Why is it

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 07/19/2018 at 23:24 • Filed to: None

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That I love buying/selling cars on Craigslist, and test driving random vehicles, but I’d rather jump into a molten lake then spend another minute looking for a new work truck at dealerships..? Maybe it’s just the pickup market that I hate? Ugh. I called in Jalopnik to help. 

I’m genuinely unsure. I’ve been to tons of dealerships with very real intentions of buying a new car for myself. That never actually materialized because Miata parts fund aand whatnot, but overall I didn’t mind the dealership experiences at all! But the past two weeks looking for a brand new base model F-150.... Good god. I’ve felt like I’ve had a noose around my neck. This has been endless stress, and I’ve been viewing salespeople as “the enemy” who’s sole purpose is to screw me over.

Delagating tasks to those who can do them better or faster is a large part of my job, so... I called Tom McParland! For those of you who don’t know, Tom is a full time Jalopnik writer who also works at Automach consulting to help clients find the best deals for vehicles, or just to save them from going through the sale process. I’ve often imagined using Tom for a new Volvo wagon in a few years, but a new work truck? Hey, why not!

Tom is a GREAT guy, and I highly recommend him. He gave me so much fantastic info on finding what I’m looking for, and eventually helped me come to the conclusion that a new full-size truck for the price I wanted was going to be more-or-less impossible to find. Despite the fact that we both decided this wouldn’t be a great fit for Tom’s business (he normally tries to stick to $35,000 a nd over transactions), Tom still spent hours on the phone with me helping me search, offering suggestions and providing invaluable insight. Seriously, great guy.

Anyways, there I was, back to square one. Looking for a base model work truck, the requirements being: full size bed, automatic, air conditioning (in a WORK truck. Fancy!), crew cab, cheap. Original price I was given by bossman was $20k.... For a brand new pickup. In the PNW. Lol.

New number was low $20's, which at least was doable. I made a few appointments, but after getting bait n’ switched twice (god I fucking hate salespeople) and getting numerous emails that blatantly ignored my requests, I started being somewhat aggressive in my emails, which... Uh. Seemed to work? I feel really uncomfortable sending out rude emails but it stopped all of the sales BS and landed me some prices I’m happy with. Strange world.

I’ll be checking out one tomorrow, and I reaaaaally hope it goes through. Brand new F-150 with a tow package, 8ft bed, and a few other options, a nd they’ll take $ 20,800 for it. The people I’ve spoken to and emailed at this particular dealership have been awesome, I’ve yet to feel like my time is being wasted.

Cross your fingers, Oppo. After the pickup, I’ve got two transit connects, two transit vans and... Another pickup to purchase.

Also if you have any tips for improving the overall dealership experience, please share

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/19/2018 at 23:32

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Which dealer?

Yeah, that PNW vehicle markup is real. If you had unlimited time and you were spending your own money, I’d tell you to go buy one in SoCal, because you’ll get a far better deal than up here...

LOREM IPSUM > AestheticsInMotion 07/19/2018 at 23:33

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“ I’ve been viewing salespeople as “the enemy” who’s sole purpose is to screw me over.”

100% a ccurate representation, 98% of the time. Give or take.

His Stigness > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:37

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Something is cheaper here than it is up there? That seems ridiculous. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > LOREM IPSUM 07/19/2018 at 23:38

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It was the F&I guy that was the annoyance in my purchase. The salesman and GM were super easy to work with. Mind you, I just sent a curt email with my exact specs to all the dealers I’d consider  and asked them what their best price would be.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > His Stigness 07/19/2018 at 23:42

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Cars in general are cheaper in socal for sure, probably just because there are so many of them. Anything that's actually desirable is definitely way cheaper. Now way would I have found my Subaru for the price I did in Seattle. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > His Stigness 07/19/2018 at 23:43

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Oh, by far. The PNW has like a used Toyota markup on everything. New car prices are higher here, used cars are distinctly more expensive here, dealers are less willing to negotiate, etc. I bought a pretty crappy car in North County San Diego in 2007 and sold it for 150% of what I paid in 2015 with 60k more miles with the buyer thinking I was giving it away and there had to be a catch/problem . Similar experience selling the Lincoln for what I paid for it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/19/2018 at 23:44

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You should take up your boss on the $20k and just get the best Taco you can get for the money, screw it being new. Although I think the transit connect sounds more interesting than a truck for sure. 

AestheticsInMotion > His Stigness 07/19/2018 at 23:44

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You guys have insanely cheap, fun cars on Craigslist. $3000 will get you a great, well sorted Miata down there, and around Seattle.... You're getting a junker. Same with most of the fun sub $10k cars I normally browse... Super jealous of your used car market (but less so when it comes to your car-related legislation) 

His Stigness > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:46

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Holy balls!

