Lexus just ruined it for me
12-22-14, 04:56 PM
#61
Lexus Test Driver
12-22-14, 05:37 PM
#62
Lexus Test Driver
A one-sided story is half truth - to find the complete truth one needs to discover both sides. You do not have the luxury of providing the other side.
Last edited by bclexus; 12-22-14 at 06:01 PM.
12-22-14, 06:50 PM
#63
Lexus Fanatic
Actually the miles driven while being a demo eats up the manufacturer's warranty (even if the car was not titled), lets say the customer bought a demo with 7K miles so the customer would have 43K miles of the remaining warranty left. I don't see here an advantage as far as the warranty is concerned.
I would have walked away as well if GM asked me this kinda question (what I expect from a used car). GM needs to learn how behave properly. There are plenty of Lexus dealerships that can and will accommodate my needs here in Bay Area.
12-22-14, 09:14 PM
#65
As far as I can tell the OP negotiated a deal, went to pick up the car, wasn't happy and walked out the door. As far as I can tell that is all that happened. Not sure why this is worth pages...
03-10-15, 07:30 AM
#66
The car was never titled. The whole 'great deal' charade was played out comparing the price of this demo vs a new car. The warranty was new car like, except for the mileage already on the car- about 6000 kms. The delivery coordinator got it all. It was the sales manager who transformed this into a used car. Which meant I lost the warranty, rock chip fixes and basically the idea of getting a 'new car.'
Then why did they give me an invoice for a new car?
If the sales manager recognizes this as a used car, it should be sold as a used car. No need to lie so blatantly.
That's what made me really angry- the stereotypical used car sales behavior at a Lexus dealership.
For other dealerships, I'm sure my love for a shiny new thing will be strong enough that I'll be able to get into another dealership soon.
Then why did they give me an invoice for a new car?
If the sales manager recognizes this as a used car, it should be sold as a used car. No need to lie so blatantly.
That's what made me really angry- the stereotypical used car sales behavior at a Lexus dealership.
For other dealerships, I'm sure my love for a shiny new thing will be strong enough that I'll be able to get into another dealership soon.
03-10-15, 04:06 PM
#67
I've been participating in the discussion in a different thread, and earlier this morning, this thread came up as a "similar" thread. At this point, I have read the entire thing.
I will not rehash what has been covered at length, whether the OP exacerbated the situation with his behavior, etc.
What I will say, however, is that the "you're buying a used car" line, on the part of dealers, is one of the most overused lines and lamest excuses for mediocrity and poor attention to detail that I have heard. I have always felt this way but became more sensitive to this after shopping for my 600 last summer.
Let me elaborate...
When it comes to condition, I think that the meaning of "used car" should be commensurate with the age and price of the vehicle. This may seem obvious to most, but it doesn't seem to be playing out this way in this discussion. If you are buying a car with 75k miles that is priced at $18k, the situation is very different than if you are buying one with 10k miles at $50k, and the kinds of things a seller *should* arguably fix preemptively are different.
For instance, last summer I considered three 600hLs for purchase, two of which I saw in person. All three were at Lexus dealerships.
The first was a 2011 with 14k miles. It was slightly underpriced and, overall, in great condition. However, it had a few minor issues. When I raised them, the dealer was more than accommodating. Unfortunately, the low-balling on the trade-in was way too much, and thus I had to pass. Excellent attitude on the part of the dealership, and immediate recognition that some things needed attention.
The second was a 2012 with 22k miles. It was grossly overpriced, and despite being told that it was in excellent condition, this was not the case. Some wear and tear is acceptable, but an easy-to-pop door ding, myriad chips and repainted bumpers with a poor color match, among other things, are simply unacceptable for this particular car.
Care to guess what the salesman's response was to my comments? "It's a used car!".
I should add that this was, by far, the sleaziest dealership I've ever attempted to do business with (Lexus and otherwise). In addition to their totally nonchalant attitude, they were quite dishonest throughout the process. Like I told the GSM (also a real "gem", like the salesman), I wasn't expecting perfection, but you ought to put your best foot forward, and low-hanging-fruit issues like these (not to mention the steering shimmy I felt as I drove the car) are unnecessary distractions. FWIW, that car has been for sale since May of last year, and it still sits, reduced by $15k, but still absurdly overpriced.
The third car is the one I bought. I never saw it, and it was, overall, in great shape but not free of issues. Guess what? The dealership also bent over backwards to (1) disclose issues remotely and (2) to make me happy.
The moral of the story is that, irrespective of how the OP handled himself (which BTW, I see little-to-nothing wrong with what he did, provided that he didn't yell at or disrespect anyone), certain things should be a given if (1) you (i.e., the dealer) have any sort of standards and take pride in your work and (2) more so, if we are talking about a car of this caliber.
