How does this make any sense? (Dealer rant inside)

The other night, a friend of mine who is a salesman at a local dealership notified me that they'd just taken a car in on trade. He only mentioned it in passing, but due to the nature of said vehicle, I told him I wanted it, and I would be on site with cash in hand presently, assuming that it didn't suffer from Minnesota import bloat. Upon asking him what it could be obtained for, he told me that it would probably go for whatever it would fetch at auction. Now, knowing what I know about auctions, this thing will get well under a grand. No one wants to mess with one like this. HOWEVER, it's right up my alley. So I told him to get a number on it, and get back to me ASAP.

Here's where it gets annoying. I've HAD a dealer license before. I let it lapse some years ago because all I was really using it for was to go to Manheim and kill time on Wednesdays. Then I got a real job. So I know the ins and outs of dealer law here pretty well. ANYWAYS-

Friend gets back to me. Tells me that it's a highly unusual situation and that they don't generally sell cars like this because they only do CPO's under 87k, and this one has 156k on it. Barely broken in, I says. I tell him to go to the boss anyhow, and get a number. Comes back to me, and tells me

THEYRE GOING TO CRUSH IT. What the actual jesus tapdancing christ on a double decker bicycle berkeley? I have cash, in my hand. My wife WANTS me to go get this car. I know dealer law well enough to know that they can't be held liable for this damn thing any longer than 30 days, and I know damn well it will outlive my kid, if tinworm doesn't finish it off. They will get 200$ TOPS at the scrappy. E36 M3 i'll give em 300$ and pay title fees myself. I've done em enough times, I can probably do their paperwork faster than they can.

The bosses reasoning? He doesn't want their name getting out on this car. PLEASE. Don't put a berkeleying sticker on it that says your dealership. I sure as hell ain't gonna tell anyone how I got this thing- they're going to expect me to replicate the deal. And while I could PROBABLY replicate the deal (This would be the third time I've done it) I wouldn't do it, cause goddammit, I'm hoarding these things for myself.

Normally stuff the Stealership doesn't want to represent gets pushed through the auction.

He takes the financial loss, you get to bad mouth him.

That's fair ....

Show up with cash, have your buddy introduce you to the used car manager, and make sure that he makes it clear that you've been in the business, and know what you are getting into.

What kind of fantastic dream machine is this that we're talking about anyway?

What kind of car? Just curious.

Only one car could elicit such strong emotions to either crush it or throw modest sums of money at it...It must be a Kia Rondo

It has to be,

Dun, dun, daaaa!

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/mndsms-new-toyolla/91236/page1/

Can you write a document stipulating it is in non-running condition, or something, so the30 day warranty does not apply?

Could you get them to sell it to a scrapper and have the scrapper sell it to you "as is"?

DeadSkunk wrote: Could you get them to sell it to a scrapper and have the scrapper sell it to you "as is"?

Nope, because the title would go to the state as a "junk" title, and I'd never be able to get another one.

For those interested, it's another corolla wagon. This time, a manual.

Datsun1500 wrote:

Duke wrote: Can you write a document stipulating it is in non-running condition, or something, so the30 day warranty does not apply?

Not in MN. There are 12 States that do not allow as/is car sales. They are called implied warranty States. Even if you sign something saying it has no warranty at all, the dealer has to fix it if it breaks.

Yeah, the ONLY way I could pull this stunt off is if by some miracle the dealer A- hasn't signed the title yet, B- they turn it over to me unsigned, C- I convince the PO that I bought it directly from the dealer, assuming they even let me know who PO was and D- got PO to get a dupe title and sign it to me instead. I'd have to pay the dealer whatever they paid PO the car (which i'm sure is a pittance, but still.....) and whatever "convenience" fees (read grease money) it would take to make this all happen. Otherwise, I have to convince the dealership to do something they don't normally do. If I still had my wholesaler license, I could just figure out when it was going to hit the block and attempt to snipe it- but I don't.

Do you still have anyone you know with a dealer license who you could talk into taking you with him to purchase it at auction?

Could you work out a deal to purchase the car and also pay the dealer a bit more to store it on their back lot for the 30-day duration of the warranty?

that's a decent thought. Tell them you will even pay storage fees

JamesMcD wrote: Could you work out a deal to purchase the car and also pay the dealer a bit more to store it on their back lot for the 30-day duration of the warranty?

This has potential. I had not considered that. I'd be perfectly ok with it out of sight for a month, it would give me time to shuffle inventory at the complex. IDK if they have the space, but there's one way to find out.

yamaha wrote: Do you still have anyone you know with a dealer license who you could talk into taking you with him to purchase it at auction?

I do- but I hate them. Long story.

Ask him if they would sell it to you for a dollar and give him an envelope with the $299 in it. That way... they are only liable for the dollar. Or buy it off the scrapper when it arrives. Give him his money back and add $100.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Ask him if they would sell it to you for a dollar and give him an envelope with the $299 in it. That way... they are only liable for the dollar. Or buy it off the scrapper when it arrives. Give him his money back and add $100.

Yeah, I'm not giving up yet.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Ask him if they would sell it to you for a dollar and give him an envelope with the $299 in it. That way... they are only liable for the dollar. Or buy it off the scrapper when it arrives. Give him his money back and add $100.

the problem with waiting for the scrapper is that the dealer will probably be the one that sends the title into the state as scrap..

"Hi, I'm the new scrapper. Got any cars you need taken away?"

Datsun1500 wrote: They can sell it to an out of State buyer as/is. Got any friends/relatives in a neighboring State?

Funny- my dealer buddy is actually a resident of Hudson Wisconsin...........

Walser?

Got nothing to add except I'm glad I don't live in one of these 'implied warranty' states. From what I recall, in Kalifornia a PRIVATE PARTY! has to agree to refund a buyer's purchase price for 30 days if there is a 'material defect', can't sell a car 'as is' unless it won't pass emissions and thus can't be legally operated.

mtn wrote: Walser?

Nope, I got homies at Walser, I would have it already. I'm not gonna put anyone on blast- this deal may work itself out yet.

Noooo, you have to save Miyuki's sister!

Stupid question, but could you pay for it and stash it somewhere agreeable for 30 days until the implied warranty runs out?

EDIT. Just saw this basically mentioned above.