Paul B
NJRC Member
So with our new house I wanted to get a new car. Well, another car anyway. We already have a new Jeep Compass but thats my wife's. I had a Very Manly, Chic Magnet PT Cruiser but like me it was getting a little long in the tooth so I wanted a newer car and something I can take on the beach near our new home. I went to a Jeep showroom because I saw on line they had something I liked. It was an orange and black Jeep Renegade. I wanted the "TrailBlazer" or "TrailHawk" Some kind of Trail Something package because I think it sounds very Manly. It comes with these very Manly red towing hooks on the front bumper for when it falls off a cliff and someone can come with, I guess a helicopter to pull you out. Anyway I go into the salesroom and pass this big sign that says "We Support Veterans" and this guy comes out to sell me something. I tell him I am interested in that orange one. So he tells me the price and explains it all to me and I ask, what is the price for a Veteran? He says, it's the same price. OK, so much for using the Veterans card.
We sit down to start the contract and he is writing, and writing, and writing and using a calculator to fill out the form. I said, I thought that was the price which is in huge numbers on the window. He says, "it is" but there are fees. I said, "What fees". Well there is $300.00 for dealers prep. I used to work for General Motors and I used to do the dealers prep. That meant I had to put on the license plate and take out the paper on the floor. I said OK, but $300.00 is ridiculous for dealers prep. Then he says there is a $50.00 transfer plate charge. If there is a charge to transfer the plates, what is the dealers prep fee for. Besides, they were my same plates. Now there is a $75.00 dealers fee. I asked, "what is that for?". Thats for the dealer. Of course it is! I assumed that was for the doughnuts and coffee they had there. Then of course there is tax and odds and ends which come to another $50.00 or so. And lets not forget a gas fee of $25.00
Now the car cost $500.00 more than the sticker. What is the sense of me pricing a car if you are going to add another $500.00 to the price. I was trading in my PT Cruiser and it had a full tank of gas. Were they going to reimburse me for the gas in it or my time to drive it there or go to the bank and wait in line for the money. I don't think so.
I liked the car but told him to keep it and wait for some Jiboni who doesn't know when he is getting taken.
So I went back online and saw a nice red one. I went there and it was essentially the same story. I said to keep it. If you show me a price, I won't argue with you, I may not buy the car if I think it's to much, but I like simple things. Give me the price, include any silly things you like and I will either buy it or walk out, but don't waste my time.
I tried one more time. I saw this yellow Jeep and it looked nice so I called them. A very nice young Lady answered the phone and explained the car to me so I figured I would go there to see if it was the same story.
My wife and I drive half an hour to get there and I can't find it so I go into a Lexus dealer to ask for directions. I was kind of sloppy and disheveled looking so they all gave me dirty looks as I went in. (Car salesman don't really impress me so I didn't get bothered and a Lexus is a Japanese car and I don't buy Japanese cars) ) The guy said "It's that way, and he pointed. I found the place and it looked like a huge warehouse and it had 65 fantastic looking cars all lined up with the price on each windshield.
This beautiful young girl comes over and she knew my name, birthday, what sign I was, How I liked my steak cooked and knew what car I was looking for. She showed me the car and explained all of it to me, very nice. I looked at the price on the window and I asked, "What is the Veterans Price". I figured I would ask, it can't hurt. She says I get $300.00 off. Sounds good to me so I asked, what do all the extra's and other nonsense come to. She said "Nothing, thats it". I asked, what about dealers prep, dealer fee, plate transfer charge, gas, doughnut charge, global warming fee, Prizapro charge, charge to charge charge, etc. She said, we have none of that.
Like really!. This keeps getting better. Then I ask, how much are you going to give me for that Chick Magnet PT Cruiser with 65,000 miles on it?
They gave me $1,500.00 which it wasn't worth.
I go to a bank to get a check and the teller looks at my account and calls over the manager who wants to take me to his desk to explain all the things I could do with my money. Buy CDs and all that. I told him I have all of Linda Ronstadt's CDs so I am good. I just sold my house and didn't pay for the new one yet so it looks like I am a bazillionaire, but it is only for a week until I use that money.
