mad durak

First, let me thank everybody who responded to my post of few days ago on Schaumburg Audi. Now I know why every comment on them was very negative. As I visited them yesterday, I was introduced to every possible BS dealer trick you can find in the book, and them some. The dealer told me that they were about to do a “dealer trade” on the car with another dealership, but if I really wanted to buy it, they would do me a favor and sell it to me for 6% over the invoice price (more than $2,000 over). Considering that it is the end of the month/quarter and is kinda late in the season for Audi, and given the fact I it was getting late (7PM) I decided that I did not want to negotiate and gave him a pretty standard offer of 5% over the invoice ($1,500 over the invoice!!!). My initial offer was 4% or $1,100 over the invoice price. After another 15 minuets that the dealer spent on rolling his eyes, typing something of his calculator, and coming up with the most ridiculous BS about the exclusivity of A4 and how full of crap Audi Exchange in Highland Park is, I decided to walk away.

Yes, they have a car that is very similar to what I want, but I think I will wait a bit. Does anyone know what a “dealer trade” is? I figure that if they are doing the “dealer trade” it means that they were unable to sell the car for a while, and surely selling it to me at 5% over the invoice is more profitable that giving it away to another dealer.

Thanks for your comments,

Mad (still looking for 2.8QMSBCL)

CMH

Dealer trade is just that. When dealer trades 1 car for another.

GDavis

Usually the one that requests it has a customer interested in purchasing the car. It saves time waiting for one to be ordered.
I used to do them for Saturn.
I would walk away and go to another dealer, maybe the one they are trading with!

mad durak

That’s what I am planning to do. Schaumburg Audi has a horrible reputation anyway. Having been treated the way they treated me yesterday, I do not feel like going there at all.

phred

If you know the car you want exists nearby, use carsdirect.com

edwyo

I know what you mean! I would loved to have ordered my 01A4TQMS from my local dealer only 5 minutes away, but they were so full of bogus stories that I decided on a dealer nearly 1900 miles away! I live in WY, and will go to Boston to get my 01 A4 because the local dealer is full of baloney. But my point here is this... after all the BS, all the mis-quotes, all the fairy tales, all the guilt trips, and having looked at/in 7 dealerships both online and in person, I found a dealer who gave me a good first offer, I then countered and we made a deal in seconds, for exactly what I wanted (5% profit). So, there ARE dealers out there better than that Shaumberg place. If you can travel (when I get mine, I plan on a 2 week vacation to drive back home seeing all the sights while breaking in and giving my new A4 a chance to impress me), I'd recommend either Clair Audi in Boston, or look up in the A6 forum any post by "verdegirl" (or something spelled like that, you'll recognize it easily). She is a salesperson in a California dealer, and has offered $2300 over for A6's, and I'm sure she'd give you a "first quote/right quote" the moment you call for your A4! Everyone in that forum thinks highly of her from what I have read. But even so, like you have already realized, it seems prevelant that Audi's weak link is the poor quaility of many of its dealers. Good luck!

Donkihad

Actually I refered Ed to the best sales woman I have ever met!! Her name is Joanna and she loves to sell cars to people who know how to use them. The more I impressed her with my knowledge of the car the more eager she was to sell it to me.My sales experience has become more of a friendship. If I ever decide to sell my A4 P.Blue 1.8tMQS(the works), I am absolutely, positively going back to her for my first and last quote. I guarantee you she will give the best first quote you have ever heard!

p.s. Tell her Hercules sent you! And enjoy the benefits.