the saga of buying a brand new car

(lb, you could move the pics to this post if you want, or vice verca. your mom asked me to add text)

AA's version

I do my research, chose a car (an Aveo, a Korean car being marketed under the GM logo). I only want a few specific options, so the dealer places an order.

On March 9th I am told that my car has been shipped and will be here any day. I am happy. My brother N puts my "old car" in his name on his day off, so as to be ready when mine comes in "any day now". My brother is happy too.

I stop in a week later on Monday and am told the car will be here any day now..

I call three days later and find out that the girl who gave me the original quote and supposedly ordered the car in late January has been fired (oh excuse me; "is no longer with us") They can't tell me where the car is en route; if on a ship, in country, nothing. . I am not happy..

I can't understand why no one can tell me where the car is so I call GM, who tells me the same thing. I am not understanding this; if I order a book from Amazon I can track the shipping progress in real time; this is a CAR for goodness sake. Then GM calls me back and says the build week (in Korea no less), was March 12th!!! GM headquarters supposedly can't tell me even if it has been shipped. I am seriously not happy.

I stop in to see them; they agree to look on the computer to see if another dealer has a similar one in stock... I am happy.

I call the next day to tell them the price I was quoted in January and to see if they have found any comparable cars. They have found find five, and are supposedly trying to contact the dealers to see if any of these cars are available...I am encouraged.

I call back the next day two days; the other dealers are "probably busy, like we are" and haven't gotten back to them, and oh; they can't figure out where the now fired girl got her numbers from when she gave me the original quote.....I am getting nervous; the rebate in January was $500; now it is $1500, but at this point it is set to expire in a week. I am not happy...

So; I went to the dealer's today; show them the offer in writing that they gave me in January. The lady I am now dealing with wants to jack the price up $700. I am not happy

I remind them that I have been trying to buy a car from them since the first week in January (though I really only needed it for when hot weather starts, if it ever does). I tell her that I had gone to dealers in three counties in January and her dealership had given me the best price. For $700 more I could go to the dealer in the next town over, instead of trekking up to the next county north.

At that point suddenly the hitherto unseen head honcho emerges and sits down in front of me. He hems and haws, says they didn't know how 'they" (neither of the "theys" seemed to be there; one had been fired, the other, a manager of some type, was probably ordered to hide in the bathroom till I left) had come up with the figure I was given in January. First he tried to say I must have been given the employee pricing in January; I told him NO; we had had that discussion in January when I got the original quote; the only family employee is a deceased MIL, who couldn't count. Then he says that maybe the price has gone up since January. I am not happy; I say "To me this feel like bait and switch."

"Oh we would never do that"

"Well, sorry, that is what this feels like to me (but said sweetly with a smile)."

He admits they don't have a VIN number for the car they supposedly ordered for me at the end of January b/c it hasn't even been manufactured yet. I am not happy.

They show me, on the computer screen, pricing for an available car, with the options and a color I like, though not my first choice, the one they want $700 more for. I notice when they leave me alone with the screen that it is is maybe 40 miles away; hmm; they had told me about two on the other side of the state in NYC, and two in Pa, and hadn't told me where the fifth one was.... They call the dealer and he agrees to hold the car for them. They finally give in and reduce the price to the original quote. So I am happy!

The car will be available Monday or Tues. and it has two extra options; fog lights and power windows... I can't believe I survived buying a new car all by myself! I call N; he is VERY happy!

***

Years ago someone analyzed my handwriting and said that I tend to make simple things complicated. That has been the story of this car purchase. Last Saturday I was promised that they would get the car that was about 40 miles away no later than Tues. Tues. I called at 9:15 and was told the rep was late to work. I called at 10:15 and was told the same thing. She finally called me back and claimed that the car had been sold by the dealer, who had supposed promised on Saturday to hold it for them. But not to worry, there was one in Brooklyn, they would send someone right down to NYC to get it, it would be on the premises by Tues. night. So I made arrangements for my sister in law to go with me on Weds so she could drive the car home that I had given to them, pending receipt of my new car.

Weds I called at 9:15 and was told the rep was late to work. I called at 10:15 and was told the same thing. I asked to speak to the boss. He told me that they hadn't gotten the car from NYC yet, and oh by the way, the car I had ordered was on a ship and would arrive any day now. OK, I don't lose my cool very often, but by then I wasn't believing anything I was told. Among other heated comments, I told him I would be coming by later to reclaim my deposit.

Well, fortunately it took me a few hours to get up there, and by then I had simmered down enough to wonder if they might possibly have one sitting on the lot that might be acceptable to me. I took a quick pass by the 9 or so they had sitting there, and found two that had no power windows/did have AC, and did have the MP3 player jack. One was a govenrmental official looking black vehicle, standard, which I really didn't want, the other an automatic, a very conspicuous blue and had a roof window. I really hadn't wanted to be so conspicuous, but oh well... We agreed on a price and I drove it home....I love it. I have gotten lots of positive comments from bystanders about the color (groan), including from the state trouper who lives next to my brother . It seems to be getting almost 36 MPG. After I bought it the dealer said the one I ordered is supposedly in the Panama Canal... They also detailed the car I gave to my brother beautifully, for free...