[keep_hope_alive]

My dealer made it clear that I won't even start payment or purchase paperwork until AFTER they inspect the vehicle AFTER delivery. They don't want to risk me starting to pay for a car that I cannot take home that day. She said there has been a few times over the past decade where a truck arrived to the dealership and failed their inspection, resulting in a return/replacement delay.

[exscat]

unfortunately, this is the environment we are in. lack of cars, lack of workers, dealerships with empty lots unless you want an SUV...etc. also, go on the camaro order tracking thread and watch thousands of people wanting their status code updated. read further the horror stories of someone's car sitting on the lot, waiting for the the rail car to fill up before the train heads out west or something for 5 months.....etc. so, when your car gets built, and you want one, and you need to secure it, you do. there are no mustangs, corvettes, challengers, or chargers available anywhere here in michigan. havent you seen the ships sitting off the coast of california waiting to get unloaded? hell, we cant even get baby formula.....just sayin

[crash02]

FWIW I am in a similar spot as the OP. I'm not upset in the least though. I made the decision on my own, with nobody to blame but myself. My car (Wild Cherry, ZL1, A10 with PDR) was built April 11th. As of yesterday it finally left the plant. It is said to have a delivery date of June 10th. I went ahead and signed for the car in April to make sure to get the interest that was being offered at the time. I have already made one payment. I too have received my welcome package from GM and XM radio. I knew what I was getting into when I signed. It sucks that the car isn't here but at least I got the interest rate, and someone with more money than sense can't offer the dealer enough money to buy the car out from under me. To think I could have got the same care for thousands off sticker a couple years ago is a crazy. Ohh well, you're danged if you do and danged if you don't these days.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by exscat

unfortunately, this is the environment we are in. lack of cars, lack of workers, dealerships with empty lots unless you want an SUV...etc. also, go on the camaro order tracking thread and watch thousands of people wanting their status code updated. read further the horror stories of someone's car sitting on the lot, waiting for the the rail car to fill up before the train heads out west or something for 5 months.....etc. so, when your car gets built, and you want one, and you need to secure it, you do. there are no mustangs, corvettes, challengers, or chargers available anywhere here in michigan. havent you seen the ships sitting off the coast of california waiting to get unloaded? hell, we cant even get baby formula.....just sayin

Sorry, but "the environment we live in" (inventory shortages, increased costs, delays, etc.) does not mean that one should be entering into a contractual agreement and start paying money against a product they do not own, can't use, and can't even see with no actual guarantee that they will EVER receive it. As a society, we have been beaten to death with various contracts that we are led to believe we have to agree to in order to function (think: every app you've ever loaded on your phone) without paying any attention at all to what that contract says or means. Still, we "sign" and off we go.

Originally Posted by crash02

FWIW I am in a similar spot as the OP. I'm not upset in the least though. I made the decision on my own, with nobody to blame but myself. My car (Wild Cherry, ZL1, A10 with PDR) was built April 11th. As of yesterday it finally left the plant. It is said to have a delivery date of June 10th. I went ahead and signed for the car in April to make sure to get the interest that was being offered at the time. I have already made one payment. I too have received my welcome package from GM and XM radio. I knew what I was getting into when I signed. It sucks that the car isn't here but at least I got the interest rate, and someone with more money than sense can't offer the dealer enough money to buy the car out from under me. To think I could have got the same care for thousands off sticker a couple years ago is a crazy. Ohh well, you're danged if you do and danged if you don't these days.

If I've ordered a car for purchase, and left a deposit, that's where it ends. Once the car arrives, we can talk. And if the dealer or bank can't / won't negotiate reasonable finance terms, they can sell the car to someone else. Too many people get too caught up with emotions in things like this. It's a thing. I decide what it's worth to me. Meet my terms, we'll do the deal. No? I'm good then, thanks.

If GM can't deliver the car during a period when they're offering good rates through GM finance, then time to call in the local rep and talk about how to secure the loan and finance amount without making payments until delivery. They can't issue a SECURED loan without actually being able to "own" the item that's securing it.

[crash02]

Originally Posted by ember1205

If I've ordered a car for purchase, and left a deposit, that's where it ends. Once the car arrives, we can talk. And if the dealer or bank can't / won't negotiate reasonable finance terms, they can sell the car to someone else. Too many people get too caught up with emotions in things like this. It's a thing. I decide what it's worth to me. Meet my terms, we'll do the deal. No? I'm good then, thanks.

If GM can't deliver the car during a period when they're offering good rates through GM finance, then time to call in the local rep and talk about how to secure the loan and finance amount without making payments until delivery. They can't issue a SECURED loan without actually being able to "own" the item that's securing it.

I too have ordered cars/trucks in the past with and without deposits. I have always just financed or paid for the vehicles when they arrived. But it's different lately. I spoke with GM financial directly about locking in interest rates or delaying payments. It was like talking to a wall. It was their way or kick rocks. Ultimately it will end up saving me little on interest since they dropped the 0% offer for the Camaros. I can absolutely see your side of things though. 3 years ago I would have NEVER even considered doing it, but the times they are a changing.

