7 ms·

I just wish you could option out a car online and click and pay by card(or bank transfer for financing etc) like you do with a computer. Ideally deliver it to y

I just wish you could option out a car online and click and pay by card(or bank transfer for financing etc) like you do with a computer. Ideally deliver it to your house, but picking it up at a port or a freight rail place or something is also a palatable option. The notion that if I want car x, in color y, with trim z, I have to shop around and "find one that exists in those options" is not something that should be on me as a consumer. I'm sure dealerships will custom order a car for you, but that sounds like a pain in the ass and I'm sure they charge you more for the privilege of buying the 20-50k product you actually want.

gknoy 12y ago
I've heard that they'll often do it if you phrase it as "Best price on X gets the deal".
zippergz 12y ago
I have custom ordered a car through a dealership (not a Tesla). I'm pretty sure any dealership will do it. It's pretty standard. And they didn't charge me any more than I would have paid for something off the lot (I was able to negotiate the price the same way). However, it is definitely a pain. I had to wait months and months for the car to show up. I'm not sure if there's a good way around that, but ever since then, I've been much more inclined to just buy whatever is available that's closest to what I want, even if it's not exactly right. I do wish there were a better solution for this.
- sliverstorm 12y ago
  However, it is definitely a pain. I had to wait months and months for the car to show up. I'm not sure if there's a good way around that What, are you saying I won't be able to upgrade to one-day shipping for $2.99?
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    You okay getting a Versa? http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001359341 http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001359341 http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/buy-nissan-versa-note-through-amazon-sort http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/buy-nissan-versa-note-t...
    - sliverstorm 12y ago
      Doesn't appear to be eligible for Prime :(
rchowe 12y ago
If I recall correctly, most dealerships won't actually charge you that much more to custom-order a car, because the car won't be sitting on their lot for very long compared to the cars they have to keep in stock and hope they sell.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  If its custom, limited run, or high demand, you'll pay at least MSRP, depending on how many other people you're competing against for a small pool of vehicles. You're referring to the dealership's working line of credit, which is just interest they pay monthly from time of vehicle delivery to sale. For most vehicles, this amount is negligible (unless its been sitting on the lot for months). You could theoretically get a deal on a car they can't move, but the long-term resale value will likely be lower because its an undesired model/color/etc.
  - seanflyon 12y ago
    > You're referring to the dealership's working line of credit And also the cost of the space taken by the car.
    - toomuchtodo 12y ago
      In the majority of markets where dealerships operate, the real estate turnover cost per vehicle is negligible, unless you're talking a major metro (Chicago, LA, NY, SF) or somewhere odd like Key West (there's a small Nissan dealership there with limited inventory.

gknoy 12y ago

I've heard that they'll often do it if you phrase it as "Best price on X gets the deal".

zippergz 12y ago

I have custom ordered a car through a dealership (not a Tesla). I'm pretty sure any dealership will do it. It's pretty standard. And they didn't charge me any more than I would have paid for something off the lot (I was able to negotiate the price the same way). However, it is definitely a pain. I had to wait months and months for the car to show up. I'm not sure if there's a good way around that, but ever since then, I've been much more inclined to just buy whatever is available that's closest to what I want, even if it's not exactly right. I do wish there were a better solution for this.

sliverstorm 12y ago
However, it is definitely a pain. I had to wait months and months for the car to show up. I'm not sure if there's a good way around that What, are you saying I won't be able to upgrade to one-day shipping for $2.99?
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  You okay getting a Versa? http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001359341 http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001359341 http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/buy-nissan-versa-note-through-amazon-sort http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/buy-nissan-versa-note-t...
  - sliverstorm 12y ago
    Doesn't appear to be eligible for Prime :(

rchowe 12y ago

If I recall correctly, most dealerships won't actually charge you that much more to custom-order a car, because the car won't be sitting on their lot for very long compared to the cars they have to keep in stock and hope they sell.

toomuchtodo 12y ago
If its custom, limited run, or high demand, you'll pay at least MSRP, depending on how many other people you're competing against for a small pool of vehicles. You're referring to the dealership's working line of credit, which is just interest they pay monthly from time of vehicle delivery to sale. For most vehicles, this amount is negligible (unless its been sitting on the lot for months). You could theoretically get a deal on a car they can't move, but the long-term resale value will likely be lower because its an undesired model/color/etc.
- seanflyon 12y ago
  > You're referring to the dealership's working line of credit And also the cost of the space taken by the car.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    In the majority of markets where dealerships operate, the real estate turnover cost per vehicle is negligible, unless you're talking a major metro (Chicago, LA, NY, SF) or somewhere odd like Key West (there's a small Nissan dealership there with limited inventory.