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Why won't California dealers deal?

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xray

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Who was your contact? I'm in Napa would love to get that kind of deal.
Fred Larson at Huntington Beach Jeep. Just tell him you were referred through the JL Jeep forum by Ben.
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TCP914

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Fred Larson at Huntington Beach Jeep. Just tell him you were referred through the JL Jeep forum by Ben.
Jumping into the thread here. I looked at the staff section on HB Jeep and can't find anyone named Fred Larson. There is a Fred Latasa who is the Fleet Manager, is that who you talked to? Looking to head there this afternoon to lock up a 2018 Rubicon.
 
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Jumping into the thread here. I looked at the staff section on HB Jeep and can't find anyone named Fred Larson. There is a Fred Latasa who is the Fleet Manager, is that who you talked to? Looking to head there this afternoon to lock up a 2018 Rubicon.
Grrrr, my mistake. Fred Latasa. That’s what happens when there is one more Fred person in your email box.
 

Deleted member 59098

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I’m actually going to travel to WA to pick up my Rubicon in a couple days. I’m saving about $5,000 over a Bay Area dealer for the exact same configuration. There’s some work on my end to smog and register in CA. I’m going to use one of these private DMV offices to take care of it right across the border in Redding. Hopefully it goes easy. My air and shuttle travel to the dealership in WA is $200 and I look forward to the 2 day trip back through the PNW in a new Jeep.

My dealer experience at a certain place in the South Bay was pretty terrible too. These guys in Washington seem pretty cool to deal with so far.
 

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I’m actually going to travel to WA to pick up my Rubicon in a couple days. I’m saving about $5,000 over a Bay Area dealer for the exact same configuration. There’s some work on my end to smog and register in CA. I’m going to use one of these private DMV offices to take care of it right across the border in Redding. Hopefully it goes easy. My air and shuttle travel to the dealership in WA is $200 and I look forward to the 2 day trip back through the PNW in a new Jeep.

My dealer experience at a certain place in the South Bay was pretty terrible too. These guys in Washington seem pretty cool to deal with so far.
If you don’t mind me asking, who are you dealing with here in WA?

I’m on the lookout for a decent dealer. The only Jeep dealer we have in town sucks.
 

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I almost pull the trigger with a dealer in Idaho because they quoted ~7% below invoice but when I did some reasearch about bringing a new car in to California, I changed my mind and settled on 4% below invoice with a dealer in Irvine.

What really did it for me was when I read the requirement of registering the new out of state vehicle would require a smog check followed by an inspection by a DMV clerk to physically see the California smog decal. Its just too much hassle especially during this crazy pandemic.
RT
 
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If you don’t mind me asking, who are you dealing with here in WA?

I’m on the lookout for a decent dealer. The only Jeep dealer we have in town sucks.
Give me one more day until I have the keys and I’ll let you know about this WA dealership. I know how it is with these sucky dealers. This Bay Area dealership was like trying to work nicely with imperial Japan in WWII.
 

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I almost pull the trigger with a dealer in Idaho because they quoted ~7% below invoice but when I did some reasearch about bringing a new car in to California, I changed my mind and settled on 4% below invoice with a dealer in Irvine.

What really did it for me was when I read the requirement of registering the new out of state vehicle would require a smog check followed by an inspected by a DMV clerk to physically see the California smog decal. Its just too much hassle especially during this crazy pandemic.
RT
I contacted one of these private DMV services and supposedly they can do the VIN check and paperwork to register. There’s a significant fee for the service, but I don’t want to spend an entire day at a DMV, especially during Covid. The smog check is easy. I figure with a little work myself buying out of state, I’m saving so much that it’s well worth it.
 

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I contacted one of these private DMV services and supposedly they can do the VIN check and paperwork to register. There’s a significant fee for the service, but I don’t want to spend an entire day at a DMV, especially during Covid. The smog check is easy. I figure with a little work myself buying out of state, I’m saving so much that it’s well worth it.
I picked mine up in Arizona about a month ago and am going through the CA registration right now. I got the smog check and went to the DMV. It really wasn't that bad. I waited in line about 30 minutes, paid the sales tax and then they did the vehicle inspection onsite in about 10 minutes at no charge. The only hang up is I am waiting for the title to be sent from FCA over to my local DMV. I am running a temporary license until the DMV receives the title and then I will get my plates issued.