Should the car be returned to pristine, showroom condition? Of course not. And if you ask for a full repaint (or something to that effect), this is when you should be reminded that you're buying a used car. Should, at this low mileage, vehicle age and price point, scratches be buffed out (as much as possible) and the car be clean (i.e., at a bare minimum, with no stains on the weatherstripping, for crying out loud)? You bet, especially when the whole point of buying a demo (as opposed to a loaner) is to buy "quasi-new" at a discount. It's all supposed to be part of the experience (or so we are led to believe by most dealerships, anyway).
No matter what, this sounds to me like **** poor work quality and a gross lack of professionalism on the part of the manager. The delivery coordinator, on the other hand, sounds like she could teach the manager a thing or two about how to treat a customer.
Personally, while I handle this sort of situation fairly calmly (heck, I didn't even lose it with the idiots selling car #2, despite their egregious behavior - that's what DealerRater is for), this wouldn't take away the disappointment at what, once again, to me are obvious things (and should be so to a Lexus dealer). I've done more in the form of detailing and prep for a private sale of a used car than it sounds like these folks did. Come on...
I will not rehash what has been covered at length, whether the OP exacerbated the situation with his behavior, etc.
What I will say, however, is that the "you're buying a used car" line, on the part of dealers, is one of the most overused lines and lamest excuses for mediocrity and poor attention to detail that I have heard. I have always felt this way but became more sensitive to this after shopping for my 600 last summer.
Let me elaborate...
When it comes to condition, I think that the meaning of "used car" should be commensurate with the age and price of the vehicle. This may seem obvious to most, but it doesn't seem to be playing out this way in this discussion. If you are buying a car with 75k miles that is priced at $18k, the situation is very different than if you are buying one with 10k miles at $50k, and the kinds of things a seller *should* arguably fix preemptively are different.
For instance, last summer I considered three 600hLs for purchase, two of which I saw in person. All three were at Lexus dealerships.
The first was a 2011 with 14k miles. It was slightly underpriced and, overall, in great condition. However, it had a few minor issues. When I raised them, the dealer was more than accommodating. Unfortunately, the low-balling on the trade-in was way too much, and thus I had to pass. Excellent attitude on the part of the dealership, and immediate recognition that some things needed attention.
The second was a 2012 with 22k miles. It was grossly overpriced, and despite being told that it was in excellent condition, this was not the case. Some wear and tear is acceptable, but an easy-to-pop door ding, myriad chips and repainted bumpers with a poor color match, among other things, are simply unacceptable for this particular car.
Care to guess what the salesman's response was to my comments? "It's a used car!".
I should add that this was, by far, the sleaziest dealership I've ever attempted to do business with (Lexus and otherwise). In addition to their totally nonchalant attitude, they were quite dishonest throughout the process. Like I told the GSM (also a real "gem", like the salesman), I wasn't expecting perfection, but you ought to put your best foot forward, and low-hanging-fruit issues like these (not to mention the steering shimmy I felt as I drove the car) are unnecessary distractions. FWIW, that car has been for sale since May of last year, and it still sits, reduced by $15k, but still absurdly overpriced.
The third car is the one I bought. I never saw it, and it was, overall, in great shape but not free of issues. Guess what? The dealership also bent over backwards to (1) disclose issues remotely and (2) to make me happy.
The moral of the story is that, irrespective of how the OP handled himself (which BTW, I see little-to-nothing wrong with what he did, provided that he didn't yell at or disrespect anyone), certain things should be a given if (1) you (i.e., the dealer) have any sort of standards and take pride in your work and (2) more so, if we are talking about a car of this caliber.
Should the car be returned to pristine, showroom condition? Of course not. And if you ask for a full repaint (or something to that effect), this is when you should be reminded that you're buying a used car. Should, at this low mileage, vehicle age and price point, scratches be buffed out (as much as possible) and the car be clean (i.e., at a bare minimum, with no stains on the weatherstripping, for crying out loud)? You bet, especially when the whole point of buying a demo (as opposed to a loaner) is to buy "quasi-new" at a discount. It's all supposed to be part of the experience (or so we are led to believe by most dealerships, anyway).
No matter what, this sounds to me like **** poor work quality and a gross lack of professionalism on the part of the manager. The delivery coordinator, on the other hand, sounds like she could teach the manager a thing or two about how to treat a customer.
Personally, while I handle this sort of situation fairly calmly (heck, I didn't even lose it with the idiots selling car #2, despite their egregious behavior - that's what DealerRater is for), this wouldn't take away the disappointment at what, once again, to me are obvious things (and should be so to a Lexus dealer). I've done more in the form of detailing and prep for a private sale of a used car than it sounds like these folks did. Come on...
Last edited by caha14; 03-10-15 at 04:17 PM.
03-10-15, 04:21 PM
#69
Separate discussion.
03-10-15, 04:27 PM
#70
Lead Lap
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