Think your car is really new?

[giantquesadilla]

When I bought my car new, it had some scratches on it. They buffed them out before I got to the dealership, but they still told me.

[babaki]

i dont think fixing minor damage to a new vehicle is the problem here. the problem is that when going to trade the car in, you are punished for something you didnt do and no knowledge of. they cant have the law in thier favor both times. if they want to be able to repair things and not tell you about it, then you should be able to trade the car in for a fair price without being hit on the dealer repair. the dealer cant have their cake and eat it too.

[giantquesadilla]

Yah. That' really unfair. How much do u think u lost webby?

[sf9ers]

So where did this happen at?
Did you get it at a Honda dealer

[webby]

I purchased the car at a honda delearship new. I didn't end up trading in there - I walked. I sold the car later without a "loss". They offered me like 2500? above that other place.

[cbondhonda]

Originally Posted by 07BlakBlak

Um, Chris....I am not sure which, how many or how long you have been at a Dealership but I have worked at 3. At each one they check every single car that is traded with a Paint Meter. I have one in my desk right now. And of course the car is worth less with paint work....if the car comes up with an accident on Carfax wont you pay less for it???? The car is worth less money. For example, Sonic Automotive as a company policy supplys every single used car manager in their organization with a paint meter....they have over 180 stores in the US FYI......and they are required to meter every single trade and price them accordingly for a trade-in price as well as retail on the used car lot. They are also audited......that is one of the largest dealer groups in the world and a fortune 500 member.

Now, with that said. The dealer regardless of the cost of the repair should have you sign a damage disclosure statement. Who told you 6% of the MSRP???? The GM of the dealership? Which state do you live in? I think you need to contact the States Attorney and check the legality of the failure to disclose the Damaged area, the amount of the damage and have you sign.

*As far as I know the only way they can get around not having you sign a disclosure statement is if the paintwork was done at Port or at the factory. If the car arrives at the dealership and then paint work was done in excess of either 250$ or 500$ maybe? they have to disclose it. Of course...they should disclose it either way. You need to contact your States Attorney and persue it with them or the dealership. I am in MD and I am not sure what your regulations are...they may be totally different.*

Havent checked this thread in a While!

When it comes to trades and cars we get in every day...I guess we just don't do the same as what many dealers do.

I talked to one of my Used Car managers a while back about this issue....and they tell me the reason they do NOT use the meters is because of the fact we include our customers in all parts of the Trade Evaluation...meaning we never take the keys from them, they go with us on the appraisal drive, the are right beside the appraiser at ALL times until the evaluation is done, and everyone goes back inside at the same time, with the customer still holding the keys to the car being appraised.

Because of this reason, our managers feel that if we are out there with a Paint Meter in front of them, it would make them even more un-easy and apprehensive, especially if they dont have the same tools to evaluate the car they are about to spend many thousands on.

We all know there are many ways to tell if a vehicle has been damaged / pinted / fixed etc...so I guess they feel (And I agree to a pretty large extent) that a Paint meter is just overkill when it comes to evaluating.

And please dont get me wrong on this...Im not tooting my own horn so to speak...but Gunn Honda is around 13th in the nation for new volume sold...so it isnt like we just sell a few cars each week and dont care.....I guess its just a little different mind frame here in Texas....and probalby the opposite is the case...(We care a LOT)....but as many 8thcivic members here who have had the chance to visit our store will tell you - when we say our focus is the customer first - we mean it whole-heartedly.

That is why is there is enough damage done to a vehicle that it needs more than a little touch up paint, it is disclosed FIRST to the interested buyer, and if they still want it from that point the buying process continues.

So in not so many words, it really boils down to the dealership you are working with and the Integrity the may or may not have when it comes to issues of cars and their condition at the time they are being purchased...and if you as a consumer are concerned with this issue, then make sure this is one of those questions that you ask as part of your buying process....just as important as any pricing question etc..that you may have.

I know I have learned a lot about how things are handled in other areas from this thread, so I hope my 2 cents here is helpfull as well.

Chris

[saiaba]

Happened to me before, but the dealer only took like 500-800 off. So i was mad but i couldnt argue, i still got 3k more than i owed on it.

