MDames2

iTrader: (1)

I had a 2007 ES350, Premium Plus package with NAV, purchased new in 11/2006. It was in a serious accident in 2009. The front end damage was $13,000+ to repair. The air bag did not deploy. Although there was no frame damage, there was damage to some of the areas that connect to the frame. I drove the car for another 3.5 years. It looked like new and drove perfectly. I traded it in last October (2012) for a RX350. After negotiating the price on the RX, I was able to get $16K for the ES. I did not take a hit on the value.

jcat_350

you do know that is just how the business works, correct?

If you're not making at least 2k on every car you sell, most dealerships can't afford to keep their lights on, so to speak.

ThumperPup

i have a friend in cleveland who owned R&R motors a use car lot he sold it a few years ago he told me that yeah if he wasn't makeing atleast 1000 to 1500 profite per car then he was in trouble because he would get cars from the auction and then he always priced a car 3000 above what he paid for it
and would bargiant down half of that

dealers are shady all in all
the point is i knew that if i got 16k for mine they would put it out on a lot with 54k on it for about 20k and then take the first 17 or 18 that walked threw the door
plus they are makeing money on the new car i would buy
i don't mind them makeing enough to keep there doors open but when someone is trying to get rich off me no then i mind

some dealers are called stealerships for a reason

it's because they rip you off in the service deparment a majority of the time i alreayd am lucky i found a dealer with a good service deparment guy that helps me out when even i need it hes nice and doesn't rip me off or tell me i need something when i don't

how ever that same dealership would tell me it cost them money when they sell a extended service contract when in reality they are makeing money off me and they also are makeing more money off you when they get you finance for a car they don't tell you about all this
so if the dealer is going to sell my car for 20 then take the first 18 that comes in the door then if they are getting it Financed
they will then make atleast 500-1000 of that deal
the sales reps don't always know this but the finance managers do

then they are making more off me

lgb0250

And your point is? Because a dealer makes money off of you doesn't mean he's ripping you off. He charges and you agree to pay! Does that mean he's ripping you off? If it did that would probably mean that you were a willing accomplice IMO.

I think it's hilarious to hear people bad mouth dealers when other things that have a much higher mark up don't faze them! People will walk into a bar on a hot day and buy a beer and pay more than three/four times the bars cost and happily say "I'll have another".

I could go on and on but the fact is, they make a ton of money! They pay out a ton of expenses also, but not nearly as much as they bring in. That's how we are now seeing all of these "mega" dealers.

They are entitled to make whatever profit they can but that doesn't make them crooks. If they were in fact crook,s I don't think anyone with any common sense would be buying from them, would they. If they did, what does that say about them?

ThumperPup

if a dealer where to get one on me like that then yes i can only blame myself but i feel bad for the ones who are easy push overs or don't understand or not informed or in a desprate need for a car at that moment and easy to be taken advantage of

Im saying every time i have ever gone to a dealer to buy a car it's only because i can get a car
that i know is good and safe and also walk out with a realiable warranty
and not a corner lot unkown

but also every time i have gone they try to low ball me on value once i was stupid enough to take there offer on a 1998 Lincoln Continental at the time they offered me 3900 for the trade in
i took it then they had it on the lot a day latter detailed washed and ready for sale at a price of 9800
after that it never happened again

lgb0250

Unfortunately, anytime you have salespeople getting paid on a commission basis only, you are going to have these types of things happen. That's why some retailers such as Best Buy, have done away with commissioned salespeople. They were always trying to get you to buy the accessories from them since they were getting paid on them.

Auto service writers and salespeople are paid a commission on every transaction. For the salesperson that's usually all they get paid. For the service writer, they are usually paid on a base plus commission basis. Now places like Carmax pay their personnel nothing but a salary and a flat rate so you don't get the old hide and seek but you will definitely will pay more to purchase a vehicle from them than you will by negotiating with a dealer. The only thing that keeps them in business IMO is people's aversion to negotiating with a dealer.

With the advent of the Internet, a lot of this has went away. If someone is uninformed its only their fault IMO.

What it all boils down to is "buyer beware".

ThumperPup

i agree with you to a specific extent on this
car max i have friends who have been there tell me all the time there is no way to work out dealers they don't bargain it's because they don't have the power to they get paid salary and they just won't bargain
1 reason i won't go to car max

another thing is even with the internet there are some who still have trouble and it's not their own fault that and if they get taken for a ride because of some shady sale person who takes advantage of another because the opportunity arises
still that shady rip off of a sale person will get his day in judment one day
he or she will be judged when the time comes

and it just sucks that there are those who will take advantage when they see the opportunity of those who don't know

garsarno

If you have a repaired car and want to trade it in at a dealer, its their responsibility to appraise it the way it is. If their appraiser cannot detect a repaired vehicle or find the info on carfax that it was repaired, then it is too bad. I'm sure that of you were to buy the car off their lot, they would not volunteer that information to you.