Nissan warranty and feet dragging at dealer
 

Hello,

I purchased my Z about a month or less ago. During the negotiation of price, trade-in, etc, I was offered a 2 year extension to the default 3 year factory warranty. This 2 year extension would only be honored by Nissan Advantage in Long Island NY; where I purchased the car.

The reason they were offering the extended in dealer warranty is because they wouldn't drop the car price to what I wanted and wouldn't raise my trade-in price to what I wanted (granted I went through a few rounds of negotiation and got pretty close).

After reviewing the paper work about 2 weeks later and entering all the data in the PC, I noticed a $2500 line item for a warranty. Well, the line item for the car was exactly what I paid so the price didn't come from that. Also, no notion of every paying for the warranty ever came up on conversation.

Granted I should have picked-up on the issue there, but I didn't. Between the trade in/apr/cost negotiations, the tax included, registration and everything else, I just missed the numbers when manually doing the math - no red flags on my end. It was all higher than I expected, and w/the focus on bringing down my payments - I just didn't catch it.

Anyways, I've been struggling all week to get in touch with the finance department, and they haven't returned my calls when they said they would.

Has anyone had a similar problem? Should I just drive over the dealer and work it out? Should I elevate to Nissan corporate? Maybe also goto another dealer for service, probably loosing that 2 year extension in the process?

Basically, I'm upset because I went in there straight, didn't BS and was a pretty easy customer. I'm upset because I feel like I had a fast one pulled over on me and now they are dodging me, which makes me furious.

If there's a reason for the charge, just tell me and if it's legit, cool, no problem. However, based on that current behavior, I'm starting to feel taken advantage of.

Edit: A little background, there was my first time buying a new car through a dealer, my last 6+ cars have all been private sale. I guess I was bound to make a mistake. heh.

after selling cars for 4 years, i can tell you this: nothing valued over $1000 is EVER free. cheaper things,yeah, but not a comprehensive warranty

How much did you pay over invoice?

If there charged you for the warranty and you didn't notice it when signing paperwork, you're likely screwed. After all, you are signing a legal contract and it's 100% up to you to take your time to verify everything is correct prior to signing. I've never done this without finding at least one mistake. Once you sign it you're in for good.

Now if the dealer in fact made a mistake and owns up to it they should be willing to write a new contract for you and void the old one. Good luck. :tiphat:

Just wanted to comment on what you stated...

"Also, no notion of every paying for the warranty ever came up on conversation."

Did you ever ask or did you just assume it wouldn't be charged to you?

Ok - but don't you think they should have said clearly, "this 2 year warranty extension is going to cost 2.5k". They packaged it as, "because we can't bring the cost down and we can't get more on the trade in, here's a warranty extension".

I paid ~1k over invoice for a base w/sport package.

True. Sure, I accept my mistake. Them owning up to it is about as likely as me launching my ***** to mars.

depends what state youre in. in texas, alot of the record F&I transactions, because full disclosure is required. ive seen many a time where a customers lawyer tried to force a dealership to change the agreement after the fact because the customer was "never told"

not that thats what the OP is doing. in fact, OP should tell the dealership that if they dont review it he may get legal counsel involved. its n

Yes, they should have. Required to? I'm not familiar with laws in NY State so I can't comment.

You paid OVER invoice? This is nothing against you (honestly, I mean that :hello:) but the dealer saw a sucker.

OK - to clarify, I mean 1k over dealer invoice (what I calculated online). They refused to bring the price down. Yeah, I am a sucker, what can I do. I suck at negotiating.

Possibly - I'm just waiting to hear back their view of things ... again, if I'm the sucker fine, but that doesn't mean they can charge me for nothing. I mean taking advantage of people just because - well, that's something that really pisses me off.

IMO...

Try to talk with the dealer first. Do not threaten legal action from the start. Most businesses will stop talking with you once you make this threat. Anything else they say can be used against them, and honestly in this case they have a signed contract. It's your word against theirs and you signed the contract.

Besides, lot's of people threaten legal action from pure emotion but fail to consider the expense, time and headache to go this route and the minimal chance of winning. Even if you win...it's just over $2,500 and the lawyer could cost that amount or more. The dealership sees this all the time.

Oh I asked loud and clear - I specifically asked about everything little thing like that. Possibly to a fault; ie: focusing too much on the small stuff and missing the really big *mistake*...

I agree - that's really not where I want to go. I just want them to be straight and get to the bottom of it w/me. I've been to court before, I know all about how much lawyers cost and the way they can really wreck any sort of relationship between parties...well, not so much the lawyers but the act of taking someone to court ...

- I have been, but again, in my OP, they've been now dodging me. I'm in talks w/my sales guy, who has no power over the situation, but generally seems concerned and wants to help me get to the bottom of it.

