SRT-10 re-selling question

[ewave]

If someone buys an SRT-10, is it illegal for them to re-sell it? I know that there is nothing in the USA constitution about property rights, but I don't understand how the US LAW could prevent the SRT-10 OWNER from doing this.

I keep hearing about people losing there certificate because of their intention to sell the vehicle!

The irony here cracks me up: I think it's pretty safe to say that many Viper owners are entrepreneurs or very business savvy people: If you can afford $80K for a toy, you are either part of the lucky ***** club, or a decent business person. DC trying to control the financial actions of such people is just absurd. Let's admit it, we are not talking about cheese vouchers to the unemployed!

My suggestion: Let DC concentrate on building cars. Let the business savvy SRT-10 buyers buy and sell their property as they see fit.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Re-selling is NOT illegal. Any visible sales are going to give the dealers the power to keep Cert/Voucher programs from being available in the future. Everyone has that option. But everyone needs to know that their actions may cause the program to go away. To those that don't care, this should have no meaning. For those that want future product without having to deal with the "hot or adjusted" price, they will not get this benefit.

 

[Lawrenzo]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steve Ferguson:
For those that want future product without having to deal with the "hot or adjusted" price, they will not get this benefit.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If everyone bought their cars from Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse there would be no ******. There are also a few other dealers who contribute to this site that would be pricing their cars fairly.
Screw the rest of the Dodge dealers if they don't "choose" to compete!

 

[Steve Ferguson]

I agree, the dealers actions in the past are the reason we need a plan like this. But if they cry enough and have proof to back up that crying, they win and we loose.

 

[Leonard Knight]

Good point although in reality how many vipers would the dealers buy if we did not buy them? We are the ulitmate end that DC needs to please. When I see dealers marking up cars, any cars, I tend to blame the maker, DC, BMW, doesn't matter. I am buying BMW, Viper, etc. Maybe I am wrong to do this but look around at what people say. They are blaming the factories for allowing gouging to happen as well as the dealers. I am just saying that this is a GOOD system. Dealers still make reasonable profit and the consumer is happy. No customer, no dealer.

 

[MiamiJeff]

As I've posted here before, it's not just some of the Dodge dealers who play hardball but other marquees as well. A number of Mercedes dealers put clauses in their SL500 sales contracts giving themselves first right of refusal to buy back the SL500 if it was traded in within XX number of months. Failure to do so, according to these contracts, would result in a $1000 fee being paid to the original dealer.

HOWEVER, the typical SL500 buyer at many of these dealers were not getting the deals that many Dodge dealers have negotiated with many of us but typically paid full retail. Actually, I wonder about the enforceability of those SL500 contracts and think maybe they really were just pure psychological/marketing BS to make the Benz buyer who paid full sticker price feel good about this "wonderful opportunity" to "only" pay MSRP rather than feeling like a ripped-off fool.

 

[VOI9 ASP]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steve Ferguson:
We can't buy a car from DC.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm buying a Viper from DC!

 

[Leonard Knight]

I would have to think that DC would prefer to have a proven customer (since we had to already purchased a new viper) make whatever possible profit there is to be made rather than the old way of having dealers gouge their customers (not all dealers). I know when I first looked for my 96 I could not believe the prices and thought I would never buy one. I finally found a used one at a decent price. By the time I bought my 2001 from Mr. Pemberton prices had become real and he made me a good deal. I don't see why DC would want their customer base upset since we are the ones that buy the cars, not the dealers.

My $.02. By the way I AM keeping mine.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Well if you look at the system we are not DC customers but actually the dealers customers. We can't buy a car from DC. The dealer is actually the customer to DC. And the Dealers have more pull than we do. At least I do not remember writing a check to DC, but I can list a few dealers I have given money to.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

You are not buying a street legal Viper from DC.

