should I pay MSRP

[Bradley]

Hello everyone. I put $1,000 down to reserve a SV. There are none available in the color and package I want in New Mexico. It will be here on May 25th. Will I be stuck paying MSRP because I special ordered it or will there still be haggle room? Can they legally keep my deposit if I tell them that I'm going to buy a Volt if they don't give me a better deal? Any thoughts.

 

[braineo]

don't be suckered into paying MSRP - must be willing to walk out of negotiating, but if your desire for the car is there, it is a temptation that the dealer will use to trance you into the hook. Be strong and resist!

 

[Stanton]

Depends on how bad you want it :?

Many of us who bought in the early days of "online only" ordering (gladly) paid MSRP. I believe that the online process kept early adopters from getting "fleeced" by over zealous dealers (anyone remember Volts selling for $5k over invoice?), and probably factored into my purchase decision--which I have never regretted. Of course, it's all about supply and demand, and at that time demand typically out-stripped supply; we'll see how things go with the 2013's.

 

[garygid]

What are the legal conditions of your deposit?
Do you have any paperwork saying that it is fully refundable?

If they already "have" your $1000, and can sell the
car to someone else for MSRP, why should they bargin?

Perhaps better to bargin first, get it in wriing, then order.

But, what's $1k between "friends"?
Welcome to the LEAF family.

 

[cgaydos]

Did you sign a document saying that the deposit is non-refundable? If not, you can get the money back. If you did, it probably was a purchase contract in which case it is in fact non-refundable, and you're stuck with the price you agreed to.

If you CAN get out of your deposit you then have to consider whether you can beat the price. Locally in NM there are very few (if any) LEAFs - I don't see any on Autotrader. In that situation the dealer probably can demand and get MSRP, but it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount. You also might want to consider checking with a dealer in another state. Of course, you'll need to pay to transport the car but if you save a couple thousand that more than covers transport costs. Or waiting a few months until supply catches up with demand.

 

[JimSouCal]

If the agreement you made is contractual to be non-refundable, then check your state laws. In CA, while I stand to be corrected, the deposit is refundable by law. To answer your question, paying MSRP is (or was) up to you...

 

[Phatcat73]

I purchased mine under invoice. Walk away if they don't budge.

 

[GlennD]

When I got my leaf I thought talking them down to list on my orphan was a good deal. How times change.

 

[TomT]

Hello everyone. I put $1,000 down to reserve a SV. There are none available in the color and package I want in New Mexico. It will be here on May 25th. Will I be stuck paying MSRP because I special ordered it: no

or will there still be haggle room?: yes

Can they legally keep my deposit if I tell them that I'm going to buy a Volt if they don't give me a better deal? No

 

[ColumbiaRiverGorge]

I was able to email all of the dealers in OR and ask who would give me the best deal. I ended up getting invoice pricing on all options and the car 2.79% below invoice. Dealerships get "hold backs". When Nissan dealerships move a car the day it arrives, they get an additional 2.79% below invoice. The percentage gets smaller until nothing if the car is still on the lot after 90 days. I got a 2011 SL with almost all the options and had to pay for the QC port since I am not part of the Ecotality project. Total cost $33,000-9000 state and federal rebate. $24,000

 

[francistaft]

I bought last Saturday for 8.6% below invoice (even counting "processing fee" in the purchase price) from a high volume dealer near Nashville, and got similar offers from local dealers, so I think the dealers have quite a bit of room.