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Dealers(GM) Never Learn and Amaze Me

W

wwr

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I have an'05 Coupe that listed for $55,000 plus tax ,etc. I got it from a reliable owner after he traded. He gets a new one every year and he keeps them perfect as a person can. The car has 14,090 miles on it and it had 11 something when I got it last March. Today a guy I've bought lots of cars from before I discovered Toyota and Honda. When I retired at 55.I I wanted my toy so I bought and '04 and now an '05. So I was happy but wary of quality. I love my car and have put very few miles on it as you do the math. Today he said he'd price me an'07 like I want. We didn't get the EXACT numbers but with the auto on the wheel and the increase I'm sure this car listed for more than 55. He said he'd give me $37,000 for my car and I'd pay the difference about $18,000.$37,000 plus $18,000 comes out to.....ta da 55. In other words STICKER or more. Remember when people paid $5-10 thousand over sticker for these cars. What a joke. This engineering marvel loses $10,000 a year almost. I think I'll wait . Would You ? Look A Z CAR LOSES THAT MUCH!

I know this is sacrilege but I might just wait for the new Supra! At least they don't have ONStar stuck on them. Have a problem with OnStar? Call and ask for technical support without a subscription and go to their web site and read their agreement you must sign.

Signed,
DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT SURPRISED.

WALTER
 
So whats your point?

Do you think any mass market car is an investment?

And as for losing 10 grand a year, you are comparing the sticker price of a new car to what a dealer would offer you a year or so down the road. Not exactly the best barometer of value.

My 99 is still worth more than 50% of purchase price 8 model years later.

Enjoy your Supra, I like Toyotas too.
 
I'm sure that you could do better if you wanted to. I know you can talk up the trade in value or, if you've got time, sell on the open market for a much better price.

Then go in and buy what you want.

BTW, from my (limited) experience it's always best to work out what the new car will cost without muddying the waters in any way. Don't talk financing, payment plans, down payments, trade-ins or anything until you've settled on a specific car for a specific price. Once you've got that locked in stone the rest is just a negotiation to keep the other variables as high (trade in) or as low (interest rate/payments) as possible.

Dealers are in business to make as much money as possible. Buyers are there to prevent that as much as possible. Keep each stage of the deal as simple as possible to prevent the dealer from playing games to trick you. ;)
 
Thanks for the advice.

I've been buying cars since I was 19 and was raised at my neighbors chevy dealership, Warren. I know how to buy a car. The cool-aid must be too strong where you get your thinking. I looked at KERBECK'S SITE AND They DISCOUNTED ON THE SAME CARS, UP TO $7000 OFF THE STICKER. YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE POST. THE LOCAL GUY STILL THINKS HE CAN GET STICKER ON THESE CARS WHEN OTHER DEALERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR SELLING STRATEGY. CORVETTES ARE NOT THE HOLY GRAIL.

WHETHER YOUR OR ANY CAR IS WORTH 50% OF ITS VALUE 8 years later MAKES NO DIFFERENCE THAt's what somebook said. LOOk AROUND AND SEE WHAT OTHJER FOLKS ARE DOING. THAT OLD BICKERING BACK AND FORTH IS 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY SELLING. DON'T GET ME WRONG I am a corvette man beleive me, BUT STICKER 3 YEARS LATER WITH NOT MUCH OF AN IMPROVEMENT AND TO BOOT STICKER ON ANYTHING IS RIDICULOUS. They don't even sell. I paid $ 500 over cost on my first one.They got it on Wednesday and Thanksgiving I was driving.GM JUST HASN'T LEARNED. The numbers tell the story. It took almost 2 years to get back into a Corvette.There's one out there and I will find one I'm sure. I just don't think you start dealing at sticker. I have bougHt cars before and there will be one out there for me/ Just look at the depreciation and remember I will enjoymy Supra when and if they make one. Maybe you can help me find a Corvette sometimes if they make one.

Thanks,
walter
 
I've been buying cars since I was 19 and was raised at my neighbors chevy dealership, Warren. I know how to buy a car. The cool-aid must be too strong where you get your thinking. I looked at KERBECK'S SITE AND They DISCOUNTED ON THE SAME CARS, UP TO $7000 OFF THE STICKER. YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE POST. THE LOCAL GUY STILL THINKS HE CAN GET STICKER ON THESE CARS WHEN OTHER DEALERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR SELLING STRATEGY. CORVETTES ARE NOT THE HOLY GRAIL.

