New Buyer Question

[Jeff4374]

Hello Everyone, I will be honest, I have been a Jeep guy for many years, but always loving the look of the Tahoe/Yukon. It has come time for me to jump ship (Not really, still have JGC) and sell my Wrangler and upgrade to a Tahoe Z71. I just have a question, as the dealer is charging me for All Season Mats and Wheel Locks, but listing them as "Options". They told me this comes from the Manufacturer and they are not doing to make money. They are charging me $475 for the all season mats, and $299 for Wheel Locks. I can deal with the all season mats, as I was going to buy them anyway from Weathertec for $250ish. But I almost walked out over the wheel locks. $299 is INSANE for a few lug nuts. Has anyone else experienced this? I have not signed anything, so I can still negotiate it. I know at the end of the day $299 is not the end of the world for a $70k truck, but its just the principle of it.

Just curious if this is normal experience for other people buying, or if I should push back even more. I'm more then happy without wheel locks, Ill go buy some at the Auto part store for $50 or whatever it is (can't be anywhere near $300).

TIA

 

[Micahsd]

I’m surprised wheel locks would be that expensive. Maybe check out the Chevrolet Accessories website to see what they charge in there for comparison as it should be the same.

if the all weather liners are what they’re including for the mats and that’s for all three rows including the cargo mat in the rear, that price sounds correct. I bought the all weather liners for my first, second rows, and the rear cargo area (skipped the 3rd row) and they were at least $330. The Chevrolet branded ones do match the interior better than WeatherTech and I think are thicker compared to the ones which I had in my 2017 Acadia.

 

[Jeff4374]

I’m surprised wheel locks would be that expensive. Maybe check out the Chevrolet Accessories website to see what they charge in there for comparison as it should be the same.

if the all weather liners are what they’re including for the mats and that’s for all three rows including the cargo mat in the rear, that price sounds correct. I bought the all weather liners for my first, second rows, and the rear cargo area (skipped the 3rd row) and they were at least $330. The Chevrolet branded ones do match the interior better than WeatherTech and I think are thicker compared to the ones which I had in my 2017 Acadia.

Great idea, wheel locks (just the four locks) is $65 and the full set with the locks is $235.

Will def bring this to thei attention. Thanks for the tip!

 

[shingles]

That dealer is lying to you if they say they are not making money on $299 wheel locks. I would walk away from them - slimy.

 

[Blueinterceptor]

Are they dealing in good faith on the rest of the truck, or are they marking up a premium for the truck

 

[Jeff4374]

They tried marking it up $5k, but I told them I would walk. I am not in a position where I NEED the car, I am just taking advantage of the trade in value on my car. They came down to $2k, and I am getting a $1000 discount for my Costco membership. I made them increase the value of my trade, so the markup is under $1k. I don't have final numbers because I haven't signed anything, but Ill be sure to post if I make the deal with the real numbers.

 

[OR VietVet]

First: Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new rig and please post pics of the new ride if the deal goes thru.

The mats price sounds ok and the ones from GM will match and look much better, especially since Weathertec mats have a reputation for curling after a period of time.

The wheel locks are something I would renegotiate on and tell them you are willing to accept the mats but lying about the locks is piss poor business ethics.

 

[Quark]

Wheel locks as a factory option is $85, First, second and third row all-weather floor liners $315. The dealer is lying to you.

 

[Jeff4374]

Kinda what I figured, especially when he told me that is manufacturer cost. Who thinks lug nuts (even if entire set) would be $300?

I’m heading back there today, will see what they say. Will walk away if needed, as I don’t need to start out this process with mistrust.

 

[OR VietVet]

Wheel locks as a factory option is $85, First, second and third row all-weather floor liners $315. The dealer is lying to you.

After what @Quark said, I would tell them the mat price is fine as long as the wheel locks are a no charge item. Haven't these dealers figured out yet how much info is out there and that we can check pricing and figure out that the prices they quoted are not even close to Manufacturer pricing? Some of these dealers are idiots and just plain thieves.

