Modern car/truck buying - Silverhair Silverado
The title of this review includes the word "modern" and to be more precise "remote" is what I mean to convey. With only four reviews and a 5-star rating, I do not feel there are many interested participants in such a worthwhile forum. I'll save it and also express my concerns elsewhere to get this message out.
I live about 90 minutes away from this dealership and wanted competitive pricing on a 2018 Silverado 1500. I called in early May 2018 and asked for Fleet Sales and specified my interest in a vehicle shown in their inventory. The manager I spoke with was courteous and seemingly knowledgeable. I noted the many current offers from Chevrolet and also my desire to deal with one person rather than hop on the "merry-go-round" (his words to describe the sales team and process). I received a polite return call once it was determined that vehicle remained in stock. I made it clear that I have reached sales agreements for vehicles over the phone pre-internet and in recent years have used the internet to help me find what I'm looking for.
I asked for a competitive price for this mid-level LT Silverado 1500 and was told the price is as published on the internet. I had watched this vehicle online and over several days the price had increased around $4000. The day I asked for a price, the posted price was $38,000. I looked elsewhere, had a couple of detailed phone conversations and drove to Houston to buy a truck. The vehicle I bought had the same equipment but was a Crew Cab ($2400 mark up) and premium paint (usually a mark up of $1000) for $31,100. In all fairness to Banner, Chevy was pricing Crew Cab LT Silverados only about $400 higher than "double cabs" one of their current offerings at the time I was shopping.
In conclusion, I got a truck that should have cost about $1500 more than the one priced in New Orleans for $6900 less. I shopped a couple of other local dealerships as well and was told that they were having trouble "getting adequate inventory" in light of the generous clearance incentives Chevrolet was offering. Banner Chevrolet seemed to have one of the largest inventories around, but for some reason or other, they were not offering competitive pricing to a serious inquiry. I guess they are simply a "merry-go-round" dealership. Just for information sake, other dealerships were within $2500 of what I paid in Houston. I am retired and decided that the road trip and a one-night motel stay were worth the effort to get what I wanted. The last vehicle bought before this was from a dealership in Jacksonville, FL where I thought spending $250 for a plane ticket and $80 on a motel room for one night was worth the $4400 savings on a vehicle. I have local friends who have driven to Texas for several vehicles over the years and I believe that in these modern times of internet shopping, some dealers are simply "missing the boat" by being stuck on the merry-go-round of yesteryear.
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