Dealers Math: What *AM* I smoking?

[jafo@tummy.com]

So, I checked out Auto-by-tel on the net.  They just forwarded my name
on to a local dealer (which we don't really like anyway), and apparently
didn't even give them all the specs on the car we wanted!  Ok, then I
called a dealer back in Colorado.  "Well, we sold a 1.8 just like that
a couple of weeks ago."  They offered to order one and it would be in
early March or possibly late March.  "So, I presume you want to talk
price..."

So they go on to offer me $1K under MSRP *IF* I give them a $2K deposit.
Because they're so popular, we're usually not even giving our BEST CUSTOMERS
more than $750 off.  I told him that because they wouldn't have to hold
it in inventory and we'd be putting up such a large deposit, I felt that
$1700 over was more than a fair price.  "No can do."

So, I called Scaumburg...  They (of course) don't have the car, but Alex
called me back shortly after that.  They located our car (except this
one has Bose -- we would order it without) -- it's on a boat and will be
there before the end of the year.

Their first offer?  With the $660 Bose their offer was below what the
place in Colorado wanted!  By hundreds of dollars...  Their first offer
was $1780 over invoice -- the ballpark I felt was fair (especially
considering we would have to wait weeks instead of months).

Apparently, they're going to call me tomorrow to discuss the throttle-body
modification...  I'll be asking about how it affects the warranty and also
about low-end power.  Apparently, it also improves fuel economy.  Of course,
we're 500 miles away from Schaumburg, so we'll never even touch the car
before the modification is made.  If anyone is Nebraska has a car they would
let us compare against, let me know.  (or on the way from Chicago to
Omaha :-)

The car:
  97 A4Q
  Brilliant Yellow with Antichrist (or whatever :-) leather
  All options except slush-box

What a Christmas!
Sean
-- 
 I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in
 my body.  Then I realized who was telling me this.  -- Emo Phillips
Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo@tummy.com>
URL: <http://www.tummy.com/xvscan> HP-UX/Linux/FreeBSD/BSDOS scanning software.