I bring the check to the dealer, she shows me the features in the car. Takes off my old license plates and Washes them, Then puts them on the new car.
She takes my picture in front of the car, offers me a cookie and says she is going to send me a gift.
I bought a lot of cars but this was the nicest experience I ever had buying a car. I was tempted to buy another one just because it was so nice and easy.
We sit down to start the contract and he is writing, and writing, and writing and using a calculator to fill out the form. I said, I thought that was the price which is in huge numbers on the window. He says, "it is" but there are fees. I said, "What fees". Well there is $300.00 for dealers prep. I used to work for General Motors and I used to do the dealers prep. That meant I had to put on the license plate and take out the paper on the floor. I said OK, but $300.00 is ridiculous for dealers prep. Then he says there is a $50.00 transfer plate charge. If there is a charge to transfer the plates, what is the dealers prep fee for. Besides, they were my same plates. Now there is a $75.00 dealers fee. I asked, "what is that for?". Thats for the dealer. Of course it is! I assumed that was for the doughnuts and coffee they had there. Then of course there is tax and odds and ends which come to another $50.00 or so. And lets not forget a gas fee of $25.00
Now the car cost $500.00 more than the sticker. What is the sense of me pricing a car if you are going to add another $500.00 to the price. I was trading in my PT Cruiser and it had a full tank of gas. Were they going to reimburse me for the gas in it or my time to drive it there or go to the bank and wait in line for the money. I don't think so.
I liked the car but told him to keep it and wait for some Jiboni who doesn't know when he is getting taken.
So I went back online and saw a nice red one. I went there and it was essentially the same story. I said to keep it. If you show me a price, I won't argue with you, I may not buy the car if I think it's to much, but I like simple things. Give me the price, include any silly things you like and I will either buy it or walk out, but don't waste my time.
I tried one more time. I saw this yellow Jeep and it looked nice so I called them. A very nice young Lady answered the phone and explained the car to me so I figured I would go there to see if it was the same story.
My wife and I drive half an hour to get there and I can't find it so I go into a Lexus dealer to ask for directions. I was kind of sloppy and disheveled looking so they all gave me dirty looks as I went in. (Car salesman don't really impress me so I didn't get bothered and a Lexus is a Japanese car and I don't buy Japanese cars) ) The guy said "It's that way, and he pointed. I found the place and it looked like a huge warehouse and it had 65 fantastic looking cars all lined up with the price on each windshield.
This beautiful young girl comes over and she knew my name, birthday, what sign I was, How I liked my steak cooked and knew what car I was looking for. She showed me the car and explained all of it to me, very nice. I looked at the price on the window and I asked, "What is the Veterans Price". I figured I would ask, it can't hurt. She says I get $300.00 off. Sounds good to me so I asked, what do all the extra's and other nonsense come to. She said "Nothing, thats it". I asked, what about dealers prep, dealer fee, plate transfer charge, gas, doughnut charge, global warming fee, Prizapro charge, charge to charge charge, etc. She said, we have none of that.
Like really!. This keeps getting better. Then I ask, how much are you going to give me for that Chick Magnet PT Cruiser with 65,000 miles on it?
They gave me $1,500.00 which it wasn't worth.
I go to a bank to get a check and the teller looks at my account and calls over the manager who wants to take me to his desk to explain all the things I could do with my money. Buy CDs and all that. I told him I have all of Linda Ronstadt's CDs so I am good. I just sold my house and didn't pay for the new one yet so it looks like I am a bazillionaire, but it is only for a week until I use that money.
I bring the check to the dealer, she shows me the features in the car. Takes off my old license plates and Washes them, Then puts them on the new car.
She takes my picture in front of the car, offers me a cookie and says she is going to send me a gift.
I bought a lot of cars but this was the nicest experience I ever had buying a car. I was tempted to buy another one just because it was so nice and easy.
