Best no haggle price for Costco members? NO WAY
Written: Feb 02 '02
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This is a comment I sent to Costco auto program:
"This is regarding my experience with John Doe (an authorized Costco auto contact) at Qwerty Toyota Dealer.
I am in the market for a Toyota Camry LE 4 cylinder automatic, and made a vehicle request through Costco Auto program (Authorization Number: XXXXX-XXXX-XXXXX), and called John on February 2, 2002 to make an appointment. I talked to John about purchasing the car, and he showed me a piece of paper showing that Costco members-only price was "invoice price + $500". It sounded great. He said he could get the car on Monday (they did not have my color of choice in the lot) as well.
Upon receiving his actual "invoice price + $500" (which was $19,445), I was surprised since it was fairly close to a quote I have gotten elsewhere without the Costco auto program (and I didn't haggle much on that one either). Puzzled, I said that I would have to think about it, and came back home. Upon researching the invoice price using the Internet, I learned that the actual invoice price on the car I was looking at (with the same options) was only $18,511 (including destination charges), and the correct "invoice price + $500" should have been $19,011 and not $19,445. I called John back in good faith thinking that he had made a mistake when he looked up the invoice price. I told him how the invoice price on the Internet was different from what he said it was. To my surprise, he told me that "their invoice" price is different because it includes other costs of doing business such as handling and delivery (I thought the $480 destination charge was exactly that), etc, and refused to work on the numbers!
To summarize, what I thought would be a good deal without wasting much time turned out to be a not-so-good deal, and in the process I have been lied to, which is exactly why I was going to buy my next car using the Costco auto program.
I didn't know that the term "invoice" was something that could be played by car dealers (in the context of a program such as this), but it obviously is at the dealership that I went to.
I am not sure if this is a common practice among Costco verified dealers, nor do I know that this is something that Costco auto program condons, but I simply don't think that "this is the best way to buy a car." I just wanted to let my fellow Costco members that they have to be aware when they go car shopping, with or without Costco auto program.
Sincerely,"
If you are using Costco auto program, make sure you don't blindly think that you are getting the best deal (or an OK deal for that matter)!
For me, there will be no more Costco auto program purchase.
Recommended:
No
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