I agree if it’s not an incentive discount, they should honor that price on a purchase or lease and that’s where you start.
During my negotiations with one, I used their online pricing (that had a discount) as the starting point and when they came back with lease numbers that didn’t match, I found out that their MF was higher.
This is where @mllcb42 's advice of “know your numbers” works to your advantage.
Some dealers will work with you, others won’t. They always ask me to come in and I just say that if we can’t work out the numbers first, it would be wasting both our time. I even send them what I think the lease should be and several have said, “We can’t do that” and I just move on. I find it interesting how some don’t even use CCAP leases which I thought most dealers would have access to… or maybe that’s just their excuse as to why they can’t match the RV/MF that’s in the LH Supporter Calculator.
This.
I had inquired about their pricing and their GSM emailed me. In short, they are the wild wild west for pricing. They also hide a lot and disqualify you for incentives. In addition, their GSM is just plain rude, he calls 8 back and forth emails “bending over” for you.
Don’t believe me? Read their online reviews. They are so desperate, their employees write fake 5 star reviews to keep their rating up on Google.
I have had great experiences in Heritage Jeep and Ourisman Clarksville- this Ourisman is not owned by the same owner at Bethesda- different brothers.
If we criticize a dealer, let’s stick with the facts. They are not a volume dealer atm and the time it takes to get a deal on par with a volume dealer takes a lot of effort. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Keep in mind that the staff is different so they are also not familiar with LH to the extent of the previous staff members. Plus, they are located in one of the richest regions in the country. At the moment, they do not have a need to do LH deals. 55 year old Beth from down the street with a $20,000 poodle will gladly pay ADM for a Wagoneer.
I came to this conclusion with 4 of their last 12 reviews having the same name as one of their internet employees that I received an email from. And this last name is not a common one. With some internet sleuthing, you can find their relationships to each other via social media.
Dealers do have the right to charge whatever they want and how they want to conduct their business. My gripe with them is how their GSM Mutahidy responded to me being stuck up and condescending.
This again can be openly seen in their reviews. I wish it would be different, it’s a great location and the facility looks great.
I’ve contacted over 20 dealerships recently, and I’m astounded by the number of businesses that seem eager to waste my time and show no interest in having me as a returning customer. It’s ridiculous how many dealerships advertise discounted rates online, only to inflate the price significantly when you contact them.
I do not like networking, although perhaps I should. I do however use info from all over the site to find very attractive deals myself. I started to enjoy the learning aspect of these things, been going 5 years strong and inspired me to start a company! Big big fan of leasehackr and certainly is an often undervalued tool.
Sort of why I asked the question on this forum in the first place. My experience with buying for the past 20 years has been… “OK find the best price online and that’s the starting point to negotiate further downward.” It’s worked out really well for me in the past.
This time around I’ve been shocked by the number of dealers that won’t start anywhere near their advertised price on a lease deal. Or dealers that won’t even talk numbers over email. I wasn’t sure (and I’m still not, honestly) if that’s the general market or specific to leasing, as this is my first lease.
I think a lot of us enjoy the hunt and working a deal for sure. Especially if you can get as good a deal staying local. But insights from here can accelerate the process.
And some of the dealer games are coming out of Covid lots with no inventory where they learned to stand their ground on inflated pricing. Unfortunately it is still working and annoying those of us who know better.
Yeah I’m kind of bummed I signed mine in March, think I may have done better in May but oh well, still happy with my deal in the end. Love the car too.
I actually enjoy listening to their stories about why things are the way they are! Helps me make good relationships too, especially since some dealers have backed off a bit more, i’ve gotten quite a few leads through call backs.
Dealers know when they are being shopped. And they know that if you’re shopping them that you have no interest in becoming a returning customer of theirs either, especially if your zip code is not in their general vicinity. Sometimes it works out if they need to move a unit and sometimes it doesn’t. Most dealers are going to rely on a local clientele that doesn’t ask too many questions and comes back to them repeatedly for service. Most LH shoppers will go to the lowest offer regardless of proximity and will most likely not return there for service if there’s another dealership nearby that’s more convenient.
Personally, I tend to be interested in cars that have been there for over 200+ days. I find that offering a slightly lower price allows the dealership to sell those vehicles quickly and avoid a larger loss. On top of that, I often bring in other customers who are happy to pay the full price. It’s just disheartening to see some individuals taking advantage of dealerships in ways that don’t seem fair or honest. I believe in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship where both parties can benefit.
