Over the last two days I have received offers on the purchase of a new MINI which are worthless to me.

The first is $500 off, but it expires before I can take delivery on an ordered car. The program
has been running since 7/8 and I just received the email.

The second, and ultimately discouraging one, is over the Dealer's general sales manager's signature. It says they want to thank me for being their customer by upgrading me to a 2013 MINI. I note that the configurator has 2014 models on it. The email says I am one of a few select customers who can purchase a new MINI with nothing down and a similar monthly payment. I am told the program is only available for a limited time so I should call for an appointment now. I'm 50 miles from the dealer.

I list the equity in my car, the unusable $500 offer, the $1,000 You-ifiication offer, their offer for my car via the website, and the 1.9% 72-month loan offer while including a 2014 Roadster S configuration. I tell them I don't want any of the 2013 cars in their inventory and ask if the program offers anything besides notification that after three years of paying on my loan I have equity in the car.

By the GSM's responses it is apparent he isn't aware of the "program." By his third response (without me replying to either of the first two) he tells me that under the program the dealership will use all of its assets to use equity, interest promotions, and MINI credits to "put me in a Roadster S" without mentioning the configured 2014 I included in my email.

They want to talk me into buying a 2013 off the lot at full MSRP with a miserable tradein offer via Autotrader and thank them for passing MINI's discounts on to me. What a wonderful way for them to thank me for being their customer, don't you think?

 

actually sounds more like you're making assumptions about what they're doing without justification or even picking up the phone to ask. unless there's more you haven't included.

if you order a car when there is a promotion going on, you get the deal as long as you qualify. it's not based on delivery date, but on order date.

i also think you are using the term equity incorrectly. the equity would be the difference between the owed amount and the amount the dealer is willing to give you for the car. hopefully this equates to positive equity (ie: owe 10k, offered a 12k trade in, you have 2k in equity).

you should know better than to think that a dealer would talk numbers with you over email. they want you there. drive to the dealer, bring your paperwork, and work out a deal. if you don't like what they're offering, keep your car. i'm not really sure what exactly you were expecting them to do other than negotiate a deal with you. you aren't a special owner that they absolutely must keep, sorry to burst your bubble. you got a promotional email that was probably sent to hundreds of other people as well (basically probably all 2009/2010 owners that the dealer has on record).

 

And your point is what?

Nearly every car dealer in the country offers incentives in late summer to sell the remaining 2013 cars in their inventory. As psichick correctly notes, you didn't say you talked to the dealer about whether their $500 offer applies to an ordered car. The $500 offer from my dealer was applied to a 2014 JCW Roadster I ordered...and they gave me $1,000 more than Autotrader/KBB/Edmunds "excellent condition" price for my 2010 Convertible S trade. All available offers don't always "stack" on each other, and you need to read the fine print and/or negotiate.

And yes, the dealer (like most others) wants you to come into the dealership to buy a car. If you don't have a trade, you can use various online auto sales sites to get an offer emailed from a dealer, but no one is going to respond to your offer with incentives/equity, etc. without seeing you and you trade-in in person.

If you don't want to drive 50 miles to get an actual price, meet face to face with your future dealer, have them evaluate your trade-in, etc. you should just keep and enjoy the MINI you have.

 

I was just informed the program is intended to replace existing cars with identical 2013 models, and they can't help me because they don't have any information on 2014MY programs. Imagine driving 50 miles to be informed of that. If you still don't get the point I can't help you.

I have negotiated three of my last four auto purchases via email including my current MINI ordered through this dealer. I vowed in 1992 I would never again sit in a sales person's office while he ran back and forth to the sales manager's office telling him I said "no."

The $500 offer does apply to ordered cars. It specifically said it does not apply to cars ordered before 7/8. Delivery must be made by 9/30.

 

Heck, I drive 50 miles in my MINI with the top down on a nice evening for an ice cream cone, and drive 60 miles RT to the dealer for a free car wash...I get to see some new models and chat with other owners.

