Horrible car buying experience opinions needed
 

I'll try to make this a short read....

Found a brand new vehicle that the wife liked. Went to dealership as they had it on their website. It was sold. They tried to find one on their lot, but to no avail.

Couple days later, I do my own work and find the EXACT vehicle she wants - and it happens to be advertised at a couple thousand dollars off (dealer discount). It's about an hour or so away (important).

I go into local dealer, and show them the car.....even email the link to the dealership's web page so he knows all the details. Sales guy says they have to negotiate with that dealership, etc. I told him, if they can negotiate that price or lower, we'll buy from them (otherwise, we'll make the drive and negotiate with that dealership).

Sales guy says they can meet that price.

We negotiate terms, etc. and make the deal. Sales guy says he'll drive to that dealership the next day and deliver the vehicle for us later that day.

We pick up car (has a ding in it...grrr). drive it home. all is well.

Wife calls me next day and tells me she was poking around and noticed no spare tire exists.

Im at work, so I pull up the car on the other dealership's website (It's still up....important)....and look at the window sticker, and it shows a spare.

Upon further investigation, the VIN DOES NOT MATCH!

They sold us a different flippin' vehicle!!!!

So I do some investigation on the web, and find the vehicle they sold us - and learn that that dealership where they got the vehicle from is another 40 minutes FURTHER away - BUT FIND:

1. The vehicle's MSRP is a couple hundred less than what we negotiated off of (dealership 1)

2. The options package is slightly different (hence, no spare tire on delership 2's vehicle....the one they delivered to us)

3. The dealership 2 had their vehicle marked down about 1,000 less than dealership 1.

SO....looks like a classic bait and switch right?

I've been back to the dealership twice to complain, and the sales guy says "you said if we matched PRICE, you'd make the deal"

Wrong - we said price on that car.

Not to mention, when we picked up the vehicle, we asked the sales guy "how was the drive to Anaheim??" and he responded "not bad"

So at no point, did they ever mention a "dealership 2", nor did they mention the vehicle we were getting/negotiating on was NOT the same as what we provided them as the EXACT vehicle we wanted.

They've been apologizing, etc....but kind of giving us the delay/stall tactics.

I am meeting with the general manager tomorrow morning (and he told me over phone, he wants to make it right), but what do you guys think will happen?

The original vehicle is still available, but I'm assuming they cant get that vehicle, or they would have do so from the beginning.

The only reason to go further down the road for the one they sold us is either to make more money off of us, or dealership 1 wouldnt deal with our dealership, right??

I'm figuring the bastards will try to throw some "paint protection", "GPS stolen vehicle" crap for free.....as I bet it would be a monster hit for them to get the original vehicle (as they would then need to do a trade-in on the original they sold us, and then have to sell it as "used").

Super pissed obviously.....

What do you think goes down tomorrow morning????

How long have you had it?

Today is the 4th day - but there's no "cooling off period" in California.

Not the point, I think that they can still sell that one as new and they should.

They should also go get you the car you made a deal on or give you your money back.

Agreed - thanks.

I think from the beginning, they couldnt swing a deal/trade with the dealership that had the vehicle we wanted, so they pulled a deal with someone else, and it backfired big time.

I'm not sure what you can do? It's shady as **** but if you signed the paperwork and all, I'm not sure what legal recourse you have. You can pull out the usual "I'll go to the media and BBB, etc" but you may just need to fight for the best free shit they are willing to give you.

I would tell them that those are their only two options to "make it right"

problem is - we traded a vehicle in.....could they get it back??

Screenshot everything RIGHT NOW to make sure you can prove the VIN thing. If it goes sideways, go see a lawyer.

Did that on Friday morning! Got everything. Even the sent email where the sales guy asked me to send him a link to the vehicle we found/wanted.

I would bet they still have it

Do a google search for California buyers remorse laws.

I did - but it excludes car purchases. Unfortunately, no "cooling off" period for vehicles in CA.

I do think we have some "bait and switch" potential, from a legal perspective.

But as someone else said, we DID sign a contract.....but, we signed a contract for what we thought was a vehicle from Dealership 1....and had a specific options group on it.

We'd probably get screwed in court......but there is always "I'll make this well known in the media/social media/BBB" route....which they probably wouldnt want.

Good luck man. Let me know how it turns out.

Youve been screwed.