I'm convinced Chevy/GMC do not want to sell vehicles...

Chris walker · May 9, 2019

I've been driving German and Japanese for a while and I'm stepping back into a truck. There is a staggering difference between my experience between buying imports and a GM....

Examples -

1) I've emailed approximately 7 dealerships seeking information. Why do I email the dealership..because an "exact match" on GM's websites isnt actually close to an "exact match". In each inquiry to a dealer I clearly stated "do not call me but please text or email" because I'm in meetings most of the day. In addition I outlined exactly the information I wanted and asked for them to send me the information via email or text. Six out of the seven dealerships immediately called me after hitting send and asked me what I wanted. They didnt even read the email...

2) I've talked to numerous sales guys and none of them want to sell a car unless its on their lot and can sell it the moment I walk on the lot. They dont want to order or look for inventory at other stores. They dont even want to check inventory for trucks that are inbound to THEIR dealership. I literally had a sales guy tell me that "We can look around in the system and you might be able to find it if its a popular configuration...but probably not, however". I asked him if he had inventory arriving soon...His response "YES".....

3) When I call the dealerships the front office staff are simply rude. In specific I've called one dealership three times to speak/find a sales guy. According to the front office he has "someone in his office" yet every time I've visited the lot is a ghost town and he is watching videos on his phone. I HIGHLY doubt anyone was in his office and she just didnt want to get up. It as if I was pulling her teeth to see if he was available or busy...

4) Having an appointment with a sales person means nothing to GM. Having an appointment means anyone that walks on the lot two seconds prior to my appointment time is getting helped first.

I've done more leg work for this truck than I have for my past 4 cars combined....Its just laziness and apathy and the attitude is these trucks "sell themselves"...

Im not a Euro car snob but sales and service are on another level. I dont have to step on the lot and my interest are catered to as if Im a potential customer because of a simple email. When I do step on the lot I'm greeted with a bottle of water. I'm immediately escorted to the appropriate sales person. The car Im asking about has been pulled inside and Im given a tour of the car. The deal is always completed in comfortable chairs with little to no pressure. Its an enjoyable buying experience....A stark contrast.

The reality is that there isnt a vast difference in cost in these manufacturers. Many of these trucks are running north of 60k and 3/4s of the bread and butter German cars fall right in line with that price range. If BMW, Merc ever start selling full sized trucks the Denali, High Country, AT4 market is going to vanish.

Such a frustrating car buying experience. I know the next step is sitting in a hard plastic chair in a generic office while the sales guy has to "go talk to the manager" to see if he can work a deal with his piece of paper with four squares...AFTER telling him I only negotiate a final price. I'm looking forward to the truck but this process is busted from the tail to the nose.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Chris walker

dtnel78 · May 9, 2019

Chris Check out Chevy Dude on YouTube from Ohio. Glowing reviews. He's salary and has shipped a car to every state in the united states in an enclosed trailer.

He will take care of you even if it means it's getting a vehicle from another dealer to make the sale happen. You won't be disappointed from what I've read either.

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Snuff · May 9, 2019

Feel your pain Buddy! I went thru a similar experience because I want the “standard bed” on a RST Crew Z71.

I actually had a great conversation today with a Sales Manager in Bastrop, Texas. The dealer is 110 year old company owned by the same family. Rick has worked for them since 1972. He answered all my questions about incentives, ordering, GM finance etc.

He told me I could probably order a 2020 1/2 ton in late June or July. He also told me you only have to finance $7,500 with GM to get the rebate.

Good luck!

L86 All Terrain · May 9, 2019

Sounds like you just need to be a bit more authoritative and command the situation. Most car salesmen are 35 y/o+. My dealer has a couple salesmen in their 70's. Maybe email isn't the best method of contact when they have 10 people walking in the front door to buy one today. My last 2 trucks were dealer searches, had no issues there, but I have bought 10 trucks from this dealer. It's not usually a hard process to talk to someone when you are going to spend $50,000 with them, just walk in and grab a salesperson. Don't talk to the front desk. If you wander the lot, one will even probably come out to meet you. Maybe your dealership just plain sucks, but that doesn't sound right because GM holds their dealers to pretty high standards.

scdaren · May 9, 2019

The system I use is I try to ignore the dealership sales staff altogether. I figure out the options I want, and spend time going to each dealer's website, looking at their inventory, specifically looking at each posted window sticker, and finding a truck configured the way I want. This can take a lot of time unfortunately.

Along with that, research the available incentives and rebates so you know what is out there before you step on the lot. Expect to get all those, plus maybe a few thousand extra. The biggest variable I've found is what they'll do on my trade if I have one.

Then once I find the truck I want, I call the dealer, talk to a sales rep on the phone, and give him the VIN number of the truck and ask him to confirm it's on the lot. If it is, I tell him I'm coming by in a half an hour, and ask him to have it pulled up and ready for a test drive.

This process has worked real well for me. This last time they even had the gas tank on the truck filled up for me. But sometimes you have to be insistent. Years ago I was buying a Ram, and they told me they didn't know anything about the truck I wanted. I went to their back lot, and found the truck myself, covered in dust. Turned out it just needed a recall they hadn't bothered to do yet. I had them do the recall, and bought the truck on my terms.

crankman · May 9, 2019

I recommend footwork. I made all my deals with good old fashion legwork. I understand the internet thing but I have to walkj the lot and yea it helps to have a decent salesman. But you need to know exactly what you want. Was treated very well at the last of 4 dealerships on my last purchase and got the exact truck I wanted. Rest of the dealers were not that great, just got to pick thru them.

