Factory Direct Ordering

[Moose]

Here is the experience I had in getting my SS;

- Went on the internet and "spec'd out"/built my SS exactly the way I wanted it. Sent the information out to the dealers.

- Within a week or two, I received a letter from a local Chevrolet dealer. They provided my a copy of what the car would "sticker" for, as well as the dealer invoice pricing. Below the dealer invoice pricing, they wrote "
-$700.00.

- I took that information to several dealers to see what deals they could make. (One salesman actually laughed at the offer I had in writing. He told me the reason the dealer offered to order the SS under invoice was because they would not be able to get the car.)

- After no other dealers could beat the offer from the first dealer, I went back and placed my order, and waited a long 6 weeks.

Needless to say, I will most likely place my order when the time comes, from the same dealer.

[Dark Knight]

WOW that sounds like a real good experience. They ever tell ya how or why they went 700$ dollars below invoice? So whenever the car was finished is that when you paid/financed it or did you have to do that upfront before any thing was sent to GM? The more you guys post the more i'm convinced that ordering is the way to go.

[EllwynX]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

WHAT???

NO. It all depends on when you buy and if there are any rebates. I special ordered my 02 Z28, struck a deal w/ the sales manager for $200 over cost (returning buyer) AND got $2002 cash back for their special promotional deal.

I would never buy what was on the lot unless it was EXACTLY what I wanted. I'd let the dealer do an inventory search through TX to try to find exactly what I wanted and if not perfect....special order. Oh...and the found veh would have to have less than 50 miles on the odo for me take it.

I use the search tool that Chevy.com provides to look for exactly what I want.

I found the 2002 Camaro I wanted at a dealership 2 hours North of me. (I walked out when they SWORE my 2000 S10 Xtreme showed signs of someone having smoked in it, so offered me less for it. NO ONE EVER smokes in my vehicles.) When they refused to give me the deal I wanted, I talked to a dealership closer to me.

They beat the price of the other dealership. So they got the Camaro from the other dealer and brought it down to their dealership.

I'm hoping to be able to order my 5th Gen though.

[Mr. Wyndham]

OH!...I always thought ordering was stupid. a bad thing to do. I was told no "haggle-room"...okay, maybe I will order then...

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Dark Knight

WOW that sounds like a real good experience. They ever tell ya how or why they went 700$ dollars below invoice? So whenever the car was finished is that when you paid/financed it or did you have to do that upfront before any thing was sent to GM? The more you guys post the more i'm convinced that ordering is the way to go.

The dealer making the "below invoice" offer is pretty big, and they deal mostly with GM/Chevrolet trucks. That being said, they ordered my SS, and when my brother wanted to get a 10th Anniversary Firehawk back in '01, (a few other dealers didn't even know such a car existed! :eek they took his order, and he paid sticker when other dealers were asking for a "market adjustment". Also, when he ordered his C6 in '05, they offered to take $500 off of the sticker when the date they told him of his car's arrival was a week late. :eek: Needless to say, they get all of our business.

When I placed my order with the dealer for the SS, they only wanted a small deposit which was refundable if I changed my mind. Once the car arrived, I did the financing.

The sales manager is a huge Camaro fan. When I traded my '97 Z28 for the SS, the sales manager ended up taking the Z for his personal vehicle.

On a side note, I took a ride in the SS a couple of weekends back, to the dealer to pick up the Transformer's Bumblebee poster they kept for me, and the 4 salesmen that were there all came out to look at the SS. I was asked if I had intentions of selling it in the future....."NO!"

I'm looking forward to receiving any Camaro info. they receive, and I've "warned" them that I'll be visiting them to place my order.

[Dark Knight]

thanks Moose that was some very helpful info. i have a buddy who works at a GM dealership here in nashville that is a pretty honest guy. I was planning on buying from him something off his lot but i think i will be going the order route instead!

[LDiablo]

Remember that "invoice" isn't the dealer's true cost of the car. They get money from the manufacturer on a monthly basis for advertising/promotion, etc. based on the number of cars they're carrying. Term for this I think is holdback.

Found this on MSN site:

Holdback is an amount (typically 1 to 3 percent of the MSRP) a manufacturer sets aside from a sale and keeps in an account for the dealer. The amount is built into the invoice price, but periodically—usually every three months—accumulated holdback amounts from vehicles sold during the interval are paid back to the dealer. So holdback, in essence, acts as a dealer discount—a refund from the manufacturer that in the end lowers a vehicle’s invoice price. The official purpose of holdback is to ensure that dealers have enough money on hand during the year to pay taxes and other ongoing overhead charges.

The full FAQ is here

My friend who ended up waiting on a Solstice GXP had put some money down and waited an extra six months. He got for MSRP only because he had been on their original Solstice list then stepped aside to get on a list for GXP model. Everyone else was paying a premium above MSRP because demand was high.

Expect similar approach with the Camaros. Until the crowds diminish, dealers will want extra $$$ for the early ones.

I ordered a Saturn VUE once after spec'ing it out myself. Took about four months and finally arrived. But Saturn isn't like buying from other GM dealers because they have flat pricing: the only negotiation, and there was a little, was on the value of my trade. Cost of the car was the cost of the car.

My company gets a GM supplier discount. Do I have the patience to wait until the Camaro is finally included there? I doubt it. They usually won't put a brand new model like that out for a discount.

[jmsjags]

Ok everyone's talking about how they ordered straight from the dealer, but has anyone ever ordered from an online site like carsdirect.com or autobytel.com? Supposedly they do all the work of contacting the dealers for you. But I don't think they actually order the cars they just look for the car at a dealership in the area and have it shipped to you.

[stovt001]

Yup. Carsdirect.com and the like work just like brokers. They match consumers with cars already at dealers or ordered through a dealership. They negotiate price and everything for you, but they do charge a commission.

[TFord]

thanks for the tip stov Ive never heard of that at all! thats actually a pretty smart service. gonna go check that out.

[radz28]

This is encouraging information. I have yet to buy a new Camaro but have had thoughts of actually ordering this one. I wondering if they'd let people watch their cars being built like (it is my understanding) they do with 'Vettes. I'd SO take a small vacation to do that!!!

[85convertibleZ28]

Originally Posted by radz282003

This is encouraging information. I have yet to buy a new Camaro but have had thoughts of actually ordering this one. I wondering if they'd let people watch their cars being built like (it is my understanding) they do with 'Vettes. I'd SO take a small vacation to do that!!!

[TAG UR IT]

^+1

[UltimateAdam]

My company gets a GM supplier discount. Do I have the patience to wait until the Camaro is finally included there? I doubt it. They usually won't put a brand new model like that out for a discount.

Just curious, why would you have to wait? One of the companies I work for has the supplier discount as well, and I was checking their site, and there are some pretty sweet deals on 2008's. The Z06 was something like $8000 off!