u/Fun-Journalist2588

I listened to many of you and went to the next gen vehicle. Re-evaluated what my wife and I needs were in a car, and still landed on Toyota or Lexus. My wife was convinced she "needed" an RX350, and since she has decent commute 5 days a week of 60-65 miles per day we had to figure out if should be an RX 350h.

Many of you are familiar with my journey going into a Toyota and Lexus dealership and only having the deals blow up in the end.

We were coming down to crunch time, and instead of doing all the heavy lifting I took my wife to see the couple cars, price ranges etc. I encourage EVERYONE to do this with their wife if she doesn't do a lot of big spending. The price is one thing but the sticker shock is another once you see taxes and title etc at the end. 47k becomes 54k real quick.

So when 47k, as many pointed out, should be in next gen territory but in our area barely gets you a 5-6 year old car at these local dealerships it was real concerning. I now realize this "organic market pricing" is a strategy to push people into the new cars for a few thousand more.

So we went and looked at a

2021 RX450h avg condition at non-Lexus dealership - $44900 - It certainly wasn't a show car, and at $44900 it was 51k OTD. We seriously considered it and in the negotiation I explained that an apples to apples 2021 RX450h just sold at a local lexus dealership for $43900, and that was a CPO. I told the salesperson that all my comps and the lack of CPO and Lexus support from their dealership should put this car at $39-41k max. I offered $40k for the car, and he went to the manager. Nice salesman, but came back and they lowered it to $43500.00. So we respectively walked.

Went back to the Lexus dealership with the RX350 Fsport I tried buying the other day, only to be offered 1k off and they then said no. Met with the same salesperson, but this time with wife and daughter. Had him show us 8 different cars. So my wife got to see the different luxury levels, prices, colors and sizes of cars.

He claimed the car they jacked me around on sold while we were there. I don't believe it as it's still on their website many days later. I think he just didn't want to revisit it. Anyways, we didn't buy anything with him - but we got some free drinks out of it - and wife got an understanding of what car she wanted.

Late last week I tried a listing came up on a non-Lexus dealers site, for a PERFECT 4k miles 2025 RX350h. It was the exact color int/ext, premium+ package we wanted. I found it odd they were literally asking CPO pricing on it without the extra 2 years unlimited miles CPO gets you. I negotiated them down from 60k to 57700. They didn't budge any further last week. My actual offer was 55k.

Wife and I drove out unannounced to take a look. She LOVED the car, but understood the pricing. The sales manager was a great dude, so was the previous sales person I had dealt with. Explained the deal, let him know we were buying something today and it was between a car out of state, a near apples to apples NX450h+ Luxury with 9k miles, and their RX350h - 4k miles - but needed to see if they could meet me at 55.5.

They budged 400 bucks but remained in the $57k range, despite me explaining we would be buying this other car and I wanted to purchase from them and give them my money. I showed him some CPO'd comps that were similar pricing but there was much more value buying from a Lexus dealer at this point. Not insulting him of course just saying where we were at.

I went up to 56k, but it didn't go anywhere. My wife and I spoke about the NH450+ with shipping would cost near equal the RX350h, but with the CPO, low mileage, luxury package, and cost savings over time with the plugin hybrid it made more sense for us to do that then the RX350h. Yes, the 350h likely has a better resale, but we would be keeping the car for 10+ years more than likely.

So we finalized the paperwork, and it's being shipped up here tomorrow. I didn't give a cent to the Lexus shitbirds up here. I do wish the non-Lexus dealership could have met me where I needed to be up here, but the extra maintenance and services down the road will matter.

End result, NX450h+ Luxury 2025.

I was speaking with a buddy of mine who has know me for 20 years, telling him about the issues going into these dealerships and getting treated like shit. He said in regards to wasting 2 hours over 300.00.

"What's crazy is some people love playing golf but you think it's a waste of time, and those people think you're wasting your time doing this...but this is your golf!"

I currently have Thursdays off from my job. I think I'd be willing to do a secret video of me going into dealerships, trying to pick the jerkiest sales person and manager, and let them take me for a ride.

Say yes to everything. I definitely need the undercoating after looking at 50 cars with them. Financing? 100%! Please do. Negotiate, nope nothing but full ask. Let them make me wait, 3-6 hours. Finally, when it's time to sign - I get up and say, I'm not shaking your fucking hand. Out.

The next Thursday, I go into another play. This time I negotiate hard like an asshole, but get to a point where I or they win. But everything is difficult. Get them to do the financing, then switch to cash etc etc etc. Then...OUT.

I think I could do one each week for a while.

Turn the long versions into 3-5 minutes and boom.

Welcome to - Autotraitor - My friend gave me that name.

The name I came up for the channel was, "I'm not a nice person."

My last post blew up this week, just like my phone is blowing up right now from the dealership that insulted me, called me back and I told them I'd be in today to buy the car.

Well, I found a car I liked yesterday. I showed up unannounced at the dealership, good mood, a little more prepared after the last debacle. I hadn't done a ton of research on the pricing, but at this point understand there are some 2021 pristine models that should be priced higher than 2025's depending on how they've been taken care of.

