wxtornado

What exactly does a dealer do to a car after it comes off the truck? Do they wash/wax it? Are you going to allow them to touch your finish? What about that sticker that says "Acme Nissan of Egypt" or whatever - can we tell them to leave our rides alone with regards to this kind of stuff?

TalonZ

A number of years ago, I special-ordered a Trans Am from the local Pontiac dealer. When the car arrived, they evidently turned the newest guy at the dealership loose with a buffer. The finish on the car was trashed. Even the trim around the rear window was scratched down to bare metal.

The shameful part is that I was inexperienced enough that I didn't recognize the finish was ruined until a few weeks later. By then it was too late: the car was mine.

The car never really looked like it should have, and the paint deteriorated quickly. In a few years, the paint started to "alligator" and rust developed.

Since then, when I am ordering a new vehicle, I always tell the dealer--in writing, while we're finalizing the deal--that I will not accept a vehicle that has been buffed. All I let them do is wash the car.

You can believe I thoroughly inspect the finish before I take delivery of the vehicle.

I also tell the dealership I will not accept a vehicle with their name on it.

wxtornado

That's exactly the kind of stuff that I'm afraid of. How do we know they don't throw a rag to the part-time help and say "hey, go wash and wax that car", ya know? Or have you ever heard of "$600 dealer-required undercoating"?
I guess I need to call my saleman and ask him exactly what they do, then I can tell him what I don't want done...!