The Mother Ship Speaks

[alexdrums]

Got a note that (80) 2020 S Tellurides are being made available as they wind down 2020 production. This is for all dealers so very slim chance we can get one or two. I suspect that they had all of the parts/suppliers on deck to crank these out. All the info we have for now but I will keep you updated if we hear anything.

Does anybody know if the new KIA logo is going to be on the b@dge of the 2021 Tellurides? Besides the remote start, I am just wondering what is going to be so different from the 2020 S trim to the 2021.

 

[Zulyish]

Not that I want to voice support for how some dealers are behaving like the Telly is gold plated, but this behavior for markups and bad experiences are not exclusive to Kia. They have a product that is hot and have people willing to pay markups - let the market play out

From my experience, every brand has this problem with some model or the other - I remember a Honda dealer who made me wear gloves before test driving the then-new Pilot, and another who quoted me 850/month payment for a new Odyssey with 5K down!

The good thing going for Kia is people like Jason and others on this forum who are creating a more transparent experience, sort of like how bimmerfest helped move along the BMW cause. My sincere thanks to posters who are moving the needle and making this forum a very positive experience!

 

[markjenn]

Not that I want to voice support for how some dealers are behaving like the Telly is gold plated, but this behavior for markups and bad experiences are not exclusive to Kia. They have a product that is hot and have people willing to pay markups - let the market play out

From my experience, every brand has this problem with some model or the other - I remember a Honda dealer who made me wear gloves before test driving the then-new Pilot, and another who quoted me 850/month payment for a new Odyssey with 5K down!

The good thing going for Kia is people like Jason and others on this forum who are creating a more transparent experience, sort of like how bimmerfest helped move along the BMW cause. My sincere thanks to posters who are moving the needle and making this forum a very positive experience!

Well put. I certainly don't think the issues of dealers treating customers poorly is primarily a Kia problem. It is a structural problem in the dealership system and the way cars are sold in the US. It is a system that is no longer relevant to how people want to buy cars And it is a system that is remarkably unsuited to keeping doors open and selling cars in a pandemic.

As an example showing that poor customer relations is not a Kia-specific problem, I recently contacted five Toyota dealers about the possibility of getting on their waiting lists for another hot car - the upcoming Toyota RAV4 Prime Hybrid which is supposed to start appearing on lots late-summer 2020. Two knew nothing about the car, said they'd get back to me, but never called back. Another said that they didn't anticipate getting any inventory until mid-2021 in my area and suggested I contact dealers in other parts of the country. Another said they would take a deposit, but that it was non-refundable even though they didn't have pricing, anticipated they were going to sell at a MSRP+ markup, and didn't know when cars might appear. The final dealer I called said they couldn't discuss it over the phone and wanted me to make an appointment to come into the dealership. And with three dealers, I started getting phone calls from salespeople who knew nothing about my previous interaction and were just cold-calling to try and sell me a car.

The dealer system needs to be totally overhauled. I'm starting to think I'll buy a Tesla mostly just to avoid having to put up with this crap.

- Mark

 

[Lucas & Craig]

Well put. I certainly don't think the issues of dealers treating customers poorly is primarily a Kia problem. It is a structural problem in the dealership system and the way cars are sold in the US. It is a system that is no longer relevant to how people want to buy cars And it is a system that is remarkably unsuited to keeping doors open and selling cars in a pandemic.

As an example showing that poor customer relations is not a Kia-specific problem, I recently contacted five Toyota dealers about the possibility of getting on their waiting lists for another hot car - the upcoming Toyota RAV4 Prime Hybrid which is supposed to start appearing on lots late-summer 2020. Two knew nothing about the car, said they'd get back to me, but never called back. Another said that they didn't anticipate getting any inventory until mid-2021 in my area and suggested I contact dealers in other parts of the country. Another said they would take a deposit, but that it was non-refundable even though they didn't have pricing, anticipated they were going to sell at a MSRP+ markup, and didn't know when cars might appear. The final dealer I called said they couldn't discuss it over the phone and wanted me to make an appointment to come into the dealership. And with three dealers, I started getting phone calls from salespeople who knew nothing about my previous interaction and were just cold-calling to try and sell me a car.

The dealer system needs to be totally overhauled. I'm starting to think I'll buy a Tesla mostly just to avoid having to put up with this crap.

- Mark

We have 3 Toyota stores. If you want one contact me! jfox@kiaofmuncie.com No Games!

______________________________

 

[F2BT]

Well put. I certainly don't think the issues of dealers treating customers poorly is primarily a Kia problem. It is a structural problem in the dealership system and the way cars are sold in the US. It is a system that is no longer relevant to how people want to buy cars And it is a system that is remarkably unsuited to keeping doors open and selling cars in a pandemic.

As an example showing that poor customer relations is not a Kia-specific problem, I recently contacted five Toyota dealers about the possibility of getting on their waiting lists for another hot car - the upcoming Toyota RAV4 Prime Hybrid which is supposed to start appearing on lots late-summer 2020. Two knew nothing about the car, said they'd get back to me, but never called back. Another said that they didn't anticipate getting any inventory until mid-2021 in my area and suggested I contact dealers in other parts of the country. Another said they would take a deposit, but that it was non-refundable even though they didn't have pricing, anticipated they were going to sell at a MSRP+ markup, and didn't know when cars might appear. The final dealer I called said they couldn't discuss it over the phone and wanted me to make an appointment to come into the dealership. And with three dealers, I started getting phone calls from salespeople who knew nothing about my previous interaction and were just cold-calling to try and sell me a car.

The dealer system needs to be totally overhauled. I'm starting to think I'll buy a Tesla mostly just to avoid having to put up with this crap.

- Mark

My other car is a Tesla and let me tell you... the process is an absolute BREEZE.

 

[Zulyish]

My other car is a Tesla and let me tell you... the process is an absolute BREEZE.

Yeah, the Tesla experience was on the other end of the spectrum. But truth be told, I have also had great buying experiences at Subaru, BMW, Toyota and many other brands. There are always good dealers for every brand, just that finding them is a pain in the ass!