I purchased a Prius C Two in red yesterday and I'm thrilled with the car- but I have a few questions about the add-ons offered by the dealership. -Guardian alarm- the finance person insisted that the Prius C batteries are being stolen to put into older Priuses and that I should purchase the Guardian Alarm system for $400. I know there's another thread on this forum talking about a similar selling tactic, but someone said "I don't know why he tried to hype the battery as a theft item. You would need to get past the security system to get into the car" and as far as I'm aware the car doesn't have a security system. So, do I need this or not? I live in a suburb of a large city. -7 year extended warranty, $850. Worth it? The only reason I'm considering it is because it's a brand new model. I'm guessing that if something goes wrong, it'll probably be after 7 years of the car's life. -Permaplate interior and exterior protection, $495- I'm extremely upset about this one because the finance guy made it sound like it would protect the car from chips (I asked specifically for the clear film and he said this one was better) and said it would warranty the seats against stains for seven years. But now I'm reading online and it looks like it has to be reapplied frequently to keep the warranty and is no better than your average wax/scotchguard. I signed a thing that says the accessories are non-cancellable, but I was never given the warranty for the Permaplate and I feel like I was misled about what it does/what I have to do to qualify for the warranty. Any chance I can complain about this and get it refunded, or am I locked in? Thanks for your help.
I think your sales guy is, well, selling stuff. A salesman with tactics. I'd talk to the manager and tell him if that's how he does business I'll take mine somewhere else. Sorry you have to put up with a thief.
Thanks, but like I said in my original post I already purchased. What I need to know is if I should get the extended warranty, if there's any truth to the security/battery theft claim, and if I can do anything about the Permaguard.
If anyone is gonna steal from you, its gonna be the dealer. Don't buy the security gimmick for the battery. By saying such nonsense, he's pretty much telling you the battery pack is crap and expensive, so people steal them...first I heard of that. How would the Prius C's battery fit into another older model??? ask him that! Extended warranty, I say no...others buy it for the peace of mind. Expensive peace if you ask me.
Your whole car will be stolen before the pack. Stealing the pack is probably about as easy as stealing an engine. All of it is BS & fear mongering. If you expect to turn a profit on the warranty why are you buying such a repair-prone car?
Okay, thanks guys. This is my first car purchase and I should have stuck to my gut that all car salesmen are sleazeballs. I'm going to pass on the warranty and the security system and hope for the best. My insurance has a new car replacement/total loss policy where I get a brand new car if my car's totaled in the first three years for $100/year, so I might consider that.
I purchased the extended warranty simply because I have claimed at least once on every car that I have purchased on the past 15 years. I have more than broken even on these warranties. I, like you was offered a similar form of paint and interior protection but I passed on this as well as on my previous car (Versa). They wanted $1,000 for that nonsense. The alarm is incredible nonsense. I am an insurance underwriter (commercial liability not auto) and I think that you are wise to purchase the replacement cost feature from your auto insurer. I too paid about $100.
Good information. I have 30 days to decide on the extended warranty. It's hard to decide because I've heard a lot for and against it- it all comes down to people who have used it and people who haven't.
Actually, it comes down to peace of mind. Statistically, you will lose money on it. Otherwise, the dealer wouldn't be selling it. It makes them money. The amount people pay in is less than the number of claim dollars. Simple economics. My sister buys it all the time despite what I say. She says something is always happening to her car. She needs the peace of mind. I've never purchased extended warranties for anything. I've had 1 mishap with the AC condenser on a Corolla that an extended warranty would've covered. So I figure I'm a few thousand $ ahead.
The BS they give u to line the stealer pockets. It's a very sad state of affairs because this seems to be the norm.
The incentives and pressures to up sell are the problem. They are only trying to feed their families. It's their employers and supervisors that need to be hung from the highest trees. Thank goodness that they can 't do under coats on hybrids or we would be subjected to that too.
Not sure how it works there, but in Australia the system is you do the deal with the salesperson, then you get sent to an office out the back to a person who typically comes from a particular demographic and appearance who will then try to sell you all the crud you do not need. There is a term for them that I won't repeat here, but the general rule of thumb is to just say no to anything they offer... either you don't need it or you could get it done better for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. I'm still quite proud of myself for pulling off a brilliant move with the c. I walked in off the street quite late on a Sunday and got a test drive, having already done extensive research and looked over one at another dealer. Came back in after the drive ready to buy and we did a deal I was happy with and signed. By this stage it was right on closing time and the individual out the back had gone home for the day. They later e-mailed me the junk then called and I could brush them off in less than 30 seconds. When I picked up the car they then tried to sell me insurance, roadside service and something else, but I was carrying/transferring all that stuff from the old car. That time they actually made me sign a thing that they had offered these things and I declined. Whatever... got my c with exactly the inclusions and cost from the initial deal.
Same here. My answer was no, no, no and no thanks. I was happy with the attitude of the dealer, they didn't try to push anything I had said no to. I will probably buy my next vehicle there.
OMG, I was so happy to finally, for once in my life, deal with a salesperson and dealership that was very low pressure. I've dealt with high pressure sleaze balls I the past - an exhausting experience that makes me sad for humanity.