Wiggums · May 9, 2019

You can get a brand new 2019 Audi A6 for $15,000 off MSRP. I used to have an Audi and a Benz, sure, they're nice cars, but I will not go back to them. Instead, I took the Silverado at $10,000 off MSRP. Sure, it could have been cheaper to buy an Audi A6 for $36,000 instead of the Silverado for $41,000.

You see, the 2015 Silverado is about $30,000 and the A6 would be worth $19,000.

And after hitting 50,000 miles, my Audi required an expensive $3,500 engine repair. The Benz had such little power and horrible gas mileage. And the Benz was worth only $13,000 after four years. That will never happen with the Silverado, not even the very base model missing a wheel.

But if you want to spend thousands more and be treated like a princess, I'm sure there are dealerships willing to accommodate you.

dtnel78 · May 9, 2019

Call ChevyDude from Ohio. He's on YouTube and he isn't paid commission. Will ship to your doorstep in an enclosed trailer. Sells on average since 2010-2011 23 vehicles per month. Guy is a hard worker. I've seen where he's literally went to a competitor in the same town and bought the truck that the customer wanted because that dealer wouldn't come down a certain amount on it and he sold the vehicle to him at that price or lower that the guy was trying to negotiate to.

I recollect properly I think he even throws in a full tank of gas and when you're talking a big dodge pickup truck that is a lot of gas or fuel. Look up Chevy dude on YouTube and go into his YouTube page and search for the Dodge pickup that he did here in the last few months which would have been posted.

He makes more money doing videos on YouTube than most average salesman make in an average year and he even posted it on YouTube to prove it which he said he wasn't a big fan of doing but he was trying to prove a point at that time that YouTube it's just a side thing for him. My analysis of if you were selling 23 cars a month average you must be doing something right.

I would definitely say email him and be specific with your request about the calling and stuff. As you know a lot of them salesman or talked call call call because it's that's sale that will get away. I'm like you I'm looking for who's paying attention to instructions and those that do may get rewarded if I can work a deal out generally.

If you do call him let us know how it turns out by posting a reply in here or if you reach out to him let us know how it turns out I would be interested.

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rev44 · May 9, 2019

Been going thru that for the last idk how many weeks with a lot of dealers
Its sickening. The dealer that is 40 minutes from me hasn't called me back in over a month on prices.

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JR09country · May 10, 2019

I bought from a dealer that treated me right and did not pressure me into buying anything. It was raining outside and he brought multiple vehicles into the maintenance garage so my wife and I could look at them. I bought my truck from that salesman, i could have probably saved a grand or two by going somewhere else but I was so happy with the entire process it didnt bother me one bit.

But, on that note. My wife drives a Lexus and their service and collision departments are second to none. They actually call you back when they say they will and keep you updated on your car. I also dont have to set and appointment to get a loaner, and you get one even with a simple oil change.

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Imcrazy · May 10, 2019

I won't waste my time on a dealer if they can't communicate via email... There are two or three decent chevy dealers in my area and about 15 shitty ones... I have made almost all of the negotiations on the last 4 vehicles I've bought online ahead of time, including dickering on the price but, you gotta find a good dealership.... A good sales rep will locate the vehicle you want BUT, you'll probably have to go spend some face time with them because 100 teenage kids with a laptop can waste their time and they have no idea if you're legit or not... Now that I've bought a few new cars I have contacts at 3 different chevy stores that know I mean business and I just email or text... The car business is a lousy business for some people to be in and because of that there are a lot of shitty reps out there...

Limelight · May 10, 2019

I buy vehicles like you do. I research, find what I want and the biggest variable is always the trade. I also get pre approved before I walk in. I always know more about what I’m buying than the Salespeople.

This time, however, I was really just looking. I had the flu for the entire week and was feeling better so I went to look and test drive. What they offered me on trade was almost too good to be true so I decided to go all in without my usual preparation.

8 hrs. I was there. 8! Only reason I stayed was because I got pissed and decided I was going to get exactly what I wanted. I did. But what a cluster fvck it was. Then, they messed up the financing paperwork 3 times (I was comped for it with free Accessories). Gees. My last GM buying experience was poor as well and I went in there prepared.

By comparison, just got the Wifey a new Civic. Took an hour and a half. Done. Happy.

I hope they they get their heads out of their asses one day- though it’s encouraging to hear great stories like ChevyDude.

Thats my .02.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Limelight

[email protected] · May 10, 2019

Agreed 100%. I wish Mercedes would make a nice 3/4 ton high-end pickup truck. I would dump GM in a heartbeat. But it is what it is, appears people really don't even like their jobs anymore with that shity entitlement attitude and lack of work ethic. Things will only get worse. Gosh I sound so negative LOL

scdaren · May 10, 2019

12 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

Agreed 100%. I wish Mercedes would make a nice 3/4 ton high-end pickup truck. I would dump GM in a heartbeat. But it is what it is, appears people really don't even like their jobs anymore with that shity entitlement attitude and lack of work ethic. Things will only get worse. Gosh I sound so negative LOL

Try a Ram dealer sometime. They make GM dealers look amazing. I would never have switched over to Chevy if not for the Ram dealer pissing me off being all car salesmany. Even after my last Ram broke down every 10k miles I would've stayed, but their dealers killed it for me. All of my GM dealer experiences have been pretty decent. My service manager at Keller in Hanford, CA is excellent. No loaners though... But at least they give me a ride to work.

2016 Sierra Owner · May 10, 2019

Unfortunately it sounds like you contacted the wrong dealers. I took mine in for service about a month ago and now they call me every week about trading mine or just making me an offer. It does not seem these 2019 trucks have sold well in my area anyway. Since these trucks have hit the dealers I've only seen 4-5 on the road. My dealer still has the SLT they got back in September although it's heavily discounted right now.