Walter – I still don’t get your point – if there is one. First you stated your dealer wants sticker for a new car and that ****es you off, and your post is titled Dealers(GM) Never Learn and Amaze Me. THEN you[/B] [/B]state Kerbeck gives a $7000 discount. So whats the problem? Just go to another dealer, like Kerbeck. I guess all your car buying experience overlooked that small part of the process called shopping around. I guess being raised at the Chevy dealer doesn’t get you any price break and that’s the problem.

WHETHER YOUR OR ANY CAR IS WORTH 50% OF ITS VALUE 8 years later MAKES NO DIFFERENCE THAt's what somebook said. LOOk AROUND AND SEE WHAT OTHJER FOLKS ARE DOING.

I was offered $24k by a private individual and 22K by a dealer (In August of 06) for my 99 with 26k miles on it. The sticker was $42K new and it was sold new for $37.5. So much for your “Looses 10k a year”

THAT OLD BICKERING BACK AND FORTH IS 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY SELLING


Really? That’s the way cars are sold in my little town (New York City). I guess things are a lot more progressive in you neck of the woods. I was able to “bicker” down the price of my 07 Camry.
,
BUT STICKER 3 YEARS LATER WITH NOT MUCH OF AN IMPROVEMENT AND TO BOOT STICKER ON ANYTHING IS RIDICULOUS. They don't even sell. I paid $ 500 over cost on my first one.They got it on Wednesday and Thanksgiving I was driving.GM JUST HASN'T LEARNED. The numbers tell the story. It took almost 2 years to get back into a Corvette.There's one out there and I will find one I'm sure. I just don't think you start dealing at sticker.

Soo – you “were raised at your neighbors chevy dealer” and you still dont know that’s how the game is played? You still don’t know it not GM that sets the ultimate deal price and selling policy? Its each individual dealership. I guess you would start selling the cars at your dealership just a little over cost.


 
I kinow enough and you missed the point

I've been buying cars since I was 19 and was raised at my neighbors chevy dealership, Warren. I know how to buy a car. The cool-aid must be too strong where you get your thinking. I looked at KERBECK'S SITE AND They DISCOUNTED ON THE SAME CARS, UP TO $7000 OFF THE STICKER. YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE POST. THE LOCAL GUY STILL THINKS HE CAN GET STICKER ON THESE CARS WHEN OTHER DEALERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR SELLING STRATEGY. CORVETTES ARE NOT THE HOLY GRAIL.

Walter – I still don’t get your point – if there is one. First you stated your dealer wants sticker for a new car and that ****es you off, and your post is titled Dealers(GM) Never Learn and Amaze Me. THEN you[/b][/b]state Kerbeck gives a $7000 discount. So whats the problem? Just go to another dealer, like Kerbeck. I guess all your car buying experience overlooked that small part of the process called shopping around. I guess being raised at the Chevy dealer doesn’t get you any price break and that’s the problem.

WHETHER YOUR OR ANY CAR IS WORTH 50% OF ITS VALUE 8 years later MAKES NO DIFFERENCE THAt's what somebook said. LOOk AROUND AND SEE WHAT OTHJER FOLKS ARE DOING.

I was offered $24k by a private individual and 22K by a dealer (In August of 06) for my 99 with 26k miles on it. The sticker was $42K new and it was sold new for $37.5. So much for your “Looses 10k a year”

THAT OLD BICKERING BACK AND FORTH IS 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY SELLING


Really? That’s the way cars are sold in my little town (New York City). I guess things are a lot more progressive in you neck of the woods. I was able to “bicker” down the price of my 07 Camry.
,
BUT STICKER 3 YEARS LATER WITH NOT MUCH OF AN IMPROVEMENT AND TO BOOT STICKER ON ANYTHING IS RIDICULOUS. They don't even sell. I paid $ 500 over cost on my first one.They got it on Wednesday and Thanksgiving I was driving.GM JUST HASN'T LEARNED. The numbers tell the story. It took almost 2 years to get back into a Corvette.There's one out there and I will find one I'm sure. I just don't think you start dealing at sticker.

