I have a very interesting situation with a dealer. A friend of mine is in the market for a new vantage S, after visiting a local dealer and a few test drives he decides to get one from them that is in stock. We negotiate the price down with the sales manager and shake hands. A deposit is put down, we sign the sales order with the price on it and they request we pick it up the next day so that they can have it washed and cleaned. The next day the sales manager calls indicating that "the owner does not approve the sale", therefore they are not able to sell the car unless we pay extra. By the way the difference is only 3K from what they want.

We have both never been in a situation like this and are just shocked that the dealer would ask for more money after the sales order is signed. So now he no longer wants the car because of the principal, and thinking of not even getting an Aston anymore since this dealer is the only one around to service it.

What are your thoughts on this? We both have never owned an Aston before but if the sale is going this bad, what can be expected of the service?

 

If there is a sales contract I don't see how they can refuse the sale. They probably got a higher offer after you left...

 

Sales contract is meaningless. Read the fine print on the back. Dealer can do anything until money is actually exchanged and car is in your hands. While the buyer may be pissed, ain't nothin can be done about it.

 

That's such a skumbag move. I would tell them forget it and give me my money back. I'd then post on a few forums to let others know of the experience. Which dealership is this?

This is not typical of Aston from my experience. I have nothing but great things to say of Aston to date.

 

Seems pretty shady. Hopefully you can get another Aston from a different dealership. Would be a shame not to buy on e just because of this particular dealer

 

I'd do this then buy it from a diff dealership and have them service it. F them.

 

Owning a retail furniture store myself, I know that sometimes pricing mistakes can be made...I do it myself. If its not too severe, I will 'eat it' and let it go. But once in awhile, I make an error that puts it under my cost, and if I catch it before money changes hands I will correct the price with the customer. Sometimes I make the tag wrong, sometimes when I'm quoting prices I'm in the wrong column. Does that make me a s*bag? Well, only if no one here ever makes a mistake! I have a few customers get upset, but most take it in stride and realize I'm only human.

I think that if the dealer is missing by $ 3K, your're right at his cost on the car and someone made a mistake on the numbers. Perhaps he quoted you what he has in the car and read the wholesale line instead of the retail? It happens.

What I would do if your friend still wants the car, is have him call the Principal personally and ask him simply 'what happened?' Let the owner explain instead of going through the sales intermediary. That way you have a personal contact with the man who decides on the sale - let him tell his story and see where it goes from there. Your friend can always offer to split the difference, or pay $ 2K instead of $ 3K, or accept it at face value and move on. Its silly to take it personally and act childish about it. Call him up!

 

I'd ask for the deposit back and move on.
Life is too short to mess with idiots.

And, there are plenty of awesome cars out there.

 

Probably a good idea. Nothing to lose by speaking with the owner.

 

I had that happen to me a couple years back when I bought a new BMW Z4is. I negotiated hard with a dealer several states away from me on a car he had on the lot for a very good price. He got all my info, closed the deal and then called me back a couple hours later and said another salesman sold the car right before he got to the cashier. The car had been on the lot a while and I think they just got a better offer since I had talked him down so far and they just blew me off. I also don't think that is an acceptable way to treat customers, but I didn't let it sour me on the bimmer and purchased one somewhere else a week later. So if you really want an Aston don't let one bad experience stop you from getting what may turn out to be the best car you ever owned!

 

back in 2006 I walked into a Ford dealership and worked out a deal on a brand new made to order Shelby GT Mustang. I agreed to pay the full sticker price but No ADM overcharge. The sales person approved the sale, wrote up the order and I insisted that I pay a 500.00 deposit to make the contract a binding and legal document. 3 months later my car came in and guess what- The dealership said they couldn't sell me the car because interest from other buyers was too high and it warranted an ADM overage.

I gave my documents to my company legal council and returned with a letter saying that in my state a contract that is acted and upon ans signed by both parties and with any money exchanged- it was a legally binding document. I left the dealership with my 2007 Shelby GT for the agreed price of the original contract.

 

It happens more than you think.

 

I bought a new Esprit from a dealership in Chicago (I live in FL) and we negotiated a deal based on a trade of another Esprit I owned. The deal was contingent on my trade matching my description when they received it prior to them shipping the new car down to me. If my trade wasn't all I claimed it to be, we would have to renegotiate (while they had both my trade and the new car) or they would ship my trade back to me and I would have to eat the cost of shipping both there and back? Sounds like a win-win scenario for the dealer, right?

So I shipped my trade to them and 2 weeks after having my car there, having the paperwork all signed, the bank financing finalized and my down payment check delivered they finally sent me my new car. A week after I received my new car, I get a call from the salesperson to tell me that the reconsidered the value of my trade and figured that I owed them an additional $2,000!!! The salesman kept calling me at work and threatening they were going to have their lawyers after me if I didn't pay the extra money. I was aghast.

I finally looked at the sales contract and noticed the "weasel-clause" in tiny print at the bottom meant to protect the dealer from any buyers who might try to change or back out of a deal after signing the purchase agreement. It said: "All sales are final…" I photocopied the contract with that part zoomed in and highlighted and faxed it to them. They never bothered me again.

 

Interestingly enough, something like this also happened me on a BMW z4is. Had negotiated and paid for a new z4 with the understanding that the rims would be changed out with upgraded ones. Three days after taking possession of the z4 the dealer called and told me I would have to pay full price for the new set of rims even though we had a handshake during our dealing that I would get them at a much reduced price.

Apparently, the sales person never OK'd the deal on the rims with the GM so I returned the z4 (after putting almost 1000 miles on it in 5 days), hammered the dealership on all social media networks and told the GM in person he'd never have my business again.

 

We did actually meet the owner during our negotiations but he came off as a complete ***. At one point even saying "I don't need to do the sale bud", which was the sign for us to start walking out the dealership. But then the sales manager came out, talked to us for a long time and even apologized for the way the owner's attitude was and that's when we made the deal with him.

The sales manager was a completely different person, you could tell that he loved what he did and the car they had in the show room he had fully customized himself with two tone leather, carbon fiber and etc. We went for a test drive and boy this guy knew how to drive. Nothing crazy but we took a turn and did a sharp 90 degree turn, great braking and control of the car...he is in his 50s by the way.

To make the long story short, we have been going back and forth with them and the sales manager felt so bad about the whole thing that he agreed to pay the difference out of his own pocket. I don't know how much of it is actually true but based on talking to him he did not seem to be lying. I really do think he went out of his way to make things right, which says a lot about his character.

Anyways, great guy and my friend is very happy with the car.

If you are in the VA/MD/DC area, stay away from the owner for Aston of Washington but definitely talk to the Peter, the sales manager.

My friend is thinking about wrapping the car in orange, anyone done this? they had a car with the wrap on it and it looked incredible!