There is much discussion in this thread re the top 3 dealers being the best to deal with. However, it is wise to realize that these dealers also have the longest lists whereas there are other top 10 dealers with significantly smaller lists that still have good allocations. One of these is my local dealer Rick Hendrick, Duluth GA. They are often able to get a car in your hands quicker than the top 3. Speak to Chris Lindamood, the Corvette sales manager. He is not your typical salesman. Very personable and very knowledgeable about all things automotive.

 

It's safe to say that many of us have their own dealers that they like and prefer to do business with, and that's great, however, SUBTRACTION is NOT an "accounting trick". Furthermore, MacMulkin fully discloses that they have a "Dealer Fee" which they net out against MSRP at time of final invoice being rendered for payment. I'm not sure where you see this accounting trickery you allude to, this is not ENRON duping the public.

I wish that all the car dealers out there had 1/10th the transparency as MacMulkin.

 

I have heard plenty of testimonials about MacMulkin, Kerbeck and Criswell. All three will treat you right and make your car buying experience a pleasure.

 

I deposited with Kerbeck (12/28/20) and MacMulkin at approximately the same time. First 3300 & TPW of 5/31. 3400 & Vin yesterday with estimate of post shutdown TPA 6/14. Deposit to car in under six months, with professional and very helpful assistance regarding bang for my buck, by going 2LT instead of 3LT. More performance options, etc. Paul at Kerbeck. I suspect SMG was a large factor.

 

I would say they are going to run out of customers but there are so many here in the Valley that they will find someone to screw. I bought a C6Z from them and it was great but at some point they were sold and the new owners are horrible, they also own a Ford dealer here in the Valley and tried the same thing with me a few months later when I was looking to buy a 2020 GT500. I only figured it out as the salesman's spiel was very much the same as the Chevy salesman's and when I checked the email they were from the same ownership group. Bought a GT4 instead and could not be any happier as it has a manual and I never want to be without one. Every time I get a chance to rip them online I do it and I tell everyone who I know or meet to stay away like they are Covid-19.

 

My brother sold cars for a while. The salesman's "spiele" is actually a relatively well refined methodology to put the dealer in an advantage and is full of psychological warfare tricks (they aren't in the business of losing money). He told me they basically have two methodologies and it is all codified in training materials the salesmen use. After he told me what to look for, I have seen it many times at different dealers.
Here's a couple:
1) "Let me go talk to my boss and see if he can authorize a special deal for you!", this is just a smoke break and putting time on the clock since dragging out the process makes people more likely to want to close the deal and go home.
2) "Here's the best price I can offer, sign here, and here, and here...." (passes paper to you, followed by LONG PERIOD OF NO VERBAL COMMUNICATION). These long periods of silence are 100% designed to put you in a psychological disadvantage.

Probably not going to see any of this when you buy a C8, especially NEW and on a waiting list. They are basically going to tell you what their price is and you will agree to it IF you want to be added to their waiting list. Every dealer I spoke with the price was MSRP.
Probably a good idea to get something in writing when you place the deposit! A dealer increasing the price once your allocation comes up, that's pretty shady and also a good reason to be on multiple lists. I had 4 deposits placed, got three of them back, bought my C8 via MacMulkin and ironically my local dealer told me my allocation was ready to go to 3000 status about a week or two after my MacMulkin order would. I chose to go with MacMulkin and pay a little extra for destination charge. Had I gone with the local dealer (I waited ~11 months on the list), my vehicle wouldn't have been produced and I would be looking at a MY22 right now.

I think if you can afford this vehicle, you can afford to get positioned on several waiting lists. Just look at those deposits as your down payment.

 

I agree completely about Chris Lindamood and Rick Hendrick Duluth. @PurpleLion is correct that even though Kerbeck and MacMulkin sell the most Corvettes in the world they also have the longest waiting lists. I put a deposit down with both of them on March 30, 2021. I'm currently at #2262 on Kerbeck's list and at #431 on MacMulkin's 2022 list since it has merged. On April 8, 2021 I went to see Chris at RHD. I told him I had already built a Torch Red HTC and was ready to place my order. I gave him a $1k deposit that day. He called on May 14th to make sure we were clear on my order and he placed it as a Retail Stock order. On May 28th he sent me an email that my order had been accepted by GM and I was at status 3000. That order sheet has my name on it, I'm paying MSRP plus their $795 doc fee, and I'll be driving my C8 before either of the other two call me to place an order.

I am not saying anything negative about either of the top two - especially MacMulkin. MacMulkin is on this forum constantly updating people on all news Corvette. I'm very impressed with their communication.

The key with the smaller dealers is to go see them. Find out how many C8s they have actually sold and if they sold at MSRP. Find out how many allocations they were given for the 2021 C8 and how quickly they sold them. The dealers that get allocations whether they are customer orders or retail orders who have a customer's names on them turn Corvettes quicker and will get cars faster than the dealers who order them and sell them over MSRP. I met a guy at an all Corvette show on May 1st who did this at Megel Chevrolet in Dawsonville, GA. He placed his initial deposit in December 2020 and had his 2021 C8 the first week in April.