Dealer not being honest???

[uclabruins]

I started calling different dealers in the Southern California area and one called me back saying that they had 2 unallocated - Silver and Blue package 8 available. At first he said there was a $3000 mark up and I told him that I wouldn't pay it. He asked to speak to his manager and would call me back. He called back 5 minutes later saying that he got me a deal at Sticker. He said he would need a deposit for the Silver and didn't have a VIN so he couldn't tell me what color the interior was. When he did receive the VIN, I had to go to the dealer and sign the contract. The car would be at the dealer within 3-4 days of receiving the VIN. He took down my address, income and other facts, but I didn't give him my SS or DL. He said he would call me as soon as he got the VIN.

The next morning he called and didn't leave a message. I called back several hours later and he said he had a problem with the car. It turns out that another salesperson put their customers name next to the car the day before (in the computer) and that customer put down $5000. He asked if I wanted the blue one. No thanks, I said. He said he didn't run my CC and he'd look for a silver one in the area for me. I was very nice on the phone, but now I'm thinking that I might have been played. Did the dealer get an offer over sticker and decided to sell the car to the other person? What do you think? Should I call the salesman back and find out the real story or just move on.

Thanks.

[San_Carlos_Jeff]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Mar 30 2006, 05:12 PM) [snapback]232585[/snapback]</div>

I started calling different dealers in the Southern California area and one called me back saying that they had 2 unallocated - Silver and Blue package 8 available. At first he said there was a $3000 mark up and I told him that I wouldn't pay it. He asked to speak to his manager and would call me back. He called back 5 minutes later saying that he got me a deal at Sticker. He said he would need a deposit for the Silver and didn't have a VIN so he couldn't tell me what color the interior was. When he did receive the VIN, I had to go to the dealer and sign the contract. The car would be at the dealer within 3-4 days of receiving the VIN. He took down my address, income and other facts, but I didn't give him my SS or DL. He said he would call me as soon as he got the VIN.

The next morning he called and didn't leave a message. I called back several hours later and he said he had a problem with the car. It turns out that another salesperson put their customers name next to the car the day before (in the computer) and that customer put down $5000. He asked if I wanted the blue one. No thanks, I said. He said he didn't run my CC and he'd look for a silver one in the area for me. I was very nice on the phone, but now I'm thinking that I might have been played. Did the dealer get an offer over sticker and decided to sell the car to the other person? What do you think? Should I call the salesman back and find out the real story or just move on.

Thanks. [/b]

I'd move on. It's very possible that two salespeople were promising the same car to different customers. However, I don't like the shennanigans they were playing with the price of the car. For that reason alone I'd go to a different dealer.

Jeff

[mssmith95]

Which dealer?

Your may be right about selling it for more. It is not right that they do it, but from a friend at a local dealer..."we look at each deal's profitability (including trade-in), and that is how we allocate the cars"...

Until your name is on the car, they can play that game.

However, depending on the honestly level of that salesman...he may be more likely to find you another car to make up for it. Keeping looking around too.

I got mine at KEYES ... and they usually have a $3000 markup. I got mine for MSRP because I am a vendor of theirs and because I shopped around (used Toyota of Oxnard...because my Uncle bought one there at MSRP a few months before). Also got them to drop the "extras" because other local guys would too.

Once I went in to sign the paperwork, I noticed that the date was from the week before, when they called me to offer me this car...so my name was on that car for a week before it came in.

Goodluck!

[hobbit]

It sounds like a runaround. Why on earth does he have any call to
"run your CC" before you've expressed hard financial commitment?
That's just invasion of privacy.
.
_H*