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2003-2009 Nissan 350Z

Strike one

Old Sep 10, 2005 | 03:11 PM
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Default Strike one

Damn.

I just got back from the first dealer. I asked about what was needed from me and what to expect about pre ordering a '06.

He said standard is $2,000 deposit. I said, Hmm well I have heard of people who only put $500- $1,000 down as a deposit.

Then he says can/will you put $1,000 down and I said yes.

Maybe it's just me but I refuse to hand over $2,000 in cash to a dealer because I don't trust them any further than I can throw them.

As we start walking towards his office he asks why do I want an '06 and then says if he has one here on his lot next month, will I be ready to buy? I said no. he says why not? Well because I won't have the $10,000 in cash to put down until December, which is why I want to pre order the exact car I want, so my car will be on your lot when I want to pick it up in the December. I also said if it doesn't show up until Feburary that;s fine too. I told him I didn't want to take the chance that the car I want wouldn't be available to pick up in December.

I guess he was nervous and thinks that I won't have the $10,000 in cash by Christmas to take delivery, which pissed me off, though I didn't say a word to him or show that I was pissed. Fact is I will actually have $11,000-$12,000 at Christmas and I'm only planning on putting down $9,500 of that, the rest is for mods, though I could easily just put the mods on a Card anyway, actually most of it will anyway because they have to be ordered.

He wrote my name and phone number down on an old worn out wrinkled piece of paper and stuffed it back in his pocket. He said he will call me when one comes in, yeah right. Nexxxxtttt dealer pullllease.

Oh if only he knew how much money I take home each month he would have just shut his pie hole and taken my $1,000 deposit. I believe he was under the impression that I didn't even have his $2,000 deposit. Well actually I had about $2,500 in cash just in my wallet alone and 5 differnt credit cards I could have used for his damn deposit LOL.

So now I'm printing out dealers within 50 miles of me and Sunday I will spend all day driving around until I find a Dealer who will Take my F%$#ing $500-$1,000 deposit and order me my freaking Z.

I know that even special ordering isn't any guarantee that i will get 100% what I wanted but it's better than nothing and it makes me feel like I have actually bought the car, even though it's just a delivery deposit.

On the other hand he did have a new '05 black base model 6M, with only floor and cargo matts and a couple of minor extras on the lot. Gee too bad I didn't have a few grand more on me

No I want a '06 and a RED one damn itttttttttttttttttttttttttt
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 03:17 PM
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Find another dealer.
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 03:45 PM
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Chad68, My advice is don't pre-order. Its good business for a dealer and bad business for you. They take you off the street as a customer and will string you along. Wait until you have the $, then search around (internet and telephone) for the exact car you want. Then go buy it. You always have the upper hand that way and you can play one dealer off against another. Don't be a pawn be a CONSUMER. Good luck from someone who DID try to order a car by putting $1K down only to find the dealer didn't even attempt to order it for a month ( I couldn't even get a return phone call let alone a straight answer -- Sheridan Nissan in DE-- and this was in February!). I got my money back and went a found someone who was willing to get me the car I wanted and then deliver. Cheers, Rich
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 04:07 PM
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Originally Posted by rocketrich
Chad68, My advice is don't pre-order. Its good business for a dealer and bad business for you. They take you off the street as a customer and will string you along. Wait until you have the $, then search around (internet and telephone) for the exact car you want. Then go buy it. You always have the upper hand that way and you can play one dealer off against another. Don't be a pawn be a CONSUMER. Good luck from someone who DID try to order a car by putting $1K down only to find the dealer didn't even attempt to order it for a month ( I couldn't even get a return phone call let alone a straight answer -- Sheridan Nissan in DE-- and this was in February!). I got my money back and went a found someone who was willing to get me the car I wanted and then deliver. Cheers, Rich
“They take you off the street as a customer and will string you along.”

Could agree more. Once the dealer has your deposit, he has you on a string. He can bend the “deal,” and you’ll agree because you don't want to lose the deposit. As rocketrich mentioned: buy a car that you can see and touch.
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 04:29 PM
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Sounds like those morons at Boardwalk!
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 05:23 PM
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Also, don't tell him why you want to wait until December - its none of his business. I agree with the othes though. Just wait and don't pre-order. It isn't like Nissan has a long list of options. You'll be able to find what you want. BTW, what model are you going to buy?

Good Luck
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 06:45 PM
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DONT ever give them cash...use your credit card. That way when things go wrong you can fight the charges instead of trying to get a refund from the dealer. They always want $2000 down. I put down only $500 to order my 04'.
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by davidv
“They take you off the street as a customer and will string you along.”

Could agree more. Once the dealer has your deposit, he has you on a string. He can bend the “deal,” and you’ll agree because you don't want to lose the deposit. As rocketrich mentioned: buy a car that you can see and touch.
I disagree. Not all dealers are out to string you along. I went in and ordered my Z and put $500 down. I got a Z exactly like *I* wanted, nothing more, nothing less. I watched dealer inventories for months and never saw one that I would have bought off the lot. If you're not willing to settle for what some dealer has, then you need to order one.

