I am having some dealer issues that I wondered if anyone here could help shed some light on.

So I go for a test drive early June. They say they have the car I want (EX-L with Navi in Aegean Blue) on the way to their dealership mid-late July. We discuss pricing and things. We decide not to do a deposit since they will give us first call when it arrives.

I get an email from one of the 2 salesmen involved last week saying it is coming early this coming week (which is this week right now.) I say great! Should a put a deposit to reserve? No response. I sent the primary salesman an email also, no response. Leave him a voicemail, no response. I call the dealer and speak with a manager, he looks the car up and says ETA July 29th, it is in Texas right now.

What's going on??

I email the other dealer in the area getting the same car. They also tell me it's in Texas but due any day now.

So conflicting information and I am puzzled as to the varying ETAs and the sales people not responding to me any more but they were 2 weeks ago? Any ideas??

 

I spoke with a dealer today who seemed to have a better idea of what's actually going on. Up here in the northeast, a large number of Fits have been delivered to ports but are also not actually showing up at dealer lots although they are showing up on cars.com and some dealers' websites. I'm assuming wherever in Texas they are referring to is a similar distribution point for your neck of the woods.

Anyway, because this is a new model from a new plant and there were some initial quality issues leading to the launch delay, Honda has reps at these ports and they are inspecting every single car that rolls off the boat/train before they release them to trucks for transport to dealers. For whatever reason, this is a very slow process. This is all fine and dandy, however, where it all gets messed up is the information getting transmitted to the dealer from Honda. Honda's internal distribution system status is showing most cars as already in dealer inventory and on site, not in transport. As they are "already in inventory", there is no real ETA available to the dealer. The dealer I spoke with had actually called the processor at the port (a third party) to get this info and the processor told him flat-out "we don't know when Honda will release the car in question to the trucker." My guess, based on this is that some dealers are making up ETAs and some dealers are saying "we don't know." As for the dealers not responding to you... I can't say.

 

If you're serious about purchasing to the point where you're willing to put down a deposit, it's probably best to call them or talk to someone in person. As mentioned, they probably do not have a firm ETA on arrival of the vehicles at their lot just yet. It's always best to be patient considering these things are only now starting to arrive from the factory. A brand new model out of brand new factories should be more scrutinized IMO.

 

Thank you for this info!!!!

 

I second putting a refundable deposit down. When I went to pick mine up I asked about how sales were. He said that all their allotment was already pre-sold for the next few weeks at least. When I had put my deposit down a week earlier, none were pre-sold. Don't let the one you're waiting for get away! The car is in demand enough that your bargaining won't be significantly hurt by putting a deposit down.

 

Ask for the VIN of the car, confirm it is what you want, and then put down a deposit on that car. This way they will not sell your car to someone else.

 

Had some similar issues. Was told "car will be here tomorrow." Ended up giving them a deposit (refundable), but when car did not show tomorrow, next tomorrow and another tomorrow, I started to questions the sincerity of the information I received. I understand the not knowing when they might arrive, but when I asked point blank "Will it be here this weekend, in the specific color and trim I want?" and I'm told it will, then it doesn't, I felt misled. Took to the phone myself and found someone else who had what I wanted. I had the most luck calling all local dealerships and speaking with someone about what they had on their lot at the moment.

Someone else already said it, but best practice is to be patient. Your Fit is on the way as long as you can wait.

 

I wouldn't count on that. You put a deposit down and they have you by the short hairs. If they "accidentally" sell "your" car to another customer all they have to do is say "oops, sorry, we'll have another one for you Real Soon Now."

Consider your recourse. What are you going to do if they don't deliver, sue them?

 

Yep, this is what is frustrating me. The dishonesty. And then they are not responsive to an email OR voicemail any longer. I refuse to bombard them with emails and voicemails. I think I will just call and talk to the manager, he seems knowledgeable, and put a refundable deposit on it.

The only other dealer in the region getting the car I want is an hour away and offered me a worse deal. I am excited about the Fit but dang, the buying process is a big downer!!

 

Wow, it's so disheartening to hear the run around that some people are getting.

My experience in hunting down the one that I wanted is very similar to everyone else. I went to the dealership that showed they had the Passion Berry Pearl EX-L w/Navi in stock. They only had the Alabaster Silver EX-L on the lot, and that was fine for test drive purposes. This was on this past Saturday, 6/28.

When I asked about the specific color/trim I wanted, the first thing the GSM asked me was what website did I see it on. It was on their dealer website. He went and checked stock, came back to me and said that according their system, the car should have arrived on June 5. He said that it's on its way, and should be in "any day".

Since I was in no real hurry to get the car, I was okay with that. I asked if they'd call me when the car arrived, and they said yes.

The car arrived this Tuesday, 7/1, and I got two phone calls from two different sales people to let me know "my" car arrived. They knew that I was going to potentially trade in my Accord, so they were pretty eager to have me come in that night.

Long story short, did the second test drive, wanted the car even more, plus it was THE exact car that I wanted. We made a deal, filled out all the paper work, but because it was nearly 9PM, I'd have to wait to take delivery until the next day. That's reasonable.

However - here is where everything took a sticky turn. The sales guy told me that due to Honda policy, they did not know the exact date that they could release the car to me for delivery because it was the only Fit that they had on the lot. I was not happy about that, and I told him that I should have been told this prior to starting the deal process. He said that he'd talk to the GM in the morning and get clarification for me.

The next morning, I had a boilerplate email from the GM "hope you had a good experience, blah blah what can we do to move this deal forward." Of course, I asked what was the deal about non-delivery until another is on the lot, and that it was making me reconsider the deal altogether.

