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Autobytel.com - What has your experience been?

131 messages,  Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 6:26 PM

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Messages Page 9 of 14

#80 of 131 It doesn't say that the quote by abtseller

Mar 19, 2002 (6:44 am)

will be by email only. Lots of times we don't get enough information to give an accurate quote by email. Did anyone make an attempt to call you on the phone?
 
Ed

#81 of 131 had all the info. on a speced-out vehicle for a quote... by dusti

Mar 19, 2002 (8:50 am)

the email said something about you had to commit to buying at whatever the quote was before they'd give you the quote.
 
Guess they were catering to that portion of the Internet market that had just fallen off the turnip truck.

#82 of 131 hm. I'd drop ABT a line and by abtseller

Mar 19, 2002 (9:07 am)

forward the message. You're supposed to get a quote. Are you sure you're not talking about priceline. You're supposed to commit to something with them before they give you a quote.
 
Ed

#83 of 131 dusti by suzzann

Mar 21, 2002 (6:51 am)

Ed's right, that does sound like Priceline. You're supposed to name your price there, on Autobytel they give you a quote. I've had a friend use this with no problem, and I used them for a quote also.

#84 of 131 Autobytel Quote by chouettegy

Mar 21, 2002 (10:09 am)

I used AutoByTel to order/purchase a 2002 Honda CR-V. For me, it worked great. However, I did not get an initial quote either.
 
What worked for me was that I did not leave my phone number (entered a phony one since my number is unlisted). The fleet/internet manager emailed me requesting that I call him. I replied asking for a quote and if I liked it, I would contact him to schedule an appointment. I also mentioned that I was serious about buying and had already obtained financing to provide him incentive to provide me a quote on my terms.
 
He gave me a quote which was about $1,000 better than Edumnds TMV. The car was $750 under MSRP (with discounted add-ons) while most dealers in the San Diego area go MSRP or higher for this vehicle.
 
For high demand vehicles in short supply, I would recommend using this service. For vehicles whose TMV is close to invoice, dealing with the sales staff will probably yield the same or better result.

#85 of 131 Easy way to buy at invoice +$300 by mpevzner

Apr 12, 2002 (5:25 pm)

I bought a '99 Galant ES V6 in '99 from Autobytel. The whole sale process was fast, easy and positive experience. Unfortunately the Galant was a LEmon, however it's Mitsubishi that is at fault here, not Autobytel. I live in Northern CA, the retail dealers are a bunch of arrogant a-holes. I am definitely buying my next new car through Autobytel.

#86 of 131 Except... by isellhondas

Apr 15, 2002 (7:58 am)

You didn't buy your car "from" AutoByTel. You bought it from a dealer that was tied into ABT.
 
A "retail" dealer who may or may not have been a quality store.

#87 of 131 My 2 Cents by masspector

Apr 19, 2002 (4:30 pm)

This may be long so bear with me:
 
I used the ABT service when I purchased a 1996 Sable LS. Back in the day, the service really was on the phone. A friend had given me a flyer he got in the mail advertising this service and an 800 number. The flyer guaranteed me a vehicle at dealer invoice cost. I did my research on the web and with priceguide magazines. They gave me a dealer and salesman to call. I called him and after a little confusion about the prices he did offer me the new vehicle at invoice plus I got a $600 rebate and no dealer fees. Then came the trade in. He quoted me about $1500 les than it was worth. They also did not have my exact car in stock. No dealer in my area had it exactly like I wanted it. I had to order it. The dealer I bought from matched the invoice pricing and started about the same for my trade. When I told him how much I wanted for my trade, he said that was way too high and he could not do it. I said fine and left. Guess what? The next day he called with an offer that was $1000 higher on my trade than any other dealer plus my new car at the same price. I bought the car from him because of the good price on the new car and he was within $300 of what I could have gotten for the trade if I had sold it myself. He made the dealer holdback and about $500 or more on my trade. Even though I did not use the ABT dealer, he had just as much opportunity to get my business as the dealer I finally bought from. I liked the service because it gave me a starting good price to start shopping with.
 