 

[Doubeleive]

I built one online just to price it out and a optional "sunshade" was $275 no f-in way, I am sure the dealer/salesman gets a kickback for any add-on's.
considering I can go buy parts at my dealer and get a pretty decent discount, there's always a mark up. experience tells me it's usually the salesman trying to weasel in a little extra on his commission and the sales manager will always play along. when you go back tell them you want to talk to GM on speakerphone and ask if the equipment is required or not.

 

[Thomas Schneider]

Here is my window sticker showing I got the "1st/2nd Row All Weather Floor Liners" and "Wheel Locks" from the factory and shows "Dealer Installed" because they just throw them in the back at the factory. So if those items are on the window sticker, I'd call them out on it. If they are adding them, they are definitely taking advantage of the customer. As it is, even these factory prices are high if you ask me!! Let me add that this is a 2021 model manufactured in August 2020, so 2022 prices will likely be higher.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

Regarding wheel locks, my local mechanic advised me that they are simply something to help put your own mind at ease, but not much value otherwise. He stated that folks who steal wheels for a living already have access to virtually all wheel lock devices, and that are not deterred when they come across wheel locks on a vehicle that they are targeting.

 

[Jeff4374]

Just a quick update, dealer reneged on the 2k over and was going for 3k over, then the finance guy wasn't giving me line items, just a total cost to purchase. I asked about the wheel locks and he told me it was just built into the overall price now. I was starting to loose it at this point. I told him Im not paying for wheel locks, aka lug nuts and he then stated to me that they were on the truck and in order to remove them they have to take the tire off. At this point, I honestly lost it. I called him a liar and told him I would not deal with this. I told him I would come in to get my $1k refunded and while I was there, I would speak with the manager. He quickly told me that I did not need to come in and he refunded my money within minutes. I was pretty annoyed at this point. I then sent an email with my experience to my sales rep (who was off in training) and the Sales Manger. Since this is a part of a group of dealerships, I also sent a long email to the CEO of the Dealership group last night. I don't expect to much to happen to make this deal come back to life, as I was reading Google and Dealerrater reviews, and this seems to be a common issue at this specific dealership.

Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be and Ill keep looking, which is the fun part of car shopping.

 

[OR VietVet]

In any deal at any dealership, you have to always be willing to just walk away and try to find a reputable place to deal with. I completely agree with your decision. Let 'em go thru the same motions with someone else. Again, with all the info available on the internet and forums, it amazes me how they think that they can pull this she-it!

 

[Stbentoak]

Dealerships don't really give a $*#& what you think. They have had many people in that seat before. And within prob 24 hrs there will be a person in that seat that won't balk and pay it.... Demand drives this big machine, and as long as it's there... they have no reason to cower towards you...

You can go find a friendlier dealer, but they may not have a vehicle to offer you...

 

[miss_chelsy]

Just a quick update, dealer reneged on the 2k over and was going for 3k over, then the finance guy wasn't giving me line items, just a total cost to purchase. I asked about the wheel locks and he told me it was just built into the overall price now. I was starting to loose it at this point. I told him Im not paying for wheel locks, aka lug nuts and he then stated to me that they were on the truck and in order to remove them they have to take the tire off. At this point, I honestly lost it. I called him a liar and told him I would not deal with this. I told him I would come in to get my $1k refunded and while I was there, I would speak with the manager. He quickly told me that I did not need to come in and he refunded my money within minutes. I was pretty annoyed at this point. I then sent an email with my experience to my sales rep (who was off in training) and the Sales Manger. Since this is a part of a group of dealerships, I also sent a long email to the CEO of the Dealership group last night. I don't expect to much to happen to make this deal come back to life, as I was reading Google and Dealerrater reviews, and this seems to be a common issue at this specific dealership.

Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be and Ill keep looking, which is the fun part of car shopping.

I've never experienced so many slimy salesmen in my life. I've talked to probably 80 dealerships since July. So many have tried some really awful things, I don't know if its because I'm a woman and they didn't think I would notice or care but its been so frustrating. They are REALLY enjoying this shift in the "power" of car sales. Luckily I just found a fantastic dealership with the nicest guys and getting my vehicle with no markup, no dealer adds, no trade requirements and no GM financing requirements. So, they are out there, glad you walked away from those jackholes.

