hakaida702

Congrats on your deal.

I got a typical form letter from the dealer's general manager so I wrote a long letter back about my transaction so far. If I don't hear back from the dealership by tomorrow they are dead to me and I'll move on to Plan B and Plan C. I feel like they are treating me as a lookie loo, tire kicker, dreamer, etc when I am a serious buyer with cash.

J. Kid

Sounds like you need to move on to another dealer. I agree with WanderingWheelz it is all about competition. When I bought mine 5 hours away I sent emails and made phone calls inquiring about 3 prospective cars at 3 dealers within an hour of each other about a week in advance. I let them all know what day I was coming and my plans to make the trip worth my while by looking at 3 cars. I stopped to see my #1 favorite car 1st. The dealer knew I was on a time schedule and brought my title and checkbook with me to make a deal that day. Ended up saving approximately $8K compared to buying from my local dealer.

Zeus993

Great environment for negotiation. In contrast, where I live there is essentially one major and one minor dealer within a couple of hours of each other but, in addition to this, they get such little stock that cars sit there for months with very little pressure. For example, there's a new 4GTS cab that's been there for six months. I quieried how fixed the price was, how motivated to sell they are etc..., and got an answer back that all their 991 cabs are sold nothing coming in for 6 months. This is where bringing a US car up looks better and better. I'm off to a quick import seminar later this month.

hakaida702

I probably will focus more on buying at the end of the month. I'm going to look at all of the cars available online on the 22nd and start calling on the 27th.

The first dealer I called hasn't called or emailed me back. I think that they do enough volume to not care about one sale when they probably have a lot of local traffic coming in.

pewter82

I inquired about a preowned GT3 over the phone yesterday. I had a decent conversation with the salesman and he was aware I was in the same line of work. He offered $2000 off the price for the car, then a later phone call to me he said he could only reduce the price $1000...I said sorry I'm considering other cars, thanks anyway.
I'm certainly not against anyone making a commission, but the whole "we price our cars to sell" doesn't work with informed buyers, who can find other cars priced the same and dealers that want to move cars.
I figure a low mile 911 GT3 has roughly 10K mark up, if not a bit more. Not sure about regular 911's.

Palmbeacher

I quite detest price-haggling, and resent being expected to participate. Perhaps if I'd been raised in Istanbul or Moscow or Brooklyn or Miami I might delight in the practise, but as it is I find it alien and vulgar.

When I'm in the market to purchase a car I do my research thoroughly. I tell the salesman what I'm willing to pay, politely remind him that this isn't the first car I've bought, and advise him that if he chooses to employ the tactic "I'll be happy to take your offer to my manager", that he should not expect to find me waiting when he returns from the loo or wherever he sequesters himself whilst perpetrating that shopworn subterfuge. Car dealers arm their salespeople with rudimentary psychological tricks which assume the low intelligence of the customer, thus a buyer with a brain is their worst nightmare.

I galls me especially that one finds that sort of attitude at dealerships selling cars north of a hundred grand. No doubt particularly in the USA and particularly in large urban areas there is a certain element with bags (often, literally) of money and little brains; but in large part I would think it safe to assume that someone had to have somewhat above-average intelligence to have made it into the sort of income bracket amenable to buying cars with six-figure price tags.

pewter82

I am probably nieve , but I had always expected that buying a Porsche or other high end car, would be a different experience than walking into a Ford showroom.
I have found that it is (or has become) nothing different than any other car buying experience. I expect that there are a few exceptions to this out there though.

Zeus993

Alas, it's yet another example of where the high-end cache experience and product quality is not the same multiple as the price is over the lower end products. But having said that, I wouldn't drive anything else.

twlai

Passing the peak of summer, and half of 2012 gone, I am start to see 2009 997.2 coming down in price slowly. I am keeping my eye out for a good deal in fall or winter to fish in my 997.2.
Hopefully i can find a dealer that will be easy to work with.

Ish993

I'd go back on the last day of the month....a couple of hours before closing.

If they need to make their numbers, you will be in a better place.

USMC_DS1

My best new vehicle purchasing experience at a dealership was with Sewel Lexus in Dallas. If you want to buy your wife a new ride this is the place to do it. Easy over the phone negotiations, $10K off list, and they have the car waiting for you in it's own pristine drive bay where the sales rep takes you thru a complete walk thru off all functions. No high pressure anything... not even at the end when you cut the check. And the employees are happy... it's like going to vehicular "Disneyland". Wish they sold Porsche!

fast1

It varies by dealer, and of course on whether they know you or not. As someone who has purchased six Porsches over the years from only two dealers, I expect that I'm treated differently than a stranger. I'm treated very well not only by the salesmen but also by the service teams.

Zeus993

Wow. Sounds like they are dialed in. The dealership in town is still trying to keep the "Porsche exclusivity" alive with the "don't insult us with a discount question" and inventory not moving particularly fast. Sounds like your Lexus dealer is adjusting to and surviving well in the times. People these days want a high quality product, good cache, at a great (lowered) price, and a great nice people experience.

USMC_DS1

It's an impressive dealership. Looks high end, feels high end, and they move a ton of volume by working with you. More importantly they treat you like a high end customer. Their business is based on building a relationship with the customer and getting the repeat business.

When we picked up my wife's SUV, GX-470, we were also trading in her old BMW x5. We had agreed upon a price upfront for both the GX-470 and trade-in value for the x5 before driving up to Dallas from Austin... here's the rub. Our sales rep wanted to give us an additional $500 for the trade-in value of the x5 after they had checked out our x5. I thought... this has to be some kind of financial trick. But nothing of the sort. Everything went as agreed except I was $500 ahead... my wife thought I was a negotiating savant. I had truly found new car purchasing Nirvana if such a place existed on earth. We drove away feeling like a million bucks. BTW, the Lexus dealer here in Austin offer us $1500 less in trade in for our x5. There are a few good dealerships out there... you just have to find them. And this is one of them... if ever I need another Lexus you know where I'll be shopping.

ecostellodo

This is why my dad has always purchased his cars from Sewel. They treat you like a king. You can bring in your 02 GS300 with 160k on the clock, and they are happy to see you.

If I remember correctly, they have over 100 loaner cars to hand out when your car is in for service. Here in OKC, the dealer is only 50% of the way there. They are nice, but not Sewel nice.

I too have no real choice for higher end cars here in OKC or Tulsa. We just make the short drive to DFW and purchase there.