the problem is that they are running out of the white 4x4's and I think the dealers know it. So if we don't hop on it, we won't get the one we want....what did you guys pay out the door?

 

Well you dont want to apprear desperate in front of them, but I got the Hemi 4x4 Lonestar, down to 24,700... so you have room to play......TTL is about 1900 I think more


Mayeb it is worth checking out the 06's? Have you driven it?

 

TTL and all will be more then that...even with the numbers you had your looking at 26,600 out the door. We got the dealer to 27 out the door and am considering just takin it. HEMI POWER!!! hahaha...

 

Btw, just for info sake, it's not just the higher-end trucks you can make a great deal on. We ordered an '05 ST hemi with an unusual option set, suited specifically to our rather unique needs. Dodge then put a restriction on our color choice and we hit the end of the line for building an '05 model while awaiting them lifting the restriction (we did NOT want an '06 under any circumstances and I let them know that up front). I was livid when I found out the situation since we'd ordered in plenty of time, checked periodically that all was okay, etc.; now it looked like we were dead in the water.

Bottom line, when I raised holy hell about the situation and (again, as others have said) let them know I didn't have to have this truck from them, at this point in time, and asked for my deposit back, things started to happen.

The owner of the dealership got on the phone directly with Dodge and told them what we wanted. After a day of looking everywhere, headquarters found one identical with the exception of a couple piddly extra options that we didn't care one way or the other about. It had set for a while since it was an "odd ball," but still had only legitimate delivery miles. But, it was several states away.

Our dealer's personal, right-hand man called me to describe this truck and see if it would suit our needs. I said, "After all the hassles and headaches over the last month, what's in it for me, if I agree?!" The reply was, "All the extra options you didn't specify on your original order thrown in gratis and an additional $1K off in addition to your original deal." I replied, "Yes, but only if it is trailered here and not driven." "Absolutely," was the response, along with, "We've a flatbed hooked up to a Ram Cummins ready to go, just awaiting the word!" Interestingly, I checked my original order number with Dodge on-line and found that it took the dealer all of about 10 minutes to cancel my original order after I agreed to the new deal (you guessed it, my dealer didn't even know customers could check orders on-line... duh!).

This was on a Friday. They took off after the truck immediately and did the deed over the weekend. I saw it hauled in and picked it up on Monday. A $26K+ truck for $18K (no trade, just a personal check for the purchase). Everyone was happy, including the original dealer, I'm sure, who apparently had special-ordered this goofy critter and probably thought it would still be on his lot when he retired.

Clearly, from our experience a dealer who really wants to sell vehicles has a number of resources available to facilitate doing so, even financially with such things as "hold back" which no one in industry wants to talk about, but that assures the dealer makes money no matter what reasonable price they sell at, though possibly not an issue on this particular truck deal.

We ended up going from totally p**sed, to very pleased with the deal and the dealership owner's efforts to make it happen. As I'd written the owner directly regarding a previous, serious, service screw-up on one of my wife's cars (that was made right), I just as readily wrote thanking him for getting us a truck we could live with at a price that made it worthwhile.

Bottomline #2... do your research, be persistent, take NO crap, walk away when you need to, but don't take no for an answer. Be a customer, not a pawn!

All the best.