Vicki_in_Florida Posted October 5, 2004 Author Posted October 5, 2004 I found out the real deal: The Lexus dealer in Ft. Myers showed me on their computer that there are only 4 cars made in the color and package I want. All 4 were in other states and Florida never had one of them. Basically, I was played with! The Orlando dealership probably figured they'd tell me when I was almost there that the car was sold and then try to talk me into buying something they did have in their inventory. Also, now the Tampa guy calls me and tells me that they had this exact car in Saturday, but they sold it because I never left a deposit with them. Told me to leave a deposit with them and he will hold the next one coming in for me. I know this car was not in our state now. Wow! I guess this is how they make sales? Say anything to get you to give them a deposit on something. Well, this has been a learning experience and it shows me to stick with my gut next time. The Ft.Myers guy was the nicest and most honest right off the bat. He gave me the best price, right off the bat too. I felt bad not buying from him. I gave them the deposit and I'm gonna wait and let him get me the car now. It's definently been an adventure!
SW03ES Posted October 5, 2004 Posted October 5, 2004 Vicki- Laughing at a fellow member and saying anyone who knows anything disagrees with him is rude, but he removed the comments so the problem is gone ;) Yeah thats really what you have to do, if that salesman gave you the best price AND seems the most sincere then he definately deserves your business. Good luck!
jragosta Posted October 5, 2004 Posted October 5, 2004 "Once you reach a verbal contract you DO have a deal"a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on. Verbal contracts are not enforceable! :D ← Wrong. Verbal contracts ARE enforceable. it's not easy and you get into a lot of 'he said, she said', but there are plenty of cases where the courts have enforced verbal contracts. In fact, we're fighting one at work right now.
tundra-lover Posted October 7, 2004 Posted October 7, 2004 I'm kind of reading this at the end here, but I kind of relate buying a car to the way people practice religion. What I mean is, you don't judge the religion by the people who practice it. In other words, you also wouldn't judge a car on who sells it, or who maintains it. I learned a long time ago that you should buy want you want, even if it may not be in the best circumstances. If you really like it, and it meets all of your criteria- then go for it. However, I for one will not purchase any vehicles from a specific local dealer because of similar dirty practice (same story as you mentioned on the first post of this thread). I agree with some of the other guys- don't let them shy you from a reputable car. Word of mouth goes a long way with bad customer service. Good luck.
Ricky Posted October 7, 2004 Posted October 7, 2004 I found out the real deal:The Lexus dealer in Ft. Myers showed me on their computer that there are only 4 cars made in the color and package I want. All 4 were in other states and Florida never had one of them. Basically, I was played with! The Orlando dealership probably figured they'd tell me when I was almost there that the car was sold and then try to talk me into buying something they did have in their inventory. Also, now the Tampa guy calls me and tells me that they had this exact car in Saturday, but they sold it because I never left a deposit with them. Told me to leave a deposit with them and he will hold the next one coming in for me. I know this car was not in our state now. Wow! I guess this is how they make sales? Say anything to get you to give them a deposit on something. Well, this has been a learning experience and it shows me to stick with my gut next time. The Ft.Myers guy was the nicest and most honest right off the bat. He gave me the best price, right off the bat too. I felt bad not buying from him. I gave them the deposit and I'm gonna wait and let him get me the car now. It's definently been an adventure! ← Vicki.......I live in Orlando and purchased a ES330 from Lexus of Orlando. It was a most pleasant experience. They were honest and very professional. I would recommend them to anyone. Sorry you had a bad deal with them. Goes to show you, what works for one may not work for another!
Vicki_in_Florida Posted October 7, 2004 Author Posted October 7, 2004 I would guess the reason for that would be: 1. they actually had the car you wanted in their inventory 2. you purchased something from them The fact that they lied and said they had this car in their inventory and were holding it for me until I got there, is a sure sign of a dishonesty and shows no sign of being professional! Lexus headquarters agreed! They are supposed to be contacting the GM and letting him know that this is not the way they want customers treated! Every dealer I called was very nice when I was just "inquiring", but when the Ft. Myers guy showed me on the computer that there were only 4 vehicles with the color/package I wanted and they were all in other states, knowing that Florida didn't have one of these cars, really showed me the deceit! This guy lied and said he had the car and was holding it for me....waits until I am 90 minutes into the trip, calls my cell phone to tell me they "sold it"..when really they never had it.....it's totally deceitful! Two words I would never choose to use when describing Lexus of Orlando: 1. Honest 2. Professional
amf1932 Posted October 7, 2004 Posted October 7, 2004 I would let it go already and chalk it up to your experience. This is not the first time nor the last that these things will happen. At this point I feel like it's beating a dead horse. <_<
Ricky Posted October 7, 2004 Posted October 7, 2004 I would let it go already and chalk it up to your experience. This is not the first time nor the last that these things will happen. At this point I feel like it's beating a dead horse. <_< ← I would agree with you there. I've known many a times someone had a great experience with something and I had a bad one and vise versa. Lexus of Orlando did OK by me. I guess I had one of the "honest" sales people.
