Yet another reaon I'm not buying a new car

I said I wasn't going to buy a new car. That doesn't stop me from car shopping, right?

So I'm surfing AutoTrader and I come across what appears to be a screaming deal on a new Hyundai. It happens to be in Houston, but the website price would make it well worth a fly-n-drive.

So I call and ask for a new-car salesperson. I get Paul on the phone and I give him their stock number.

Me: "So the website says this car is $14,025, but that's not what I have to pay, obviously. I live in Las Vegas, and your price seems so low it would be worth flying to Houston. But I'm sure there are other fees, etc. I have to pay to actually buy the car. Give me the number and I'll get a check cut and I'll be out there next Friday."

NOTE: I'm not even negotiating here - just asking for a number.

Paul: "Well, there are fees and sales taxes..."

Me: "No sales tax, Paul. I live in Nevada and will pay Nevada sales tax when I register the car. What's the number?"

Paul: "Well, I have to verify the car is still available and mumble mumble mumble. Let me get your number and I'll call you back."

And that's the last I've heard from Paul.

Now, negotiating aside, normal business transactions usually work like... seller names a price, and buyer decides whether or not to buy at that price.

/rant on How can I decide whether or not to buy your car if you won't even give me a price?? Do car dealers actually want to sell cars??

/end rant

bait

I've been shopping for a used Mustang for months. It's taking a long time because I want a particular color. I find one on a car lot last weekend but there is no price on the windshield.

I Google the car lot name and they have a web site. No price posted there either...for any of their cars. So there's an email request form you can fill out for more information. I do that.

A week later, still no reply. I might call them tomorrow, though I'm loathe to do it. I don't have time during the day for inane conversations about "How much would it take to get you in this car?". All I want to know is how much it is to see if it fits my decidedly limited budget. What other business doesn't put a price on their product?

It would almost be fun to go drive it, then tell him thanks but all I wanted to do was waste your time like you did mine. Lucky for them I've got too much to do with my time.

i'd buy a car if this guy was selling it to me... i bet he calls back and answers emails:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rpZZHqrR0I

oh yeah, caution, language...

One of the reasons I bought my Buick was I told the saleswoman I already had financing and she looked on her computer, saw what incentives we qualified and gave me a price in about a minute. No running to a manager, talking with the finance guy just in case, no trucoat. Just a price so I could pay them and have a car.

Because most people who call over the phone aren't serious about purchasing a car. Hence why you will typically get blown off.

Why waste your time and effort when you aren't going to get a sale?

z31maniac wrote: Because most people who call over the phone aren't serious about purchasing a car. Hence why you will typically get blown off. Why waste your time and effort when you aren't going to get a sale?

Which always confused me, because we're talking to car SALESMAN. It's literally their job to spend their time talking to potential customers.

mazdeuce wrote:

z31maniac wrote: Because most people who call over the phone aren't serious about purchasing a car. Hence why you will typically get blown off. Why waste your time and effort when you aren't going to get a sale?

Which always confused me, because we're talking to car SALESMAN. It's literally their job to spend their time talking to potential customers.

He admitted in his post he had no desire to actually buy the car. The guys that have been doing it for awhile can pick up pretty quickly whether you're serious.

And I've purchased out of state cars as well, and had no problems lining up the details before I went and picked up the car.

I've bought many cars out of state and have had very few issues doing it. Yeah, I've had a few experiences like this where they throw out bait. Actually had one not all that long ago. Dealer had a 2015 Dodge GC listed new for around $16k. I called and found it was actually 23k, and I would need to qualify for every single rebate known to man to get that price...member of milk maids association, basket weaving alliance, etc... But it's rare where I couldn't get a price. More often, I get the sleazy "So what's it gonna take to get you into this beauty?" I cut through that crap quickly and from there things usually smooth out. I just bought my wife's minivan from Florida. Kia dealer was professional, willing to deal fairly and made it easy for me. They even drove it to my door for $180 (it was about 300 miles away).

Been there done that man, I gave up a long time ago.

Me at Toyota dealership: "I'd like a Tundra. My only requirements are 4-doors, and 4-wheel drive."

Salesman: "Does it have to be 4-wheel drive? We have lots of Tundras but no 4-wheel drives"

(insert one month of "come in we got your truck" only to find out it's 2-wheel drive on 20's etc)

I think you have to pay sales tax where you purchase the car, regardless of where you will end up registering it.

When buying the cruze, I found the car on autotrader at one dealer. Went to the closest bowtie store, told em what I was looking for, where it was, the stock id, and they went and got it for me. A day to get it for me, and an hour filling paperwork out and whatnot, and I had the keys. Pretty painless, and even got a rebate I didn't know I qualified for. Certainly the best experience I've had to date...I think it helped that I had all my details in order before walking in. Probably didn't hurt that I was physically there, I could see where a salesperson might flake on you if you are just a note about a call on some desk.

If I really wanted said whip though, I'd probably...I dunno...call again? My 3e36m3 stinks enuff that I don't feel too important that I can't make another call...

z31maniac wrote: Because most people who call over the phone aren't serious about purchasing a car. Hence why you will typically get blown off. Why waste your time and effort when you aren't going to get a sale?

Well, why advertise on a national website when you are only willing to sell cars to people who walk into your store? I mean, it's their business, and they can choose not to sell to out-of-state buyers - but isn't a sale a sale? Why should they care where the car goes to?

As a followup, I also emailed the General Manager of the dealership. Likewise, no response.

I think that (especially on the low end) car dealers don't actually make money selling cars. They make money selling "Protection Packages", extended warranties, and sub-prime loans.

