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As far as I can tell, my first quote was indeed an out the door quote - this is the verbiage from the email from the Sales Manager
"You would be looking at approximately $24,400 out the door (assuming 5.1% tax). If your tax rate is different, the taxes will fluctuate a bit, but not dramatically. This pricing assumes financing through Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation."
Ugh... yes. This is an out-the-door quote indeed. They should correct it.
I agree with the posters above.
Tax title and license is never included when the price is being negotiated because they are separate and everyone pays them.
I used to sell cars and one thing that got me and my clients was the "doc fee" which was at our dealership $125 fee that was printed right on the P+S. It was there for the paperwork to be processed. The fee varied between dealers and I once saw it as high as $400 !
The satisfaction survey is probably from an independent company (ours was) that reports back to the dealer and if there are too many negatives the dealer will hear about it from the main company.
I doubt you will get any money back due to your "mistake". You could have taken the RMV1 to your insurance and then to the registry yourself to pay the tax and transfer plates but it still would have cost the same.
You could try going back there and tell them you are not happy with the deal, explain why and maybe they will do something for you ? it is worth a shot.
I’ve negotiated out the door prices. I have offered on a service truck 24,700 out the door. I wrote a check drove away.
Same with my wife’s car 24,500 offer drove away.
As far as I can tell, my first quote was indeed an out the door quote - this is the verbiage from the email from the Sales Manager
"You would be looking at approximately $24,400 out the door (assuming 5.1% tax). If your tax rate is different, the taxes will fluctuate a bit, but not dramatically. This pricing assumes financing through Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation."
"+-ap·prox·i·mate·ly
used to show that something is almost, but not completely, accurate or exact; roughly."
Approximately is not a firm price. Basically they gave you an "estimate".
I negotiate the price with all fee's and tax included, and do it over email and phone. If they play games I do not waste time and most will negotiate this way.
This is why you actually review the contract and the final total price before signing. I have had salesmen try all of their little tactics on me but I am experienced with contracts so the first thing I do is flip to the page with the final number and call them out. My biggest stickler is the "DOC FEE." The "DOC FEE" is just a made up fee dealers started adding to make more money. It isn't necessary and I don't pay it. I have actually gotten up and started walking to the door a couple of times over it before they agreed to remove it. The problem some people have in negotiating is they get emotionally involved and attached to a vehicle and allow themselves to be manipulated by the salesman.
I will give you a tip on one of their tactics. When you are negotiating and the salesman says "I need to go to my manager and see what I can do for you." he is really going away to collect his thoughts and figure out a new angle on the negotiating. Sure sometimes they go talk to the manager but it is not about how to work the best deal for you, the conversation is about what he should say and what numbers he should manipulate to get you to sign. While he is gone, you should do the same and be prepared to work him over again when he returns. When he returns and starts talking 90 miles per hour, just say, show me the final total price. Look at the number. Is the amount the correct new total that you were negotiating for or did he just for instance remove the line item "DOC FEE" but then add that fee to the line item for the purchase price resulting in the total still being the same. I don't know how many times they have tried moving the numbers to different line item locations on me and I have pointed it out. One in particular tried it twice and I just straight told him "Now you are insulting my intelligence and it pisses me off." The manager took over from there and fixed the numbers and I still bought the car even though I was irritated......It is just money and business after all.
I appreciate all the thoughts so far. One of the reasons I wanted to post this was to get alternate viewpoints. I also learned that I did a poor job of describing the situation in the OP, so I need to think about how I want to frame this up to be more clear when I approach the dealership.
To answer a few of the questions -
I haven't approached anyone yet. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'd accepted a deal that I hadn't intended to. When I got the survey, it put the thought in my mind that I should provide some feedback.
Technically speaking, they did sell me the vehicle for the price that was in the initial OTD quote. If you go apples to apples, the difference between the OTD price for the first email quote and the final deal is the "protection package" that was included in the second quote. Had I caught it, I could have declined the protection package and gotten the vehicle for the first price quote.
After doing some internet research, I think there are shades of "contract packing" here. The protection package was slipped into the deal, and the responsibility was on me to catch it. I don't know if they crossed the line legally, but I think they did cross the line ethically. I think that's how I may approach this in my communications with them.
I stand corrected, and am surprised. Please ignore my previous post then.
With this information I would go back with that email and ask what happened. Unfortunately, as you signed the deal, that don't actually owe you anything, but may offer something as a goodwill gesture. If you can't get money back, ask for free services, extended warranty or something like that.
I'm sorry this happened to you As a lesson for others, if you aren't going to read the entire contract (I do - make the finance guy wait while I read everything) please at least check the selling price.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
+1
I also would go back to the manager and let them know about their little "bait & switch" and point out that's illegal to do! Of course he'll tell you right away that wasn't the case, but honestly it was and what they did was unethical, IMHO! They will probably give you free oil changes for life or maybe refund the $200. It still won't make up for the few thousand you lost, but at least it's something! I would also send your response plus a copy of your original email and then a copy of the new purchase contract to the corporate office so they know what this dealer is doing!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I had one salesman try that on me in 2002, and when I saw the paperwork I said "out the door means total, all together" and got up, started to walk out. He ran and stopped me, and after another 1/2 hour with "talking to his manager" they did the paperwork over again and met my figure. At the time I wondered whether he knew what "our the door" means, or was just trying to sneak it by me as happened to you. With your email in hand, you can try approaching the Sales Manager, general manager or even owner, and perhaps they will give you something, but you have signed the papers so don't count on it.
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