I know what you meant. I bought my '11 370z in March of this year and paid LESS than invoice AND they paid to ship it from another dealer 500 miles away.

I'm not calling you a sucker, I'm saying how the dealer viewed it. What can you do? Try to work it out with the dealer. Most extended service contracts can be cancelled anyway especially within 30 days, so you should be able to have this removed and not pay for it. However, you also wouldn't have it anymore.

This was your first new car purchase. Just learn from it and enjoy the nice car you have now. :tiphat:

Can start by doing a BBB complaint to start with. Dealers don't like to be in thier database. GL

Have you physically gone to the dealer? If not, get in that new car and drive over there to speak with them. They got your money and you're no longer important to them unless you're buying another car today. They have no urgency to call you back.

True that - that's how I'm looking at it (or trying to). I guess in the grand scheme of things, for me it's a cheap mistake. I mean, it's not cheap, but it's not like 40k on a house in hidden fees or some ****.

Thanks man, heh.

it sometimes depends on the brand. i know a lot of dealerships that have payplans tied to CSI (customer satisfaction index). Bad survey = fired employee sometimes. And lots of bad surveys = fired manager sometimes. Thumper is correct that you shouldnt come out saying youre going to sue them, just implie it lol

No, but I'll be up that way tomorrow (for a clear bra install), I'm going to stop in. Good call.

Not many people lookup BBB ratings anymore. Besides, the dealer can dismiss this complaint as the OP signed the contract. Best to remain calm and objective in matters like this.

Yes, I think that is why my sales guy is seeming so concerned. I've not filled out his performance card yet and I guess that impacts him very much (he's mentioned it to me a few times) ...

Possibly - I guess if I can't get it resolved and they are being ******** to me, that's a next step. But like we've been saying in this thread, I'd rather get it resolved cordially. I hate stress. ****'ll kill ya.

May I suggest open carry with a .45 ACP pistol instead? It's no threat...just implying right? ;) :hello:

I was thinking this instead. http://www.thatfilmkid.com/storage/8...=1277151412961

It's always good practice to negotiate the "out the door price" or at least have a clear idea of

1. new auto sales tax in your region,
2. typical ttl cost,
3.reasonable documentation fee.

If you negotiate the "out the door" price, they can add in stuff and do creative math all they like -- it won't change the bottom line.

I did. I *thought* I came pretty well prepared, had read AK's thread on getting the best price, did a lot of google research, etc.

But in hindsight, I should have been more aggressive and just left - I could always come back or find another dealer. I guess the issues w/my S4 I was having (w/no warranty) put in a place where it was that much easier to make a bad decision at the time. No excuse, just saying, I let outside factors affect me too much.

$1000 over invoice is more than what most people would think is a good deal. You agreed on a final price, whether they charge you $2500 for your license plate frame or the warranty. I'm not sure why you're upset.

If the price at the bottom of the sales contract is different than the price you shook hands on, then chances are you didn't negotiate an "out the door" price. And if the price is the same, then who cares how they split up the charges.

I never step foot in the dealership once serious negotiations start. Too easy to be emotional and not think clearly. Dealers are getting smarter about how they handle online sales but I still find it easier to get what I want, and I can do it from the comfort of my home with a cup of coffee.

When you do step foot in the dealership that's when you have the highest amount of negotiation power. You already negotiated a price that got you in the door, now you ask them to trim it a little more to get you to sign. They've already invested time in communicating with you and they likely did some prep on the vehicle for you too. If you walk out (who cares if you already agreed through email) they may have lost some $ with the prep, although not much. It's more about what their boss will say when they lose a customer like that.

Car dealer should never be trusted. You tell them what you will do, not the other way around. It may seem like a crappy process when you're buying but it's something you have to live with for a while.

Also, I typically 'act' like I'm buying a car once or twice a year. I get right up to the point of finishing all negotiations then I'm done. Sure, it wastes their time but it keeps me in practice. :tup:

Well that is the fault of the customers. BBB has worked fine for me in many occasions. ;)

Damn ... Sure they are some unscrupulous car dealers, but being a "dipstick" tease sounds like you've got issues.

:confused:

I live in Long Island as well boss. It's New York so you know how that is. I see that everyone has already gotten on you a bit don't take it to heart. It sucks that you really can't trust any car dealers they're all crooks. You already know you're going to have to go at it with the dealer they're not just going to give it to you. 2,500 isn't peanuts in my book not yours either I'd say. There's no question you're going to have to go to the dealer and give them hell. Good luck I hope it works out for you and it sucks to hear something like this. Capitalism at it's finest or is it just organized greed?