I should start a new business and buy cars here and then transfer them to WA and sleep on a bed of cash! 

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:46

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It’s that way for premium brands too.  LA/SF is the place to shop for MB or BMW, so much competition among dealers.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > His Stigness 07/19/2018 at 23:47

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I have actually considered it. You could probably make a pretty good living doing it if you could find a good supply of decent cars down there and get them up here cheap.

His Stigness > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/19/2018 at 23:48

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I need to start buying cars here and then selling them in other parts of the country and make so much money! 

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/19/2018 at 23:49

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Originally the plan was to get a good condition truck with 50,000ish miles. But... After sinking $9k into our Flatbed, $4k into our old pressure washing trailer and $2k I to our old truck.... We decided to go new for the peace of the mind. In the long run the cost difference of new vs used will barely affect the companies bottom line in the slightest, whereas having vehicles out of commission for multiple days is very, very bad for a number of reasons. New plan that’s starting now is to but brand new full size trucks, transits and transit connects, then trade them in after four years on a brand new replacement. The diesel box trucks and flatbeds will be held onto for much longer.

Getting a good price on a Ford Van is a piece of cake, but it's so nice to have trucks for certain tasks. 

LOREM IPSUM > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:49

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More deals die in F&I than anywhere, by far. Car sales is all about psychology. The customer already negotiated an acceptable deal, hands have been shaken, and in their head they have just purchased a new vehicle. In their mind, they’re driving it home already.

Then you step into the F+I back office and they proceed to find many new and imaginative ways to rake you over the coals. Many people find it hard to walk away at that point, even if they’re getting screwed, because in their head it’s already their car and now they’re almost fighting to take possession of it. Many  cannot afford the terms of the loan they get offered and end up either in a vehicle they really can’t afford, or walking away, literally crying.

I’ve seen more than one grown assed man leave F&I with tears streaming down their faces as they walk home. They won’t accept a ride at that point either.

I didn’t much like selling cars.

AestheticsInMotion > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:51

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Bill Pierre Ford in Seattle is where I’m going tomorrow. The Kirkland Ford/Hyundai is where I had some of the worst customer service in my life

AestheticsInMotion > His Stigness 07/19/2018 at 23:54

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I've got a buddy who did just that while going to college part time. Mostly bought trucks and older BMW's in California, then sold them in Washington. I never did end up seeing his rig, but he was able to take 6 vehicles at a time, or just have them shipped

His Stigness > AestheticsInMotion 07/19/2018 at 23:54

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It’s settled then, I need to start selling SoCal cars in Washington and just watch the Benjamins roll in!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail 07/19/2018 at 23:54

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Truth. I do believe it’s better in SoCal, though, because there is just that much more dependence on cars down there.

I’m always amazed by how cheap a reliable   daily driver is down there.

His Stigness > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/19/2018 at 23:55

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I have a good source with my job...

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AestheticsInMotion 07/19/2018 at 23:58

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II think your best bet is telling them you have that many vehicles to purchase, and then telling them you need the best deal on all five and they will get that business if they treat you right. That’s at least worth a couple grand on each. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > LOREM IPSUM 07/20/2018 at 00:01

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Luckily, I had basically everything set long before I got there. I have exceptional credit and didn’t need a loan, so I was throwing them a bone by taking their 0% loan. There was a little more to it (they almost missed this as well), but they were just trying everything to get me to take all these upsells. “Are you trying to tell me this brand new car is a lemon?”, I almost walked at that point. It was ridiculous, I’ve never seen a bigger con game that was so blatantly obvious ...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 00:08

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I hate Ford of Kirkland so much. Everyone there is garbage, from their salespeople to their service people.

Autonation Ford in Bellevue has a competent service department, but before they got their new building I had one bad experience with them (they damaged one of my wheels when rotating my tires, then the company they use to do wheel repairs couldn’t match the paint color because it was “rare”) so I was reluctant to return . The last regular service went well there...

LOREM IPSUM > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 07/20/2018 at 00:09

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It’s like Lo rd of the F lies meets the W olf of W all Street, especially when there aren't any customers within earshot. 

NKato > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 00:40

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If you’re going that far south, try Bickford Ford and Harris Ford & Lincoln. Should be easy. Failing that, if you’re interested in a genuine not-stealership, try Chevrolet of Everett. Their Service Shop is the tits.

Edit: they were the ones who replaced my rear axle. 

NKato > His Stigness 07/20/2018 at 00:45

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If you actually do it, get a dealer license. If you sell more than 6 cars in a year, you’re gonna need that license.

A former co-worker of mine at my last job makes extra money flipping cars. Obviously, he doesn't have a dealer license. I'm counting the days until he might get nailed. 

AestheticsInMotion > NKato 07/20/2018 at 00:46

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Harris Ford is my next choice, I’ve been talking to them and they seem like decent people. Bickford Ford was one of the ones that pulled a bait n’ switch. Definitely not giving them my business after that colossal waste of time.

