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Ordering Advice...

K

kbavalanche

GUEST
I've pretty much decided on purchasing the AV with the WBH package, and am trying to decide on whether to order one or not. Anyone out there have any insight on the ordering process? Do you work out a deal ahead of time, or are you stuck haggling after the vehicle comes in? Are there any horror stories out there from ordering your av? What are the benefits of ordering?

Thanks.

KB
 
I got very lucky when I purchased my Av...because they had one on the lot that fit my criteria perfectly...so I just checked out the sticker and went from there.....

The only down side to ordering the Av.....is going to be the wait..and the anticipation...I'm assuming that the deals being worked out between the 2 wouldn't be any different unless we are discussing a 02' on the lot...or ordering an 03 from Chevy.... :B:
 
NJAV said:
The only down side to ordering the Av.....is going to be the wait..and the anticipation...I'm assuming that the deals being worked out between the 2 wouldn't be any different unless we are discussing a 02' on the lot...or ordering an 03 from Chevy.... :B:
Click to expand...

There IS a big price differential when buying an automobile off the lot as opposed to ordering one. I usually order my vehicles, just the way I want them, and wait eagerly with anticipation. I used to think that the dealer would give me a good price if I ordered one because it would already be sold and he didn?t have to put anything extra in selling the auto once it hits his lot. WRONG LOGIC.

Since the dealer has no pressing need to sell a vehicle sitting on his lot costing him money, he is under no pressure to make you a ?good deal?. And while you are waiting for your ordered vehicle to come in, you probably will be looking at other car lots and buy another vehicle. And of course, you will want your deposit back and most dealerships will grudgingly give it back to save the hassle of bad publicity, even though the contract specifically says the deposit is non-refundable. So my experiences lead me to believe that you get the best deal, with money in hand, eyeball to eyeball with a dealer who has a vehicle parked on his lot.

I spent several months trying to buy an AV in my hometown. Even though the deals were better than I normally get, they were not what I thought they should be; especially with the economic state of the economy. I did search, via the internet, the dealer lots, in Florida, and found one that matched what I was looking for about a 100 miles away. I contacted one of the dealers I had been negotiating with, and incidentally I had bought several vehicles from, about getting the vehicle for me. (And don?t believe that you get the best deals by shopping with the same dealer, and because you are a good repeat customer and he will take care of you. Ever dollar he puts in your pocket, he?s taking it out of his kids piggy bank and his family?s financial welfare) Of course, that vehicle would wind up costing me a good bit more than a more expensive model on the dealer?s lot.

I decided to take the 100 mile weekend trip, but I didn?t want to go to a new city without any financial creditability, so I filled out a GM internet credit request for the full amount of the vehicle and got approval. When I visited the dealership, I made sure that I gave them enough information about myself, without talking about money, that he could quickly find information knowing that I had financial creditability and perhaps serious intent. And I do believe that the dealer realized, with me being from way-out-of-town, that this would be the only chance to make a sale with me. Within 30 minutes we had worked out a much better deal than I had ever expected.

Some side thoughts:

1..Don?t ever think you?re going to get the best of the dealer. He does this for living; day-in and day-out. Try to get the best deal for yourself by shopping around and being knowledgeable about the product.

2..When you trade in a vehicle, your are opening yourself up to 2 different ways to part with your money. If at all possible, sell you vechile on the side. The dealer is taking a chance on your vechile and he will give you almost nothing for it.

Roy in Tampa
:)
 
Roy thanks for the excellent feedback...sounds like you have done this before many a times.... :) :B:
 
NJAV said:
Roy thanks for the excellent feedback...sounds like you have done this before many a times.... :) :B:
Click to expand...

Too many times. I've left a lot of money at auto dealerships. But, it is better, as you get older, to have money in your pockets and deal from a more financially secure base and not have to worry about if you can afford the vehicle or even qualify for a loan.

BTW, I looked at your AV, and I have a white Z66 like your Z71.

Roy in Tampa :)
 
From nearly 10 years in the car business,
mainly as a Manager... :rolleyes:

UPSIDE:
You get exactly the options / colors you want.
Nobody will have a chance to "test-drive" or abuse it.
It will be as close to perfect as possible (no tiny scratches, etc...)
Very low miles upon delivery.
You MIGHT get to take advantage of better rates / rebates - you get what is available when it comes in, not current offers. (y)
If you are in a state that charges property tax on vehicles, you will not have any on your new AV for 2002!