Soo – you “were raised at your neighbors chevy dealer” and you still dont know that’s how the game is played? You still don’t know it not GM that sets the ultimate deal price and selling policy? Its each individual dealership. I guess you would start selling the cars at your dealership just a little over cost.


SO YOU GET A STAR!
IF YOUR LIFE NEEDS THE BICKERING BACK AND FORTH GOOD, WHAT'S THE POINT
THEY'RE '06s and '07s on the lots and they ask the same for both models.Its nice to tell me UH GO TO ANOTHER DEALER. REALLY. YOU SHOULD WRITE A BOOK. IT'S THE CULTURE LIKE ONCE IT WAS THE ECONONMY ! YES CAPITALISM IS GREAT BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE HOPE DIAMOND THERE YOU KNOW? I SHOULD KNOW I've had 5 of them. 2 in eleven months. WHO'S GOING TO BE #1 IN THE CAR BUSINESS IN A YEAR OR 2? WHO WAS #1.

THAT'S MY POINT. AGAIN IT'S THE CULTURE OF THESE FOLKS BUSINESS THJAT'S DOESN'T CHANGE. WRITE A LIST OF THE CARS AND DIVISIONS THAT ARE GONE FROM GM. Try that and start with almost evrty car yopu wanted as boy and as an older person. With all that bargaining power and knowledge you have you'd better but 2 0r 3 corvettes cause they may be gone sooner than you think.Remember they had to hide this model we drive or it would have been dropped. read"All Corvettes are Red"

Good luck bickering and phoning, and looking and arguing and finally getting your next 'Vette" and eventually paying THEIR price.

THAKS FOR THE DISCUSSION

WALTER

EDIT: Points can be made without name calling, please. Thanks. Jane Ann
 
Perhaps this is a good time to post a reminder concerning the Corvette Action Center Rules of Conduct.

Read your post twice before hitting submit. If there’s any anger in it, don’t post it. Read it, keeping in mind you have an audience of people you respect and who respect you who are reading it.

Jane Ann
 
Names and rules

Sorry Moderator XR8 for getting out of line.


Guess you can read between the lines where my Vette's been this week.

Sincerley,
walter
 
Sorry to hear....

I am sorry to hear you that you feel let down by GM dealers. I have dealt with some great dealers in the past 5 years and avoided those that still practice "Old Time Car Sales". By the way that goes for both Domestic and non Domestic car makes. With my company I have bought 15 cars in the last 5 years, so I have seen it all. I own both Japanese and American cars and I can tell you that the Best Value for your Money is the C6 Corvette and the New Mustang GT. Hands down the best value for the money (I own 2 Mustang GT’s and 1Vette).

I bought a C6 2005 Daytona Orange for 55,000 and a year later sold it for 40,000 to buy a 65 Mustang 2+2 and a 67 Camaro. I missed the Corvette and yesterday went to my local dealer (Who will Deal) and was amazed to find out that I could buy a 07 fully loaded C6 Corvette at Invoice ...A 6,000 savings off MSRP. So I bought it on the spot.

Sometimes you make out great and other times you don't...It's the law of averages in life. Not GM dealers.

Hope this helps. Go out and get that vette that you want. You will feel a lot better in the end
 
I agreee

I am sorry to hear you that you feel let down by GM dealers. I have dealt with some great dealers in the past 5 years and avoided those that still practice "Old Time Car Sales". By the way that goes for both Domestic and non Domestic car makes. With my company I have bought 15 cars in the last 5 years, so I have seen it all. I own both Japanese and American cars and I can tell you that the Best Value for your Money is the C6 Corvette and the New Mustang GT. Hands down the best value for the money (I own 2 Mustang GT’s and 1Vette).

I bought a C6 2005 Daytona Orange for 55,000 and a year later sold it for 40,000 to buy a 65 Mustang 2+2 and a 67 Camaro. I missed the Corvette and yesterday went to my local dealer (Who will Deal) and was amazed to find out that I could buy a 07 fully loaded C6 Corvette at Invoice ...A 6,000 savings off MSRP. So I bought it on the spot.

Sometimes you make out great and other times you don't...It's the law of averages in life. Not GM dealers.

