[s-cars] "stealers"

[cello at adelphia.net]

We all have our bad dealer stories. There are many that rely upon customer ignorance. Many of us work on our own cars, and most buy them used, and if you are like me - only after extensive research. I think we as a group are especially sensitive to some of the tricks dealers play and what they charge. Unfortunately, there are many folks I know that don't care, don't want to walk away when making a purchase - and always think the dealer knows best when it comes to their car's service. You can't convince some people otherwise. That's why they'll continue to be around and make money. As always it's buyer beware.
I've purchased one new car in my life (Subaru). It was a nightmare to own. The dealer that serviced it under warranty utterly convinced me never to be their customer again. Subaru stood by the issues with the car and covered them, but the service experience was miserable. Of course they were the only Subaru dealer in town.
I've purchased two Audis from Dave Flagg and his son Pete. I've always felt I paid a fair price on a vehicle that has always been presented honestly. They do the leg work that I would usually do when buying a private vehicle and should be compensated for it - the fact that they are enthusiasts is a bonus! There are others like him (new and used) that I've known - it's just a question of doing the leg work and finding these folks. They do exist!
Paul
---- Eric Phillips  wrote:
> Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 15:46:55 -0400
> > From: "dave flagg" 
> > Subject: Re: [s-cars] RS6 going to auction
> >
> > The only ax I have to grind is the all too often used reference to the
> > local
> > '"stealer". That is a term term that obviously is used by someone whose
> > boss
> > charges his customers no more than the employees salary for the employee's
> > work; NOT likely.
>
>
>
> Dave,
>
> Do you really think that the dealer gets called "stealer" by accident? Or
> that it's an isolated thing with Audi dealers? Do you think people
> pervasively use this term for no reason?
>
> There is a very good reason I will NEVER go to a dealer to buy a car or get
> service. My experiences have been uniformly bad, with only a couple of
> bright spots - like parts department managers willing to go the extra mile
> for me. But the shit I've had to endure from dealerships has guaranteed
> that I won't go there unless there is no other avenue. And mainly, that's
> for dealer-only parts.
>
> I'm sorry if this reality is hurtful. It's not meant to be. But I tell you
> this - the shittiest treatment I've ever endured, without a doubt, was when
> we were looking to replace my wife's A2 GLI with an Audi sedan of some
> stripe. I had to threaten the sales manager with a call to the police to
> get the keys back to that thing. And here's the strange thing - I was so
> pissed off, that I went to Usenet to tell my tale, and found out that this
> is a normal tactic! The "lost key ruse" is what it got called.
>
> For every one story of decent dealer relations, you've got 50 bad ones. Or
> more.
>
> You can complain all you like, but dealers have *earned* their reputation.
> The customer may not always be right, but they sure as hell aren't always
> wrong.
>
> Eric
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