DOWNSIDE:
You will not like the wait. :(
You MIGHT have to settle for higher rate / less or no rebate - again, you get what is available when it comes in, not current offers. :cautious:
You will HATE the wait. :cry:
Waiting really sux... :6:

YES, you definitely WILL have to agree on a price when you order, and you will have to make a small deposit, and either fill out an application, or otherwise show them that you are able to complete the transaction when the AV comes in.

ROY - Sorry for the difficulties you have had at times with dealers! They can be a real pain. :8:

However, there is no reason whatsoever that a buyer cannot get the BEST price on an order! Assuming same vehicle, same price, the dealer will actually make more profit (net) on the sale if you order than if they have had it on their lot for over 30 days, and will make much more than if they have to get it from another dealer for you. There are other benefits to the dealer as well, but they do not merit further discussion in this topic.

OH, rest assured - they WILL try to convince you to take one from their inventory, or will offer to locate one for you (or both) but that has to do mainly with the fact that if you order, they (Dealer, Managers and Salesperson) will not get credit for the sale, OR get paid until you actually take delivery! PLUS, once you take delivery with "your" temp tag or plate on the vehicle, for all practical purposes, the deal is done. When you order, there is still the chance that the deal will not fly.

For info on getting a great price on your new AV
the EASY way, see
How did you get the best price?

For a realistic idea of what you might expect on a trade-in, see
Trade-in Values
That is geared toward trading a 2002 AV for a 2003,
but there is good info there for any trade-in situation.

WHATEVER YOU DO...
make sure that you do get an AV! :D

Seven :cool:


 
KNOW exactly what you want. Know which options you are willing to pay for and which you are not. Know what items come standard and what come packaged in what groups.

You can do all your dealings from your home at this point. Just call around. Make sure to let them know exactly what you are looking for and that you are checking dealer stock out 500 or 1,000 miles away.

Afterall, isn't it worth a few hours drive time to save several hundred dollars?

They will check what is in the database. As far as I can tell, most dealers have access to this database.

When one finds some you like get his/her best offer and the VINs. Call others to see if they will beat that deal?

Anyway, that's how wee did it. By the time we got to the dealership, we had the AV, the final price, financing, and insurance. It took about an hour signing papers and looking over the AV and we were out on the road in our new AV. By far the easiest and fastest buy from a dealer we have ever made.
 
One thing to remember about selling your vehicle and buying new outright. IF you live in a state with sales tax on autos make sure you're getting enough more to cover the larger sales tax you'll be paying. Ordering one and then not taking it is usually not a problem unless you've ordered something really unique that the Dealer may have trouble selling.
 
It's pretty tough lately to beat the prices offered by many online auto sales companies. They usually offer 2% over dealer invoice or so. I had a price of exactly $320 over the $16,000 invoice on my Cavalier I purchased last before we realized that my wife could get a GMO discount through her family.

The best deals I've gotten recently is by getting a locked in price guarantee (via internet or GMS or whatever) and then don't talk about price with the dealer at all. Go in and tell them that you have a trade-in and you need to get a certain amount out of it or you can't close the deal. Then once you get the trade-in price you want, if the dealer can't beat the guaranteed price you have use it to bring them down those last dollars.

I have a feeling that dealers have a certain amount they want to make on a sale, and they can either give you a great deal on the sale, or on a great deal on the trade-in, but not both. If you get a guaranteed price up front and just talk about the trade in I seem to get a better deal that way.

 
The internet is a very valuable tool to get the information about a vehicle you need...I walked into the dealership when it was time to buy with a stack of paperwork....from various sites....pricing/option packages..you name it.....I took what I had and compared it to the figures they gave me.....often trying to find the happy medium.....never hurts to be well versed in what your seeking.....

BTW...Roy....I'm happy to see you went with the summit white av....they look really nice... :D :B:
 
Fairway Chevrolet says they'll have them in in three weeks, so I guess I will wait.

Thanks for all the info.

KB
 
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