I had a similar situation many years ago buying a car for my Mom. I'm a tough negotiator and I got what I figured, based on my knowledge of what the car was worth, a good price. Well, I brought my Mom into the dealer when the car was ready and the owner pulled me aside and told me they had made a mistake on the price but that he would honor the deal. Basically, cause since I had a signed deal he didn't have much choice. I knew I had done well but it wasn't like he was losing money on the car. More like he just wasn't making as much as he figured he should. She bought the car anyway at the agreed price and I never bought another car from them again. I also to this day have never forgotten how he made me feel. A deal is a deal, and of course, he never showed me any paperwork showing his supposed mistake. Needless to say, he lost a customer for life and I told many people over the years about this and I'm sure it cost him business in the long run. Some people just never learn to overcome their own greed.
Dealer backing out of deal
- Thread starter smokewagon
- Start date
bumperm
Veteran Member
I'm not sure why you would hold that against him? Sounds like he was just letting you know they screwed up, but not saying he wouldn't honor the agreed upon price.
My company got the contract for an alarm system at a public school (we had all the schools in the area). When I reviewed the contract before we did the work, I discovered that sales had made a mistake and were overcharging by $1K. I told staff to call them back and say we couldn't honor the contract . . . pause . . . and then tell them we had overcharged and would resubmit the contract at the lower price. Integrity is important.
It all depends on whether their mistake was honest, but either way, especially if it's close, they should take the hit and honor the price.
kenlip
Silver Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2017
- Messages
- 222
- Location
- NSW Australia
- Tractor
- Kubota MX5100 with Challenge FEL and 4:1
If it is a genuine mistake, the dealer can try to rectify it to some extent by offering you some additional items at no cost to you.
For example, let's assume the difference is $500. If he adds on a free canopy for your ROPS, that retails for $500, but costs him, say $250. You get the $500 item and he only loses $250.
kenlip
Silver Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2017
- Messages
- 222
- Location
- NSW Australia
- Tractor
- Kubota MX5100 with Challenge FEL and 4:1
You don't have a binding contract to buy the tractor at whatever price he chooses after you have agreed on a price. Your contract was for you to buy the tractor for $X. He has a binding contract to sell it to you for $X and you have a binding contract to buy it from him for $X.
The 'binding' aspect of a contract applies to both parties.
OP
smokewagon
New member
'Cause I forgot!Why haven’t we heard anymore from the OP? We would like to know the outcome!
The amount in question was around $2.5k on a $32k-ish tractor with third function install, delivery, etc. Not a lot in the grand scheme but a lot to me at the moment. I have no doubt it was an honest mistake and that the salesman got the model number wrong on a rebate deal.
If they'd honored the price they'd agreed to I think they would've come out at about what they had in it. But they said they needed to make money on it and couldn't go lower than a fixed % over their cost regardless of our handshake. They were very apologetic and came down some but not much less than I could've gotten it from the next closest dealer.
While I was mulling this over I found a similar machine with 30 hours on it for about $6k less. So I bought it. Got my deposit back from the first dealer and walked away.
Not the way I would've conducted business but very little in the world seems to happen the way I think it ought to anymore and I don't have the time or the energy to fuss about it. I think I'd stay pissed off most of the time if I tried.
My (almost) new tractor got here last week and I've been busy trying to figure out how to use it and chisel a little money off some used implements.
Alan46
Elite Member
“Not the way I would've conducted business but very little in the world seems to happen the way I think it ought to anymore and I don't have the time or the energy to fuss about it. I think I'd stay pissed off most of the time if I tried.
My (almost) new tractor got here last week and I've been busy trying to figure out how to use it and chisel a little money off some used implements.”
Congrats on the new ( to you ) tractor
Enjoy the new toy bro!
CobyRupert
Super Member
They could of got some profit, but they can’t go lower than a fixed % over cost? Ok, then you get nothing!
billypumper
Bronze Member
walk away
Alan46
Elite Member
He did walk away! See post 45!
Topic is basically over and it sounds like OP walked and found a much better option.
But in terms of the deal, if there was a machine 332 and they use 322 machine numbers... ok I guess I can understand.
Or if the deal was too good to be true where we are looking at a 30k machine and they offer it for 15k where the numbers just are epic wrong and you know your basically stealing it... Then ok I get it.
But a lot of sales pitches are simply bait and switch, get you hooked and then oh wow dang oh um. NO not cool.
In terms of the dealers reasons, I feel they should have honeered it a bit better. % claim on profit is still profit, just maybe not what you wanted.
But in terms of the deal, if there was a machine 332 and they use 322 machine numbers... ok I guess I can understand.
Or if the deal was too good to be true where we are looking at a 30k machine and they offer it for 15k where the numbers just are epic wrong and you know your basically stealing it... Then ok I get it.
But a lot of sales pitches are simply bait and switch, get you hooked and then oh wow dang oh um. NO not cool.
In terms of the dealers reasons, I feel they should have honeered it a bit better. % claim on profit is still profit, just maybe not what you wanted.