Did I Mention I Hate Car Dealers?

All2kool

All2kool

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Driving down the road today and I spot something BLUE out of the corner of my eye. Blue is my favorite color so I turn around and find a 2002 Mini Cooper with 135k miles and in, as they say across the pond, pretty good nick. Mind you, my 2002 LS6 is the nicest within 1000 miles and when we started talking about trade in value, this really huge fat guy (that can't have seen his own dick in 15 years), opens my drivers door, reaches in with his cell phone and snaps a picture of the VIN tag. He then proceeds to tell me the value of my car based on whatever dip**** site that came up. Knowing what I feel my car is worth and the asking price of the Mini, we agree that parting ways is best. He didn't even bother to actually look over my LS.

Driving home I see another Mini Cooper, in blue, at a neighboring lot. Stopped in, was told 'a sale was pending' and oh, they don't take trade ins. I'll mention that when I parked it was in front of another LS8 that had seen better days and could not have been sold for more than $1500.

Dealer #1 didn't want my money.
Dealer #2 isn't a 'dealer', he's just a seller.
 
Doesn't sound like a seller either.

I'm not giving away my car for a used car lot to make money flipping it. Hence, the baby is warm and happy in my garage. My 2014 365hp Explorer Sport now gets the abuse of a heavy right foot.
 
RJLipscomb said:
I'm not giving away my car for a used car lot to make money flipping it.
Click to expand...

Nor am I. I peruse the local ads for LS cars as well and can easily conclude that if mine were on a retail lot, the asking price would be $6000. I use this as a guide when I decide to actually go look at another car. My car was listed at a lot for $4500 when I bought it but it had a few issues. The dealer I bought it from didn't get $4500 from me but then again, I pointed out why (knowing that I could fix the things needing fixing, and have). I did put on new wheels as well.

Dealers will give you pennies and then list it for dimes. A$$holes.
 
Your car is only worth the premium you value it at if you take the time to sell it privately and wait for the right buyer. Dealers have no interest in waiting for "the one"
 
it also doesnt help that I only paid 25% of what the car originally cost when i bought it 7 years ago, then I put 100k miles on it. so I know how little the car is worth now!
 
ANY product is worth only what someone else will pay.
 
I had a similar experience yesterday. With some time to kill, I took my 02 LS6 to carmax for an "appraisal". I love the car, but hate the seats...they put my leg to sleep after an hour or so of driving, so I would sell it in a minute for the right price. Granted, mine has 33,500 miles and has the premium package and still smells new inside.

The sales guy comes back and gives me the "your car is in great condition with really low miles, we would love to buy your car for $3000." LOL, I'm sure they would!
 
Virginia Donkey said:
I had a similar experience yesterday. With some time to kill, I took my 02 LS6 to carmax for an "appraisal". I love the car, but hate the seats...they put my leg to sleep after an hour or so of driving, so I would sell it in a minute for the right price. Granted, mine has 33,500 miles and has the premium package and still smells new inside.

The sales guy comes back and gives me the "your car is in great condition with really low miles, we would love to buy your car for $3000." LOL, I'm sure they would!
Click to expand...

That's actually a pretty fair price.
 
I was kicking some tires recently on a few locally advertised 2010-2013 Sierra's, These used car lot guys are out too lunch I tell ya.
One lad wanted me to put 5000 down on my CC right there and then, yet didn't have the truck on the lot for me to look at. (?!?!?)
Another I made the mistake of leaving my email address with, he had to be told in harsh words to f*ck off with his daily messages.

Bottom line, OVERPRICED compared to private sellers.
 
in all fairness, they do have a lot of overhead and are in the business to make a profit. you cant do that buying a car above value and selling it below value...
 
It kind of surprises me that y'all feel like 3K is a fair price......I guess when I take my rose colored glasses off it is, but I just hate to see a $40K car when new go for less than 10% of that when its still practically new ( mileage/condition wise).

The thing that really gets my goat at dealerships is the "processing fee" $499....$599...I have even seen $699. I understand they need to make money, but they make money on the selling price, the financing and any extra crap they convince people to buy. That extra fee is just robbery.
 
Virginia Donkey said:
It kind of surprises me that y'all feel like 3K is a fair price......I guess when I take my rose colored glasses off it is, but I just hate to see a $40K car when new go for less than 10% of that when its still practically new ( mileage/condition wise)...
Click to expand...

You paid $19K for it when it was only a year or so old. You weren't complaining about the 50% depreciation (for the first year) then...
Once cars get close to ten years or beyond, mileage is not a major price factor.


Virginia Donkey said:
I think the newer LS's are going at firesale prices. I picked up my '05 LS6 about 3 weeks ago for $18,900. The car is the base model but still very nice with 12K miles on it.

I will post a pic when I figure out how

edit: pics in photo gallery
Click to expand...
 
Joegr- that quote is from an LS that I had several years ago, I lost my shorts on that one too! Guess I didn't learn my lesson. The 02 I have now is older but much more loaded (everything but the V8). I paid 5K for it (1800 after trade in). Like I said, love the car, hate the seats....that is the only reason I am thinking of getting rid of it.

I bought it to take on trips for the comfort, quietness, luxury. Like meatloaf said....two out of three ain't bad...in this case, just not good enough.
 
Virginia Donkey said:
I had a similar experience yesterday. With some time to kill, I took my 02 LS6 to carmax for an "appraisal". I love the car, but hate the seats...they put my leg to sleep after an hour or so of driving, so I would sell it in a minute for the right price. Granted, mine has 33,500 miles and has the premium package and still smells new inside.

The sales guy comes back and gives me the "your car is in great condition with really low miles, we would love to buy your car for $3000." LOL, I'm sure they would!
Click to expand...

Here in the Pacific Northwest, an '02 LS6 as described would get listed on a retail lot for $10,000, maybe more.
 
All2kool said:
Here in the Pacific Northwest, an '02 LS6 as described would get listed on a retail lot for $10,000, maybe more.
Click to expand...

never would it here... time alone would cause so much stuff to wear out, there is probably a lot more parts on any LS that old that is due for replacement that most people dont realize. also it doesnt help much that other than a few of us crazies on this websight, the LS is not a highly sought after car. when on the lots around here, they tend to sit forever.

the first time I test drove my 03 it was on the lot around august/october for like 16k, and it sat there all winter as the price on the windshield kept going down. finally I took it for one more test drive before buying it in march for $11k.
 
10K?...wow! If someone offered me 4K i'd be all over it!. When I bought it, it was at the local Lexus dealer advertised for 7995. My wife happens to work there and the sales mgr told her 5K, so we jumped on it. We traded in a Saab 9-2x ( Saabaru). In hindsight, we wish we had kept the Saab. I know they still make a couple of grand on it, it needed tires but they did install a new battery and detailed it so it looked new.
 
well I know where I'm taking my car when its time to get rid of her...
 
I have way too much invested in my LS to just give it away for a few grand. Note, I bought it new and really haven't spent much on it in repairs, and no mods. It runs like a champ. It's in in great condition. I know it inside and out. (It needs a window regulator and has an a/c issue. But, that's okay.) Its value to me far exceeds the value someone else would give me for it. I hope to keep the car until either I or it dies.
 
In my will, it goes to my Siberian Husky puppy. (Along with a plot of land in Montana)
The wife likes German cars. And her son would only steal it from her.
 
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