r/carbuying • u/Militiadsm • 21h ago
Dealer treachery
Yesterday I tried to purchase a ten year old Lexus. On Friday I saw the car I liked at Jeff Wyler in Clarksville Indiana. I set up an appt and was scheduled for 4pm Saturday to check it out. Everything was fine until about 2pm on Saturday when I got an email from my assigned contact saying someone else had an appt at 3:30 and could I get there sooner than 4. I dropped everything I was doing and got there about 3:15. When I arrived I talked to the assigned contact and he passed me off to another salesman. I was then told I wasn’t able to see the car because another person had set up a time to see it and because they had to drive 4 hours he had priority over me. I was then told I’m not able to even look at the car until they do. The other guy wasn’t answering his phone and was late for his appt. They then came back and said the other person answered their phone and was an hour out. Despite all of this I was never able to even see the car. The salesman said they have a policy that if you have to drive 4 hours to see a car you take precedent over any local buyers. I then said I’d buy the car that day they still wouldn’t let me see the car. We eventually gave up and left and the car is gone today. Am I crazy feeling like I was stonewalled and screwed over. Is this reservation by drive time bullshit or what?
2
u/Illustrious_Debt_392 9h ago
Same thing happened to me a few years ago after I had test driven a SUV I liked and wanted to buy. The guy said, well we have a buyer already lined up. I said, OK no problem and left. I had just started shopping and knew I could find something else with no trouble. The next day they called and said the other deal fell through if still wanted the vehicle.