Vicki_in_Florida Posted October 7, 2004 Author Posted October 7, 2004 I let it go...and put a deposit down with the Ft.Myers dealership. The message that I keep trying to send is for the people who are shopping to realize that the dealer wants you to buy what he has sitting on his lot. As soon as you get into ordering or trying to have them get you a specific car from another dealer, that seems to be where the problems start. If I was willing to take any color, this wouldn't have happened to me. Calling all around trying to find which dealer has what colors....that's where you run into honesty or dishonesty. Best bet is to find dealer you like and stick with him. Just give him the deposit and wait until he gets the car you want. That's the only point I'm trying to get into anyone who might be shopping for a specific car, like I was.
SW03ES Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Well of course, the dealer always wants to sell something on the lot. They make an inverse comission making MORE on cars that have been on the lot a certain number of days.
frill58 Posted October 9, 2004 Posted October 9, 2004 You should have stuck with Sarasota Lexus. They have been great to deal with service- wise. They offered me a great deal on a new GS300 but I found a mint private party 430 still under bumper to bumper the next day.(Thank god I didn't buy the new 300). I know a great service rep there if you wanna know her name. ← Hi, new to this site... am also looking for GS300 either 04 or 05 in the Sarasota area... what is a "super" price for a GS 300? how much below sticker? thanks.
chuckb Posted October 9, 2004 Posted October 9, 2004 I had them (Sara Lex)down to $36000 for an 04 gs3. this place in tampa has tons of used GS at good prices.hillsbourogh auto
Vicki_in_Florida Posted November 13, 2004 Author Posted November 13, 2004 Just giving an update: I did finally get my car! I've had it for a week now. We got the 2005 ES330 Black Garnet, with the cashmere interior. Added the spoiler and chrome wheels as well. It's very nice. I must admit that the Mark Levinson doesn't seem to sound as nice as the Nakamichi did on our old LS 400. The sales guy said they switched to the Mark Levinson because the Nakamichi doesn't have a stereo system that intergrates with the Navi. Bummer! Also, we have a 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring van. The navi in the Honda is much easier to use than the Lexus one is. The car does have a nice smooth ride and so far, we are all happy with it.
ArmyofOne Posted November 13, 2004 Posted November 13, 2004 Just giving an update:I did finally get my car! I've had it for a week now. We got the 2005 ES330 Black Garnet, with the cashmere interior. Added the spoiler and chrome wheels as well. It's very nice. I must admit that the Mark Levinson doesn't seem to sound as nice as the Nakamichi did on our old LS 400. The sales guy said they switched to the Mark Levinson because the Nakamichi doesn't have a stereo system that intergrates with the Navi. Bummer! Also, we have a 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring van. The navi in the Honda is much easier to use than the Lexus one is. The car does have a nice smooth ride and so far, we are all happy with it. ← glad to hear it, and thanks for updating us!!
SW03ES Posted November 13, 2004 Posted November 13, 2004 Great taste in colors! Trust me, get a good detailer and let only him touch the car. Don't let the dealer wash it, only him. This black garnet scratches so easy its difficult for *me* to keep it looking good (and I've been detailing cars for 13 years) and it really looks shoddy if it gets swirled up. ONE improper wash and you can find scratches. Its a beautiful color though, worth it when its nice and clean, very rich. I get a lot of compliments on it, but its a lot of work. It needs to be washed weekly, waxed at least every 3 months and polished out twice a year. The paint is really soft. I think the deal with the ML stereo is that they need to "wear in" I know thats the case of ML home audio components. Mine sounds great, but the Nakamichi was a great system too. The ML system in my dad's LS430 is way better than the ML in the ES, that might make a difference too. How do you feel about the ride and drive coming down from the LS?