I guess we just have different ways to buy a car. I asked for and got my $500 off (and changed models, whether or not the coupon mattered), knew the current financing rate MINI offered, and I knew what I wanted for my trade based on it's condition, irrespective of what KBB/Autotrader said. I had a firm price in mind, and the dealer could either meet it or not sell a new car. Entire process took about an hour with only 1 back-and-forth with the manager. I've negotiated a purchase of a new car on the internet as well, but never had an internet offer for my trade that was anything more than a low ball on a KBB /Edmunds site.

My point was that I knew what I wanted, dealt with the dealership in person, and we came to a fair deal for both of us. I'm awaiting delivery of a new 2014 JCW Roadster, while you're complaining about the dealer not answering your emails or understanding your coupons.

 

I have just confirmed that the person whose name appeared above the title of general sales manager on the original email is actually a sales associate.

 

When a GSM offers me something I am interested. When a sales person pretends to be a GSM and actually offers me nothing whatsoever I'm pissed. I don't think I'm an inferior person for it, but judge away if you must. And there really isn't any reason to make it personal.

 

1) The MINI was designed, manufactured and imported from Europe, not Detroit, Mexico or Canada.

2) The MINI is not falsely marked up to mark it down like "every car dealer in the country" so one thinks they are getting a great deal.

3) The purchase of an automobile is the second largest purchase the average person will make next to purchasing a home. Do it in person, not via email....My 2 pence.

 

I agree that having a motoring assistant pretending to be a sales manager is wrong, and I'd be in the sales manager's office with the letter expecting him/her to honor the offer as well.

My apologies if my comments appeared personal...just wanted to suggest everyone needs to do their homework, fully understand the offers, and not expect to negotiate a complex transaction with multiple "offers", a trade-in, questions about the equity in a vehicle, etc. by e-mail. I hope you can find a new vehicle (if that's still your goal) with the payments you want to have!

 

That would be dependent on dealer then, I guess. My promotions were based on the month my MINI came in, not the order date.

Incidentally, the month of delivery had a better promotion going than when I had ordered!

 

+ about 100 on that.

Those dealers sure have a funny way of making you feel special..."...one of a select few..." I think they meant, 'one of a select few MILLION!'

I've heard the end of the month is a good time to go car shopping as they want to make a last ditch effort to make targets. Something I am quite sure about, they may give you what sounds like a great deal with trade in values and discounts etc, but they'll get all that money back through interest charges or add on programs such as extended service/warranty, etc. I LOATHE the finance guy at dealerships and everything he stands for. On a sidenote, I believe the only item worth buying (but not at the time of financing), is extended warranty. I understand you can always buy that down the road...which they don't want you to know at the time, as it's today's sale that puts food on their table tomorrow.

On my JCW I got the delivery fee waived and squeezed an extra $500 on my trade...but I note they are sticking it to me for the dealer add on accessories. Like I said, they will try to get it back.

Good luck.

Mike

 

hsautocrosser- I "think" I understand where you are coming from and much of it is "the principle of the matter". Negotiating it all ahead of time via phonee or net might work some places and on some items. It may even work on a MINI. But the fact of the matter is that the fewer dealers there are the less of doing it the consumers way will happen. They sort of have us all there. However, one of the most powerful things you have on your side in the negotiations is indeed to be there face to face. It gives you the opportunity to show them that you are serious and that you are ready, willing and able to buy. After all, A deal does not happen without all three. And be willing to walk away.

I think you would find them to get quite reasonable on a 2014 of your spec once that all happens.

If the MA and GSM schinanigans bother you, go to the other dealer in your area. I am assuming you have another dealer option in a reasonable distance. Where I am, I have three options within about 1 1/2 hours of me. Nothing closer so they all three are options. So you can definately win here. One dealer put you in the market, so to speak, but pulled some crap. You buy from dealer number 2 and rest easy knowing dealer number 1 got the proverbial slap in the face they deserved.

