Ninja_Matt
Authorized Vendor
In fairness, these dealerships are job security for companies like us. Our company essentially models a more direct to consumer approach like Tesla but with a partnered dealer network. While we do charge a service fee (discounted for Mazdas247 members of courseMy issue with typical car dealers is not with their financing rates. That's probably the most transparent part of the process. If they aren't offering a special rate, like 0%, you can usually do better with a bank or credit union. You should already be preapproved before stepping in. If they can beat it, make them put it in writing.
My issue/s begin when they advertise a vehicle at a set price, but once you walk in, they say that's the price only if you qualify for all current incentives, which is impossible. It also doesn't include their required "special package" like VIN etching, undercoating, LoJack, etc... There's also the issue with them not taking the time to know the vehicle they're selling.
When we bought our Tesla last year, I was trying my best to buy something else. I used email to communicate with a sales manager at my local Hyundai dealer for an Ionic 5. After a few back-and-forths, I had agreed to a price and made an appointment. When we got to the dealer, we took the car for a drive and were ready to sign. That's when the sales guy said the email price I was given was incorrect. It was actually $5k higher, plus they needed to add their $2k package that wasn't disclosed in the email. I told them they were nuts and walked out.
I went home and logged onto Tesla's site, picked the options I wanted, paid a $250 deposit and was given a window of when it would be available. I got a VIN emailed to me a couple weeks later with a tighter window. A couple days later I was given the date it would arrive and I needed to pick when I would be there to inspect and take it, if all looked good. All paperwork is done online. You can finance through them with a clear rate, which includes your payments, or you can go in with a bank check. This is how buying a vehicle should be in this day and age.
![Wink ;) ;)](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png)
We are a small company and do all our tech in house, so development is admittedly on the slower side, but were hoping to release our Client portal by end of year to really make it an seamless process to buy a car well below market value, transparently and autonomously online, while vetting the dealer and keeping them on guard rails.
Pick your car, see your price, submit your info/docs, dealer approves and confirms details, you agree to final terms and schedule pickup/delivery, boom new car, great price, no hassle - all done online on a portal.