NKato > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 00:47

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Oof on Bickford. Harris also runs a decent shop. Make sure you check out Chevy of Everett and let me know how the experience is. I haven't checked their dealer side of things. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 00:55

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My buddy just bought a 2001 Tundra SR5 4x4 V8 single cab longbed with 40k original miles.... 40-FREAKING K!!... For 15 grand. As a lifelong resident of this area and it’s absurd prices, I ain’t even mad.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/20/2018 at 01:07

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SR5... I'm a bit rusty on my trim levels. Was that a more mellow version of a TRD offroad trim? More importantly... W ho buys a single cab longbed Toyota and only uses it for 2300 miles a year..?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 01:08

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An old man who ran to home depot twice a year, I assume. I sat in the thing. It looks, no joke, absolutely brand new.

His Stigness > NKato 07/20/2018 at 01:21

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I'm not going to, I don't have the capital in order to do it. But it would be funny to do. 

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 02:29

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Your mistake is getting a Ford.

My workplace has a large fleet, and they buy trucks without any real prejudice. The Fords are obnoxious trucks, and any time we’ve had warranty repairs on them the dealers give us the runaround. The Chevs and Dodges are better to operate, better to maintain, and any time they’ve had warranty repairs the dealer’s been great. Dodge has even warranteed a couple things that we sent them after the warranty had expired, out of goodwill. The Ford dealer on the other hand just tells us things like “No no, it’s perfectly normal not to have 12V at the 12V pin on your tow-package F350, because it only charges the trailer battery when you’re braking ” and refuses to do anything about it. Or somehow the reason our Fords keep going into limp mode is because the fuel is contaminated so we need to pay to have the whole fuel system replaced, except all our fuel comes out of the same tank and we’ve only ever had contamination problems in the Fords . Or they’ll sit at the dealer for a couple months waiting on parts with no ETA. Ford really needs to step up their game.

NKato > His Stigness 07/20/2018 at 02:54

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The problem is the expense of importation. When you bring out of state vehicles in, you have to pay a use tax on the vehicle, which is usually proportional to the amount you paid for the vehicle. Otherwise they use the market value, I think. 

boxrocket > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 06:14

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New definitely gives peace-of-mind, but CarMax gets in some pretty new trucks at times, even baser trims. Great choice with the Fords, of course, especially since they’re the only brand with a desirable full line of commercial vehicles in the U.S..

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 07/20/2018 at 07:02

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^ This. Contractors used to deal with the fleet purchase salesman and get better treatment when I was a contractor (a long time ago now). Similar to (and maybe now the same as) the internet salesperson, less BS. And they want the repeat business. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 08:55

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You should be able to find a new F-150 for that price. I bought a 2017 last year for low 20's, and I wanted a bit more equipment than you're looking for since this is my daily driver . The short story was that I learned rebates and incentives vary significantly by region, and email is the only way I’ll ever negotiate for a new car again.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/ive-bought-a-thing-or-tom-mcparland-was-right-or-tu-1794859011

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 09:08

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SR5 used to be the top of the line before the Limited and now Platinum/1794. It’s the base now. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > His Stigness 07/20/2018 at 10:15

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I wish I had the disposable income to do this. But the real problem is paying sales tax and registration crap, idk how people make any profits after that. Maybe you can game the system in California since you do not need to even register a car for 10 days after you buy it. Just sell it within that window and avoid the fees! I still think its wild that you can do that. In NJ, you do not get any plates with a car that you buy. So it must be registered immediately upon sale. So you really can’t even buy a car on a Sunday unless you have a trailer. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 10:16

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Ohh you have to buy all of those vehicles, not just one or the other. Haha that sounds like a full time job in and of itself.

just-a-scratch > AestheticsInMotion 07/20/2018 at 10:24

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 That's a lot of vehicles.  D oes that make you the fleet manager now?

AestheticsInMotion > just-a-scratch 07/20/2018 at 11:13

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I suppose it does. Sigh

His Stigness > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/20/2018 at 12:42

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Well if you sell more than six cars in a year in California you have to get a dealer license, so I’m sure you don’t pay sales tax once, only when you sell the car.

But as I don’t have the capital for it, I’m not even going to research it.

And started next year new cars will be getting temporary plates. No more dealer paper plate bullshit. This is a VERY good thing. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > His Stigness 07/21/2018 at 00:22

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Finally! That shit is ridiculous. Too many new cars have absolutely no plate at all. Seems like a garbage way of going about things. 

His Stigness > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/21/2018 at 02:46

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No SHIT! I think the “right” someone had to die in a hit and run before the dumb shits in Sacramento decided to change it.

I'm sure people will still leave their plates off for years, but if temp paper plates are required at least they can be identified.