Lately I have been looking for a car for my Wife. I vacillated between a couple cars, even called off the search for about a month, and finally came back to a C7.

I have been looking at used cars and learning about C7's as I go. I made some offers that were close but a no go for the sellers which I completely understand.

Yesterday we came across an add for some Grand Sports at Kerbeck in Atlantic City. One of them in the exact color my Wife wants, White with Adrenalin Red seats, was priced very well. I called the person who handles all of my car purchases for the company and for me personally and asked him what he thought. He thought the price was good but told me to call and check on its availability which I did.

The salesperson I spoke with was very nice. I asked him if the car from the ad was available and he gave me the stock number and told me yes it's available. He then said we also have another exactly like it as well so two to choose from in her desired color with exactly the same equipment. He asked me if I would be stopping by today and I said that I probably would be stopping by.

Now I didn't give him my name and number nor did he ask for it. I drove down this evening and had made up my mind I was just going to buy the car. My Wife wants one and I didn't need to look around anymore because the price was good and the color exact. When I walked in the dealership it's awesome. Gorgeous Corvette's everywhere!

As I was walking over to the Salesperson I had spoken with on the phone after another Salesperson kindly guided me in his direction I saw a White Grand Sport with the advertised price on it but a SOLD tag on the dash. I thought "that's fine they have another" which is exactly what he said also.

Then there was the "BUT" and he continued "it doesn't have the dealer incentive on it so it's $4,000 more."

I had had a bad day with a series a issues arising at the office causing double work, HR issues, invoicing discrepancy uncovered etc. I thought as I was driving down in rush hour traffic I am going to buy a gorgeous car my Wife will love and it took my mind off the BS from earlier in the day.

When he told me the EXACT same car was 4k more it just hit me wrong. I got very angry. I felt deceived. I was told this morning there were two exactly the same. I assumed incorrectly that they were the same price as well. I personally don't do business that way. If something is the same it's the same price to the consumer.

I told him how angry I was and that I felt like it was unethical. It wasn't at all about the money because it was still an OK deal but it made me feel something just wasn't right about doing that.

I feel bad now about my reaction as I know it's not his fault. He didn't even try and say "let's see of we can work something out on the other car". He just let me leave I guess because he knew I was angry.

I haven't been into a dealership in a long time. 7 years actually. Was I looking at this wrong? Should I have just sucked it up and paid the extra 4k for the exact same car? Just doesn't sit right with me for some reason and still feels sketchy and unethical. Would love some input from others regarding their thoughts on this situation.
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Walking out was the right move. That smells like bait-and-switch and it is one of the many reasons I hate dealership negotiating.

There is a guy that advertises on these forums for C7s with cash discount for forum members and steep % discounts on his inventory. You might have to travel, but I suspect the car plus plane tickets and a road trip back would be cheaper than going back to the shady dealer in Atlantic City.

Good luck!

 

I'm very sorry to hear about your experience, but this is not any kind of "bait and switch. All of our cars are priced on the website. We have have many duplicate cars and duplicate cars have the same discount unless we have one that has a bonus tag on it and those cars are clearly marked on the site showing the bonus tag.

The current bonus tag program gives a customer rebate on top of an additional dealer discount which totals between $4,000 and $5,000 depending on the car.

We sell, on average, 4 or 5 new Corvettes per day and it's no surprise that the bonus tag cars sell much faster than the ones with no tags.

I usually see all of the customers who come to our showroom, but somehow I didn't meet you last night because I would have tried to explain this to you while you there.

Of course, none of this makes up for your disappointment fir not getting the car you wanted at the price you were expecting, but I wanted to explain what happened and that there was nothing fishy or dishonest going in, we just sold the bonus tag car you were looking at before you came in.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns.

Dave

 

I started looking for a vette mid year of 2012. The chevy dealer (3 dealers) would not unlock a car for me to sit in. They would not open the rear hatch either. It took a long time for me to buy a vette...put a bad taste in my mouth as far as dealers are concerned.

 

Dave,

Thanks for chiming in, many wouldn't. But I do think this was handled wrong. If the salesman he talked with the on the phone had said, hey there are two, one with the special price and the other without then it wouldn't have been a wasted trip. Or you might have tried to work something out.

 

Thank you very much Dave for your response. I appreciate it. What a fabulous Corvette display!!

I understand now that I should have done a better job as a consumer and asked more questions. As I mentioned it's been 7 years since I have been to a dealership to buy a personal car so I am a little out of practice.

In my world, which is nothing like yours in any way, when I have a comparable product it's the same price as the one next to it. I assumed that to be the same in this case and that was my mistake.

As I think about it and seeing how the experience was so negative for me at the time if it were my dealership my Salespeople would be instructed to apprise potential buyers of the Bonus Tag Savings program and how it applies to only that car even if there's a duplicate sitting right beside it.

