Irritating Dealer Add-Ons

How about $400 for nitrogen filled tires?

 

FranklinS, these are the facts and I know because I did it.

If you buy off the lot, what you see is what you get. "Add-Ons" are preordained at Regional, sent through "Make Ready" and distributed to specific Dealers all according to plan. Go to your Dealers Fleet Department and tell them you are ready to buy and exactly how you want your car set up. They can then select a vehicle before it reaches Regional and have it delivered just as the Factory built it if you like. That way you pick the color, options, add-ons (or not), and is delivered your way just for you. It is unnecessary to order from Japan and never was. Understand the Dealer would rather sell you what they have in stock, because they are stuck with it, but Fleet can and will work to deliver "your" vehicle if you are a "Hard Sale", and probably at a better price than the Salesperson that attacks you as you enter the lot. You have 3 Dealerships in your local area to pick from if one resists. Remember they all want your money, so buy what you want (or what the Wife wants).

 

My windows on my long distance deal were etched. I refused to pay for it ($168 for a $15 etch job). My sales person was nice enough to warn me it had a pinstripe on it, and have it removed (sent me pics, it was really bad). I think the blizzard pearl is very elegant, even though I don't like white cars generally. Silver is also not a bad color on this car. My guess from seeing them around is that the white shouldn't show dirt any worse than the silver. May even be better, since the dust might blend in a bit with the creaminess of the blizzard pearl. Definitely get what you want. Just ain't worth spending thousands of $ and be unhappy about something, especially the color.

 

Blizzard pearl really shows dirt on the rear of the car that gets picked up when there is any moisture on the roads. I'm constantly wiping my car's rear off after I get home, even have set of old towels in the garage specifically for this purpose. And it is always the rear only.

Be glad you aren't in the SET or SWT distributorship regions, there it is distributor options that run up the prices.

Can't help you on your wife's preferences, just remember she picked you. (Who is gonna drive it is the color picking rule in our house.)

 

+1
The rear spoiler keeps a swirling vortex of road dust going back there all the time- the backside gets filthy as do the lower door sills. Otherwise- the BP is really nice.

 

for me they added:
rear bumper protector
clear plastic guard in door handle wells\edges of door (not on front of car!)
tinted windows
nitrogen tires
mud flaps

They wanted $1000 extra for everything but I had them totally drop the cost in negotiations.

At least with etched windows you get an insurance deduction

 

To avoid these rip off dealer add-ons, tell them you'll wait for a car in the exact configuration you want (sans add-ons) to arrive. Don't fall for the trap of having them magically, dramatically reduce the price--or drop the price to $0--on the add-ons, since they are very low cost (high margin) items. They'll do this to take the attention from the real negotiation item--the price of the car itself.

 

I had a BMW dealer attached their logo plate directly to the paint on delivery. I went straight back in and discussed the options.

1) Remove it without trace
2) Open negotiations for a monthly advertising fee

It was gone within 10 mins

 

I suspect you aren't going to see much of an insurance discount. Ask the insurance company but my guess is less than $5 per year. Politely state that the VIN etching is a deal breaker. Since it is already done they'll remove the charge. If the etched glass is really that big of a deal then shop for another car.

I don't consider tape "real" pin striping. If the wife really wants this, is the battle worth it? Not to say it can't be used as a bargaining chip.

Another angle to try is to see if the dealer will throw in x number of coupons for the service dept.

BP & silver will get equally dirty. Maybe the BP hides the white salt filth better. The silver seems to hide the the dark filth better. The rear is always going to be dirty due to the aerodynamics (or lack thereof).

In the old days supply was thin. You bought what was on the lot when you saw it because it wasn't going to be there tomorrow. Now there's enough inventory everywhere so you should be able to find the car you want.

You will want to get 3M or VentureShield film on the car including the cups on the door and across the top of the rear bumper. If you don't you'll be back complaining that your wife's fingernails scratched up her door.

For as much as the car costs & for as long as you'll have it a few hundred dollars isn't significant.

 

Get what you want or get what they got. Like I said, it's your money. Enjoy the new car either way.

 

Well then you are neighbors just helping each other.

 

Doesn't hurt to ask the Internet Sales Dept. of the next dealer what they want for the car configured your way.

You see this as friendship. He's a salesman. This is business. I suggest a slightly different approach. Tell him what you want. Let him know he's getting the first opportunity to fill the order. If he can't or won't then move on. If he's as good a friend as you believe and as good a salesman as he believes he'll find your car for you.

If "the other guy" has exactly what you want at a higher price then you'll have to decide if you can live with your friend's car. If the other guy is cheaper then be up front with your friend. If everyone is being reasonable your friend should be able to sell a car to you at a fair price that you'll be happy driving.

 

Make sure you get the truecoat.

 

Do you really get an Insurance Deduction? Geico tells me that I do not.