 

[dancojax]

Personally, I doubt if DC makes any money at all on the Viper division, although at one of the sessions at VOI we were told that all divisions have been put on notice that they have to make a profit.
That said, I think the new Vipers should ONLY be sold to persons who agree to put, say, 5000 miles on it in the first year. The major advantage to the Viper is advertising, and garage queens and trailer/show only cars don't bring the DODGE name to the public's view.
Maybe each buyer of the SRT ought to be required to allow the dealer nearest his/her home to put the car on the showroom floor to attract buyers, also. That would let even the little dealers have a share of the "THRILL OF VICTORY" and the large dealer with the knowledge and Viper Tec sell and service the car.
Just to show that we really believe this, when we got the '96 GTS we picked it up at the plant. Drove it home. Had the car serviced shortly thereafter and gave the dealer a couple weeks warning to advertise, and left it there on the showroom floor for about 3 weeks (behind 'ropes' by dealer choice). Also let the dealer 'demonstrate' the car to potential buyers a couple of times.
We intend to pick the SRT up at the plant when our time comes (no VIN yet) and drive it home. And may offer a local dealer the chance to benefit from the free press the car has received. (Assuming it ever arrives)
Sorry to take up so much space, but quit bitchin and enjoy a car that would cost $200,000+ if it came from across the pond.
P.S. if you don't think the public is interested in a look, just review the posts on this board regarding 'anybody know where'.

 

[Tom Friend]

I'll tell you why I am interested in seeing one- I ordered one. I'm really excited to see it roll off the Reliable truck, but I would like to see one in person first.

 

[TRAMP 13]

that is just what I did,I told my dealer that he could keep the car for 2 weeks because he made me a good deal.If the car doesn't come in until the middle of Dec. Then he can keep it until Jan. that way no luxury tax.Come on srt.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

How could anyone complain about the Cert. program. It puts the Viper owner in a position of power equal or more powerful than the dealer, any one who has ever bought a limited edition car has been down this road. I was ECSTATIC to find a dealer who would put me on his wait list and deliver an M5 for msrp. Ferrari dealers have deals with the Modena where you HAVE to sell the car back to them within the first year of so, if you attempt to profit from the sale of the car they will blackball you from all future orders. I have never heard any FIRM information regarding DC interfering with the future sale of a car or even a cert. on ebay. I have a hunch those are urban legends. But I heartily endorse Steve's opinion, if everyone rushes to flip these cars, then the dealers have a very strong arument as franchisees to make to their franchisor, DC, that Dc deprived them of potential profits in favor of the customer. This was a real stand up move for DC to make for the current Viper owner and I have no doubt it would not have happened but for the efforts of the lately much maligned VCA officers. I for one thank DC and the VCA for allowing me to get an early car at a great price. The Viper market is the only one I've been able to beat for 2 years!

 

[dancojax]

Bought ours from the "King of Viper Dealers" in a small obscure little town called Blair Nebraska. #4, so we must trust them.
But, since they don't need to show one, will probably allow a local dealer to 'display' if they're decent.

 

[Jay Herbert]

I really do not feel that there would have been a lot of dealer gouging on the SRT-10.

The dealer that had built the largest Viper allotment in the country (Woodhouse) took the lead on SRT pricing, offering it's allotted cars at MSRP WAY before the program was announced. That forced most of the other big Viper dealers to do the same. They had to if they wanted to sell any cars. So any gouging that would have occurred, would have been minimal, as a majority of Vipers were going to dealers that had built allotments, and most are pretty big Viper dealers: Woodhouse, Lathem, Roanoke, Fitzgerald, Buhler, Etc. that were planning to sell at MSRP.

Then the coupon program came along, allotments went out the window, and coupon holders had were given all the power (no coupon, no order). This caused an interesting supply/demand issue. The customer "really" controlled the supply since the dealer could not order the car W/O the customers coupon....... quite a thesis for a Harvard MBA. End result, little or no profit left at all for most dealers, and a number of SRT's were likely bought (that maybe would not have been otherwise) so the buyers could make.... what the dealer was not allowed to under this scenario.

So dealers that have built up their allotment over a period of ten years by treating their Viper customers fairly, all who had already announced MSRP pricing.... are making little or nothing on 2003 SRT's while buyers may be taking advantage of the program for personal gains.

Dealers that had no allotment, who had not even bothered to support the Viper community in any way in the past, offered SRT's at silly low prices, planning to make their money on a one time volume of Vipers on the dealer holdback.... and likely not planning to take care of those customers after the sale like the dealers that I mentioned above. If I were a betting man, these are the dealers that potential "resellers" went to..... because they don't care about service/care after the sale. I doubt we will ever see another program like this again.

Just my humble opinion