So, I'm about to place an order, and I feel uneasy about several things.

When I was going over the options, I said I wanted premium and nav. The dealer then immediately asked me if I wanted the factory nav or the dealer nav. (huh?). Well apparently, they work with some company that does custom nav system installations. I said that I wanted the factory nav because it's integrated with the car. He said "good point".

He tells me that he needs to check the computer to see if there's a car in the production pipeline that matches mine.

Then he calls me back a little while later and says there's one 6MT coming in the middle of January with everything I specified -- except Nav. Now I wouldn't think anything of it if he didn't try to sell me a "custom navigation system" earlier. This sounded too much like a ploy to get me to bite on this car.

I said no thanks.

He then says the only other option would be to place a fresh order, and it will arrive in February.

So, he faxes me over a rough sales order with the car's description, and in the price section, he writes: $1175 over factory invoice. So my first question to you guys is: Is the factory invoice price standard across all Infiniti dealerships, or is there any way they can "mark up" things on the invoice to make it appear higher"? My concern is that when they give me the invoice price, and it's higher than what it should be, they'll say, "well sir, you signed the contract".

Anyways, he says he'll need a non-refundable $2000 deposit. He also tells me that he had placed the order for me already to expedite this process.

Ok, so now, I'm asking him why the deposit is non-refundable. As the customer, I feel I'm taking an unnecessary risk here on a car that I won't see in 3 months -- plus the fact that the price is not settled upon yet.

He says that as a dealership in the NorthEast, he can't take the risk of having a RWD car sitting in on the lot, then starts telling me about how he has half a dozen 2003 G35 sedans still on the lot with little or no miles, discounted at $4000 off MSRP, and nobody will buy them.

I said, "well you already placed the order...so aren't you already taking the risk? And now you're asking the customer to cover $2000 of that risk?"

I don't know. It seems shady to me.

I told him that I can't make a decision now and that I'll have to call him back on Monday. He wasn't too happy about that and kept repeating how he's going to get in trouble with his GM. Ok, whatever.

After looking at the sales order more carefully, I noticed a section that says "estimated delivery date". Right below that it says in small letters something like....<font color=red>"if the vehicle is not delivered 30 days after the specified delivery date, the customer is entitled to a full refund of his/her deposit".</font color=red>

What do you guys think? Is this dealer pulling my chain about having to place a brand new order, and a February delivery?

Thanks for reading.

 

I would look around elsewhere - sounds fishy to me (why would he have already ordered it without a commitment - he's full of BS). Just saw this on autospies.com:

http://www.autospies.com/article/ind...articleId=3565

It's obviously a paid advertisement, but it might be worth checking with them.

Good luck!

-Rich

____________________________
2004 Infiniti G35x Black/Black
2000 BMW Orient Blue 323Ci - Gone

 

I am about to place an order for an 05 6 spd sedan with Premium and Navi. I personally would not deal with a dealer under the circumstances you outlined. When I finally place an order it will be strictly off MSRP. I don't deal with the invoice concept for one simple reason-I doubt it is what the dealer really pays for the car with all the dealer incentives and rebates they get.-just sems like a somewhat shady number unlike MSRP. I ONLY will get a factory nav. When I finally place an order, I want the allocation number of the car that is to be mine put on the order sheet. From what I heard from an online dealer on one of the G35 forums, the dealers can change the options on their allocated up to 6 days of build date. If I don't feel the dealer will be straight with me, I will not use him. I rather pay a couple of hundred extra and deal with a salesman who I feel somewhat comfortable with, then save a few bucks with some clown who is jerking me around to make a sale. I live in NJ and there are plenty of dealers in the area to allow me to be somewhat independent. My main concern is picking up the car with its summer tires in Jan/Feb with tons of snow on the ground and not being able to get the snows I want ( or any snows that fit) due to the fact they sold out by Jan/Feb. (How dumb is Infiniti to deliver summer tires to dealers in snow areas in the winter without giving the customer an option for all seasons).

I am shooting for a minimum of 1K under MSRP. Good luck

 

For all you guys in the market for a 6mt vehicle, wait until you get to test drive a 05 6mt and make sure the grining/notchy tranny has been fixed. Just my 2 cents,

Yours Truly, A disgusted owner of a 04 6mt sedan with notchy/grinding tranny that (problem)can never be duplicated by any dealer for a fix.

 

I can't really comment on the dealer invoice issue since I don't know how that pricing structure really works for dealers. But as for the delivery date, that does not seem to far fetched. Back when I was looking at purchasing my 6MT sedan, I looked into the possibility of having to order it.

I confirmed through a reliable source that it typically does take about 12 weeks for an ordered car to make it to the West coast of the US. You are located in the NE, right? So figure at least another week of trucking to get to you.

Two different dealers that I dealt with also asked for a non-refundable deposit. When I asked them about it, they both stated the same thing. Due to the long waiting period, people tend to lose patience and buy something else, hence neither dealer wanted to get completely stuck with a custom ordered car.

 

Check out www.edmunds.com for an idea of pricing and fees you should expect to fairly pay. I ordered a Maxima from the factory in Japan in 2001 and Edmunds was helpful. I did put down $500 as I ordered it with fewer than usual options and they claimed they'd have a tough time selling it. I refused to pay dealer holdback as they never had to spend anything for it to sit on the lot.

 

Well, if you must have it now...then you probably have to wait for the order to come and pay close to MSRP (or more). I remember back in the beginning of the year, it is very hard to find a 04 6mt and dealer can charge a mark-up because 6mt in so cal is rather hot.
If you can wait, like me, that I bought my 04 in August and I got it for the Edmunds.com's invoice price. Luckily, there is only 2 cars left with my preference in so cal at that time and my dealer is fairly close by.

Good luck.

2004 G35s 6mt, Tb/willow, prem pkg, Nismo aero body kit, 3M clear bra

 

Well, I ordered it from a local dealer (not the one in my story). Got it for $1489 over invoice (which is only $314 more).

Much more professional staff, and I don't have to drive 97 miles to get my free oil changes. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

 

Local dealer has one 6mt Coupe, here in Tacoma, WA. I did drive it, man alot fatser. Not for sale, that's what sales rep told me.