Shopping frustration vent

[homebrew]

Searching high and low for a 4XE. My experience so far. This is the hardest time I’ve ever had buying a car.

Left a deposit on a Jeep out of state that was expected within 2 weeks. A month later the jeep was still sitting in a lot somewhere waiting for shipment with no eta.

Local dealer has a 21 sitting on the lot with a 3k mark up. I make an offer of 1k over sticker they come back at 2k. I ask them to meet me in the middle and lower it $500 more they decline and tell me they’re original offer is only good for that day.

Another out of state dealer has one for below sticker which is cool. I tell them I can leave a deposit and pick up this weekend if they can get me a deal on a level 2 charger. They initially come back and tell me they can get me one for $730. I was like uh they are only 600 from mopar. They say they have a mark up on them but can give me a 15 percent discount to help me out (still more than ordering one myself)

Another dealer out of state said the best they could do was 100 under msrp. I ask for a deal on the charger, they respond they don’t know what they can do but we could discuss after I leave a deposit and make the 6hr trip down to pick it up.


I’m very impatient and that combined with these dealers has me losing my mind.

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[bjm00se]

If your goal is just to negotiate to see what you can get; fine. But if your goal is to get the best price on a 240V Level 2 charger, don't try and source it through the Jeep dealership.

There's a shortage of cars in general and Jeeps in particular on the lots. For most of us, yes in fact this is the hardest time it's ever been to purchase a new vehicle in the USA.

A few dealers nationwide are offering good prices on factory orders. The downside is you have to wait, and wait, and wait. Or, you can pony up some more money and buy one off the lot.

I'd say in this market, if you're getting a Jeep off the lot below sticker, you're doing pretty good.

As far as charger, I'd probably go with this one: https://www.amazon.com/Grizzl-Level...b53d17&pd_rd_wg=M0BqL&pd_rd_i=B082LMVSLY&th=1

Not the least expensive, but only 2% "1 star" reviews - most lower priced chargers seem to have a higher failure rate than that.

 

[Shasta_Steve]

I guess I am wondering why the charger is so important too. To me it is usually easier to keep deals separate. I would second the Grizzle charger. I am sure lots are good but I have had no problems at all with mine.

 

[Terminex]

I completely understand where you are coming from. I sometimes MUST have somehong, but then use some trivial item / detail as my excuse to NOT pull the trigger. (i also have limited patience at times)


I am going to be very blunt.

Mopar charger discount as the dealbreaker is dumb when you are trying to buy and overpriced, short supply vehicle.

(you needed the tough love there

get the best deal on the jeep that you limited patience will allow. (You will get a much better deal if you order one, but if you cannot wait, go with the best under list deal you can get)

get the best deal on a charger separately. There is ZERO value in the mopar branded charger. You need a quality level 2 charger. The only level 2 chargers i recommend to friends are

1. Chargepoint Flex (smart charger and there are rebates from MANY utility companies for this brand)
2. Grizzle “dumb” charger (NOT the smart version as many have reported issues) the “dumb” version is well built and just plain works.
3. Juicebox
4. Mopar

Chargepoint is much better than the others for many reasons
-discounts or rebate from your utility company
-50 Amp capability in case you get another EV or plug in that supports higher charge rates (it is fine to have it set at 50A and plug in the 4XE, as the vehicle det

grizzle and mopar only support up to 32 Amp charge rates. (which is also the limit on the 4xe)

Juicebox does offer a 40 Amp version (but not the mopar branded, that is only 32)

Hopefully you take this in the way intended and not as a slight.

Cheers and good luck.

 

[homebrew]

The charger isn’t the deal breaker by any means. I am just irritated with how these dealers are doing business like 1. commit to buying our jeep and maybe we’ll give you a discount or 2. marking up the charger and then offering a discount off the mark up.

 

[OldBlue]

The charger isn’t the deal breaker by any means. I am just irritated with how these dealers are doing business like 1. commit to buying our jeep and maybe we’ll give you a discount or 2. marking up the charger and then offering a discount off the mark up.

I get it. Only problem is the sleazers don't realize that much of the the buying public remembers who treats them correctly and fairly and those that don't. There isn't a single dealer near me that's worth a fizz, especially seeing how many of them have been operating lately. I had to make 2 trips of 7 and 11 hours roundtrip to pick up both of our JLUs.

 

[BXFXJeep]

the last 4 vehicles I bought was done via email, and they were all Wranglers

I don't even give them a phone number, I don't want to talk to them, I don't want them calling me.

I send out an email blast of what I want, and ask for their best price, and I state, if the price is not below MSRP, please do not respond.

If the Wrangler has additional options other than what I listed, mark them down to $0, I'm not paying for crap I don't want.

Of the 6 Wranglers I bought over the years, YJ, TJ, JK, JKU, JLU, 4xe, I only ever test drove the YJ, my first vehicle, that was also over 30 years ago, I was 20, and "test driving", kicking tires I guess was the thing to do.

Merely talking to them on the phone just opens up a world of BS, and they may even tout features and options that don't even exist on the model, one time they spoke about comfort, who ever buys a Wrangler with comfort in mind.

