Bait and switch or not?

sloinker

sloinker

Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
3,396
Location
WY
Saw an online dealership advertisement for a 2024 Volkswagen Taos S 4 motion vehicle. It was advertised @$21,XXX and in transit. MSRP is $28,000 so a $6500 discount from msrp. I contacted the dealership via email about this vehicle and the unrealistic price they promptly emailed me back and requested my phone info. I supplied it. I did a nationwide apple to apple search for this vehicle and the closest match was $5000 dollars more. In the meantime a day goes by without them contacting me and then I get an email asking if I was satisfied with their response to my query. I never received any info in any manner from them. I also noticed that the before IN TRANSIT vehicle is now on their lot for the full msrp price. I have pretty much ruled out this vehicle due to ongoing head gasket issues but may have gambled it for the fairytale original price. I haven't been financially harmed and have bought two new vehicles from them in the past. Everything above board and straightforward. No high pressure. Now I see what I see are tactics to rob the naive by generating foot traffic with blatantly, I believe, false advertising. This practice is illegal in Wyoming. I got on the state Attorney General's website and filled out a consumer complaint for investigation. I haven't submitted it yet. And emailed the sales manager with my concerns. I have not heard back. Should I just move on and enjoy life or spend my time pursuing this matter, if for nothing else other than perhaps saving someone else a
car dealer con job. Opinions?
 
Well, you were apparently mislead by what appeared to be a legitimate offer from the dealer.
The offered price was obviously impossible, though.
Why dealers play these games I have no idea, but a complaint to the state AG may help bring an end to them.
Your having bought from this dealer twice in the past should have entitled you to some respect, but I guess not.
 
GMBoy said:
That is what I say happened as well. That way they can't be accused of false advertising. When you go to purchase the vehicle all the discounts you aren't eligible for fall off and the price goes up.
Click to expand...
I remember that years ago from some local dealerships. They'd advertise a discounted price, but if you read the fine print, that low price included the first time buyer rebate, recent college grad rebate, Military, etc..etc.
 
JTK said:
I remember that years ago from some local dealerships. They'd advertise a discounted price, but if you read the fine print, that low price included the first time buyer rebate, recent college grad rebate, Military, etc..etc.
Click to expand...
I remember seeing that as well. I bet this advertisement had the same disclosure somewhere in the ad.
 
GMBoy said:
I remember seeing that as well. I bet this advertisement had the same disclosure somewhere in the ad.
Click to expand...
I printed out the original ad. It says $6500 discount and possibly an additional $500 Military and $500 college grad. There isn't an asterisk anywhere within their documentation for any other qualified discounts. I have perused it with a fine tooth comb looking for their weasel out language. Can't find it. I think someone made a mistake. I will wait a few more days to see if I am contacted and given a reasonable explanation. If they don't contact me or try to blow smoke up my dress, I will submit the official complaint to the A.G.
 
Bait and switch has been going on for a long time even though it's been illegal for a long time. An uncle of mine who had his own business in Upstate New York got an advertisement in the mail from a dealer about two decades ago actually and the deal was very good on the flyer that he got in the mail. So he took that flyer to the dealership and they tried to come up with excuses of why they would not honor that price even though the vehicle that was advertised was still on the lot unsold. When he told them that he was going to report them and started to leave one of the owners of the dealership instructed his employees to grab that piece of paper from him before he got out the door. They grabbed him and being an elderly man who owns a business that deals in large amounts of cash he had a permit to be carrying a gun and he pulled it. He didn't use it and they managed to get the paper from him and rip it up. They ended up suing him for pulling the gun. It was a big hassle. And it was a true example of bait and switch. Dealerships will do anything they can to make a profit if they can get away with it. And they push the limits as much as they can.
 
I’m going back to 1998 when my Maxima I eventually bought was $29,400 list and $22,700 sell. Maxima GXEs would be advertised in the NY Post for $16,995.

I didn’t use my aol email back then for this stuff so I drove to the dealer in Queens. I
Asked can I buy the Maxima for $16,995. Salesman said let me see if I still have it. Yes. If you want it I’ll have them bring it over from the warehouse.

When I asked why the price is so low, he said by law he cannot advertise something he doesn’t have to sell. The VIN is in the ad. He said the reason for the ad is to draw people in to the dealer. This car is a base GXE, manual, no roof, no ABS, fixed mast antenna. Very few people want it, at minimum, most want an auto. As soon as someone wants an auto, well that car has a smaller discount and closer to $19,500 (even though list was like $995 higher).

Technically not bait and switch. The car advertised was available at the time of the ad, but salesman told me the real deal. I would think that 26 years later a dealer still can’t advertise a phantom vehicle.
 
JTK said:
I remember that years ago from some local dealerships. They'd advertise a discounted price, but if you read the fine print, that low price included the first time buyer rebate, recent college grad rebate, Military, etc..etc.
Click to expand...
their website ads were hilarious stacking all those rebates/discounts acting like they’re some here. Scum bags.
 
In the event the wrong price is accidentally posted on something, the seller is not required to sell it for that price. That is the law as I understand it. The dealer can simply say they made a mistake.

Scott
 
I was under the impression based on things I've learned over the years that this is what a lot of dealers do. Advertise a low price vehicle that doesn't really exist basically. No it's not right but I don't have to worry about this stuff since I've never bought new & have no desire to either.
 
A lot of dealerships have big roll over of their sales personnel. So if you fix it today the administration which also can have rollovers will still be pressuring the sales personnel who are new to the business in the future to use every trick in the book that they can think of to make money. So fixing it today even if you can, is no guarantee that it would stay fixed.
 
slo town said:
In the event the wrong price is accidentally posted on something, the seller is not required to sell it for that price. That is the law as I understand it. The dealer can simply say they made a mistake.

Scott
Click to expand...
I was able to knock down the price on my last purchase due to them pricing it wrong on 3 websites. Got up to walk and they honored the price. I had all three websites up on my phone to show them. They claimed clerical error.

A farmer truck shopping has asked about a very similar issue on an Ag forum. Sounds like typical dealership behavior.
 
I'm just gonna let it go. Better things to occupy my time. Caveat Emptor!
 
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