Originally Posted by seabass
DONT ever give them cash...use your credit card.
Most won't take CC, they only accept cash or check. That's like taking a loan to make the downpayment. Why put it on your CC anyway? That means that in 30 days, you'll be writing a check to the CC company for the same money. Plus, if you're carrying a balance, you're now paying extra interest on that amount.
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 08:18 PM
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Yea I'm thinking you guys are right.

I can see now where the downsides could be by putting a deposit on one. It seemed like a good idea at first but I could see how they could string me along and make a person jump through hoops because they have my money. Plus it will kill any chance of negociating on the price, even by $500 since they already know that I want it bad enough to goes as far as to special order one.

On the other hand, If I have all the cash in hand and I am fully ready to buy the day I walk onto the lot, I would imagine it might be in their best interest to find what I'm looking for ASAP. This way I can make them jump through hoops Besides if I wait till January to buy, I could get the Enthusiast model, instead of the base model that I want.

The Enthusiast isn't what I want, however if the choice is pay $2,000 more and get a red 6M Enthusiast NOW or wait 3-5 months and get the Base, I would rather (reluctantly) pay 2 grand more and get the Enthusiast NOW instead of a Base in freakin early Summer.

Besides who knows maybe I will fall in love with another color anyway, I mean they all look hot, except for white

Thanks for the info guys. I will just have to wait, which I would have to do either way anyhow.

Waiting sucks

Think I will order the rest of my parts from Performance Nissan Monday to make myself feel better
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Old Sep 10, 2005 | 08:58 PM
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Damn I just realized, now I can sleep in Sunday and save myself $40 in gas too
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Old Sep 11, 2005 | 12:20 AM
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Like everyone else said, seek out ANOTHER dealer and buy from that dealer.

...THEN, at X-Mas Eve...stop by that lame azz Nissan dealer and show him the Z...tell him you got better service from a competitor and tell him he lost a sale and say "Merry F*ckin' X-Mas, dawg" then laugh heartily, hop in da Z and drive off!!...LOL!!

Last edited by Racer Z; Sep 11, 2005 at 12:50 AM.
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Old Sep 11, 2005 | 12:27 AM
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I ordered my '04 through fleet. I've done this many times. By doing that, I was able to get a $500 under invoice price. They ordered it and in seven weeks it was there. Three months seems like a long time to get a preorder. The car might actually get to the dealer a month or two before you need it. Don't worry though, just work a deal to pay the rest of the deposit and do the financing in 30 days. Most dealers can hold paper that long. You'll be driving your car sooner for a better deal.

Just go through a fleet dealer. I am in the Bay Area as well. If you want my help let me know. I can see if I can get the same deal for you. Just PM me.

I found this ..... But it is a '05 about 100 miles away.

2005 Nissan Z
Total MSRP† $27,560.00

Exterior: Redline
Interior: Carbon Cloth
Model: 350Z
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual

We could probably get them to give it to ya for 25K or so like I did.

Last edited by Z_Driver; Sep 11, 2005 at 12:43 AM.
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Old Sep 11, 2005 | 07:20 AM
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I had a similar situation when I was buiyng my Z. I went to the dealership by my house and I had to wait 10 minutes before sb. came and asked me if i need some help. then when i told the man i am interested in a z he looked at me kinda measuring me... i was wearing gym pants and some tshort (+ I look like i am 19) so he must have assumed i cant afford one he easly let me go...

so a few days later (again wearing some gym pants) i went to a different dealership and bought my Z.

rememebr you have the money - so you are in charge. there are many delaerships and they WANT your business... so if you simply dont feel comfortable (dont like something) just leave...
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Old Sep 11, 2005 | 09:29 PM
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Don't even deal with a salesman you know what you want you don't need to be sold on it. Call fleet or sales manager "tell" them the conditions that you will buy under (be nice) tell them when you want it.They don't need to know anything about when or what money that you have. I bought my Z like this and was much less stressed out in the end.
Also any car dealer that can"t take CC is BSing you if they have a servise dept they can take one. Never give them cash
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Old Sep 11, 2005 | 10:07 PM
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That place sounds pretty fishy to me too...find another dealer!!! We have only special ordered one car before, and when we did, we wrote a check for a $500 deposit which the dealership didn't even cash. They just held it in our file until our car came in and gave it back to us when we went in to do the paperwork and pick up the car.
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 08:50 AM
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If you want a specific car then order it. You just picked the wrong dealer. Find another.

In Cali, a dealer CANNOT keep your deposit under ANY set of curcumstances. They MUST return it. 500 bucks is enoygh of a deposit.

Do try the fleet managers; do not deal with an idiot salesman.
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 04:27 PM
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Most won't take CC, they only accept cash or check. That's like taking a loan to make the downpayment. Why put it on your CC anyway? That means that in 30 days, you'll be writing a check to the CC company for the same money. Plus, if you're carrying a balance, you're now paying extra interest on that amount

Most will, your doing that for protection in case the deal goes bad. If you have the cash, pay the card, no interest.

If you have a balance, still pay the card, then finace the car at a lower rate.

I agree with everyone else, deal with the fleet mgr, or internet sale mgr. I had a price set before I walked into the dealership.
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