 

Speaking of dealer offers, is it true that if they put up a sale price for a car (not including incentives) on the Internet that the price on the car isn't negotiable anymore because the Internet sale price ad is already kind of a contract? Hope that question made sense.

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

In my experience, any advertised price is negotiable, whether they respond to an email, post an "internet only price", etc. The posting of an internet price is no more a contract than an ad in the newspaper, until you agree to a price (in writing), the offer is signed by an legally binding officer of the dealership (usually a the sales manager), and you provide a down payment (legally known as consideration).

There is usually little room for further dealer price concessions in many internet price quotes, (because they are providing something near their "best offer", since you can take the email to another dealer who can beat it). But you can negotiate for items such as your trade in value, elimination of dealer "doc fees", free car mats, a discount on accessories, etc.

On my wife's car (non-MINI), I had an internet only price quote from a nearby dealer that seemed pretty fair based on my research (KBB, Edmunds, Auto Trader, etc.). When I was at my credit union to look at their financing rate, they offered to get me a price from their purchasing cooperative for the exact same car, from the same dealer. Their price was $344 lower than the internet price I was offered, and the dealer honored it.

 

I sent an email to my MA friday night. This morning I had an offer for the 2014 Roadster S which will require nothing more than my tradein and a monthly payment a bit less than my current one. I've agreed to schedule a meeting to finalize details.

Yes, that just happens to be the exact deal they offered as a thank you for previous business if I would just take a 2013 base Cooper hardtop R56 off the lot. Imagine getting a 2013 Cooper HT for the price of a custom order 2014 Roadster S just a few months before the F56's are revealed.

 

Great that you got the car, the deal, and the payments you wanted! I know you will enjoy the new Roadster S.

 

Thanks.

 

You mean to tell me that, by trading in your current MINI, you were able to get LOWER payments on 2014 MINI Roadster S than if you had traded it in towards a 2013 base MINI Cooper HT? That math doesn't seem to add up. I must have misunderstood something...

 

I get lower payments on the 2014 MINI Roadster S than I am paying now on my 2010 base MINI Cooper HT.

Their unsolicited offer disguised as thanks was to "use all of the dealer resources" to get me a 2013 base MINI Cooper HT for payments similar to my current one.

 

I guess you have some good equity in your current one, and perhaps a higher interest rate on the current loan? It sounds like a steal of a deal you have there. The roadster is new, right?

 

There are a number of reasons you can trade in a car and get a new car with lower monthly payments:

- Your old car loan has a higher interest rate than your new loan.
- You have enough equity in your old car to reduce the amount borrowed (loan principle) or you make a larger down payment.
- The new car is less expensive (fewer options, different model) than your old car.
- Your new loan has a longer term (old = 36-48 months, new = 60-72 months).

As long as you are not "upside down" on your old car loan (owe more than it's worth), the equity in the trade along with the current very low interest rates can often reduce your monthly car payments.

 

I got 65% of what I originally paid for the 2010 from the dealer yesterday and signed an order for the 2014 Roadster S.

This is going to be the longest two months of my life. Again.

 

Congrats on the new purchase! You got a good deal with a better residual value for your trade than mine... I got 62% of my original purchase price for my 2010 S Convertible. Hope your waiting goes quickly!

 

You are very smart! At least 2 or 3 points must be true to get a lower monthly payment in this case. The one you hate to see is no. 4. And that is why
dealer likes to talk about monthly payment not sale price.

 

Kenny, mine was also 62% of the original MSRP, but I got a nice discount three years ago.

Shi,
At least I am smarter than the first sales associate who said he couldn't help me with a 2014! I asked my regular MA to run a three year lease and it fit my budget and economic situation perfectly. My income goes up dramatically in 3 years and I'm going to be wanting to move up scale (God and old age willing). In the meantime I can put the top down and go faster at autocrosses.

Today we are looking at the Jetta hybrid to replace the Prius. The Jetta is faster than the base MINI and still gets 42/48mpg for $28k less $4k or 0% 60 months.