Last week, armed with research and ready to purchase, I visited a car dealership that had initially quoted me a price $1800 below the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for what I hoped would be my new Chevy Bolt. There were no hidden fees or unwanted add-ons mentioned, which seemed like a promising start in my quest for an electric vehicle (EV) at a fair price. Eager to finalize the deal, I inquired if they could sweeten the offer even further. I made it clear I was a serious buyer and knowledgeable about the market, hoping to leverage this to secure the best possible Chevy Bolt Msrp. However, despite my efforts and the initial enticing quote, they remained firm, unwilling to budge from their already presented price.
While the interaction remained polite and professional, leaving no bridges burned for future consideration, a sense of dissatisfaction lingered. The dealership’s convenient location was undeniably a plus, making a return visit still a possibility. Yet, a nagging feeling of being misled overshadowed the positive aspects of the encounter. I couldn’t shake off the perception that I wasn’t getting the transparent and honest dealing I expected when discussing the Chevy Bolt MSRP.
It’s almost ingrained in the car buying process to anticipate some level of negotiation and strategic pricing from dealerships. While I understand this is often considered part of the “game,” and perhaps shouldn’t be labeled as outright “lying,” it’s a practice that still leaves a sour taste. It feels disingenuous, this dance around the true cost of a Chevy Bolt, especially when you’re focusing on getting as close to MSRP as possible.
The day after my dealership visit, an email arrived from the salesman, ostensibly a follow-up to thank me for my time. However, within the brief message, a series of questionable statements were packed into nearly every sentence, echoing the common dealer tactics many face when trying to understand the real Chevy Bolt MSRP.
The email contained lines such as:
-
“If we could have offered a lower price on the Chevy Bolt, we would have done so during your visit.” This implies their initial offer was already their absolute best, leaving no room for negotiation on the Chevy Bolt MSRP, which felt unlikely.
-
“At the price we quoted, we would actually be taking a loss on the car.” This is a classic dealer claim, suggesting they are barely making any profit, or even losing money, on the Chevy Bolt MSRP deal. It begs the question: do dealerships ever truly sell vehicles at a loss?
-
“(Referring to my comments about potential benefits for them from new IRS rules in 2024) I believe you may be misunderstanding how the IRS rules operate.” This dismissive statement attempted to undermine my understanding of publicly available information, further adding to the feeling of being patronized while discussing the Chevy Bolt MSRP and potential incentives.
It becomes apparent that these sales strategies are predicated on the assumption that a significant portion of car buyers are uninformed, easily persuaded, or simply desperate to make a purchase. These tactics must be effective on a considerable number of people; otherwise, dealerships wouldn’t consistently employ them when discussing prices around the Chevy Bolt MSRP. The frustrating part is realizing you recognize these maneuvers, yet it often feels like this awareness doesn’t significantly empower you in the negotiation. Directly accusing them of dishonesty is counterproductive. In past successful car purchases, demonstrating thorough research and a no-nonsense approach quickly led to mutually agreeable deals, often close to my initial offer. This time, however, either my market assessment was inaccurate, or this particular dealership was confident in their ability to sell the Chevy Bolt at a higher price to someone else later, making them willing to let my business walk away over a relatively small difference from the Chevy Bolt MSRP. I suspect the latter is the more likely scenario.
Meanwhile, another dealership, located a considerable distance away, presented a more appealing offer of $2500 below the Chevy Bolt MSRP. If a guaranteed deal was on the table, the drive would be justifiable. However, their online presence raised concerns. Their website lacked direct email contact information, forcing inquiries through a generic website template that required personal information upfront just to ask basic questions about the Chevy Bolt MSRP.
Despite this hurdle, I proceeded, requesting a detailed quote. A salesman responded with the information, but attempts to reply to his provided email address with follow-up questions resulted in bounced messages – the email address was invalid. Subsequently, I received emails from other salesmen and even a sales manager, all appearing to be automated responses. It was doubtful any of them were even aware of sending the emails personally. Replies to these emails also failed.
Frustrated, I resorted to the website template once more, re-entering my information and explicitly requesting a response to my questions and a valid email address for ongoing communication. I clearly stated my readiness to purchase a vehicle immediately, emphasizing my serious interest in buying a Chevy Bolt close to MSRP if possible.
Silence. Complete ghosting. Wouldn’t one expect a dealership to be more responsive to a customer explicitly stating their intention to buy a car, especially when inquiries are about a popular model like the Chevy Bolt and its MSRP?
This experience is far from isolated; a general nonchalance seems pervasive across dealerships, regardless of whether they secure a sale or not. This is a stark contrast to past car buying experiences where dealerships were typically more eager and responsive.
This perplexing combination of dealerships stonewalling potential buyers, employing deceptive sales tactics, and failing to even respond to legitimate customer inquiries is incredibly frustrating. And perhaps, this is precisely the intended effect. They might be betting on wearing down informed buyers in the hopes they will eventually concede and pay closer to the full Chevy Bolt MSRP, or move on allowing them to focus on less informed customers.
