[soontobe]

What was the process that you went through to do a special order?

I'm considering doing a special order since it's really hard to find a red Pacifica with a light interior and 8 seats. However, I've run into a few road blocks.

Incentives are not known since it's based on when the car is delivered. One dealer told me that I could change my mind even after I ordered. So I'm kind of ok with this.

I've been trying to at least negotiate the selling price over email by contacting dealers via their websites. I don't have time to go through the "let me talk to my manager" schtick while they make me wait at the dealer. (Two kids and both my wife and I work full time.)

I've done the build and price and Chrysler.com and saved a PDF of the build details and send that to the dealer.
However, I had a few dealers stop responding to my emails and calls after I ask for the price.
Another dealer that has been very good about getting back to me insists that they cannot tell me the price because they need me to be there to do the order.

My previous car purchase was a Ford and I had no problem negotiating over email and phone. It was not a special order though.

Any tips on making this more successful?

 

[Nails1]

When I ordered my van, the dealer told me it was Chrysler's policy to honor the incentives in place at the time the order is placed or the incentives offered at time of delivery, whichever is more advantageous for the customer. I was provided with a single page print out of the incentives during the order process to document what they were at that time. When the van was delivered a month later and sales paperwork was being completed, we compared and agreed upon the incentives to be used. This was painless for me since the incentives were the same month to month.

 

[x95stacey]

I've previously ordered my grand Cherokee and Durango (both leases) and never had an issue. The dealer let me take the better of incentives and both times they were nearly identical.

I wouldn't imagine the incentives changing a whole lot over the course of the next few months so you should be ok.


I had the same problem with dealers not wanting to quote prices over the phone. Just Keep trying and you'll eventually find one but you will have less bargaining power.

 

[soontobe]

When you went in to order and negotiate, what was the process?

 

[x95stacey]

My first order(Durango) I must have called 20 local dealers for a quote. I think i only got 3 quotes over the phone. The one who was lowest I went with. I also went directly to him for the second (Grand Cherokee). After stopping into a few other dealers i quickly realized he was the best deal once again.

For both I just told him what I wanted and he created the order. Within a week I had my VON and I was tracking the order. Once the vehicles arrived at the dealer he reworked the numbers under the current month incentives and gave me the better of the 2. I think on both, the current month was better only by a few bucks but for the most part the same. These were both leases so we were talking monthly payments not sale price.

 

[soontobe]

For both I just told him what I wanted and he created the order. Within a week I had my VON and I was tracking the order. Once the vehicles arrived at the dealer he reworked the numbers under the current month incentives and gave me the better of the 2. I think on both, the current month was better only by a few bucks but for the most part the same. These were both leases so we were talking monthly payments not sale price.

So you were able to get the price over the phone before going in? I figured that should be possible.

 

[AAMC]

This is what you do. Figure out the vehicle configuration in the exact way you want it. Check out Edmunds, TrueCar, or any place that you are able to figure out the invoice price of the vehicle as configured. Figure out the holdback on the vehicle (for Chrysler, this is 3% of the MSRP) or (MRSP - destination) x .03. Next invoice - 1/2 of holdback = reasonable offer on the car without incentives. You can decide to present that to them or eat more into the hold back, and offer them less. Some dealers have "trunk" money or performance incentives in place that will allow them to eat into their holdback even more. You never really know, so I always start reasonably low, and go from there. I never really ask dealers for an offer, because they can offer you whatever they want. Their initial offers are crap anyway.

Once that's done, contact the dealers with an email offer stating that you are ordering. Your offer should include the vehicle as optioned with the MSRP, your offer prior to any rebates/incentives applied, and a request for their documentation fees, title, registration, tire fees etc. See what those emails do, and negotiate from there. Some dealers aren't interested in doing things this way, and I think it is stupid, but I always reply that I am placing down a deposit today to order, and won't come into the dealership until I've negotiated my price. If they don't want to play then I'm done with them.


Once you step into the dealer, order the vehicle. They need to create an invoice or document that says something to the effect: $xxx dollars refundable deposit for vehicle XXX as configured, (they should be able to provide some sort of documentation of the build with options) sell price $XXX minus any applicable rebates/incentives at the time of delivery. That's it.


Delivery is a different part of the whole deal, but depending on your needs, you can decide what upsells you want to purchase through the finance manager.


I've bought many vehicles, and recently 3 in the past 3 months. Doesn't matter, Chrysler (done in 3 emails, easiest deal done ever), Mercedes-Benz (3 calls to 3 dealerships, and 3 emails to seal deal), or Mazda (5 emails/texts), the process is still the same. Coming into the dealership to negotiate is just a tactic to break you down...