Stealer trade-in story - they had to be kidding me

[redramnc]

Local dealer just started a repo, off-lease, program car, trade-in sale. Happened to be in area so I ran by there this evening. They had 1 CTD - a white 01 2500 4WD QC auto 4. 10 LSD long bed with 37K miles on it. The truck was bare - rubber floormats, MANUAL windows and locks, cloth seats, no compass/temp, no CD. Had a Draw-tite turnover ball set up in the back and a large dent in top center of tailgate. Bed had obviously been used for hauling. The 285/75 BFGs on the aluminum rims were at half tread. It did have Westin nerf bars installed. Dealer had $72 down - $519/month deal on it. Wanted $25,900 straight up.



Now the good part - just for yucks I asked them for trade-in on my red 96 2WD SLT reg cab auto with 115K miles on it. They had to call across the street to the new car dealer and ask. They came back with a trade-in value of $4,492. 00 - NO - I didn't misplace a zero. My truck is in very good to excellent condition and Chrome Car Book says $10,300 even with the higher miles.



My wife, bless her cantankerous soul, was with me and she beat me to it - to quote her - "BULLSH** - I will buy 4 of these trucks at that price. You find me a truck like that at that price and I will buy 4 of them from you. " End of discussion with that sales weenie.



I cannot believe the balls them guys have got. Stopped on way home and got a free car trader mag and found a 01 3500 4WD QC SLT loaded for $17,900 at a small local dealer. Maybe I will call them tomorrow - wife says it is OK - she'll buy one and drive it back up there just to rub it in their faces.



Anybody else had the same experience with potential trade-ins? I swear, at least in these parts, CTDs are scarce as hen's teeth on the used market and they do bring premium prices but 1/2 the KBB and Chrome Car Book value? Give me a break

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I just sold my early '91, well equipped Ram 250 for $7,000 - a bit over high book for this part of the country - put up a sign on the bulletin board of the local rural general store - the phone was ringing when I got home - guy bought it on the spot!

 

[tazzen]

had that back in sept. last year when i was looking. i wheeled and dealed with dodge and got what i felt was fair. $26000 and my 95 2500 gmc 4x4 gasser. but wanted to know what gm would quot me so i want there. so a sticker price at about $40000 same as dodge same trade they wanted $34500 . i even told them what i was considering on getting and the price. asked if they could be in the same ball park before we started. and the said yes with out a doubt. when they laid there paper bull on me i lol . they asked me whhat was wrong . than they said i was compairing apples with oranges. the gm would have better trade in . so i asked what happen to my trade in. i got up and left went and signed the papers for my dodge. boy was i glad and to this day very happy



ed

 

[danandamy]

Originally posted by redramnc

Stopped on way home and got a free car trader mag and found a 01 3500 4WD QC SLT loaded for $17,900 at a small local dealer... .

WOW that's a super price! You won't find them anywhere near that price around here. When I was shopping around for my ext. cab about a year ago I discovered what a premium these things bring. The PSD's too, though not as much so as the Cummins. Diesels are real popular here because people work the crap out of them, you find a used one with a decent price and go to look at it and it's a total rag. Everything else is sky high. I agree, the price on their repo was totally whack.



dan

 

[Pit Bull]

Stay away from those kinda sales. They are for the people that buy here pay here. They rape the poor and the dumb consumer. There are people that buy a car based on getting financed and the payment. They don't care what they end up paying. These sales people don't know how to react to a person that wants to deal from a position of knowledge. I see you found that out. I do have to admit that it is fun to screw with those type of sales people, but most of the time they are not much smarter then their normal client base, which I see you quickly determined. I bought my 2000 SLT 3500 4x4 with everything but leather 9 months ago with only 32K miles on it and I paid $25K from a local dealer. My truck was 18 months old when I bought it and it listed new for right at $40K. Now is that for depreciation

 

[mberry]

Good Deals???

Carson Dodge is advertising brand new '02 SLT CTD's of all shapes and sizes for under $28K. Just thought someone might be interested. :--)

 

[redramnc]

PitBull - How right you are. Judging from the customers I saw inside looking at financing both the dealer and the buyers must have been desperate to deal (not that they had anything approaching a good deal). Of course, the tip-off should have been the $72/down deal on everything on the lot. As you said, the young black salesman I was talking acted like he had never dealt with a potential customer that knew the vehicle he was looking at and was more than willing to walk away. I hope one of them doesn't call today while my wife is home - she is not as forgiving of stupid people as I am.



I told my wife to shoot me if I ever act like I am even just a little seriously considering a deal like this again. Of course, she is more likely to let me do it then divorce me on grounds that I am an idiot. Oh well, just another wasted evening and more practice on how to deal with salesmen.

 

[E7mack96]

i bought my 2001. 5 in dec of 2000. in sept of 2001, after 9/11, I was looking at a Lightning for a toy. I was to get the truck at invoice. Then we started talking trade in ( I wasn't goona trade the Dodge, but I wanted to see what they said). They said my 2001. 5 was worth 22K. It stickered for 40K just 9 monthes earlier. I told them It was a Diesel. THey said yeah, we figured it that way. I told them that they were cracked in the head and left. 18K depreciation in 9 months... . I think NOT.

