Its been several years since this incident happened but when business do this to people, it prevents people from coming back tot he business even years later.
In 1998 I was looking for a new Chevy Cavalier. I liked the body style and was looking in the newspaper and autotrader for good deals on a brand new or gently used 1997 or 98 Cavalier. I found an ad in the classifieds that listed a brand new 1998 Chevy Cavalier for 9,999.00 complete with a/c and am/fm cass. I called and spoke to a salesperson named Rob and asked if that car was still avail. He told me the computers were down and he was with a customer but to come down and I could look at the car.
I got there and I showed Rob the ad and he goes and looks for the car, and of course comes back with the classic line "that car has been sold BUT I can find something else and come close to that price." People, when you hear this line, LEAVE. That is just a way dealers get people into the lots.
So I wanted to leave but Rob talked me into picking out another cavalier so I found a red one, drove it but wasn't too enthused because I knew I wasn't getting it for the price I wanted. He kept asking me "do you like the car, do you like the car" and I said yes but I'm really not interested at this point as I knew they were going to try and charge me and arm and leg for the car.
I wanted to leave and Rob wouldn't let me he said "come on. Come on in and have a soda and lets talk about the car."
I was being really cost conscience at this time because I was only making 10.00 an hour at my job and didn't want a car payment higher than about 225.00 per month. (Boy have times changed!) Plus being a young male my insurance was going to be 150.00 a month full coverage. And I had rent and school to pay for. So I could'nt afford more than about 10k for a care.
He throws some numbers together and wants 15k for the car! Thats 50% more than the offer in the paper. It would have been a 360.00 a month payment-more than I could afford. I said No way and proceeded to leave and they said for me to make an offer. I offered 12k for the car and said that was it, and that I was already mad they didn't have the car I wanted at the price and that I had wasted my time driving down there.
They said the lowest they could go was 14k and that was still a 350.00 payment so I said no thanks and left.
A few days later I noticed the same ad for the 9,999 car that didn't exist still in the paper. When the salesman called a few days later to follow up I told asked him why they were still advertising that car in the paper of they didn't have it. I then told him I'm not interested in doing business with them anymore.
Avoid Showcase like the plague. Rip-off!!!
James
Mesa, Arizona
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