toma@tekchips.UUCP (06/21/83)
Well, we just purchased a VW Vanagon, giving us experiences with three dealers: Riviera: They had a 1 month waiting list for Vanagons, and I really did not want to take "pot luck". On the plus side, they don't put packs (overpriced radios, extra trim, Polyglycote (sp?)--the world's greatest ripoff, etc) on their cars (at least the Vanagons) and the salesman treated me fairly and honestly. The salesman said that any dealer that had Vanagons sitting on their lot was doing something wrong. I found that he was right when I visited... Beaverton: They had a "packed" Vanagon sitting on their lot for two weeks before it sold (I pass by the dealer when I commute, so I know these things). When the truck dropped off a new shipment, with one Vanagon on it, we dropped in, found it not "packed" yet, and went in and told the dealer what we would pay with my old Rabbit in trade--no dickering since we already knew what we could do at Riviera, and our offer would give them a decent profit. I gave them my keys so they could test my car. Ninety minutes (yes, 1 1/2 hours) later they came back with a counter offer $1000 higher. I told them "no way" and gave them 2 minutes to meet my offer (they were trading salesmen on me too). The sales manager came in and said that they would be loosing money at that price. Well I told them off, within earshot of several "potential" customers, for making me stay there all that time for an offer which they would never meet. Net-folks, that is a classic case of "low-balling". But the story has a happy ending... Roth: My wife called around and found a Vanagon that just got in and met our requirements. The dealer said on the phone that he could probably meet our price. Well after the Beaverton experience, we were leary of driving the 20 or so miles to a dealer on the far otherside of town. But 90 minutes (yes, 1 1/2 hours) after entering the dealer we drove out in our new Vanagon, identically equiped as the Beaverton van, at the price Beaverton said they would loose money on. Draw your own conclusions. But situations can change. I bought that Rabbit I traded in new at Beaverton 5 years ago and got an excellent deal with no hastles. But then they had a different owner. Their current owner also owns Dammerow Ford -- I wonder if they work the same way? Tom Almy (decvax|ucbvax|harpo|...)!tektronix!tekchips!toma