There's a beauty 2021 RX 350 and it's priced at 46k. It's nearly exactly what I wanted just not a hybrid. I meet with the salesperson, it's late since it's the only time I can get there after work.

We see the car. I say let's go talk about it. He let's me no they are no haggle, but there are some good protections and services baked into the price with warranty and services for 2 years. I ask for them to take on an additional year, and he goes and checks.

Effectively, I'm going to buy the car at 46k. I even explained how I had a deal the other day and got dicked around and didn't appreciate it.

So, he comes back and says, "Hey I talked to my manager, and he said no to the extra year, but mentioned this car was $1000.00 less a couple days ago. Would you buy it tonight for $45k?"

I say yes. He then asks if I can get a cashier's check tomorrow so it can hit their numbers for this month. I say yes. He then says, "Ok cool. My manager just has to call someone to get approval for the previous price."

10 minutes later, he comes back and says, "Nope. He said no."

I said, "Let me talk to the manager." So he comes over and begins to explain how I did not understand the price drop etc etc.

I asked them why, when I had agreed to the no haggle price, did not ask for price drop, but did ask for a value add, they came back with an offer of a lower price, then take it way?

They said that wasn't what they did. Unsure if they were toying with me, but maybe people don't like to see stuff, or like to insult the integrity of a person.

In my experience dangling a carrot, or pulling a football at the last second, or saying fingers crossed ain't the way to go in says.

I even asked them what are the odds that I could visit two sales lots in two days to finally get to a deal and have a manager disrupt the deal with a personally insulting maneuver? The manager said it wasn't a manager that did it. I asked, "Who was it the general manager?" He says, "No it was the director of used car sales."

I said, "Oh, so we're no splitting hairs here?"

I got up, the manager went to shake my hand, and for the second time this week I said,

"I'm not shaking your fucking hand."

*UPDATE* - I complained to corporate and got call from GM of dealership. They came down 500.00 and gave me 2 oil changes. The GM also apologized but whatever. I will go in on Th or Fr to sign, review paperwork. Things I am thinking about doing:

1. Doing ALL the financing paperwork - take them hours to do it and deal with me - then decide to pay cash at end.
2. Do all the paperwork, then say no.
3. Nickel and dime them on the line items in the paperwork, e.g. doc fees etc.

I will be scouring for a better car or deal for the next couple of days as they ready the car.

****

Last night I go to a local Toyota dealer to look at a 4Runner for my wide. Speak with a nice sales guy in his mid-60's. Explain my needs and we look at a couple of 4Runners.

He let's me know an amazing Lexus hybrid just came in for 5k more, and I agree it's a nice car. Different than the 4Runner but my wife would love this Lexus.

So they are askin 47,800. With all taxes etc the price comes out to 54,650 or so. I asked about a warranty which was an extra 4000.

We go back and forth a few times, and we finally get stuck at 51,500 or 52,000 out the door.

So I stick at 51,500, but let him know if he throws in 2 Oil Changes and 3M paint protection, I'll pay 52,000.

He then writes it down on the quote, and says - "Ok sign this, and we will do it as long as you stay to do the paperwork." I say that's fine. I showed up at 7:30pm, it was now 9:00pm, the time they close.

He comes back 10 minutes later, beats around the bush and says a bunch of "stuff" which I couldn't quite understand, so I just say, "So are you saying the manager said no to what I signed?" He says yes.

So I ask to speak to the manager. The first thing he says is that he is a nice guy for staying late to help me since they close at 9pm and tells me either his sales person miscommunicated or I didn't understand. I explained we went back and forth and eventually got to a point where he asked me to sign to what we agreed to. Which I did.

He told me that was me signing to what I agreed to not them, but I asked why would I need to sign this unless we were agreeing to what he agreed to with me since we went back and forth.

He restates he can't do that deal, what else can he do for me? So I say I was at 51,500. He says no. So I said 51,750, versus his current price of 52,179. He says no again.

So I ask, "You're going to go back on what the salesperson and I agreed to, and you'll let 350-400 lose this deal?" He says yes. So I walked. I was furious.

I get the part that I didn't get the car over $300.00, but I felt they misrepresented things. I'm sure it's a normal trick, but who knows. I'm pissed over the comment that he stayed 15 minutes late because of me, when I had been there over 90 minutes listening to my SA tell me about his Avalalon.

I forgot to mention the part where at the end, the manager kept on telling me I didn't understand what I was signing...I pulled out my phone and began to record and asked him to explain to me how I didn't understand the agreement the salesperson and I had that I signed to.

He didn't love that.

On a recent 12 hour flight, a bathroom broke and flooded my friends seats with sewage. While the staff acknowledged the issue there was no offer to relocate my friends, and they had to endure the biohazard for the next 11 hours.

Since they are traveling I have called customer service, used the whatsapp contact, and followed through with feedback.

They have offered a few thousand points as compensation, but this is nowhere near what I believe is appropriate for the distress and hazard this caused. The smell alone, let alone the sewage much around them.

Reasonable compensation was requested, and effectively ignored with a reply stating all they can do is a few thousand points. They also stated their investigation stated new seating was made available. All not true.

Any recommendations?