I think my Honda dealer lied about my Fit

Why won't you just order what you need on carsdirect.com or likes of such if you can't deal with the dealers? I think the whole purpose of sites like that is to help people like you get what you want.

What is the point of this thread?

dgk wrote:

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Just a forum for the original poster to whine and complain. Must think someone really cares....

On 9/30/2006 2:08 PM Bob spake these words of knowledge:

What a noob! What a maroon! Imagine this chump thinking that anyone in a forum about for people who buy and use Honda automobiles would care how Honda automobile dealers are treating Honda automobile buyers - or potential buyers, at any rate.

This guy is priceless! What a rube!

RFT!!! Dave Kelsen

Hey Dave,

Tell me how you really feel....

That aside, the OP has continually whimpered about his problems...while only providing HIS perspective. Since you appear to know the other side, please present it in a concise manner...and try not to use seventh grade taunts. It should be interesting.

I figured that I would explain what happened and see what other people had to say; hopefully someone else buying a Fit. My experience with car dealers is virtually nil since I tend to buy used cars. I'm not sure what OTHER perspective there might be; I ordered a car and put down a deposit, the car was never delivered. And I suspected from the start that it wouldn't be.

I spoke to the general manager of the dealership; he apologized for failing to get the car, and my credit card has been credited for the deposit.

I spent today at the junkyards in Willets Point, next to Shea Stadium, having a number of issues attended to on my old Accord. I still have a few, notably some sort of water leak in one of the tail lights, but except for that and maybe upgrading the radio, I've taken care of the outstanding problems.

I think the next time I post to the newgroup it will be to ask questions about how to fix something on a 91 Accord. It looks like I'll be keeping it for a while longer. And I really do like the car.

When you spoke to Honda, did you let them know the dealershp took your deposit? Curious if they ever followed up with the dealership to find out why they never ordered one for you.

For the tail lights, did you check/change the seals/gaskets around the tail lights?

At least no car payments to worry about.

-Dave

"dgk" wrote

FWIW, I think this thread you started will be helpful to others. Plus it most certainly is on topic. Keep 'em coming.

dgk,

First off I want you to know, I am not condoning or defending such dealer behavior, as you have experienced.

BUT: ANYTIME you are trying to procure a "hot selling" car (or what ever), unless you plan to pay a premium for it, your order will continue to slide down the list. As long as someone with a better offer steps up before your time.

A personal anecdote: My aunt and uncle waited 120 days to pay MSRP on a 1980 Accord, and my cousin worked at the dealer. Why did they wait so long? Because people were lined up around the block to pay over MSRP. Their "good guy" referral, from my cousin, got them the privilege of MSRP, but they had to wait.

Supply and demand.... it's as simple as that.

dgk wrote:

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Key phrase here is "before your time." When you contract to make a purchase and the dealer to make a sale, it changes things. He paid his money down, ordered "his" car and, when it arrived, the dealer apparently turned around and sold it off to the highest and best bidder. THAT is a problem.

If the dealership wants to maximize their profit, I have no problem with that however the time to set the price is when the contract is signed. If they didn't want to sell it for that price, they should not have entered into the contract with the guy. Simply tell him: "You want the FIT? It'll cost you $xx,xxxx."

Sure! On a sale right off the lot. Once you take my money you don't change the rules of the game while the ball's in play. You may try but it will cost you to do so.

We had a similar situation in Oct03 when the new Prius came out. Buyers were stacked around every dealership, and the "dealer added markup" number just grew and grew. My local dealer finally made it a sort of auction, in which money talked, not deposit date. In late '03, some green-conscious buyers saw the desired color and features arriving and paid up to an incredible + $7,000. In '04 the wait list grew to 6-8 months!

The dealers simply said "supply and demand", and they're right unless there's a "real" contract in place, with consideration and specific terms. If there's a contract that says "THIS AGREEMENT GUARANTEES YOUR OPTION TO PURCHASE THE NEXT FIT SPORT AUTOTRANS IN COLOR XXXX TO ARRIVE AT THIS DEALERSHIP, PURCHASE PRICE TO BE MSRP PLUS ADDED DEALER MARKUP OF $YYYY, SUCH OPTION TO BE EXECUTED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF NOTICE OF VEHICLE ARRIVAL", or somesuch, the "deposit" may guarantee nothing more than to be placed on an auction list.

In late '03 we let our fingers do the walking, and bought precisely the Prius we wanted for MSRP (pinstriping, a few other things, at no added cost!) at a dealership in a rural community 1500 miles away (suspicious of that lektrik stuff), then paid $800 to have it transported. For two years I could have sold it for the price we paid!

In August my daughter bought her FIT and got precisely what she wanted. It took an hour of phone calls to find a dealer less than two hours' drive - selling at MSRP, and with a free IPOD hookup. She had worked hard and saved, so paid cash for her first new car. What a day!! We made it a family outing, and I rode back in her car part of the way. At her age I don't get that much quality time - and her joy was boundless. A super ride, a terrific car, and at the end of the day there was none of that feeling that we were taken advantage of.

TACTIC ON HIGH-DEMAND CARS: there's a salesman (forget the dealership!) willing to work with you, somewhere. Call/visit many dealerships. When you call a dealership, talk turkey to a salesman directly and do NOT get put on a dealership list. Offer the salesman a quiet extra $100. That salesman is interested in a commission, and may put your name in his/her hip pocket in case another buyer falls through. Otherwise, that sale might go to some other salesman's buyer who's "on the list". You could become the original buyer's "brother-in-law". In the days when there was a 6-month wait for the Prius, I've helped many people do just that!

Ike

If the contract doesn't specify a delivery date, then there's no problem with what the dealer did.

The dealer is merely taking advantage of the fact that there's no delivery date specified.

The dealer can deliver on the dealer's time schedule--which maximizes the dealer's profit.

Shame on the buyer for not specifying a delivery timeframe in the contract itself.

Or, in case that salesman wins a contest like what Honda had a few years ago when Odysseys were ultra-hot: the winner gets an extra allocation, completely outside the dealership allocation, to be used as he sees fit for his customers.

Means nothing if there's no penalty. So the delivery date passes. Now what? I get my deposit back.

I did mention that. But apparently ordering cars is not done very often with Honda. They just look around for what comes in.

I'm reasonably sure that's the problem. I'm going to work on it this week.

I had planned on paying cash. I don't think they really like that; I think they like the financing system.

Yes. I'm not in the business anymore and don't see myself going back to it, but I'd urge anyone buying new to slip some extra cash to the salesman.

when someone bought a new Odyssey.

I'm glad I worked there a while because I learned a lot and I've become enthusiastic about Honda, but the sales work was de-motivating and I couldn't make ends meet.

When I was at an auto show in March, Honda said they'd be shipping this summer. They hadnt had a price or EPA rating yet. I guess there must be some serious manufacturing problems or something. Another reason to avoid a "first year" car.

The FIT has been in production for years (mostly as the JAZZ) - it's new only in the U.S.

rick++ wrote:

Yes, it doesn't appear to be a manufacturing problem, it appears that they underestimated the popularity. And, if gas prices continue dropping after the election, it may become unpopular again.