Bury the hatchet? (dealer content)

Looked at a '13 Charger R/T at a Dodge dealer a couple months ago, I had saved it on My AutoTrader mainly to make note of area pricing. Didn't set out specifically to see it that day but I was in the area, so why not.

Black w/ chrome 5 spokes, factory tint, h/c black leather, h/c cupholders, heated mirrors, power tilt/ telescope, back-up cam, Beats stereo, amps etc. ... berkeleying loaded. Looks sinister in black w/ factory tint. Oh, and under 12K miles.

Never thought I'd like it w/ all the gizmos but I berkeleying loved it. Thought this should be easy if they gave me a ballpark decent trade-in on my S197.

Then it started. It was the classic insulting, kick ya in the nuts, sleaze-ball dealer tactics that I thought were long gone after the great dealer purges of several years ago. W/o all the sordid details... and there were a E36 M3 load, I was leaving after the low ball trade offer and... the 'ol hostage keys ploy. After a heated exchange got my keys and berkeleying stormed out and vowed I'd never, ever spend a nickel there. This was by far the worst dealer experience in the last ten years and I'm pretty berkeleying stubborn as far as dealer sleaziness goes, berkeley them, I'll find another R/T.

Well, well. Car is still listed and w/ a $2500 price drop since I looked, sounds reasonable considering other similar R/T listings in the area but nothing is really comparable as far as mileage and options go.... very tempting.

Bury the hatchet, let it go and get the car I've found I lust after? It would be awkward as hell and I'd be compromising my iron-clad ideals... but if you could ever call a car gorgeous this is it, IMO. I dunno, be kinda like compromising yourself to hook up w/ that hot ex-gf after she berkeleyed you over royally... but ya know ya still want it.

Wait for another?

Trade-in would no longer be an issue.

WWGRMD?

fasted58 wrote: I dunno, be kinda like compromising yourself to hook up w/ that hot ex-gf after she berkeleyed you over royally... but ya know ya still want it.

Who hasn't done this?

Give the dealer another shot then. Buy the car then sell the Mustang yourself?

I dunno, to me it's fairly simple. Do you want the car? Would you let your pride get in the way of getting the car you lust after at a great price? I know I wouldn't. Besides, I'd have no qualms with walking back into the dealer. After all, they were the ones playing the games with you. I'd go back in and simply say that you didn't appreciate the treatment you received last time, but are still interested in the car. You could probably even use it as leverage to say "Here's your chance to turn this into a positive customer experience...."

Besides, if you buy the car, once you drive away you'd never have to see or speak to them again if you don't want to.

Ask them if they'll take a decent trade-in value on the S197, if they don't, just walk out before they can do any bullE36 M3 again.

I'd go back if I wanted the car. My car happiness is way more important than a dealer grudge. When you're driving that beast it'll wash the bad away.

Go to a dealership of same brand nearby. Explain the issue and have them do an intra dealership swap to get the car you want and buy it from less douchy people. Compromising your word isn't good for your ego so find a work around.

Klayfish wrote: I'd go back in and simply say that you didn't appreciate the treatment you received last time, but are still interested in the car. You could probably even use it as leverage to say "Here's your chance to turn this into a positive customer experience...."

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What about dealing with them via the web? Most dealers have an "internet department" these days. Go through their site, tell them you'll pay $X for that car (id'd by VIN). If they want to sell it for that, you'll buy it. They may try to pull some fast bullE36 M3 on you when you get there, but just be prepared to walk away. I'd also arrange financing (if you're using financing) through some other entity, to avoid getting trapped by the finance dept of the dealer in question.

If they lowballed the trade then they couldn't afford the front end of the deal and it was a tease to get you in the chair.

I would take the quote they gave you and go wave it under the nose of one of the other 80 billion chrysler/dodge dealers in this country and see who will match or beat it.

Do not reward known asshats with a sale. Do not ever work a trade into the mix until you have got the best price on the new car. Do not ever, ever, ever, ever hand them your keys.

It is a charger. They made a lot of them. Find a sales organization that deals honorably with you and reward them for it.

Take their deal to other dealers.. Get an offer from them.. CAll them from the other dealer and say, I'm sitting at X dealer they can do Y for me.. Beat it by $5K. Hammer them into the ground then refuse to take their offer. Because Karma.

