fun) car at an honest deal. Give them a call--- speak with Hayes, and then tell me if you think anything fishy is going on------it's not.

On the other hand... when I was looking for my minivan I called a dealer about a van I saw listed for just under $20K, and asked if that van was still available.

"Yes it's still available" the dealer emailed back "Come on down and check it out" he said.

It was then I realized I had emailed the sales guy about a van that was at a different dealership---- (I'd been checking several sites)

Needless to say--- I bought my van from a different dealership, and was treated extremely well. Bait and switch still happens, so buyer beware!

GameboyRMH wrote: Anyone notice that when Wirewheel advertises in GRM, there's usually a screamin' deal in the mag that's no longer on the site?

You're messing with advertisers here, the ones that pay for our mag, events and forum.

Take it easy.

Yeah I figured it was just getting snapped up between listing and publication, I didn't mean to make any serious accusation.

/threadjack

If anyone in Ft Worth decides to go & see if this seemingly well priced $4k Miata with hardtop exists and can be purchased, I'd be curious to hear what you find out.

Duke wrote:

z31maniac wrote: That's not bait and switch.

Sounds like it is, in my book.

I've always taken it to mean they advertise something they don't have, not that they are going to try to upsell you.

Every retail place in the world is going to try to upsell. It's how they earn a living.

GameboyRMH wrote: Yeah I figured it was just getting snapped up between listing and publication, I didn't mean to make any serious accusation.

No harm--- it's totally understandable. Also, I jumped to Hayes's defense not because he's an advertiser, but because he's a friend, an honest guy, and a fellow enthusiast. There's a shortage of truly good guys in the car sales business, and Hayes is one of them.

If our readers have an issue with one of our advertisers we take that very seriously. If we find an advertiser is treating our readers unethically, we'll drop their advertising. Of course we'll listen to both sides of the story, but if it's clear they are to blame.....we'll drop them. There are plenty of honest companies out there, we don't need to bring scumbags into your homes.

z31maniac wrote: I've always taken it to mean they advertise something they don't have, not that they are going to try to upsell you.

This is exactly what we are talking about. Dealer advertising cars that were either long sold or never for sale in attempt to sell you another, more expensive car.

Bait and switch.

LuxInterior wrote:

HiTempguy wrote: Never call. Bring the ad to the dealer, with either a VIN or stock # of the specific car.

This^

I've had the opposite experience. I often (not always) call first. I'll call immediately before I'm set to hop in the car and go look. Usually I'll tell the salesperson who answers to put me on hold and go outside and locate the car. Sometimes I'll make up a dumb question that I know they probably wouldn't know the answer to without going to the car to look. Then I say I'm on my way to see. I have yet to not have the car there when they said it would be. The worst that has happened is the dealer comes back from putting me on hold and say "Gee, it must be in our detail shop or out on a test drive". Then I know it's probably not there at all and just move on.

Now, having a car not be as advertised...that's a whole 'nuther ball of wax...

Joe Gearin wrote: If we find an advertiser is treating our readers unethically, we'll drop their advertising.

Joe, is this why you tested the EFS Combust product two times?

I was pleasantly surprised to actually get a formal quote on a "too good to be true" price from a dealer, and get another one to honor it when I bought my new Mazda6 this past spring. It appeared as if the online advertized price included EVERY applicable promo rebate (Mazda Loyalty, College Grad, Military Service, etc) and dropped it $2,000 less then the average MSRP listed elsewhere.

I was determined to try and cast a wide net and email as many regional dealers as I could before I ever set foot in any of them, and I asked them to confirm their price. I even specifically asked if this was a price including all applicable rebates and he said it was not, straight price. I ultimately used that number to try and negotiate down 14 other dealers and in the end I got one closer to me to match that price and so I bought from them.

The great thing was doing this all through email. I never set foot in the door any place aside from test driving all of the perspective cars initially. No risk or hassle in driving all over the place and being told that the particular car I wanted didn't exist. I suppose going brand new made a big difference too. I wasn't chasing something used and very specific. If one place didn't give me what I wanted, I just found another with inventory that had what I was looking for.