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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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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 11 of 14

#92 of 131 You don't get a better deal by abtseller

Apr 25, 2002 (12:55 pm)

because of the holdback, see the post above. The oldest car on the lot has the most push to sell it. I actually sold a Frontier today $300 below net, because it was the oldest new one on the lot.
 
As to your idea of ordering cars, I don't think it will float. Most buyers are "impulse" sales. When they have finally made up their mind that they're going to buy a car, they're going to look around until they find the closest thing that is to their ideal and they're going to buy it, even if it costs more than waiting 4 months. Note that I said "MOST." There are folks who order cars, and wait, but they are probably only 1% of the buying public, or less.
 
Another thing that you're missing is that most of the "Japanese" cars come from the States.
 
Many of the "American" cars are made in Mexico or Canada. They build Camrys closer to me than they build Suburbans. Weird, huh. The pipeline for a Japanese built vehicle is about 4 months long, very few people have that kind of patience. A US built car is about 4-6 weeks.
 
I have no experience/clue about German or Swedish built cars.
 
Ed

#93 of 131 Thanks ABT by masspector

Apr 25, 2002 (8:16 pm)

I understand what you are saying about "impulse" buyers. I am sure you are correct about your numbers, but I think this may be a symptom of the system. People see all the cars on dealer lots and just buy that way because they do not know any better, and thats the way they have always done it. Plus dealers are trying to sell the cars on their lots. When I have looked at vehicles, the salesman has never offered to order me a vehicle, he always trys to get me to buy off of his lot. I am very particular about color and options on my vehicles, just wanted to see you guys take on what you see everyday from customers. I wonder if there were such an alternative store for ordering vehicles how the public would react. I agree it would definately start as a niche market.

#94 of 131 What will happen is that the by abtseller

Apr 26, 2002 (6:43 am)

local "big guy" dealers will undercut your prices until the customer becomes color and option blind, until you go out of business.
 
Ed

#95 of 131 masspector, by landru2

Apr 26, 2002 (7:04 pm)

Just have a few around to show and drive?
 
Let's see, Ford F-150, 3 engines, 2 transmissions, all in either 2wd or 4wd, 3 different body styles, 5 different wheelbases, 3-4 different trim levels for each body, 4 axle choices, 4 diferent tire sizes, ten colors, 9 different interiors - each in 2 or 3 colors, etc., etc.
 
Nahhh, I doubt that would work.

#96 of 131 Invoices by im_brentwood

Apr 26, 2002 (8:50 pm)

In relation to ad fees..they are invisible on the MSRP, but do show on the invoices. They are charged to the dealer by the manufacturer to cover the manufacturer's regional advertising costs.
 
As far as Toyota Invoices... if you look at the base invoice of a Camry, say, $20,000 on edmunds.com for example, the real invoice may show: Camry $19,200, + Holdback $800.
 
So actual Toyota invoices just break it down. The "total invoice" is what the dealer is billed for the car once it is shipped fromthe factory.
 
Hope this helps!
 
Bill

#97 of 131 Buying sight-unseen? by seerongo

Apr 27, 2002 (10:24 pm)

I'm a new member, thanks for a very interesting forum. Question:
When using a alternative buying method like ABT, how can you test drive the specific vehicle you are buying to be sure it is satisfactory, everything works, etc? Is it acceptable to make the sale contingent on a satisfactory inspection before closing? On a related note, if I find a problem, I expect the dealer to fix it before closing, not have to have it fixed on warranty after the sale. Typically, it seems dealers don't want to do it that way, but it seems reasonable to me. I would want this to be a contingency of sale. If I buy this way, as I probably will, I will consider the offer serious, but I would want a way out if it's not satisfactory in some way, since it is basically sight unseen. I can see a potential problem if, for example, the car shimmies or pulls or just doesn't drive right, the dealer could disagree that it's a real problem. There can be reasonable disagreements on subtle problems, too. Getting dealers to do legitimate warranty work can be a more miserable experience that the sales experience sometimes is. But I guess that's probably another forum. If not, I'm starting one!
Ron

#98 of 131 Brent by masspector

Apr 29, 2002 (4:14 am)

Thanks for the info.

#99 of 131 Seerongo, we by abtseller

Apr 29, 2002 (5:25 am)

always base all sales upon a satisfactory test drive/inspection of the vehicle once it arrives. If there's anything wrong, we either get it fixed to the customer's satisfaction, or they aren't obligated to take the vehicle.
 
Ed

#100 of 131 masspector.. by isellhondas

Apr 29, 2002 (8:24 am)

I have no idea how Toyota does things.
 
I guess, as a person who used to buy a new car every three years or so, I looked at the process differently than others.
 
I didn't care about holdbacks or about how much profit the dealer might be making. I looked at the *value* of the car to me. If I felt comfortable with the salesperson and the dealership and I felt the price was acceptable, I bought the car. If the salesperson was a sleaseball or I was high pressured I would simply leave.
 
To me, price wasn't the main consideration.
 
I guess I figured that if I spent an extra two hundred dollars but had a good experience, I was happy.
 
But, we are all different.

#101 of 131 Cars.com is better than autobytel.com by kevin111

May 26, 2002 (1:12 pm)

I just bought a car, and used both autobytel and cars.com
 
Autobytel gives you one dealer and one quote. Was great on a car I was looking at (RSX) and would have given me the cheapest price I could find on the Type-S, was poor on other models that were available (Maxima and WRX).
 
Went to Car.com, and they allowed me to select 3 dealers in their registry. From there, I was able to get a great price, and bid the three dealers (and the one by me) against each other on the phone. Bought the car for $300 above invoice with the options I wanted.

Messages Page 11 of 14

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