Well, maybe the joke is a stretch ... :tiphat:

I can't say this has ever happened to me. I never trade in a vehicle (don't do wholesale on my trade and retail on the new vehicle...just can't get taken both ways). I take the time to read every line, even after the representative gives me a summary of what I am expected to sign. I am always prepared to walk away from a deal and I always have my own financing. I make sure my research is already done before I go in, to include knowing whether the dealership is a high volume dealer or whether the dealer is one with minimum unit sells. It's also helpful to know whats in inventory in all of the local and regional dealerships.

In your case, research what rights(laws) you have in the state you are. In some states, you have jp to 72 hours, from the time you sign the contract, to return a new vehicle, minus depreciation, or other dealer cost, if you are not completely satisfied.

If there is not an option like this, work with the dealer to resolve the issue. If you cannot get it done, feel free to write your complaint to the company that actually owns the dealership as well as Nissan corporation. Document the dates, times and who you spoke with when trying to resolve your issue. It'll be helpful, as you may talk with so many people that you will not remember dates, times or people. Complete your communication in writing, e/mail is always good, as you can show what is actually being told to you and whether the dealership is responsive.

If things are not resolved, appeal to local news investigative reporters, as you may not be the only victim who fell prey to this tactic.

If none of these things work out, let the dealership know that they have lost a potiential future customer.

And if nothing else, enjoy your car, as it was a wise investment that has a very good depreciation rate and is fun to own and drive. I may be a little biased though!

All in all, thing may not be as bad as it seems.

Why not cancel the warranty and get your money back? Being that the warranty hasn't been in effect very long, you should be able to get most of the money back.

like some of the guys on here I've sold cars for years too. There isn't a magic way to get a better deal. Just be willing to walk away from anything that's not what you want to pay. If they want to or can meet your payments/price then they will. It's that's simple.

^ I was just about to say this. If it's an extended warranty, I believe you can cancel it as long as it's within the 90 days of it being purchased.

Thanks man, good points. Yeah, no worries, it is MY fault at the end of the day, I accept that.

Right - it's not. It looks like it might actually all work out ...

Right-0. So after a few calls today I finally got in touch with someone in fiance. Turns out the guy I was working with - is gone. Like, no longer at Nissan. I ended up speaking to someone who would be taking over my account you could say, I explained the situation to him and he wasn't pleased and said I have two options:

1) Cancel the warranty and I'll be pro-rated through Nissan corporate. I can't imagine the pro-rate is more than a few bucks, considering I've had the car all of 4 weeks and this was a 2 year extension after the factor 3.

2) Don't use the warranty, and at the end, get your money back. Doesn't really make sense to me though, not really sure what he meant.

3) Keep the warranty, its good at all Nissan dealerships (not just Advantage, which the original guy told me).

I have to drive in 9-5 (which sucks, I work in Manhattan during the week), but they can do the paper work to cancel the warranty. Cool -

So, I guess it turns out I was billed for that warranty, even though the original guy sold it as, "because we can't bring down the car cost, and we can't bring up your trade in value, I'll throw this in" - was an outright lie.

Still doesn't make me feel good about Advantage Nissan in Long Island.

At least you finally have some sort of closure and can rest a little easier. And I know I'll never use that dealer.

Just so you know NY state documentation fee is limited to $75. So if they charged you more then get your money back.

That is the reason they say the warranty runs concurrently with the factory warranty... because if you pay $2500 for it and then after 2 years, you want to sell the car and get the warranty cancelled/refunded, they are going to tell you that you used 2 years of the warranty, and will only be getting 3/5ths of the money back.

You said it has only been 4 weeks, so you should be getting your $2,500 back minus one month of coverage, which would be about $42, so you should be getting $2,458 or around there.


Lesson learned - ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS read every contract put in front of you. I read all 5+ pages of my finance contract. The guy asking you to sign benefits when you don't read it, and when you sign your name, you take on a legal obligation. "I didn't read it" isn't something that will hold up in court, and trusting the salesman to be your advisor and look out for your best interests is like trusting a fox to guard the hen house.

It's great they are going to (mostly) sort this out for you - but lesson learned, k? Imagine you found out that you actually signed a lease and have to pay $20k at the end to keep the car - this kind of stuff happens!

Understanding contracts is a vital skill to have in life. Be thankful you didn't get burned bad in learning this lesson :)

Thank you for that and yes I was charged $75.

Learned, 110%. You're correct, glad it was NOT a 20k mistake. I'm going to drop them a visit in the following week (software launch at work this week) and sort out the warranty issue, hopefully getting ~2400 back (that I could put into more mods!) heh.

I'll report back and be able to end this thread. Good looks to everyone for both the criticism and support.