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Disadvantages of buying from a distant dealership rather than local?

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by krausternet, Jun 29, 2012.

  1. krausternet

    krausternet Member

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    I am considering buying a Prius from a dealership 400 miles away rather than 4 blocks away if the price makes it worth while, considering that I'd have to take a day to fly to the dealership and drive it back on a very boring road, - I-5 from LA to SF.

    Are there any other disadvantages when you've purchased the car from a far away dealership? What if there are problems? Do dealerships treat a car bought from another dealership differently if there are any problems or things that need to be looked at and dealt with?
     
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I bought mine from a dealer 100 miles away and have not had any issues with my local dealer service department.
     
  3. h00ktern

    h00ktern Member

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    My last four purchases have been done this way...

    1) A bike, sight unseen, crated to my work (trusted dealer I had experience with.)
    2) A Dodge pick-up. Rode a bike out, loaded it, and drove the truck home.
    3) A Ford pick-up. Flew out, drove back.
    4) This Prius (not really non-local), was essentially bought sight unseen, and driven home.

    You just have to do your homework, agree on the terms, and set up-front requirements (or expectations) that you have that must be fulfilled or you walk away. For instance, with the Dodge, it was agreed the truck would be on the lot and ready to go, and I needed provisions to facilitate loading my bike into the bed. I expected the paperwork to be completed (and correct) ready to sign. Sign, pay, load and leave. Took less than an hour and a half. On the Ford, they had to pick me up at the airport, and the truck needed to have a full tank of gas.

    Be smart, take nothing for granted, and honor your commitments to the seller. Everything works out just fine. Regarding a local dealer taking over servicing (I never use them except for a warranty issue,) there hasn't been a problem. the manufacturer reimburses them, and it is a chance for them to gain you as a service customer. Why do they need to know the circumstances of how you brought the car to them? So you just moved to town from your part time residence elsewhere - the market being bad and all ;-)

    I believe I hold the cards, not them. I am the consumer. My power resides in the ability to buy elsewhere.

    Safe trips,
    Dave
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I don't think so. We've bought from one dealership, then had service done at another, nearer by. Makes no difference, there's no advantage to dealership loyalty.
     
  5. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    I'd say it depends on the dealer. Perhaps the non-selling dealer will be less accommodating with warranty work. Little problems that turn up at delivery may not stay that way. What do you plan to do if you find a chip on the car? What if some accessory is missing?

    How much do you have to save to make the trip worth your while?
     
  6. krausternet

    krausternet Member

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    Here's an example: I go pick up a car 400 miles away, drive home. A week after getting the car I notice that the door doesn't close right, or the transmission makes a clunk sound when it goes into reverse, or there's a rattle somewhere. Can I take it into my local dealer and expect the same level of service as if I had bought the car there?
     
  7. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

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    That's what a new car warranty is for.
    Whether it's a new vehicle or not sometimes matters. because Certified cars get a different manufacturer's warranty too.
     
  8. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    In theory there should be no difference. However, you can't notice a scratch or a missing piece & expect the local dealer to submit a warranty claim.

    When I took my 2006 to another dealer for the 12v battery I did not receive the level of service I believe I was entitled to under a warranty claim. I hold that against them when shopping for a Prius.

    An Olds dealer refused to perform warranty work on my Intrigue. They are long gone & just one of the reasons I'd prefer to eat my own vomit over buying a GM car.
     
  9. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

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    In the Toyota world, they keep Sales and Parts and Service completely separate. The way we tend to look at things is that SALES is a one-shot thing. The service and parts end of things works out better for a dealership in the long run... because it's continual and long term.

    I have never understood a dealership WANTING to sell out of their PMA (primary market area) because it's so fragile a connection. One thread binds you... your new car deal. If you live nearby, I'm SO much better off! I could see you for service, for parts, and your referrals are more likely to follow thru and see me because your friends are here too... it's all about geography.

    Di
     
  10. priusbee

    priusbee Member

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    I am thinking of buying Prius as well, and I live in the Bayarea. If we can all join buying it together, let say we have a dozen folks in this forum, we can negotiate the price down and purchase in one place. We should be able to get the price we want and pick up the car in one place. Does any body think this is doable?
     
  11. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I purchased mine from a dealer 100 miles away. I have had two interior warranty issues and three TSB's performed on my car at my local dealer. No questions asked. I also purchased a 30k maintenance contract from the other dealer and the local dealer honored it with no questions.

    The only negative from not purchasing from the local dealer, that I was told by the Service Advisor, is that they give you the first 5k service for free if purchased from them :) . This was before Toyota Care was introduced.
     
  12. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    I bought my 08 Gen II in North Hollywood, and the wife got her HyCam from Dianne W at Carson Toyota. I live a half mile from Bob Smith in La Crescenta. We take our cars there. Good service, and since all the Toyota dealers and Service Depts are interconnected with a Network, it does not really matter. As long as you go to any Toyota dealer, your cars service history will be available to which ever Toyota Service Dept you decide to go to!
     
  13. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Funny thing...
    I've seen (and answered) at least two posts in the last two days where new owners have popped a distress flare over this forum for minor problems. IIRC...the first was disabling the reverse beeper, and the second was acquiring a third key fob. This tells me that there are at least some dealers that don't address minor issues like these regardless of the distance between the customer and the dealership.
    I'd consider negotiating these items from the dealership that's 400 miles away before you go out there BTW...but this doesn't necessarily bear on my answer, which is NO.
    There is no (or should be no) difference between warranty work done to a vehicle purchased four blocks away versus 400 miles away. The only thing I would do before I drove off the lot is a really detailed inspection of the car to make sure that the folks who PDI'd the car didn't miss a flaw or damage that's on the car before you sign the paperwork.
    Actually...this really doesn't matter either because once you sign the paper, they're off the hook, because it's now your car whether it's 400 feet or 4,000 miles from where you lay your head down to go to sleep at night.
    The only one difference might be with sales taxes/registration when you cross state lines. I'm military, and so I can tell you that this is a LOT simpler than it used to be, even in utopian states like California. If you cross state lines to buy a car, then you should do your homework about what it takes to register the car where you live, and what (if any) you have to do to be in compliance with sales and property taxes.
    It's not a heavy lift, and the money that you can save will make the extra noodle work worth your while.

    The warranty is backed by the manufacturer, who is a helluva lot more than 400 miles away from you. They authorize dealerships to make warranty repairs and perform the ToyotaCare maintenance upon a set payment schedule (OEM to dealer) which is usually one heck of a lot less that they sucker other customers into paying. This is why some dealerships eschew warranty repairs where the issue of liability is somewhat in question, since they really don't make much money on the repair work---if any.

    Bottom line: There is usually no difference. With warranty work, if there is a difference, then you might have an actionable complaint against the OEM, who has to cover their (your) car whether it's at home, or you're on a 1,234 mile trip to go see Mickey.

    There are (hmmmm...lemme think....) 3 new car dealerships and one M/C dealership in my town, all within 10 miles from my house. The last 6-7 cars, and 2 M/C's I bought, I already knew what I wanted to include color, options, etc. EVERY TIME (except for the last one) I would go to the local dealership, explain my situation, and let them try to earn my business.
    Haven't bought one here yet... :)

    Simple....
    Shop.
    Save.
    Done.