The GSM called me to apologize profusely and explain to me that it was a miscommunication and that I should have never been sold the car as it wasn't for sale. He explained that it was the dealership's policy, not Honda's policy, that they keep one in stock for people to view/test drive, and that I should have been told that up front. However, because I was not told that until after the deal was starting process, that they would go ahead an let me take delivery. So, I took delivery yesterday, 7/2.

While I was in the car waiting for the finance guy (I had an appointment for 6:15 and I was pre-approved for loans and stuff, so all I had to do was sign paper work and go), a sales guy walked up and asked if I wouldn't mind letting someone look at the car. I was okay with that, but no test drive.

Then I noticed something. Another Fit on the lot. Hrm. What do you know? So I asked if that was the same one that I drove on Saturday, and if so, why hold the one I wanted to buy hostage? I got a lot of stuttering and finally was told that the one I drove on Saturday was already sold to a long time customer that picked it up that day when mine arrived.

I asked about the one on the lot again and was told it was sold prior to mine, and mine was technically the last one on the lot as that customer was taking delivery today.

I can some what understand their need for wanting to keep one on the lot for showing and test drives, but they should have been clear about it up front. In the end, I got the car, but the experience I had was none like I'd ever had before.

 

What, you finalized a deal and they demand to keep the car you purchased on the lot so that other people can test drive it?

All those "mistakes" are just BS. Everybody in that office knows exactly what they are doing, including the lies they are currently telling. It's all standard procedure.

In this situation people need to put their foot down. Tell them to deliver the car as promised or you will contact Honda corporate and leave them an appropriately bad Yelp review. If they refuse, follow through.

 

The funny thing is, how quickly the car they told me that they did not have, nor have any definitive date for arrival suddenly "arrived". Okay, I'm cynical, but the coincidence is almost too much to take.

Luckily, the deal wasn't officially finalized until last night, so I could have backed out and I threatened to do so when I talked to the GSM due to the fact they wanted to keep the car. When I said that, they decided to make me happy and let me take delivery. You know, they did me a favor (sarcasm).

Trust me - the survey they get from me will be honest. Honda Corporate takes these very seriously.

 

Hopefully it wasn't Prime Honda in West Roxbury. That's where I closed my nephew's '13 Fit last year. It took two 10 minute phone conversations and the deal was done. If it was Herb Chambers Honda, those guys deserve a rotten survey!!!

 

I will confirm that it was NOT Prime Honda

 

Having problems here, too. Seems like the whole Northeast is missing out on delivery right now. :P

It's most likely that they are just sitting in those ports. Why they can't get them OUT and get them DELIVERED, well, that's a different story.

Dealer told me this week or next week and now he's doing the same thing- telling me he has no idea, avoiding my calls, not returning calls or e-mails. Trying to wait patiently but... failing. If it goes on too long I'll just have to get my deposit back and buy something else.

 

Sorry to hear everyone is having bad experiences while waiting! Thankfully my dealer has been answering e-mails and has been up-front about the fact that my pending car shows as "on the lot" in their system even though it's not actually available yet - but still doesn't change the fact that they don't know when the car will actually be delivered. I guess I don't understand the Honda system can list cars as delivered somewhere but not actually be there? Seems like it should be like FedEx or UPS, where they don't scan something as delivered until the package is on your porch

 

It is the dealer's decision to advertise "vaporware" cars as being "in inventory." Their strategy is to get the suckers in the door and, if 50 percent of them can be swayed to a vehicle in stock the dealer is money ahead. It's a classic bait-and-switch tactic. The people who demand the advertised vehicle can be kept on the hook as long as needed by citing vague delays and other deceptions.

There is no doubt that dealers know exactly when each vehicle will arrive. We're dealing with items that cost tens of thousands of dollars so no sane businessman will settle for vague information from a supplier. They make it sound vague because if they are honest and say "2 weeks" it gives the customer a chance to make other arrangements, If they trickle the customer along by promising "tomorrow" over and over this danger is reduced.

 

Amy, right now the dealer doesn't know exactly his cost because its not distributed. The car is in TX likely because it came into Houston and is awaiting documentation. It was produced in Mecico and Houston is the collection yard where certain items may be added.
So the dealer doesn't know his cost nor the retil cost either so he cannot write a contract because he would be guessing and I believe TX doesn't allow that.
The sakles people should have contacted you and asked for a deposit to first in line to contract a sale; in your case it may mean someone else has done justr that so they can't promise you anything.
Worse, its not unusuasl for dealers to go against each other to get a car they want ad all sorts of negotiations go on. So there is no assurance your dealer even has the delivery to that car.
My advice is to put down a deposit of $100 to be the first buyer on the Fit (s) of your choice and let the dealere got to bat for you based on depopsit dates.It gopes back to vw bug deliveries and Honda civics too. Without that deposit the dealer has nothing to fight with unless he has other 'contributions'.
good luck.

 

They quoted me a price and everything. But they did not want a deposit.

 

Basically I contacted the other dealer getting the car I want that I had not dealt with yet, and he showed me what was coming up in the Honda system when he searches for Aegean blue with Navi (they are the only one receiving one) and if he searches for all EX-L with Navi (they are receiving one blue, one red, and another dealer is receiving red.)

So the first dealership I have been dealing with may not be receiving the car I want at all. It would explain a lot if that is the case. I thought it was wierd how we went to test drive a gray one early June and we liked it but told them we had to have blue. And what do you know, they are the only one in the city limits with one headed their way! I guess too good to be true.. and that combined with the fact that they did not want a deposit and now that the car is "arriving this week" suddenly they will not communicate with me any longer.

So I am done dealing with them and their tactics and runarounds. I will be placing a refundable deposit with the dealer that is actually getting one that is being honest with me, communicating with me, wants a deposit, and is providing me some sort of evidence to back up what he is saying. This has been such a PITA! I hope everyone else has a much better experience.