[Leonard1818]

this is an old thread but is also pretty general knowledge IMO. Anyone who has gone to a body shop more than once has more than likley seen a car w/a sticker in the window. I went to a body shop one time with my dad (he was having body work done) and there was a black G35 coupe in the lot with the sticker in the window and I believe it had a dealer plate on it. I asked the body shop what the heck was up and they said it is very common for a car to get scratched or ding'd on the road or in transit to the dealership and they do the work for the dealership.

IMO its really no big deal. When I bought my RSX-S i could SEE where they had done a poor job of masking when repainting the front and rear bumper. I checked the vin on both and they matched. It also had a clean vehicle history report so who cares?

[caveman74]

Most of the cars are wrecked during demo runs frm the salesman or coming off the truck. My brothers Toyota dealership has had some cars fall off the truck.

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

Originally Posted by Leonard1818

this is an old thread but is also pretty general knowledge IMO. Anyone who has gone to a body shop more than once has more than likley seen a car w/a sticker in the window. I went to a body shop one time with my dad (he was having body work done) and there was a black G35 coupe in the lot with the sticker in the window and I believe it had a dealer plate on it. I asked the body shop what the heck was up and they said it is very common for a car to get scratched or ding'd on the road or in transit to the dealership and they do the work for the dealership.

IMO its really no big deal. When I bought my RSX-S i could SEE where they had done a poor job of masking when repainting the front and rear bumper. I checked the vin on both and they matched. It also had a clean vehicle history report so who cares?

not all accidents are reports to DMV. and when.if a dealer takes a paint meter to teh car, if it is repainted they dont care if it has a clean record, it has obviously had damage and therefore worth less.

thats why it is not very ethical to sell a car that has body damage as new, when it is known to be worth less.

[saiaba]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

not all accidents are reports to DMV. and when.if a dealer takes a paint meter to teh car, if it is repainted they dont care if it has a clean record, it has obviously had damage and therefore worth less.

thats why it is not very ethical to sell a car that has body damage as new, when it is known to be worth less.

Pretty much teh point of the thread.. its not fair/ethical to sell something that has been repaired.. and if they do regardless of the amount of damage they should tell you. Would be nice if they gave you a before and after picture.

I mean if they had a picture of the damage, then gave me a discount off the price..... :)

[Seemund]

My car was involved in an accident
I don't know how much less I should expect

[nickEXsedan]

wow..

["Ridge"Racer]

that sucks webby, i would be outraged, and yeah, there is something you can do, you just gotta approach the situation properly, i mean, i work at a dealership and you would be suprised at what a little determination can do. besides, go up to the dealership and ask for a survey, surveys kill, i know, so go take the time to fill out one or call honda for a survey and make this an issue. pm me if you need any pointers!

[Meinnocenthah]

wow, uh this is some crazzzy shit.

[Slipp]

I would be ticked off too - factory paint jobs cant reallybe replaced - many car manufactures these days use powercoat which is much more durable than a liquid paint system (typically a repaint would be a liquid paint system)

i guess according to what state your in, determines the law for purchases on damaged vehicles and what you intitled too.

If your in louisiana, you just may be in luck...

[splew]

Alot of people don't realize that cars are ofter damaged in some way between factory and dealership. Lucky for me I saw my car right after it got off the truck (it was still in it's wrapping) and it looked fine, hopefully the factory didn't damage it and repair it there.
Btw 12 mils is close to the factory allowed limit for thickness., don't wreck your car because it may need to be stripped in order to be re painted and stay within allowances.

[senfinger]

Yep... Ed Voyles Honda had a 08 Civic Coupe SI with $2200 worth of body/paint damage and it just so happen they left the repair sheet in the car. I matched the VIN and was like WTF!!! I then told the internet mgr. and he said wow- so he checked the honda network system and the vin link wasn't red and they should be marked red if they had any damage at all. He took the keys away from me and said that would be a lawsuit and I apologize- he said if i did want the car that they would discount it further but I was like ummm no. lol

Not sure on the amount allowed before telling a customer since this was over 2k (Webby stated at the beginning of the thread) on a SI... (They also pulled the work completed out of that car) no one will ever know... : (

[juji88]

sell on craigs. =]

[fiji06si13]

I can't even begin to tell you how many Lexus's are damaged before we get them or even on the lot....I believe anything under 300 dollars is safe before a customer has to be told...