Worth the money I saved in not buying from any of the southern CA dealers that didn't want to deal. Plus, it was a cool road trip with my kid!
 

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Found the same thing in Upstate NY as I was looking around.

Basically, I think it comes to simple supply and demand. At least in my area, there aren't a whole lot of Jeep dealers. And even those dealers I did go to weren't stocking huge inventory of Rubicons, which is what I wanted.

To me it's simple common sense that you're going to get a better deal on vehicles that have been sitting on the lot or that a dealer has a surplus of than on a vehicle you're custom ordering. I mean, the dealer has little incentive to put a great deal on a custom order unless they're just trying to show a sale for their location.

This is another reason that competition from the Bronco will be good. I mean, Jeep dealers could have those attitudes because Jeeps are such a unique vehicle and people that want them.....really want them. Maybe some other choice in the market will changes attitudes.

I know many people post some great deals they've gotten and kudos to them. I know I only got around 3% off sticker on my custom JLUR order. I feel like the dealer did well for me on my trade in though and got pretty top value. So I was happy.

Same in NY, specifically NYC suburbs. When I was shopping around for my JLUR the attitude I got from dealers was take it or leave it. Some wouldnt even return calls after I tried to negotiate. One dealer said he was being generous by taking $700 of window sticker. Another dealer looked like he was willing to deal and took a few grand off sticker, but then said I had to finance through them at a ridiculously inflated interest rate. No thanks. Dealers in high volume areas don’t care to deal much is the impression I got, they feel like they could get the money from the next guy.
 

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Ordered mine from Tuttle Click in Irvine at 4% under invoice with tread lightly membership.

Rob Trachtman was the contact. Easy order. Still waiting on delivery.
 

RTCalifornia

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Ordered mine from Tuttle Click in Irvine at 4% under invoice with tread lightly membership.

Rob Trachtman was the contact. Easy order. Still waiting on delivery.
I ordered from Rob at Tuttle Click too on Sept 25th. Still waiting but at least it has started assembly this weekend. According to Rob, the combination of feature/color on a 2 door w/mt may have caused the delay. Ordered a white JLR w/mt.

RT
 

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I ordered Oct 28th and I'm expecting mine to have a really long delay. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't though!

2Dr, Sarge Willy's Sport MT, no AC, and dual doors. I haven't seen any dual door group Jeeps built yet....
 

RTCalifornia

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I picked mine up in Arizona about a month ago and am going through the CA registration right now. I got the smog check and went to the DMV. It really wasn't that bad. I waited in line about 30 minutes, paid the sales tax and then they did the vehicle inspection onsite in about 10 minutes at no charge. The only hang up is I am waiting for the title to be sent from FCA over to my local DMV. I am running a temporary license until the DMV receives the title and then I will get my plates issued.

Worth the money I saved in not buying from any of the southern CA dealers that didn't want to deal. Plus, it was a cool road trip with my kid!
@JLURay
Awesome to hear some real experience and your info should help other fellow California potential buyers. If I had known about it before, I may have gone the "out of state" route......maybe. I have had nothing but bad luck with DMV so I really try to avoid it.

@Aframedweller, Please do keep us informed of your CA registration journey with a private DMV service. I am also from the BayArea and could not find any dealer who was willing to custom order.

Hoping to pickup mine sometime in December!
RT
 

Deleted member 59098

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I picked mine up in Arizona about a month ago and am going through the CA registration right now. I got the smog check and went to the DMV. It really wasn't that bad. I waited in line about 30 minutes, paid the sales tax and then they did the vehicle inspection onsite in about 10 minutes at no charge. The only hang up is I am waiting for the title to be sent from FCA over to my local DMV. I am running a temporary license until the DMV receives the title and then I will get my plates issued.

Worth the money I saved in not buying from any of the southern CA dealers that didn't want to deal. Plus, it was a cool road trip with my kid!
I wouldn't mind going to the DMV myself, but it seems difficult, if not impossible with Covid. It's pretty much impossible to make an appointment and I'm not sure if you can just walk in. Did you pay sales tax with a credit card by chance? One thing about the private DMV is the credit card charge is pretty outrageous.
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