Review about salesperson at Honda of Glendale (Southern California)

[bobrhees]

Hello - this is a cut-and-paste from a thread in the "for sale" section. The material I put in there would fit here too.

The material_______________________

I thought this funny: I went into a local California dealership, Honda of Glendale (California), this week to look at a 2007 919. One salesperson told me that they had sold many 919s. His manager, a gent named Brian, gave me an out-the-door price of a little over $8,100. Despite some discussion he remained firm on the price.

When I mentioned that I had received a similar quote from other local dealerships back in 2008, and reminded him that we were talking about a 2007 model, Brian told me that it is only recently that he has been able to offer such a low price in the $8,100 range due to "dealer incentives."

I walked out. Later, I may forward Brian an email quote I received earlier from his dealership offering a much lower OTD price. Until then, may he have the best of luck finding someone to pay over eight thousand dollars for the 919.

[carl]

I don't think this is that unusual. Glendale is a pretty small shop, and they're not going to make up for low prices in volume (like someone like berts might).

FWIW, I was once in there looking at a previous year (2?) VFR they had on the floor, and they were asking full MSRP + whatever dealers add, all while other dealers were doing great sales to move them.

The interesting thing about the 919 though, that it seems the prices on left over models are going back up for some reason. Perhaps simply because there is not that many of them sitting around taking up space anymore?

I would suggest you try OTD Cycle sports if you're still looking for one new, but it seems they don't have any left...

[bobrhees]

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the input. I didn't mind the price per se. Rather, the thing that rankled me was Brian telling me that it is only now that he could offer such a "low" price, and expressing apparent skepticism when I told him that I had gotten much lower quotes. One of them was, in fact, from his dealership via email for about $7,600.

Having been a car salesperson myself, I know this negotiation game. But credibility is key and telling me that it is only now, in February 2010, that he could offer the "low" price of $8,100 (and change) for a 2007 919 (when I have an offer from his dealership for much less) doesn't do much for his.

I'll give OTD a buzz as you suggested. Who knows? And there are still a couple of used 919s floating around that might catch my eye.

Cheers.

[clicketysplit]

This is kinda off the topic a bit, but we're trying to put together a deal on a new 06 599 that's still at a dealership near us. A while back we almost had the guy biting at $5500, now though he wants 7,000 for it. His explanation to us is that Honda Canada had put incentives on all those 06 and 07 models to clear them out earlier this year, but now because there are so few left in showrooms Honda has basically left the dealers out to dry and offered no sales incentives for those models. It doesn't SOUND like a tactic or a scam to me -- I think the guy just wants to sell the bike without losing his shirt. FWIW...

[bobrhees]

This is kinda off the topic a bit, but we're trying to put together a deal on a new 06 599 that's still at a dealership near us. A while back we almost had the guy biting at $5500, now though he wants 7,000 for it. His explanation to us is that Honda Canada had put incentives on all those 06 and 07 models to clear them out earlier this year, but now because there are so few left in showrooms Honda has basically left the dealers out to dry and offered no sales incentives for those models. It doesn't SOUND like a tactic or a scam to me -- I think the guy just wants to sell the bike without losing his shirt. FWIW...


Hi. I think there is some confusion. The salesperson didn't say that he had to offer me $8,100 because he ran out of dealer incentives. That would make sense, and be completely understandable as you point out.

Instead, the salesperson told me that the $8,100 price was the price including dealer incentives. When I mentioned that the bike had been quoted at lower prices, he told me that it was only recently that he could offer such a "low" price, which implies that he had never offered a lower one. However, I have an email sent from his dealership offering the bike for several hundreds of dollars less than that. Thus, he lost credibility with me. Hope that clears things up.

Good luck on getting that 599! Such a sweet bike.

[clicketysplit]

Ah, that does clear things up a bit. It also sounds a bit strange. For me $8100 sounds a trifle high.

BTW, I already have a 599, this would be for a second one... for the wife. :)