I saw an ad at edmunds.com for 2023 Honda HR-V, advertised at $20 (twenty) over MSRP.
When I contacted the dealer (California), I was told they adjust their prices based on market demands. i.e., they won’t honor the Edmunds ad.
I know that California law states -
California Vehicle Code section 11713.1(e) Advertised vehicles shall be sold at or below the advertised total price, with statutorily permitted exclusions, regardless of whether the purchaser has knowledge of the advertised total price.
The dealer says they have market adjustment of $5,000 and $3,000 in accessories.
I doubt the car has dealer-added accessories, on their website the car has no such dealer add-ons.
Can I make them sell the car at the advertised price?
if you are set on a HRV @Jeff_BeachCitiesAuto will be the cheapest
i have not seen a single honda dealer in so cal that will sell you a car without add ons/markup during these times
I would imagine there’s a loophole of some sort where they legally don’t have to honor the advertised price on a third party website. Edmunds/Cox Automotive products traditionally have creative language to give dealers outs. If they advertised $20 over on their own site, you’ve got an argument, and a lengthy email to the GM probably does the trick. You may not have a way around paying for the accessories though.
They are going to find a way to sell the car for what they want…and a devious dealer from the start is almost never worth pursuing any efforts with IMO.
…In all cases, you agree to honor the price for the vehicle that you provide to us for display, for the period for which you have specified to us (or, if no period is specified, until your Information for that vehicle reflects a different price), and on the terms and subject to the conditions that are included in your Information for that vehicle (subject only to the prior sale of that vehicle).
Think you paid too much money for your car or truck? Usually, there is no legal remedy for striking a bad bargain (even if it was the result of high-pressure sales tactics). However, in California there is one exception. Under California Vehicle Code section 11713.1(e), when car dealers publish advertisements for cars and trucks, and those ads include asking prices, then the dealers are prohibited from selling the advertised vehicles for more than their advertised prices, unless the ads specifically list expiration dates that have passed. Further, Section 260.04(b) of the regulations promulgated by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles further mandates that advertised vehicles “must be sold at or below the advertised price irrespective of whether or not the advertised price has been communicated to the purchaser.”
Therefore, if a car dealer sold you a car or truck for more than the price at which the vehicle was advertised, then the dealer likely violated the law, and it does not matter whether or not you saw the advertisement prior to buying the vehicle.
But this is after buying the car.
I want the dealer to be held accountable to their ads before buying the car.
You have a screenshot of rhe confidential advertising agreement made between the dealer and edmunds which is what would be required confirm that what the dealer provided edmunds breaches their operating agreement?
…In all cases, you agree to honor the price for the vehicle that you provide to us for display, for the period for which you have specified to us (or, if no period is specified, until your Information for that vehicle reflects a different price), and on the terms and subject to the conditions that are included in your Information for that vehicle (subject only to the prior sale of that vehicle).
no.