"Sir thank you for calling, that bonus tag savings car is still available. Are you going to be coming in today? What time will you be down to look at your car? Since you are calling in about that car I want to make you aware the bonus tag savings cars sell very quickly and that price applies only to that car. I know that's the exact color for your Wife and I can't guarantee it won't sell before you get here when so why don't you call me before you start your drive down just to confirm it's still available? We do happen to have another in her color with the same equipment but that car does not have the bonus tag savings."

If that had happened the onus is placed on me to make my decision. Give a deposit on the bonus tag car right then. Take my chances knowing that the car with the bonus tag savings in the exact color my Wife wants may be sold when I get there later that day. Know that there's another one but it's more money but now that I am aware maybe I go anyway because the deal is still not too bad.

As it transpired I was given the stock number of the bonus tag savings car and told it was still available and then to expand upon that I was told there was another car the same color with the same equipment "so we have two available." That's what lead me to believe both cars were EXACTLY the same including the price. Hence why I felt I was deceived when I arrived.

Spending 1 1/2 hours in that always exciting rush hour traffic after a horrible day only exacerbated my discontent with the situation.

Please apologize to the Sales Representative if you would. He was very professional and courteous even while I was pissed and cursing the situation. He didn't deserve to be caught up in my terrible day and I feel bad about it. He's the "tallest guy in the showroom" which I thought was a good way to remember someone as sometimes names get forgotten.

Thanks again for your response!

Steve W. Hoagland

 

Good post. I'm surprised the bonus tag situation wasn't explained over the phone as most dealerships running a special can't wait to discuss it.

 

With the list of cars you'all have in stock and your great prices can certainly understand how popular colors go quickly. (The OP's desired colors are exactly what I wanted and bought.) My Grand Sport is white with red interior and I did look (via the Internet) at the cars you had in stock when I ordered a few months ago. But although there were two with the colors I wanted they both had black wheels. Even checked to see what a wheel swap might cost.

Decided as I did with the prior '08 C6 I bought from you (and all of my 5 Vettes) why not get exactly what I want! Got (and love) the red seat belts, red brake calipers and the machined faced wheels I wanted. Decided to order the Stage 2 aero package and avoid having to buy and install aftermarket (full length) side skirts and splitter as I did my C7!

You'll gave me a great price and I bought on my second phone call! Paid exactly what was quoted not a penny more. Found a dealer 25 miles away who accepted courtesy deliver. Great overall purchase experience.

Yep had to wait ~6/7 weeks for Bowling Green to produce and the car to be delivered. Left time for me to buy ~$2500 worth of extra's, many of which I installed that first week, like ceramic brake pads, red upper dash pad to make a 2.5LT, Stage 3 winglets, etc.

Thanks, for a great price and great service.




Grand Sport, M7, Stage 2 Aero, Machined Faced Wheels 2.5LT Red Interior- many minor mods.

 

This bonus tag stuff is very frustrating. The dealer claims it's not bait and switch, but in some ways that is exactly what it is as they plaster those very limited number of discounted cars all over their marketing to try to get people to come in and buy the "regular discounted" cars. We all know that is the goal. It's a lure to try to catch a bigger fish and both GM and the dealers are at fault.

 

If you find the car you want on their internet page, check the price and call you get that car, at least at Kerbeck. It's not like haggling with a local dealer and salesman!

Don't agree with your statement, at least with Kerbeck, there cars are priced on the Net and many have extra discounts. What you say may fit a smaller local dealer but with the few Vettes they sell typically can understand the issue.

 

You did nothing wrong and and have no need to apologize. We could have definitely handled it better on our end.

This is a two edged sword. If a salesperson tells you there's only one available at that price and you better get here quick before its sold, it sounds like a high pressure sales pitch which is something we won't do.

I've been here for over 24 years now and I have learned that the Corvette buyer is one of the most educated and informed automotive buyers on the market. Most who walk in the door know everything about the car and all of the current prices and rebate programs. They also usually know my inventory inside and out.

This is a reminder that not every buyer who calls in or comes to the showroom is familiar with all of the current Corvette programs and we should go out of our way to make sure our customers understand everything not only about the car, but about the purchasing process.

Dave

 

You are right about it being frustrating, but I disagree with what you say the goal of the dealer is, at least here.

At the beginning of the month, GM may give me 40 bonus tags to use on Corvettes. Now I have over 200 cars in stock and I have to pick what cars to put them on. We try to put them on the popular color combinations but we want to spread it out over various models, body styles and transmissions. We also may have some older cars in stock that we want to try to move. Those 40 tags go fast!

On our site, all of the cars are getting the same type of discounting. We are making the same amount of money on a car with a bonus tag as we are on a car without a bonus tag so we have no reason to switch someone from one car to another. Our goal is to simply get you into a car you love at a price you think is fair.

Dave

 

Not everyone wants to buy a car sight unseen and not test driven over the internet or phone. I'm actually fine buying this way but many people are not.

