Can a Dealership change list price?
Discussion
Just wanted peoples thoughts on the following...
Searching for a family wagon for the wife, found a car on Autotrader last night which looked well priced for the spec etc. although was one other listed for similar price so not that 'well priced'. Called the dealership this morning to discuss a deal and asked for photos to be sent over as none been added to Autotrader. Sales chap confirmed car still available at price listed, but had only just arrived so hadn't been cleaned for photos and he would email them over to me later today. All made sense I thought.
Anyway, about 10minutes later the sales guy rings back to say he's spoken to his manager and 'Autotrader' has set the wrong price for the car. I explained I had sold cars previously on Autotrader and Autotrader does not set prices you have to input them your self. He apologised and said sorry sir that's just what my manager has told me, would you still be interested in the car at £xxx?. To which I replied, what do you think? The price has just increased £8k in 10minutes. I had to end the call shortly after as felt they were trying to have my pants down.
Just wanted to hear if anyone has been in a similar situation? I realise in a retail shop if an item is listed at a price that is the price even if the company has made the mistake? This not work the same in the car world? This dealer is part of a main network to one of the 3 big German manufactures, appreciate I can't name and shame...
Searching for a family wagon for the wife, found a car on Autotrader last night which looked well priced for the spec etc. although was one other listed for similar price so not that 'well priced'. Called the dealership this morning to discuss a deal and asked for photos to be sent over as none been added to Autotrader. Sales chap confirmed car still available at price listed, but had only just arrived so hadn't been cleaned for photos and he would email them over to me later today. All made sense I thought.
Anyway, about 10minutes later the sales guy rings back to say he's spoken to his manager and 'Autotrader' has set the wrong price for the car. I explained I had sold cars previously on Autotrader and Autotrader does not set prices you have to input them your self. He apologised and said sorry sir that's just what my manager has told me, would you still be interested in the car at £xxx?. To which I replied, what do you think? The price has just increased £8k in 10minutes. I had to end the call shortly after as felt they were trying to have my pants down.
Just wanted to hear if anyone has been in a similar situation? I realise in a retail shop if an item is listed at a price that is the price even if the company has made the mistake? This not work the same in the car world? This dealer is part of a main network to one of the 3 big German manufactures, appreciate I can't name and shame...
IanCress said:
If you'd agreed finance figures and signed all the docs then I could see your point, but it sounds like a genuine error on the part of the dealership.
Of course the pessimistic side of me wonders if it was just way of getting customers through the door.
I had agreed on the price on the phone and mentioned I would place a deposit as car is approx. 250miles away. Of course the pessimistic side of me wonders if it was just way of getting customers through the door.
Yes I agree as the same dealer network has a very similar car priced at only about £750 more than this one. Thinking about it I think you've hit the nail on the head.
NORTS said:
I realise in a retail shop if an item is listed at a price that is the price even if the company has made the mistake? This not work the same in the car world?
I think even in retail, stores have 24 hours to change the displayed price if that price is wrong/displayed in error?"You cannot insist that a trader sells anything at the marked price, whether or not the trader has made a mistake. However, trading standards can take action against a trader for unfair trading practices such as giving a misleading price or leaving out important information about the price or how it is calculated."
SOURCE: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/brighto...
IanCress said:
Of course the pessimistic side of me wonders if it was just way of getting customers through the door.
This.When I was selling cars aeons ago, we had this company come in and "train" us to get a greater proportion of phone enquiries through the door. What it basically amounted to was advertising a handful of ridiculously cheap cars (which were legitimately available), then when they inevitably sold out within hours and people were still calling, being alarmingly vague about detail, and using quite aggressive objection handling techniques to get people to make appointments to come in, in many cases thinking they were coming to look at a car we no longer had available.
It was a disaster. We all hated doing it, and customers saw straight through it for what it was. It was abandoned shortly afterwards.
NORTS said:
I had agreed on the price on the phone and mentioned I would place a deposit as car is approx. 250miles away.
Yes I agree as the same dealer network has a very similar car priced at only about £750 more than this one. Thinking about it I think you've hit the nail on the head.
Similar to the new expensive price, or original price?Yes I agree as the same dealer network has a very similar car priced at only about £750 more than this one. Thinking about it I think you've hit the nail on the head.
Limpet said:
This.
When I was selling cars aeons ago, we had this company come in and "train" us to get a greater proportion of phone enquiries through the door. What it basically amounted to was advertising a handful of ridiculously cheap cars (which were legitimately available), then when they inevitably sold out within hours and people were still calling, being alarmingly vague about detail, and using quite aggressive objection handling techniques to get people to make appointments to come in, in many cases thinking they were coming to look at a car we no longer had available.
It was a disaster. We all hated doing it, and customers saw straight through it for what it was. It was abandoned shortly afterwards.
And people wonder why the general public view the car sales industry in such a dim light. When I was selling cars aeons ago, we had this company come in and "train" us to get a greater proportion of phone enquiries through the door. What it basically amounted to was advertising a handful of ridiculously cheap cars (which were legitimately available), then when they inevitably sold out within hours and people were still calling, being alarmingly vague about detail, and using quite aggressive objection handling techniques to get people to make appointments to come in, in many cases thinking they were coming to look at a car we no longer had available.
It was a disaster. We all hated doing it, and customers saw straight through it for what it was. It was abandoned shortly afterwards.
Serioulsy though, what sort of cock socket sits and dreams up crap like this...
Toaster Pilot said:
What outcome are you expecting here?
Mistakes happen, move on
Here? As in the forum? Well it was to gain thoughts from PH users and that's what I've gained as well as the knowledge that it looks like a sales tactic, admittedly a very bad and dishonest tactic. Mistakes happen, move on
Thanks for your input.
NORTS said:
hornetrider said:
Similar to the new expensive price, or original price?
Similar to original price and as I said part of the same network. Must be a new sales tactic, or not so 'new'.hornetrider said:
In that case I'd be ringing them up and asking why this particular car is 8k more expensive than a similar car in their own network. Sounds like they are trying to bend you over.
This car is also listed with no photos funnily enough, can't be bothered giving them the time of the day calling them now I've realised what it's all about. Surprised this level of dealership would deploy such tactics but hey ho...Matt UK said:
And people wonder why the general public view the car sales industry in such a dim light.
Serioulsy though, what sort of cock socket sits and dreams up crap like this...
It was a joke, and for the people who had to actually "deliver" this, it was cringeworthy.Serioulsy though, what sort of cock socket sits and dreams up crap like this...
Aside from anything else, what a start to your relationship with a customer. Making them drive sometimes tens of miles to view a car that's already been sold, and then using "sales techniques" on them to get them into a completely different car.
Thankfully, it was very short lived.
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