Fast forward to 2002. I am trying to help a friend get a new SUV. ABT, dealer quick quotes and other buyer services stink. Plus the selection is awful. He has very specific options he wants and does not want and has narrowed down to 3 makes and models. We cannot find a vehicle he wants on a lot. And every dealer we speak to says they cannot order the vehicle the way he wants it even tough the brochures and websites say you can. He is looking real closely at Highlander and a QX4. All of the online services that we have tried to use will not send back an email quote for a vehicle. I have got like 2 out of about 20. They all want to call you or have you come down. I have been very specific about the options and colors I want on the vehicle, no need for "clarification". If you do not have the vehicle, quote me a price if you were to order it.
 
This is my take on ABT and other online buying services. In the early 90's it was a novel thing to research cars on the internet and know invoice prices. Dealers wanted buyers sent to them that were ready to buy so they paid these services for leads. Now almost everyone uses the net or has a friend to use the net to get the invoice price and know about holdback and dealer incentives. The dealers are being squeezed on profit and they are fighting back. Carsdirect.com is a joke. My mom wouldn't buy a car for their prices. And now so many dealers have websites and use sevices like ABT they actually do not want the internet shopper, because they are the ones who are usally going to try to get every penny out of a deal. ABT does not guarantee invoice pricing anymore. I think these services are mostly fronted by the dealers and the dealers have said quit telling everyone that they can get my car at invoice plus my incentives.
 
Note to dealers, quite trying to make up profit with ridiculus doc and ad fees. When I buy any other retail product I do not have to pay a seperate fee for someone to order the product and another fee for the stockboy. They are all included in the price of the product. Advertising and processing paperwork is an associated cost for selling cars. They are the cost of doing business. Include them in your price period, not as extras or add ons. And advertising costs are inherent in any business, yet only car dealers seperate out this cost, like no one else pays for it in retail.
 
My ABT experience did give me some sympathy for car dealers though. I learned that the dealer mark up is not near as high as I thought it was. The manufacturer mark up is what is killing the consumer. I heard a report a few years back that every Crown Vic that Ford sold through a dealer at $20,000 cost Ford $10,000 to produce. Assuming that is an average, thats a lot of mark up to dealers and ultimately the buyer. If anyone can tell me how to get at that money...whhooee.

#88 of 131 Here's how.... by isellhondas

Apr 25, 2002 (8:48 am)

IT's easy! Just call your stockbroker and buy some Ford stock!
 
BTW...Autobytel has NEVER "guaranteed" invoice pricing! Holdback is not profit either!

#89 of 131 isellhondas by masspector

Apr 25, 2002 (10:05 am)

It has been along time ago. The brochure may not have said "guaranteed", however it used a sentence similar to "buy vehicles at dealer invoice prices". It definately left the impression that if you bought through their service that you would get a vehicle price quote at dealer invoice prices, and I did.
 
I understand that holdback is not direct dealer profit and is used by the manufacturer to assist the dealer with inventory costs, however follow this scenario and please explain to me what I am missing. I know from other posts in TH that Toyota includes a line for holdback on their dealer invoices. Excluding any other charges lets say my vehicle I want to buy is invoice $20,000 and $1,000 holdback. I agree to the printed invoice from the dealer and he agrees to sell me the vehicle at the price on his Toyota dealer invoice. $20,000 plus $1,000 plus other fees on invoice. Total is $21,000 plus other fees. The dealer has paid to the manufacturer exactly what the dealer invoice says, for the vehicle, $20,000 plus $1,000 plus fees. Now a month later the dealer gets a check from Toyota for the $1,000 holdback. I have spent $21,000 with the dealer. The dealer has $22,000 now. Now I understand that the dealer has daily operating costs, but it sure looks like the dealer pocketed an extra $1000 from somewhere, mainly me. He got me to pay for his forced savings plan with the manufacturer. I understand that operating expense and profit are two different things, but lets say after averaging it all out that he sold me my vehicle two days after it arrived on his lot and it only cost him $100 to floorplan it. Then the extra $900 is profit. Please do not beat me up on this. I am not a car salesman and never have been. I am just trying to understand the sales side of it and explain a little of the way the consumer sees it. Thanks to all.

Messages Page 9 of 14

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