So my good buddy doesn't plan on taking delivery of his c8 when it comes but he still has his order coming. I want to buy his car when it comes basically we take delivery of his car, just it would be mine and not his. How exactly would this process work, and would it... work? We are scared to ask the dealer because I am worried they will just push him off the order and take it as dealer inventory to make a profit off of. Any veterans know the best way to work this out? We had the same spec, but mine wont be getting built, so this would be perfect.

 

Personally, I'd wait for the car to arrive, go to the dealership together, and just let them put it in your name. With the the commonality of domestic partnerships these days, I seriously doubt anyone would raise an eyebrow.

 

My dealer wants to take control of the car. Your buddy can buy it and sell it to you. Our state has a sales tax consequence but yours may not. He may beat the sales tax if the car is not registered at the DMV.

 

This. If your buddy even hints that he is passing on the car he could lose his deposit and they will likely sell it as a dealer car with markup.

 

Your dealer can just put it in your friends name if he WANTS to or he could keep it and sell for over sticker.. Either way you are out of it.

 

Go to the dealer with your buddy. Look very amorous at your buddy while there. Likewise, have him look very enthralled at you. Best, if you both wear floral shirts and Levi short shorts. Holding hands is optional, but advised.

Register the car in both your names. Tell your buddy "happy anniversary". Give him the keys and drive off the lot.

When you get home, proceed directly to your local DMV and get your name removed via a title transfer to your buddy. If DMV asks, tell them that "the dirtbag was cheating on me...."

P.S. If you follow my advice, RSVP and tell us all how it went down......!

 

I disagree. I have often made a last-minute decision on whether to put a car in my name, my female domestic partner's name, or both, and the dealer never had any problem.

 

What part do you disagree with ??

 

This. It may not work, but if you're there, it's likely they won't care. On the other hand, if you tell the dealer in advance you don't want the car, they'll put it on the showroom floor and sell it above MSRP.

Just show up to take delivery, and when you get in the room with the finance person change the name on the sales docs. There is absolutely NOTHING illegal about this.

Before we were married, my wife and I did this on several vehicle transactions.

 

what have you got to lose

 

I disagree with the part about the dealer being able to do whatever they want. At least in my state, the buyer can title a car any way they want (as long as it isn't illegal), including in another person's name, and as an ITF (In Trust For) a designated beneficiary.

 

If he tells the dealer in advance, he very likely loses the opportunity to get the car in his friend's hands.

 

In every State buying in one name and then passing ownership without having the title in that name is called "jumping title" and is illegal.

 

Jallen,

I respect your expertise as a long-time dealership owner, but it seems to me he hasn't purchased anything in his name. As I said above, I've ordered vehicles in my name, but when we showed up together for delivery, my girlfriend at the time paid for and had the car titled in her name. She wanted me to do the ordering for her because I have more experience in vehicle purchases.

I don't see how it's "jumping title" if he hasn't purchased the car yet, which doesn't happened until delivery.

 

This.

 

Funny BUT IMO the only safe way to be sure! Heck it was posted Kerbeck had 3 C8s for sale at $10,000 over MSRP and why not. Don't know if they gave the person not wanting to take delivery their down payment back and relay makes no difference to their price as by contract they don't have to. Why would a dealer sell the car at MSRP as if ordered today would take a year to get?

Our local large Chevy, BMW. Mercedes dealer sells few Corvettes. They had a limited C8 allocation. Know the top salesman as have purchased 2 of the wife's BMW SUV's from him. He told me they were asking over MSRP when I ordered mine from out of State last July. This February when I was in having her car serviced asked him how their C8 sales went. They sold one for $12,000 over MSRP the other even more!

Now in SC we have a maximum $500 sales tax on cars but a high personal propriety tax that is only paid when registering for a plate not buying the car. There is also a loop hole for selling to relative that makes the sales tax zero.

 

I think you are misinterpreting what I said and maybe I said it poorly. You cannot go to the dealer, sign all the paperwork in the name of John Smith, receive the title paperwork, and then take that to the license bureau and title it in the name Joe Blow without paying taxes a second time. Obviously you can show up at the dealership and ask that the vehicle paperwork and buyer's order be done in the Joe Blow name to begin with.
There are a number of legitimate reasons that may occur other than a domestic partner. You could claim the second party to be a business partner you are buying the car for, a friend who is helping you not have the car taken in a divorce, and many other scenarios that most dealers would appreciate and participate in.

 

Yep and also, not so easy to switch names with C8's like hens teeth and a new 2021 if a hold-a-spot ordered placed today will take a year or more to get! I have a signed contract with Kerbeck that says I'll pay the remainder over the down payment when the car is built! Have it in my wife's and my name. If I elect not to take delivery I could lose my down payment. The dealer can easily say, heck you ordered XYZ options and a color combo that we many have a hard time selling. We need X% (or all) of your deposit to protect ourselves. Heck many dealers would love to have a C8 in the showroom to get orders for 2021s! GM is not building dealer cars at this time.

SIDEBAR
Reminded of my 1st Vette, a 1988. Handed the sales manager at the local dealer a spread sheet with exactly what I wanted "built just for me in Bowling Green," with MSRP and dealer cost for each item. Also knew there were holdbacks. Quickly reached an agreed to price. The sales manger very apologetically (they are like that down here versus CT etc when I had recently moved from) said I'm sorry but I will have to ask for a non refundable $2000 deposit as around here I could not sell a standard shift.

Thought that sounded crazy but no problem for me it was my car and I was going to take it. Then when I brought the car to work one of my "younger" Product/Business managers had a 2004 Vette looked inside and jokingly said, "What too cheap to buy and automatic." I just smiled and didn't bother to tell him in 2008 the Dough Nash 4 speed with 2 speed overdrive in the tailshaft was the exact same price as the automatic! He would not understand! Funny, that year only 15% of us bought standard shifts!

 

Title your Car with you and your Friend as the Registered Owners. Then list your Friend as the Lienholder on the Vehicle.

Use your Friend's address on the Title. When the Title shows up, sign off it and have your Friend go and get the Title updated since you couldn't afford the Payments due to the Kung Flu.

If questioned on this scenario, tell the Dealer that your Friend loaned you the Money for the Purchase.

 

Yes, I realize that, and I think you misinterpreted what I said, which is exactly the same thing you said in bold above.

Every time I've purchased a new vehicle (more than 5 dozen times now), I've been asked how I wanted the vehicle titled. I simply suggested that the person wanting the car go to delivery day with the person who ordered the car, and request that the title be put in the name of the person actually purchasing the car. As I said, I did this several times with my then girlfriend.

There is nothing illegal about that. It is not about one individual purchasing the car and then transferring it to a different name. The person who ordered the car hasn't purchased it yet.

If the dealer balks thinking he can make more money putting it in stock for sale, they have the legal right to do so, and then if there is a non-refundable deposit involved the ordering person who no longer wants the car has a decision to make.