[Jeb114]

Never sign paperwork for a car until you inspect it.

[GXP08jrf]

Originally Posted by Jeb114

Never sign paperwork for a car until you inspect it.

While you're out on the lot inspecting it, someone else with cash and $5000 more than MSRP was in the showroom and just finished signing the papers for it, comes out and tells you to get away from his car...

Maybe this is a little exaggerated scenario, but not too, too far from reality for the past 12 months.

[Dbmason29]

Originally Posted by GXP08jrf

While you're out on the lot inspecting it, someone else with cash and $5000 more than MSRP was in the showroom and just finished signing the papers for it, comes out and tells you to get away from his car...

Maybe this is a little exaggerated scenario, but not too, too far from reality for the past 12 months.

Wow that would absolutely crazy if a dealer did something that shady. I put a $1000 deposit down for my build back in March. The car was build as of last week. Now just waiting for delivery. But now way im signing anything or making any payments until vehicle is in and ready for pickup. I cant imagine when i have a deposit down would even consider selling to someone else

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by GXP08jrf

While you're out on the lot inspecting it, someone else with cash and $5000 more than MSRP was in the showroom and just finished signing the papers for it, comes out and tells you to get away from his car...

Maybe this is a little exaggerated scenario, but not too, too far from reality for the past 12 months.

Really hope this isn’t the case anymore by mid to late 2023. I personally did not think the market would get back to normal in 2022 but mid to late 2023 has always been my projection. I’d like to upgrade to my daily but at these prices that ain’t happening.

[GXP08jrf]

Originally Posted by Dbmason29

Wow that would absolutely crazy if a dealer did something that shady. I put a $1000 deposit down for my build back in March. The car was build as of last week. Now just waiting for delivery. But now way im signing anything or making any payments until vehicle is in and ready for pickup. I cant imagine when i have a deposit down would even consider selling to someone else

Unfortunately, a deposit is only good faith that YOU are serious about the order, not that the dealer will actually sell it to YOU when the car arrives.

Most situations I know 1st hand are that the original orderer walks away because they don't want to pay the "market adjustment" that was tacked on when they went in to sign. Then the vehicle gets sold to the highest offer. Or, like the OP's situation, they end up making payment(s) on a vehicle they haven't taken delivery of yet.

Admittedly, I have no direct knowledge myself of a dealer being so unethical to sell an ordered vehicle, but there are a few cases out there floating around the web.

[Dbmason29]

Originally Posted by GXP08jrf

Unfortunately, a deposit is only good faith that YOU are serious about the order, not that the dealer will actually sell it to YOU when the car arrives.

Most situations I know 1st hand are that the original orderer walks away because they don't want to pay the "market adjustment" that was tacked on when they went in to sign. Then the vehicle gets sold to the highest offer. Or, like the OP's situation, they end up making payment(s) on a vehicle they haven't taken delivery of yet.

Admittedly, I have no direct knowledge myself of a dealer being so unethical to sell an ordered vehicle, but there are a few cases out there floating around the web.

Well if that were to happend that be pretty shady to say the least. Since I specifically chose my local dealer to order from since they told me in writing they never charge a markup over MSRP. Many dealers I spoke with disclosed that they do in deed charge a markup. But my dealer states a few different times in writing no markup

[Rock-It Man]

I have never paid for a car before it arrived. Deposit yes, and why isn't that enough? And why would your XM subscription start before you took delivery?

All this sounds really screwed up.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by GXP08jrf

Unfortunately, a deposit is only good faith that YOU are serious about the order, not that the dealer will actually sell it to YOU when the car arrives.

Wrong.

A deposit is linked to a sales contract. Contract. Both parties agree. The part that everyone misses is the fact that you have every right to add your own terms to that contract.

Just like you breaking the contract affords the dealer recourse in the form of keeping your deposit, you can make your own terms of them having to pay you a set amount of money if they don't deliver the car / give you right of first refusal. Anyone signing a sales contract and not adding AT LEAST a contingency that the deal is subject to "Satisfactory physical inspection upon delivery of the car" is shorting themselves out of a level of control.

Until and unless the general public takes control of this stuff to put it back at least on a level playing field, dealerships are going to continue to be shady because they can (and will) get away with it.

[GXP08jrf]

Originally Posted by Rock-It Man

I have never paid for a car before it arrived. Deposit yes, and why isn't that enough? And why would your XM subscription start before you took delivery?

All this sounds really screwed up.

Nor have I, and I don't expect to because I'm not in the market right now. But the current situation puts all the leverage with the dealer.

So if you want the vehicle when it arrives, you pay up in advance or potentially miss out, because the dealer is pretty confident someone will be right behind you in line.

Screwed up or not, this is the way it is. In a market flush with inventory, a deposit is good enough, because the dealer will simply sell a different car to customer B because there's inventory to do so. I'd assume most dealerships will honor an order and deposit, there's still some good ones out there. But there are many who are going to make a sale when the opportunity presents itself regardless of who it is on the other side of the desk...