Just remember, there are several dozen LSs coming up for auction every week. A business is not going to pay more than they have to for inventory and they will try to sell it for top dollar...

The offer to buy "high demand" cars from customers is used in every BMW and Lexus dealer I have ever visited. They still are not very likely to give you more than what they can get it for elsewhere (and their first offer will be lower). This marketing truly is only to generate foot traffic into the show room. And they weren't saying yours is worth less... they know yours is worth more, but they are not in the business of trading similar cars at retail prices. Remember, the typical NEW Lexus buyer walks in and rarely haggles on price, accepts trade in on their current Lexus and drives away happy, enjoying their new ride. They also are less likely to frequent boards like this, looking for ways to save money.

 

Honestly? For the CPO warranty, and tan interior, (could care less about the 7K milage difference) I would have paid $3 to $4,000.00 tops + TTT, and no more. I think that is more than generous. Three weeks salary to have the car I exactly wanted? I would have done the deal. Provided the windshield, trunk dent and door ding fixed as well. We are talking apples to apples, just a different interior color. But $8500.00? (their final offer), er.... NO.

Further, they could have CPO'd my car and sold it at a fat profit, and not had to spend money to fix all the stuff like on their car that I wanted to buy. Everyone wins.

I am still unclear as to if representing this car as a CPO car, without fixing the damage before being out on the lot for sale, was against Lexus's Corporate policy, and the dealer was using dishonest practices. Hear me out: They tell me it's a CPO car, it has two major damage issues, and one minor one. They sell me the car. They then do whatever they do to certify these cars for the CPO program, fix the damage, and it fails. So now I paid extra money for a CPO car that is not. See what I am thinking? Again, how can you represent a car as a CPO car with unfixed damage, and god know what else???? Someone please explain. What am I missing??

 

If they sell it as a CPO, and it has the paperwork, then it is a CPO... the CPO is all about the warranty. If a CPO car car fails, then you get it fixed for free until the CPO expires. That is the major difference between a CPO and a non-CPO car. You can actually ask a dealer to not include the CPO on a car they are advertising as such and get about a $2K discount. BTW, most CPO cars required a LOT of touching up at the dealer, between door dings, rock chips, and curb rash.

 

Besides the CPO warranty, Lexus (on their tv commercial) advertises a CPO as 'not quite new, not quite used.' Having a cracked windshield and dents is definitely not up to the standards that lexus advertises. I also noticed some dealers selling vehicles that have been involved in reportable accidents. If the car is truly 'almost new,' it should be pretty much mint...no dents in the doors, minimal/no rock chips, immaculate interior, crystal clear headlight lenses, etc.

 

Dealers trade at wholesale and sell at retail - always a painful experience. A 3 to 4K spread is unlikely on a trade. As prior poster mentioned, about all you can do is retail yours and purchase theirs with cash. Then I would estimate you may still be 3 to 4K apart for a CPO......

 

those letters are BS (everybody gets them) and CPO does cost $$$ and add value. granted not everything was done, but they promised to have everything fixed. this type deal is expected (if you are a experienced buyer, this should come as no surprise), dont get offended. Besides you are not buying a car, you are trading a car... If you had them drop the CPO, probably could narrow the gap to approx 6,000 difference, maybe. anyhow, chill out and it's not worth your time and energy to complain to Lexus Corp!

 

I've read all of this thread and I have to say I can completely see something like this happening at this dealer. MAYBE it would have happened at any or all Lexus dealers; I don't know. I do know however that after a long recent search for a quality LS430, I probably would never buy a pre-owned there because, A) I didn't think their pre-owned selection was very high-quality although I looked at several of them, and, B) the sales staff didn't give me a very comfortable feeling when trying to deal with them. I haven't seen your car, but they probably would have been better off by taking your deal that you described, and so would the subsequent customer who would have bought your car! They could have made their sale and their money faster too, and more of it, so I agree. I feel pretty good about their service department and I like them, but I don't know anymore about buying a car there.

 

I get these mailings all the time from local domestic dealers - often for cars that I haven't owned for years. (Same with the extended warranty offers.) Because the OP was shopping for a used car that was comparable to his trade, he was offered a double financial whammy - a low trade for his car and a high price for the inferior replacement. The real goal for these letters is to get you into the dealership and have you get so excited about getting a new car like a LS460 that you won't complain that the trade-in value is low.

The funny part is that there really is a used car shortage according to the publication Automotive News. I saw an ad for a recent webinar on the subject for dealers that they hosted. The prolonged period of slow new car sales and cash for clunkers are starving the market for both late model and low end used cars. Couple that with more people buying used vehicles because of their fear of the economy and the lack of low cost leases. I suspect these are the reasons that used car prices here in the midwest haven't had the traditional winter drop.

 

Used cars can be an excellent value. I bought my 2006 LS 430 for approx 22k less than it originally sold new at retail. I bought it CPO, mint and with 14k miles on it. Means the original owner paid apprx $22K to drive the car for 14K miles. With new LS 460s going for $70-100k and mint used LS was a no brainer.

 

If this is the vehicle you really want, just keep working them. I just bought mine from them. Granted I'm in the used car business. I was also very dissapointed in the sales service. It took me several weeks to get them down to a realistic price. They did eventually come off $3500 from their asking price. (internet sales lady was really rude and asked to speak with someone else) When I came in to look at it the sales person did not know his stuff. He told me my 01 had the 6 speed trans. When he told me that, I politely told him that I knew more about the vehicle than he did and not to say anything else. When I went to pick up the car(left a $1000 deposit over the phone the day before) I told them I would be in a hurry and needed to have everything ready when I showed up the next day at X time. Salesman was late and it took over 2 hours when they were SLOW! I was pissed off when I left. I will not be doing business with this dealership ever again.

 

There is no such thing as not unethical when you knowingly lie to a customer, smile in there face say how much you like them and mislead them. Im with the post starter 1000%. I respect those who disagree with me and the post starter but, he was LIED to hands down. I own 3 businesses and don't practice money making with LIES! Scratch a lie find a thief!!!! A LIER will steal and the next level kill. Certified-Pre Owned is a A plus selling point for the Lexus brand. It stands for quality and Lexus is a Luxury brand. To say they need to or should lie for a buck is horrible to any who disagree!!

They can lose customers for one and make customers go to Benz or BMW just to spite Lexus because of the bad experience they had!! I can't imagine a quality dealer that sells luxury cars resorting to lies to make a couple grand!! CPO? Are you kidding me? The post starter is 1000000000% correct and those who disagree and say its business your telling on yourself as far as what type of business you may/would do!! I got your back post starter ATL. L.G.N.M

 

I'm with ya too ATL.......$3000 +++ is more than reasonable to expect with the differences in the two. I actually think it's a bit high becasue basically your telling them you will give them $3600(their doc fee, 100% profit is $599) for the exact same car that they can turn around and sell for more money. The could make double the profit. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

QFT

I think that for someone to expect that a dealer is going to see the wisdom of improving his inventory is fallacious thinking. They are only looking at a win/lose situation...and unless they win there will be no transaction.

 

That's what I thought, I guess I was being too logical. Their loss, screw them.


MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE !!!

David

 

Thanks for the support, really. I will just keep my car and be happy. but the tan interior would have been nice, but my car is not cracked and dented, and that beats a tan interior.