Hope this helps. Go out and get that vette that you want. You will feel a lot better in the end



My cousin owns a dealership(chevy). What gets me is the thinking "right now"
Let's get him now, never thinking I would be back for another one! Which I would if the first ecperience was good. I do own an '05. SO there. It's just the culture I guess. That culture is going to bury them I'm afraid.
wwr
 
I'm not sure if I would single out chevy dealers. About a year ago we when out looking to purchase a "family" van and one of those was a Honda. We showed up and started looking around the lot. The salesman walks up and starts showing us the van. I start talking price and he pointed at the sticker and said "there it is" We did not buy a Honda.
 
Dealers

I have had Subaru's, Volkswagens, Toyota's, Datsun's, & Porsche's, enjoyed them all; but the most fun I ever had at a dealership was when I bought my Corvette-the first American car I ever bought. Paid invoice, nice place, great looking women, hot coffee, and big clean competent service dept., and excellent service. Life is good, and I love my Vette.:w
 
Toyota dealers never ..

Figured I'd look at the new Toyota FJ "retro" to replace my wife's old 95 Saab (bought at Kerbeck), what a "sales pitch". :)

Gal comes out with a major league "rack" and a half and is showing lots of it. Her skirt is a wide belt and she loves bending over to show me things like the alu wheels. :drool:

What is going through her ..... er ... mind ... is here is an old guy who is gonna' get so "distracted" he will sign anything, race for the Viagra and then screw the pooch or rain barrel when I get done with him.

Wrong!

The terms as presented by Toyota are ..... I spec out the SJ I want and they order it. When it comes in they will call me and then come down and bid on the car I ordered. Soooooooooooo, I order the car and then get to bid for the car I've ordered and I have to bid against all of the other fools (even at other local dealers) for "my car"???

Nah! Ain't gonna happen. "Ms. Hooters" was shocked when I laughed at her and acted rejected.

Don't get me started on Toyota stories ... like the one where it took me two years to get a clear title from our other central NJ Toyota dealer .... they didn't understand why I was upset when my 4X4 truck was titled as a sedan with the wrong serial numbers .... and tried to blame it on me!

Or the notice they sent to my father in law urging him to change his timing belt at half of the factory mileage (there was no Toyota directive to do so).
 
?Dealers never learn?

I think the thread topic might just as well be "buyers never learn".
Cars like Corvettes are not just transportation, so they are bought for special reasons, and you might expect to pay a bit of a premium for them.

And guess what? New models are often highly sought after and they get price hikes that are temporary--supply catches up with demand. Not too surprising.
But man are they fun to drive! so I think if you like to drive, and can afford it, it's worth it.
Gersh
 
I've bought 2 '07 vettes within the past 6 months. The first one we ordered on the web without even seeing the dealer. The last one I just got last week.

I went to a local Chevy dealer in TN to look for a used vette that I could use as a daily driver. The wife was complaining about me wanting to drive "HER" car all the time. They wanted 36k for and '05 setting on the lot. I told him I had an '06 Chevy HHR I wanted to trade and that I only wanted to pay xxxx per month. He said he couldn't make that deal. He had an '02 that would be coming in on trade in a few weeks and he might be able to make that deal on the '02.

Then the dealer asked about selling me a new one would I be willing to lease.
I said I wasn't big on leases. I don't want to have to pay you another $3k in 2 years. He asked if he could work up some numbers for me. He came back a few minutes later and said I could get into this new '07 for only $50 per month more than I was wanting to pay for the used '05. I said, "what are the terms of this lease". He said, "no lease, you own it". I said OK!!!

Then I told him that the HHR was in MI and I wouldn't be able to get it until Easter. So I'll just bring the HHR back down to TN after Easter and we can work the deal then. The salesman says "no way, you are going to leave in this vette today, you just bring us the HHR after Easter". I couldn't believe he said that!

End the end, I agreed to drive up to MI and bring back the HHR this past weekend and the dealer paid for my gas to make the trip!

It just depends on the dealer and even the timing at the dealer. This dealer told my he needed to make this sale before the end of the month.

Conclusion... I was looking for a uses C5 or an '05 C6. Ended up with a new '07 with the 5 year / 100k warranty for only $50 per month more than the used one.

I just couldn't walk away from this deal. I drove the new Silver vette home a week a go.

Hecox
 

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