I've been to three local dealers, and they've all offered me employee pricing. I've told everyone of them I'm not an employee and they've told me its no problem.

Now, maybe I wouldn't be concerned except that my mother bought a Chrysler with employee pricing a couple years ago and they made her pay it back. My telling them that doesn't seem to phase them, they say things are 'different' now.

Should I be concerned? Seems if a lot of people were being burned by a scam of this scale, we'd be hearing about it. The discount is quite large btw so its hard to pass up.

One of our area dealership groups (West Herr) was advertising employee pricing for all their dealerships. This was right after I bought my Patriot in September. I called my dealer back and they said it wasn't for the Patriot, as well as some other Jeep models. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Jeep or specific dealerships offering employee pricing; the advertised prices keep going down, at least on the 08's.

Most dealerships have plenty of employee discount numbers they can use for more discriminate buyers. They don't usually bring it up unless you start comparison shopping and negotiating for the best deal. If they're afraid of losing the sale to another dealer, most will happily offer employee pricing to you.

NP

Just concerned they might ask for it back, like they did with my mother. Still puzzled by that though, my mother isn't bitter at all about it, nor can I figure out why she'd pay them back after the sale?

Yeah, that doesn't even sound legal.

This was my first car buying experience, and it is absolutely ridiculous the games these dealers play. They may act like they're giving you a deal, but they wouldn't be selling the car unless they're making money off of you.

Just concerned they might ask for it back, like they did with my mother. Still puzzled by that though, my mother isn't bitter at all about it, nor can I figure out why she'd pay them back after the sale?

That sounds really fishy. Unless they drew up and had her sign some sneaky document that says she might have to pay it back for whatever reason, I don't see how they can come back and do that legally.

Once the sales order is generated and you and the dealership sign all the legal documents and you take delivery the deal is done on both ends. The car is yours for the agreed upon price/terms.

NP

That sounds really fishy. Unless they drew up and had her sign some sneaky document that says she might have to pay it back for whatever reason, I don't see how they can come back and do that legally.

Once the sales order is generated and you and the dealership sign all the legal documents and you take delivery the deal is done on both ends. The car is yours for the agreed upon price/terms.

NP

I'm going to have to drill my mother on that. I'm wondering if they said something like, we'll try to get you the employee discount (she was actually entitled in my view, my father was an employee in the 60s though now dead) but if we can't you'll have to forfeit the discount? Should I get something in writing?

I'm going to have to drill my mother on that. I'm wondering if they said something like, we'll try to get you the employee discount (she was actually entitled in my view, my father was an employee in the 60s though now dead) but if we can't you'll have to forfeit the discount? Should I get something in writing?

I don't think you need to get anything in writing about it. Just be sure you know what you're signing while in the finance office and ask questions. Take your time and read through the paperwork. If you don't understand something, don't sign until the finance guy/gal explains it to you.

Most dealerships are honest though and tricking you into something like having to payback a discount is pretty underhanded and probably rare. If it were my mother, I'd get her a lawyer because that's BS about her having to give back the employee discount.

NP

The Trick now is to just list you as someones Brother or Sister and have them Sign the 5Star Document down the road.

I agree with NP check your paperwork and then it's on them to eat it if anything goes bad. Stick to your Guns and don't worry.

I think now they are more interested in Moving cars then Profits they generate. They know cuts are coming and that means Dealers closeing as well.

If it is in the contract that you got an employee pricing deal, and then they break that contract... then isn't the whole thing invalid? Free Car? IDK. I do know that a salesman will tell you till they are blue in the face that they worked with you, and you'll get everything you wanted in the negotiation, and then make you hurry up and sign the paperwork, then to only find out that you didn't get what you wanted in the negotiation, so be careful! Read everything! (I had to slap a family member of mine upside the head for that incident).

I bought a Wrangler a few years ago and they tried the same crap on me. The salesman said 'if I knew someone, anyone, that works for Chrysler, then I could get employee pricing.' I told him I did (which was the truth) and the salesman wrote it up with me getting the special price. He said all he had to do was call another dealer they work with and get a special number from one of their employees to use for me. Hey, worked for me. Or so I thought.

A couple weeks later, I received an email from their Finance Manager asking if "I" had gotten them that 'number' yet. I told them that I wasn't getting one, that their salesman said he would. They replied that 'we don't do that' and that 'I would be in alot of trouble if I didn't provide them with that employee number' and that I would have to pay them about $1500 more. I told them to go 'piss up a rope' and if they contacted me again, I would forward them to my attorney. Oddly enough, never heard from them again.

So, if someone is offering you that kind of deal now, get it done, finalize it and make sure there are no 'loose ends'. Maybe things ARE different now, but my guess is that they're just desperate to make a sale.

Showed up and the price went up $1000!

I wish I had seen this thread sooner -- I would have predicted the mysterious price increase upon going in. I've been selling our fine product for a little more than the last 5 years, and I have lost count of the people I've had come in and say "but the other guys are saying I'll get it for this price!", only to find out that when they go over to "the other guys" and get serious, the price goes up.
Not ALL of us salespeople will say anything to get you in the door. Unfortunately...A LOT of salespeople will. :( It's sad, and pathetic, but it doesn't stop me from being honest and showing my customers all the information.
If you need any more help, Hagbard, just send me a pm and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

@johnnyb: Now you're a Jeep salesman I like! That's how it should be. I was very frustrated with the games most dealers (Jeep and other) wanted to play.

Showed up and the price went up $1000!

Red flag there. That's the kind of crap that would make me walk away and find someone else to deal with. Confront them about the increase and if they give you the run around, get up and head for the door. I can almost guarantee if you show them you are walking out and you mean business they will bend over backwards to get you NOT to leave. Even still, I personally would start seriously thinking about another dealer if they're going to play cat and mouse like that.

NP

I wish I had seen this thread sooner -- I would have predicted the mysterious price increase upon going in. I've been selling our fine product for a little more than the last 5 years, and I have lost count of the people I've had come in and say "but the other guys are saying I'll get it for this price!", only to find out that when they go over to "the other guys" and get serious, the price goes up.
Not ALL of us salespeople will say anything to get you in the door. Unfortunately...A LOT of salespeople will. :( It's sad, and pathetic, but it doesn't stop me from being honest and showing my customers all the information.
If you need any more help, Hagbard, just send me a pm and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

PM sent.

Went to another dealership, told them I wasn't interested in 'employee pricing' but wanted their out the door price, how they got there was their business and their responsibility. Also told them i didn't want anything pointing at us as being responsible for any of the discounts...YET...right on the contract, in a rather hidden location, was a sentence about our being responsible for providing an employee number! After some debate, and their producing a 'certificate' of the employee who would be providing the number, I insisted that they remove the clause from the contract. They scratched it off, and had the manager initial it and my wife signed. Guess we have a new Patriot.

One question. When I looked over at the Patriot, I noticed rust around the tail pipe. The car was manufactured in Aug, what would cause rust and any reason for concern? She said it would be repaired when we pick up the car.

FYI: now being offered to everyone (officially) and you get zero percent financing. We jumped too soon (knew something was coming down, my wife couldn't wait any longer).

Update: my dealer tells me there are no new deals on the Patriots.