Pea-n-Me
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2004
Have you ever heard of a car dealership having a policy of NOT taking a deposit on a used car, even over the few days when a good faith buyer is getting all their necessary "pieces" put in place?
I've bought two used cars recently, both at different dealerships. The first one was happy to take a deposit and work with me for a couple of days while things fell into place.
The second one refused a deposit because they expected the entire purchase to happen in just one day, saying they had everything right there to make it happen. [Read: they want you to use their financing and services to expedite the purchase.] If you do things on your own and it takes a few days, they will still sell the car to someone else who walks in and can purchase that day, despite knowing you're in the middle of purchasing.
I had never encountered the latter before, and thought it would make an interesting discussion.
One thing I have noticed, and I've heard it from several dealerships, is how internet sales have changed car buying. Not sure that has anything to do with the question, but I suppose it could factor in.
I've bought two used cars recently, both at different dealerships. The first one was happy to take a deposit and work with me for a couple of days while things fell into place.
The second one refused a deposit because they expected the entire purchase to happen in just one day, saying they had everything right there to make it happen. [Read: they want you to use their financing and services to expedite the purchase.] If you do things on your own and it takes a few days, they will still sell the car to someone else who walks in and can purchase that day, despite knowing you're in the middle of purchasing.
I had never encountered the latter before, and thought it would make an interesting discussion.
One thing I have noticed, and I've heard it from several dealerships, is how internet sales have changed car buying. Not sure that has anything to do with the question, but I suppose it could factor in.