Experience with Internet Sales Managers

[Mark W]

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:25:51 -0600, Mark W

[snip]

Either way I plan to go back to the newer dealer today but I'm
wondering how I shoudl handle what happened. To me he has crossed the
line. I am wondering if I shoudl find out if there is any manager at
the dealer above him or even if I should go to Subaru and contact
them. Like I said I know how it is with pricing on cars and dealing
iwth some salespeople but to me with the manager acting this way it
went way too far. Any advice on how I shoudl handle this?

Why are you going back after the way they have acted?

BTW - can you tell us where this dealer is located without
revealing the actual dealership? This sounds too much like
the dealer I was working with in the
Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY area.

Actually the only reason I was is he was the lowest price but i agree
with you. I am better off dealing elsewhere. At this point I honestly
don't want to deal with him anymore and just want someone at Subaru to
know.I am sure I'll do far better elsewhere. I was careful about
revealing too many details for reasons of slander, etc. I can say
though the place is in the Western Half of the US

If you complain to Subaru, what are you going to say? That the dealer
promised you a lower price and then reneged? I imagine you are right,
that the dealer was just trying to get you to come back in, but I'm not
sure what the manager's game is in terms of later telling you he won't
sell the Forester to you. I agree, I wouldn't go back to that dealer
under any circumstances.

It isn't always about the lowest price. A few years ago when I bought
my Honda, we didn't go with the dealer who gave the lowest quote
because we were both pretty sure he was lowballing. It was just too out
of line with the quotes everyone else gave. And I'd already heard a
couple of stories of that dealer doing a bait and switch. It can be
worth a few hundred dollars not to waste your time with a dealer who
will say anything just to get you to come in to the dealership.
-yngver

That's a good point. Sometimes too low is too good to be true and
maybe he was lowballing. The other dealer I talked to said he can
match, just that he wants to see the quote in writing so I will see
what happens. I had told him that before this original dealer backed
out which I had no clue would happen.

 

[Mark W]

Well I have to post and say I had a great experience. I ended up
buying a 06 Subaru Forester LL Bean Edition. The color is evergreen.
I have to say this experience was totally different. Her quote was
higher than the original quote that turned out to be a scam. I did
give her the email with my original quote from the other dealer. I
knew she wouldn't match it but she did lower her price amazingly
close. I know you get what you pay for and even as she said, she sees
people writing her all the time with all these internet quotes and so
many are just too low. Then people end up going in and finding out
it's a scam or they add extras onto the car and say they can't take
them off and charge a lot extra for those. I do believe this is
common.
This lady was great though. We arrived and she did have the car up
front as she said. We went in to find her and she was very low
pressure, actually she was no pressure. She did ask if we wanted to
test drive it and put a plate on it. As well, when we got back she
went through the car, showing us a lot of the features. Then I went
inside to let her know I was interested and talked pricing. She did
give me her internet quote but then I gave her the other quote and as
well talked about that. She did come back the first time lowering
price some but then tacking a D&H cost on. I knew that was another way
of adding money but I told her I'd think about it and we took a walk
around the building outside to talk about it and came back and told
her I can't see paying the 'entire' D&H charge. I kind of opened the
for negotiation. That charge was $399 and she agreed they'd split it
so we did. Well after all the paperwork we were out of the door. They
give you the first oil change for free and as well after i did buy she
gave me a tour of the building and then after must have spent an hour
going through the car with me, showing me every single feature in it.
I am sure the last guy woudl have just gotten me in, signed the
papers, and then rushed me out and never showed me a thing. She was
so opposite. I have to say anyone that I know that buys a Subaru in
the future will be referred to her. If anyone is in the Denver, CO
area if you email me I can give you the information.
Thanks for all the help on this board with choosing a Forester. Now
it's the weekend and I'm going to take pictures of it. I just am
amazed at how practical and adaptable it is, especially for it's size.
With the large moonroof me and my fiancee joke it's a 'convertible
wanabee' and as well we even joked how with the seats down in the back
you could almost camp in the back of it and it's a 'rv wannabee'. I
like the fact it has that cigarette lighter adaptor in the back as
well as the light. With a power inverter you'd have 120v and could
almost camp in it I know I'd never do that but the thought hit me.

 

[Bugalugs]

Well I have to post and say I had a great experience. I ended up
buying a 06 Subaru Forester LL Bean Edition. The color is evergreen.
I have to say this experience was totally different.

Glad it turned out all right for you.

Enjoy

 

[jpd]

I thought the idea behind Internet Quotes was that you already have
your homework finished -- that is, you already know what kind of car
you want, and now you are just shopping for price.

Before I bought an 06 Forester, I tried many of them at various
dealers. After several test drives, I knew exactly what I wanted to
buy. Then I went to Edmunds.com and had them contact all my local
dealers for quotes and availablility. That's how I thought Internet
Quotes was supposed to be: the Internet Manager gives you the best
price because he doesn't have to "sell" you the car, you already know
what you want to buy. You don't take up a lot of his time, he doesn't
get a commission. You're just looking for the best price quote. The
price from all the Internet managers I talked to were non-negotiable,
and that is what I expected. They give you their bottom-dollar price,
then you just take it or leave it.

After Edmunds contacted the local dealers, the dealers' Internet
Managers emailed quotes to me. I responded to the ones who gave me the
best quotes.

Naturally, I would not buy a car without test-driving it first, but
neither would I talk to an Internet Manager without knowing exactly
what I want to buy.

They guy you dealt with doesn't sound like any "Internet Manager" I
have ever met. (I have met a few.) It sounds like he was just some
regular salesman posing as an "Internet Manager."