Vicki_in_Florida Posted November 13, 2004 Author Posted November 13, 2004 We had a 1999 LS400 that we bought new. It was baroque red/ivory interior. It had the best ride. I loved those seats, they were soooo comfy! The stereo system ruled! The ES330 is nice but the LS400 was much better. Of course, the payment was MUCH bigger as well! Didn't want to spend that much this time because I now I have two teenagers driving and need to be a 4 car family now. Adding them to the car insurance is another car payment in itself! You have to sit down when they tell you the prices. For now, the ES330 is very nice and fits our needs. Maybe when the kids are gone in a few years, we can go looking at a bigger luxury car then. My dream car is a BMW 645i........that would be nice :) Also, thanks for the tips on taking care of the Black Garnet. My husband always takes the car somewhere to have it detailed. He doesn't do that himself now (gettin lazy in his old age). The place he goes to does it all by hand and they do a great job, but they are expensive. I can't complain, he doesn't complain when I buy expensive clothes, etc... so I guess this is his little splurge. Seems fair enough.
steviej Posted November 13, 2004 Posted November 13, 2004 My husband always takes the car somewhere to have it detailed.He doesn't do that himself now (gettin lazy in his old age). ← Vicki, I have to stick up for your hubby. I do the same thing. It is not lazy.............. ...........................its conservation of our biological resources. :whistles: steviej
SW03ES Posted November 13, 2004 Posted November 13, 2004 I wonder if the difference in ride you're experiencing is the 17 inch wheels on the 05. My dad has driven LS' since 98 and I extensively looked at pre-owned 2000 LS400s before I got my ES300 in 03. I found the two cars rode very similarly, the LS is a little smoother in every respect but not enough to notice really unless you consistently switch back and forth from one to the other. When I drove an 05 I thought the new 17 inch wheels had hardened the ride somewhat too. You also might want to check the air pressure in the tires. Dealerships always over inflate the tires and that hardens the ride, I don't know what the specs are on the 17s but on my 03 with 16s the spec is 29psi.
Vicki_in_Florida Posted November 14, 2004 Author Posted November 14, 2004 Steve, I'm surprised that you didn't go with chrome wheels? The pics above don't look like they are chrome. They are a bit pricy though. Getting ready to give it the first wax job. I bought mostly meguiars and a few Eagle one products. It's going to look sweeter than it already does :)
SW03ES Posted November 14, 2004 Posted November 14, 2004 Chrome wheels are really hard to get up here, don't know why. They're commonly found in FL, CA, and Texas but for some reason not here. So I would have had to buy them aftermarket and I'd be afraid of the quality there. I'm constantly kicking the idea around about buying some OEM Lexus chrome wheels of ebay, they go for $800 or so a set... Check out the detailing forum for some how to on how to keep that thing lookin good ;)
ArmyofOne Posted November 15, 2004 Posted November 15, 2004 Chrome wheels are really hard to get up here, don't know why. They're commonly found in FL, CA, and Texas but for some reason not here. So I would have had to buy them aftermarket and I'd be afraid of the quality there. I'm constantly kicking the idea around about buying some OEM Lexus chrome wheels of ebay, they go for $800 or so a set...Check out the detailing forum for some how to on how to keep that thing lookin good ;) ← Do it! You know you want too!
SW03ES Posted November 15, 2004 Posted November 15, 2004 I don't know actually, at first I didn't like the ES' wheels but they've grown on me. I guess I'd have to see some OEM chrome wheels in person to make up my mind.
amf1932 Posted November 15, 2004 Posted November 15, 2004 SW03ES- I don't think you'd be happy purchasing used OEM chrome wheels from ebay. You're a very particular guy, and if the wheels were scratched, it would drive you crazy. :cries: Remember, "new is new". :)
SW03ES Posted November 15, 2004 Posted November 15, 2004 Several outfits on ebay actually sell new ones, takeoffs from cars that have aftermarket wheels installed etc. I agree though, I'd never buy used wheels.
93lexuses Posted November 15, 2004 Posted November 15, 2004 Just giving an update:I did finally get my car! I've had it for a week now. We got the 2005 ES330 Black Garnet, with the cashmere interior. Added the spoiler and chrome wheels as well. It's very nice. I must admit that the Mark Levinson doesn't seem to sound as nice as the Nakamichi did on our old LS 400. The sales guy said they switched to the Mark Levinson because the Nakamichi doesn't have a stereo system that intergrates with the Navi. Bummer! Also, we have a 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring van. The navi in the Honda is much easier to use than the Lexus one is. The car does have a nice smooth ride and so far, we are all happy with it. ← Vicki, I am very glad that everything finally worked out for you! :) I agree with Steve great taste in colors! ;) I just love that color.
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