Found the only truck in 50 miles that had a factory 5th wheel prep, and it was the truck I wanted. Of course the dealer used this to their advantage.

List of shady tactics:
1. Called an agreed on a price, as well as value of my trade. Of course when I actually showed up in person, they tried to give me 4k less. I should have walked, but I compromised and lost $1500.
2. They claim they installed a factory law enforcement module already, and it is $199 extra. No choice but to take it.
3. They have a lifetime powertrain warranty. I tell them it's garbage, they disagree, but ultimately start to give me hints that it is in fact, garbage. No charge, but no benefit.
4. They have free oil changes for life. What's the catch? No catch. What's the catch. No catch. WHAT'S THE CATCH. no catch. Start doing the paperwork, find out I have to attend a class to get the free oil changes. WTF. I'm sure this is too good to be true.
5. $150 doc fee - pretty standard ripoff. Whatever.
6. Overcharge for registration, claim I'll get it back. Confidence level is low.
7. I'm 90% sure they let air out of the tires before I arrived, and then filled the up when they did their prep. The ride was noticeably worse.

I really should have walked, but they knew I was short on options, and this was STILL the best deal overall for me. Just furious they get away with this crap.

Bonus scam:
When I bought another truck a while back, they tried the interest rate scam. They try to jack up the rate and get a kickback from the bank. I yelled at them and was ready to walk. Miraculously the rate went down.

 

 

 

I had similar problem with the dealership I bought mine from. I spec'd out my truck on line, the dealership contacted me and said they had exactly what I was looking for minus one small feature, the rear inflatable airbag seatbelts. Other than that it was perfect so I make an appointment and show up. When I get there the truck is completely wrong, the sales person "misunderstood." They scramble and find a vehicle which is a close 2nd and I feel like I getting a decent deal so I buy it with the agreement that they install the factory 5th wheel prep pack. I take the truck home and a few days later they pick it up to do the install however when I get the truck back the installed the completely wrong part. After arguing with them about it they eventually agree to install the factory puck system as had been agreed upon. They did the install but now I have all these extra holes in the bed from the original Reese 5th wheel rails they installed. Then to top it all off I get my tag in the mail the other day and they only registered it for 3 years despite paying for 5 years. When I called them on it they said they didn't charge enough to pay for the 5 year tag so they just went for 3 years instead of contacting me first. Total bait and switch 3 times! And this is supposed to be one of the best dealers in my area, they are all scum!

 

not my usual spot i have a second gen expy. but, i would like to avoid the service/ parts departments of these miscreants. name names hurt them on all sides sales, parts and service

 

I felt your pain. Last fall I was close to taking a 250 off the lot at a local dealer. As the negotiations progressed, they consistently managed to "forget" their commitments and we previously had discussed. The final straw was when the sales manager put the hard-press on me and tried to increase the sales price by $3K. I walked... Like you I was extremely frustrated at their complete lack of regard for the customer.

 

Might be a rip off, but state sanctioned in TX. Dealers are allowed by law in TX to charge up to $150 for "documentation" fees.

A local classic car consignment dealer that I know well moves 50 cars a month. 600 or so cars per year. They have one administrator that does all the paperwork. Just one.

600 x $150 = $90,000. They do not pay that lady that much. Not even close.

 

 

Just one guy's opinion, but did you need the truck immediately? Kinda sounds to me like your own impatience roped you into a deal that you're obviously not completely happy with.
In your own words, "should have walked".

 

 

"Police mode" in FORScan prevents the transmission from shifting out of park if the passive key isn't inside the vehicle. I wonder it that's what it is?
I once had a 2007 Crown Vic cop car. It also meant that the dome lights didn't come on when the doors were opened if you chose that.

 

This Sunday I'm supposed to drive 4 hours to trade in my 2010 Lariat on a new 2018 Platinum solely on a phone conversation with the general sales manager.........he assured us no money was needed up front, and even sent the truck out to get the spray-in bedliner we asked for. Like the guy starting this thread, it was literally the ONLY truck within 500 miles we could find with the exact options we wanted. Didn't want to do the ordering option, since we drive back and forth to Alaska every May-Sept, and we wouldn't get it in time.
We've called three times and confirmed the truck is ready for pick up, so we will know Sunday.................!

 

This is why dealers have acres of cars valued in the millions. It's an even more sinister racket than a casino. At least at the casino you have a chance to win, at the dealership they always win or they don't make the deal.

 

Dealers here generally charge $499.00 - $699.00 for "doc" fees. It's a total rip off. There are no requirements to charge it, and no limit on it. It's a hidden huge profit maker. If selling a 6k car and $699.00 is added, that's a huge extra profit margin.

I believe in pricing the vehicle to cover any people needed for paperwork. I had dealer license twice for several years. I always had a big notice stating there were no fees, doc or otherwise, except for what the stated required to transfer ownership.

I walked on a very low miles 2015 last week when the big dealer refused to drop a penny off listed price on a straight sale. The dealerships are all owned by only a few companies, and they price fix.

If I hear the lie "fair market value" again, I believe I will scream out loud.

 

The moment they start lying...out the door.