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DON-A-VEE A typical haggle dealership
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DON-A-VEE summed up: 1. Test Drive elsewhere then come here if they have what you want. 2. If you have a trade-in, take it to CarMax and walk in with Cash
3. Use your own financing, or find out ahead of time what they were able to get for you as they won't tell you.
4. Be prepared for the wear-down tactic and key retention.
5. Bring some cash for gas if you live a ways a way.
I went to Don-A-Vee to pick up a new Jeep Cherokee Laredo X in Red. The car was in stock and I was able to test drive it. I also has a 2009 Dodge Challenger RT Classic in B5 blue to trade in.
Test Drive: The test drive experience was frustrating at best. It was pulling teeth to keep the salesman on the topic of the vehicle and not talking about video games. The drive route was extremely short, we were lucky if we covered a couple blocks. All-in-all it was tough to make up my mind on the car and trim package based on this experience. No other cars were offered to be brought out or looked at.
Trad-in negotiation: Long story short, the salesman told me outright "We can't compete with Carmax." and came 2.5K short of the Carmax appraisal I had done that morning. As far as I can tell, they never set foot outside to inspect the car.
New car negotiation: Standard wear-down tactics and holding on to my trade-in key were employed in order to make the sale. The sales man didn't waste any time dropping the price by 1K for the car with whatever rebates he could find. After that, they held me hostage by not relinquishing my key so that I could leave the premises.
The salesman made several comments about how much I made and that I could afford this car (even though I have my first child at 5mos old) He did immediately apologize, but he was out of line.
Eventually, we came to a point where the monthly payments made sense, though it wasn't until the salesman encouraged me to walk to my car so he could negotiate and go through the theatrics of walking out.
Warranty: The finance officer was polite and courteous and even though she was required to try and sell me on the warranty, she did not press the matter or make comments about my personal life.
Financing: I was pre-approved through my bank for 2.99% apr, I told the salesman I would take a lower APR if they could find one. They found me a 2.40% apr rate. Sounds great, but they never mentioned it until signing the contract, when it could have been used to bring the monthly payment down.
Taking possession: They did wash the car and put gas in the car. Though don't expect a full-tank. It's policy at Don-A-Vee to only put in $30.
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