And I said I probably wouldn't buy a new car in my other post. However, if this dealer really would sell me a car with an MSRP of $17,775 for $14,025, that would have changed my mind about buying new.

In reply to Datsun1500:

I always wondered why I see exotics running around with Montana plates. Makes sense.

I walked onto a Ford Dealer lot and said that I wanted a new Flex. They didn't have AWD with the EcoBoost on the lot, so I said I wanted to test drive something else to see if it fit the family, and I would order or wait for the model I wanted. Mind you, this is a $55,000 car and I didn't look like a bum and pulled up in a BMW X5. The guy wouldn't even give me his undivided attention, and I think he went to talk to someone about keys, but he never returned. I gave my card to someone else and asked them to call me when they had one on the lot, but never heard from them.

When I was shopping for the Fiesta ST, the same dealer told me there was no way I could lease it for less then $450 a month. No way, never, not at any dealer in the US. Absolutely not. I leased mine for $200. I hope I hit the Powerball some day so I can drive past in a new GT every day for a week that I did not buy from them.

In reply to pinchvalve:

My friend's father had a similar experience. He came from a family of money, and built their business even bigger. His business was very "rural", so he didn't look like your typical millionaire (more like a scary biker dude). When the H1 came out, he decided he needed one, so he went to one of the two dealers in the state that carried them. They wouldn't even give him the time of day, so he went across the street to the other dealer selling them and bought one. He then proceeded to drive back to the first dealer and rub it in their noses that they didn't get a dime of commission for an easy sale. He then went on to buy at least a dozen brand new vehicles from the dealer that sold him his first H1.

Datsun1500 wrote:

ProDarwin wrote: I think you have to pay sales tax where you purchase the car, regardless of where you will end up registering it.

Nope, you pay where it is registered. That is why there are a lot of high dollar cars running around with Montana plates, no tax.

Huh. I thought you still had to pay at the dealer. But I don't buy from dealers often.

We always buy new so we have lots of experience with dealers.

When the wife wanted a new car in 2013 we spent every Thursday for a month going to dealerships and test driving cars. It came down to a Kia Optima, Subaru Legacy, and a Hyundai Sonata in that order of preference. So we set out to buy a car. Went to each dealership where I told them "We are going to buy/order in the next two days. We will be trading in our 2000 Buick LeSabre. We want to take another test drive and get your best price."

No problems at the Buick/Hyundai dealership. They didn't even check out her car since they had been servicing it for 13 years. Half an hour and we walked out with a computer print out of the price, fees, etc.

Similar at the Ford/Subaru dealership except that they did check out her Buick. 45 minutes and we had our printout and were on our way.

The Kia dealership was a completely different story. Every sleazy trick everybody talks about! Needed to make copies of bothour drivers licenses to take a test drive (with the salesman) and then didn't return them until I asked for them. Price sheet was a bunch of numbers scribbled on a yellow legal pad which the salesman said he "might be able to get a better price" when we wanted to leave. Had to go into the sales managers office and take the keys to the Buick off his desk so we could get out of there.

Needless to say the wife is very happy with her 2013 Subaru Legacy.

At least you didn't buy from these guys. (NSFW Language)

On the good news front... I found the same car at Hyundai of Kirkland (Washington). I got the Assistant Internet Sales Manager on the phone and she gave me an out-the-door price.

$15k out-the-door (less sales tax) is a solid price on a car with an MSRP of $17,775. Of course, $15k is a LOT more than the $13,580 price on the website, but it still represents a fair price.

I may have to renege on my "not buy a new car" :)

When I bought my '11 Fiesta and trading my '02 Liberty, I price the car on Fords site. Then I came up with a reasonable trade in value for the KJ. I went to the dealer with what I would be willing to pay which I kept to myself. After meeting with the sales manager, he showed me a price that was a little more than mine. But I had forgotten the sales tax. The car had to be ordered and we made the deal. Painless, the internet is a great source.

Had they been too far off I would have walked

Every time I hear of a car salesman named Paul I think of...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKu2QNt_PUs

My parents got whacked by F&I during the purchase of their sonata. How to turn a $25k car into a $30k one.

Datsun1500 wrote:

ProDarwin wrote: I think you have to pay sales tax where you purchase the car, regardless of where you will end up registering it.

Nope, you pay where it is registered. That is why there are a lot of high dollar cars running around with Montana plates, no tax.

Not necessarily, if you bought it from a dealer you would have to pay tax on it and then once in your home state you would pay use tax on it and have a credit for the amount of sales tax you already paid.

If the sales tax rate in the place you bought it is higher than your home state your SOL. I believe if you wanted a temp tag on a private sale you might have to pay sales tax on that too but I'm not sure.

When I bought my Mazda a few years ago, I went on that Truecar website and figured what is a cheap price based on their info. At first, I went to the dealer where my wife bought her car. They pulled a full bait-and-switch maneuver, saying they had the exact car I wanted on the lot on the website. I even called to confirm that they had it. When I showed up, the car "vanished". I got into it with the sales manager and left.

I ended up doing the Truecar thing again and this time clicked the button where you put in your info and dealers call you. After getting a number of calls, a small dealer called with some decent deals, so I called them back. They were honest and up front, and there was no BS sleazebag tactics. They even helped me get 0% financing (it was supposed to be on the previous model year models and not mine!) and gave me a lot more on my trade than the other places, and they went and got the exact car that the other place "lost on the lot" at another dealer out of state.

My sister is in the business, so I know all the tricks. This place tried exactly zero of them. That's probably the reason they went out of business shortly after I bought the car. But the other sleazebag dealer did end up losing their Mazda franchise not long after I filled out a Mazda questionnaire on my buying experience.