I only got 5% off the 4xe, but this time I really wanted the 4xe ASAP, and I didn't see deals coming up in the future, also the Gecko was a limited offering, I saw the writing on the wall with the gas prices, and the math at the pump, plus I got 3K less than what I paid for my 3 year old 2018 JLU.

 

[Jeeperz Kreeperz]

@homebrew, I‘d agree with some of the other posters here. Definitely makes sense to isolate the vehicle in your negotiations, and separate it from charger or anything else that is “minor”.

I see your point, and feel your frustration, and agree with @OldBlue that these dealers probably don’t realize the reputation they are creating.

That having been said, dealers are capitalists - through and through. They would like to sell the vehicle for as much as possible, and you would like to pay as little as possible. This is capitalism at work.

However, when demand is high (as it is now), and supply is low (as it is now), dealers can afford to be picky on whom they choose as customers. The strongest negotiating position for you is when the opposite is in place: when they need you more than you need them.

Two tips:
1. Make it easy for them (especially important in this environment)
2. Find your best deal so you can negotiate from a position of strength

I do my best to make the sale simple for them. Don’t get me wrong…I do negotiate. But it’s all in a couple emails. I do my homework first. Find a dealer somewhere in the country offering a killer deal, and get it in writing. Then email my local dealer and basically say,

“Look, this other dealer is willing to sell it for X, but I’d rather work with someone closer to home. I’m willing to pay you X + $300 (or whatever is appropriate given the distance to the other dealer). Anything more than that, and I’ll just go with that other dealer. I’m ready to sign today (because I really am). If you can do it for my number, I’ll sign right now.“

If they try to negotiate, I politely thank them for their time, and go to my first option (Because I really did have another option I was ready to act upon). Either way, I‘m buying the vehicle after a couple emails to dealer #1, and a couple emails to dealer #2. No visit to dealer necessary.

Granted, the dealer doesn’t get to ‘work me over’ on the price. But then again, I also made it real easy for them. I found the vehicle on their site, I did my homework, I have zero questions about the vehicle or its warranty, I’m buying sight unseen, I’m not a tire-kicker, I’m not wasting their time negotiating, I don’t need a test drive, I’m not asking for free floor mats, I don’t drink any of their coffee or eat any of their donuts, and they’re likely to close a deal after responding to just a couple emails and then calling me up to say hi once we agree on numbers. We both walk away happy, and capitalism lives on another day.

 

[4XEJLU]

Perhaps I missed this, but why don't you just order one and save thousands?

 

[homebrew]

I’ve looked at multiple dealers across 3 states, today I stopped by the dealer in town. Turns out they have 3 4xe’s inbound that are currently in the shipping yard like 2hrs away from me, one just so happens to have the options I want. Agreed on 500 under msrp, finance manager says normally we take a deposit but because I know you we’ll write this one up on a hand shake! He said 2 weeks but could be sooner depending on the truck loads

 

[ras815]

I’ve looked at multiple dealers across 3 states, today I stopped by the dealer in town. Turns out they have 3 4xe’s inbound that are currently in the shipping yard like 2hrs away from me, one just so happens to have the options I want. Agreed on 500 under msrp, finance manager says normally we take a deposit but because I know you we’ll write this one up on a hand shake! He said 2 weeks but could be sooner depending on the truck loads

Just putting this out there but with a little patience, you could order one tomorrow and in 1-2 months be paying 10% under MSRP instead of $500 under and get exactly the spec you want. Also, never stop by a dealership in person for the purpose of negotiation. All deals can and should be done via email.

 

[four low]

I vote for post #10, a "Bird in the Hand" mindset.
World events are hardly improving, a new "crisis" could delay or derail any future supply line plans or hopes.
Fewer than 2 weeks, on the way, vs a total Unknown.

 

[Beardedgator]

I just want to know who is building some of these jeeps. I'm located in georgia where it simply doesn't get cold for long. My wish list is simple on a 4xe... tow package. I dont need another option on there. 10k of options on some of these without a damn hitch. when looking at standard JLURs they are building them with 15k of options and no LED lights or hitch.. its insanity

 

[JollieOllie]

Just putting this out there but with a little patience, you could order one tomorrow and in 1-2 months be paying 10% under MSRP instead of $500 under and get exactly the spec you want. Also, never stop by a dealership in person for the purpose of negotiation. All deals can and should be done via email.

There was another thread about 4xe discounts and I can't remember seeing 10% below MSRP. If that is what you got - great! Not easy in todays' car/Jeep market...

 

[JollieOllie]

I just want to know who is building some of these jeeps. I'm located in georgia where it simply doesn't get cold for long. My wish list is simple on a 4xe... tow package. I dont need another option on there. 10k of options on some of these without a damn hitch. when looking at standard JLURs they are building them with 15k of options and no LED lights or hitch.. its insanity

Then I suggest you order from the factory like many of us 4xe owners have done and wait. Might take awhile but then you have exactly what you want. Good luck.

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