What would GRM do? Go buy a Miata, obviously. :)

berkeley them. May their crotches be infested with the fleas of 1,000 camels.

If you go back in there, and they realize who you are, they will have a LOT of leverage against you. Clearly you REALLY want the car...

I'd go in like it was the first time I went there just to see if they remember what happened a few months ago. Chances are they won't. But if they start to do the same thing then I would bring it up that they tried it before on you and you walked and are prepared to walk again.

aircooled wrote: If you go back in there, and they realize who you are, they will have a LOT of leverage against you. Clearly you REALLY want the car...

I don't know about that. Remember who has the "checkbook" and who wants money...and who can just walk away. The longer that car sits, the less profit the dealer earns. Whenever I go into a dealer, I make sure they realize the relationship...I have money and you want money.

stroker wrote: What would GRM do? Go buy a Miata, obviously. :)

Nah the Charger is becoming the "answer" for a fun 4 door. The Hellcat just puts it over the top for the power hungry.

They tried to screw you to the wall the last time. You think they are going to be nice this time? More than likely a bait and switch game today. Just go find another car.

Dr. Hess wrote: They tried to screw you to the wall the last time. You think they are going to be nice this time? More than likely a bait and switch game today. Just go find another car.

In all seriousness, I agree with this. Going back there will give them tons of leverage. It's a Chrysler Co product... Seriously.. Find another.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-20-WHEELS-2013-dodge-charger-r-t-plus-hemi-leather-spoiler-10-k-mi-texas-direct-auto-/371137389305?forcerrptr=true&hash=item56698322f9&item=371137389305&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-REARVIEW-CAM-2013-dodge-charger-r-t-plus-hemi-leather-nav-beats-2-k-texas-direct-auto-/371135670130?forcerrptr=true&hash=item566968e772&item=371135670130&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-R-T-Sedan-4-Door-2013-dodge-charger-r-t-/251647064765?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3a97557abd&item=251647064765&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-REARVIEW-CAM-2013-dodge-charger-r-t-plus-hemi-sunroof-navigation-22-k-texas-direct-/400771685880?forcerrptr=true&hash=item5d4fda9df8&item=400771685880&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Buy it there, have it shipped out.

Could always go to Carmax to get an offer value on your car before going back there. That'd give you at least a baseline for your trade-in.

If you could be happier with the car than you were angry with the experience then give it a go. I had such a bad experience with the finance guy at a Nissan dealer this spring that no amount of deal making would make me forget what a monumental douche he was and I didn't want that frustrating experience to be associated with a car.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: They tried to screw you to the wall the last time. You think they are going to be nice this time? More than likely a bait and switch game today. Just go find another car.

In all seriousness, I agree with this. Going back there will give them tons of leverage. It's a Chrysler Co product... Seriously.. Find another.

It took us a few months to find the new Arctic edition Wrangler my wife wanted. They had stopped taking orders on that edition, so we had to find a new one, at a dealer, optioned correctly and in the color she wanted. We finally found one in MS and had it dealer transferred to TN. Just because it's a Chrysler product doesn't mean they're always easy to find.

If the dealer has what I want, and I can get it for the right deal, I can get over the attitude. Time is worth money too and it's not always worth searching forever if a nearby dealer, that has a tendency to be an ass, has what I need.

Now I say that only if they'll give you as good of a deal, or better, than a competing dealer with a car you would want, if not berkeley em.

I'd say berk them. Go somewhere else forever.

I always thought burring the hatchet meant you burred it in your mortal enemy's skull. Maybe I misinterpreted it.

Do your homework and find out what another dealer (like Carmax) will buy your Mustang outright from you for. Go in to do two separate deals. Know the max you are willing to right a check out for the Charger. As said above if you can secure 3rd party financing on your own first, do it. If they won't take a check that day for what you are willing to pay walk away from the whole thing.

You may need to bypass the sales-douche you talked to the other day. Just use the "You got a boss? Go get him." tactic. You may need to do it more than once to get to the guy that will authorize the deal.

If they do take the check for what you are willing to pay complete that deal then see if they will buy your Mustang outright. If not go back to one of the dealers that would and sell it to them.

I can't say I'd be optimistic about it working out, but if you really want that particular car playing hardball is probably the only way to get the deal done. Good luck.

Are you far enough away that you could do this like a long distance purchase to be shipped? If they want your money, they can overnight paperwork to you. You just go in to pick up keys.