 

[mongoose]

Same type of story, different vehicle. The wife and I went yesterday looking at durangos. Her present vehicle is a 99 grand am loaded with everything except leather seats. The car has less than 21000 miles on it. Best offer i could get for the car was 7500 dollars!! I was laughing the whole time i was walking away! They told me that pontiac cars were not selling good right now.

 

[Pit Bull]

God I love to screw with car salesmen Most of them don't know a car from a donkey. They will say anything to make the sale. The best way to handle them is to play one dealer agains't another and know your product and pricing for both the new vehicle and your trade. I really enjoy buying cars. It's like a contact sport and I love to beat the sales guy into submission When I do buy a car I alway go back and tell the losing sales guy how his dealership beat him out of a sale and that he needs to find a better dealership if he expects to make a living. I love that part it adds a little bit of fear, uncertainity and doubt to the equations.

 

[tazzen]

hey did anybody ever get the famous line (if i give you my lowest offer will you sign the papers now) like im going to sign before i see the numbers . i tell them give me your best shot and ill see if i come back. if its good you dont have to worry RIGHT!



ed

 

[M Barnett]

Some of these car sales people are smarter than we give them credit for. If they appear really smart to us, it may scare somebody away. If we think we are smarter than they are, we think we got the best of them. A good example--- Salesperson writes a figure down on a piece of paper and looks you in the eye and says in a lowered voice, "If I could talk my boss into letting you have it for this figure, would you take it, I don't think he will take such a low number anyway, but I'll try!" He then goes into the bosses office, pours a cup of coffee and says to the boss, "Well, I've got a sucker in my cubicle waiting for your approval!" They both have a good laugh and talk about the game last nite. If he doesn't know how much it can sell for, he's a pretty sorry salesman.

Michael

 

[jeepit]

Well, I wanted to trade in a 99 gasser in and just about died when they told what the trade would be. I went and sold it for $4,000 more in my own driveway. Now I'm waiting to be able to order a 2003 or grab the last 2002 I can find.

 

[CAllen]

I think the salesmen at stealers are the most aggravating people to do business with unless one has the info to put them in their place. I just used this package at http://www.fightingchance.com to find out what these guys are up to. It cost about 27 bucks but it has a bunch good info on any new car or truck and more importantly it tells the buyer how to avoid dealing with the salesmen and instead with the fleet manager. It helped me get a good deal on my 2002 CTD

 

[Extreme1]

I've been in the manager's office...

Originally posted by M Barnett

He then goes into the bosses office, pours a cup of coffee and says to the boss, "Well, I've got a sucker in my cubicle waiting for your approval!" They both have a good laugh and talk about the game last nite.

100% Accurate!!!

 

[The patriot]

Fact of the matter is...

A dealer will give you a "good" price on one or the other. Not on both what youre buying, and trading in. Theyre going to make money on what theyre selling, and on the trade in.

Since the price on the truck you were looking at to buy was very good, you could expect to take a whack on the trade in. ThatDID sound like a very hard whack.

Ever notice how when you go to a dealer, the first question in "will you be trading a car in"? This way they know what pitch to give you.

For the most part, dealers get the trade in for nothing, or next to nothing. Most dealers (at least around here) make more on their used cars than new.

Eric

 

[WDaniels]

Do you guys ever get this one liner when you threaten to take your purchasing power elsewere?

"if you buy it from anyone else we don't have to service it here and if we do you will be put on a list and after we are done with all the work of our loyal customers then we will get to your truck". That. s got to be the stupidest salesman remark of the year. I've heard that one twice when buying my CTD's. Called their bluff by talking to the owner of the dealership. Man it is nice watching them get their comeuppens.

WD

 

[Shovelhead]

From my past experience in dealerships (6yrs as line mech)

The question "will you be trading a car in?" is designed to separate you from your car keys so it's tougher for you to get P. O. ed and walk out. Only give them ONE key, and have a spare with you.

Once your keys are handed to the "Used Car Manager" for an appraisal it can be hard to track him down and get your keys back.

Also the "I've got to run this offer by the sales manager" (usually salesman dissappears three times before the "sales manager" comes out to talk to you) is a crock.

They play this game EVERY day, we only play once every four or five years.

 

[The patriot]

After I ordered my truck, I went back to a few of the dealers I was at before purchasing it.

I was told that "You'll never see the truck for the price they gave you".

I asked them "what is the advantage of selling me a truck, then not selling it to me?"

More than one dealer said this to me..... oh the mind games they try to play.

What a crock of it.

Eric

 

[Straight6Jeff]

When I went looking, the first thing I would tell the salesman would be " Don't waste my time, and I won't wate yours. If you walk over to the manager, I'm leaving. " I have walked out of many dealerships because of this, and always had the saleman hoofing it to the parking lot.



Central Dodge in Raynham, MA and Begnal Dodge in Catskill NY the only dealers that I have dealt with that are professional and don't wate time.