 

[wsteele]

I just went through something similar at my dealership buying a new Sierra AT4. I stopped in to look at what they had, mainly because they are local and their service department is exemplary.

They had just received a batch of AT4's so I had a few to pick from and when I looked at their web ad, were advertising a pretty aggressive discount off MSRP (pretty rare around here where most dealers are marking trucks up, what few they have).

I really liked the truck I drove and decided I would buy it, if they were willing to sell it to me for their loss leader advertised price. What a joke. These guys, most about half my age, tried every slimy trick in the book (actually a few, blatant lies, pretty bad), most in a very ham ****** way. I stayed very firm offering them their advertised price on the truck and got up and walked out three times before they finally gave up.

After triumphantly proclaiming I had a deal (just the deal they had advertised to get me sitting down in the first place), they brought me to another building to sit down with the "finance manage" who proceeded to try and sell me on all manner of add on's like extended warranty, a "pre-paid" service package, some sort of comprehensive theft protection package, a "dealer documentation" fee, etc. etc., etc. I had to stand up to walk out two times with the finance manager, and I was wasn't financing anything...

The most aggravating thing in the whole process was the amount of time it took. I was there for maybe 3 hours, on a purchase that should have taken 30 minutes all in.

In the end, I got the truck for what I was willing to pay and I suppose had these guys been trying to sell my truck to someone who hadn't seen all these tricks tried 20 times in my distant past maybe they would have made a few thousand more on the sale. I honestly thought all that stuff was pretty much dead 10 years ago.

The amazing thing to me is their service department is the best shop I have ever used on a vehicle. Very competitive pricing and extremely honest, to the point of telling me to defer things on my Yukon that I had brought up to my service writer, explaining it was something that could wait another year, maybe longer.

Good cop, bad cop, I guess.

 

[Quark]

Just a quick update, dealer reneged on the 2k over and was going for 3k over, then the finance guy wasn't giving me line items, just a total cost to purchase. I asked about the wheel locks and he told me it was just built into the overall price now. I was starting to loose it at this point. I told him Im not paying for wheel locks, aka lug nuts and he then stated to me that they were on the truck and in order to remove them they have to take the tire off. At this point, I honestly lost it. I called him a liar and told him I would not deal with this. I told him I would come in to get my $1k refunded and while I was there, I would speak with the manager. He quickly told me that I did not need to come in and he refunded my money within minutes. I was pretty annoyed at this point. I then sent an email with my experience to my sales rep (who was off in training) and the Sales Manger. Since this is a part of a group of dealerships, I also sent a long email to the CEO of the Dealership group last night. I don't expect to much to happen to make this deal come back to life, as I was reading Google and Dealerrater reviews, and this seems to be a common issue at this specific dealership.

Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be and Ill keep looking, which is the fun part of car shopping.

The dealer used you to get a customer order on his lot then intentionally provoked you by being ridiculous. Always get a signed agreement stating final price. The tactics were put in place by the greedy owners so don't expect anyone in their employ to act on your behalf. You might file a complaint with your state attorney general and if he gets enough of them could admonish them for their behavior.

 

[Jeff4374]

Dealerships don't really give a $*#& what you think. They have had many people in that seat before. And within prob 24 hrs there will be a person in that seat that won't balk and pay it.... Demand drives this big machine, and as long as it's there... they have no reason to cower towards you...

You can go find a friendlier dealer, but they may not have a vehicle to offer you...

Agreed, the whole process

The dealer used you to get a customer order on his lot then intentionally provoked you by being ridiculous. Always get a signed agreement stating final price. The tactics were put in place by the greedy owners so don't expect anyone in their employ to act on your behalf. You might file a complaint with your state attorney general and if he gets enough of them could admonish them for their behavior.

nah, not looking to move anywhere with this. I didn’t have anything signed, so I get it and know how the game is played. I did that for my protection as well, so all parties just walked away from this one. I’ll be sure to leave reviews on a few sites to offer guidance to other potential buyers. Other then that, I’ll keep searching, maybe stick with the Tahoe/Yukon, maybe another manufacturer all together.