The OP apologized but IMHO the dealer 100% dropped the ball here. The salesman asked if he was coming by and the OP said he would. If the dealer is selling 3-4 Corvette's a day and the bonus tag cars sell the fastest shouldn't the salesman have taken down his information and then called him once the car sold? Shouldn't the salesman have explained the bonus tag situation up front and that the car he inquired about was a limited offer?

Nope. Instead he planted the bait (we have another one just like it!) and I am sure the OP thought the chances of two exact same cars selling on a non-weekend day within hours of calling was a safe gamble. Then came the switch (oops the bonus tag car sold but the other car exactly like it is just $4K more). At that point the dealership should have made it right. They are the #1 volume Corvette dealer so I am quite sure they could have found a way to make things right for the OP.

I have worked at car dealers and bought and sold more cars than I care to admit. Unfortunately, this type of thing is why consumers don't trust dealers and why you end and up with so much frustration in what should be one of the best experiences (buying a sports car).

 

The worst part of Corvette ownership is that you have to buy new Corvettes from Chevrolet dealers and even worse is that while they are in warranty you mostly need to get them serviced at Chevrolet dealerships. Most Chevy dealerships and their sales crew and service departments totally suck. Some of the forum dealerships are shining exceptions to this. It seems that here we have a misunderstanding between good people which resulted in some understandable anger. If Chevy were to not play the games like bonus tag deals and instead limit Corvette sales to truly good dealerships who would all get every car at the same discount this misunderstanding would not have happened.

 

When I bought my 17 GS i got the loyalty deal worth 2K and salesman told me I could get the bonus red tag discount of 1.5K if I made the deal by 12 noon and it was 11:40 at the time so I had to make a decision pretty quick. I thought it was a trap as well but turns out they had to designate on the computer which VIN number car was getting the tag. It would have been nice if salesman had told up on the phone about the tag/discount. Some of my local dealers advertise that you can place the tag on any car at their dealership.

 

Buy the car you want when you can... It's a total truism of the car business that the one you buy will end up getting some kind of discount (cash on the hood, finance subvention, Bonus Tag, etc.) next month. A second truism is that a car can sit on the lot for 60-90 days and no one looks at it...then on the same day at the same time, two different buyers are interested both ready to close. Ugh...

I bought my car from Kerbeck sight unseen except for pictures. Had to be the easiest car purchase ever...here's the price, here's the financing, here's the dealer fee, done! I will buy my next Vette from them...

Right now, Kerbeck has the same 2017 GS M7 in Sterling Blue as I bought...and it's $4k cheaper due to Bonus Tag and more discount. If only I had waited...nah, glad to see it in my garage every morning.

 

Yep, gearheads like myself know exactly what I want or options I can live with or add extra myself. Like many things I buy on the Net, need little if any help.

Agree in this case something could have been done better, like let the caller know one car has some extra discounts and it could sell quickly.

I'm sure they get many calls per day from "tire kickers" and "wish I could afford's" so not sure a call back would work-but something like call before you come to be sure it's not sold could!

 

If there's a chance that more dealer tags will be issued in June (a week away) or a new group of different Chevy incentives will begin and that car is still in stock, perhaps a deal can be made and both parties will be happy. It will pay to stay in touch.

 

Yes and I know I sound negative towards the dealer in this thread, but some of this is on GM's crazy bonus tag system.

If the OP has not, I would be working directly with Dave in this thread to come up with a good solution

 

It's frustrating for the dealers, because at times, GM will roll out Bonus Tag incentives 2-3 times per month which tends to be a lot of work for us.

It's frustrating for you, because you don't understand the process.

GM will issue Bonus Tags good toward THEIR chosen VINs, OR they will give the dealer a set number of Bonus Tags that are good toward any in-stock Chevrolet. At that point, it's up to the discretion of the dealer on which cars they want to apply that Bonus Tag too.

For example: let's say that June 1st, GM comes to us and says, "here's 10 Bonus Tags you can use on any in-stock 2017 Chevrolet model..." At that point, it's up to our discretion on which cars we want to Bonus Tag. HOWEVER, GM will give the dealer only 24 hours, or sometimes 2-4 days to select which cars they're going to bonus tag, and then the dealer HAS to report those VINs that have been tagged, back to GM.

Once those VINs are reported, we CANNOT change or swap bonus tags from one car to another.

It isn't a "bait and switch" situation. We do not "bait and switch" and neither does Kerbeck.

So, before you go slamming a Chevrolet dealership for how they handle their bonus tags, understand, that GM places restrictions on all of it's dealerships on how Bonus Tags are handled each month.

As far as the rest of the discount pricing and how it shows on a dealer's web site - that's up to the dealership's discretion.

The discounting we do each month is our own and the prices reflect that on our web site. The price you see on our web site, is the price you pay, other than your registration fees and taxes.

Regardless of whether you physically walk into the showroom, or call us on the phone - the price you will see and hear will be the same.

The only time that may not be the case, is when we change pricing due to incentives, and sometimes it takes up to 24 hours for the pricing to reflect on the web site. That's something totally out of our control because of how the back-end inventory feeds are set up, and processed on a daily basis.