Do You Want To Be Duped by Honda Prestige in Melville WA???
Following is my recent experience with Honda Prestige in Melville.
I walked in to Prestige Honda Car Dealer in Melville WA and made inquiries about a demonstrator model of a Honda CRV Luxury wagon that was available for sale BUT NOT ADVERTISED! I took a test drive and asked for the price. The sales representative asked me to make an offer. My intention was to enjoy a good discount normally offered for demonstrator models ($4-5K for a car valued at $46K) After a few offers and counter offers we agreed on $43,000 (supposedly $3-4K cheaper than a brand new car price) which was the drive away price of the car as per the sales representative. I was told that is all I pay and no more to pay "on the road price - drive away".
Then a sales contract prepared signed by both parties. The sales representative did not explain to me and my wife all the items in the price column and I was also not interested in going in to too much details as I was convinced that all I pay is $43,000 to own the car on the road and no more to pay. Further they explained that they will attend to all the paper work required for transfer of the vehicle in my name and was told that I should receive the paper work in the mail in about 2 weeks.
After about 10 days once the finance was arranged I happily drove the car away. I liked the car which was full of extra features and I enjoyed driving it.
About a week later I received a statement from Department of Transport with a bill of $2,274.25 being "stamp duty" and “License duty" which need to be settled before 7th August 2013. I was totally and completely taken by surprise due to this turn of event which was totally unexpected. Seeing this I met the General Sales Manager of the dealership, since the guy who did the sale was on holiday and wanted to pass the bill for him to pay on my behalf. He promptly rejected and said I have to wait till the sales rep comes back from leave to discuss. On 22nd July I met the sales rep at the dealer's show room and presented the case. He too vehemently rejected saying that I have to pay this and it is in the contract.
I strongly feel that I was a victim of the circumstances. I simply took his word for granted that that the drive away sales price of 43,000 includes all the costs and charges and no more to pay. In that scenario I did not scrutinize the price column closely before signing the contract. Later I realised that how dodgy the sales contract was. He has shown the full all inclusive cost ($46,973) of a brand new car of the same model at the top of the column and figured (a disfigured amount having written all over again few times) an amount which can be vaguely read as $4,973, as the "demonstrator discount". However the total Purchase Price shown at the bottom $43,000 does not tally with the new car price less the discount. I am very confident that they have deceived me by not disclosing other charges in the form of stamp duty.
I have seen many advertisements published by other Honda dealers in WA. They seem to be transparent in their dealings as the advertisements (of CRV demonstrators like my car) show very clearly $43,750 drive away price. As a matter of interest I once took the trouble to visit Honda North dealership to inquire. Similar advertised demonstrator vehicle was available for sale for $43,750 and they explained that the total car price INCLUDES STAMP DUTY which will be paid by the dealership.
So now I am convinced that I was taken for a ride by Prestige Honda dealership. In the end I have paid almost the full price of a brand new Honda CRV for a demonstrator.