I recently rode my Harley to a Harley Motorcycle Dealership to test drive a Harley Trike. I wasn’t intending on making a trade, I just wanted to test drive the trike and see what it rode like. When I test drove the trike I liked it, and out of curiosity I asked the salesman how much my bike was worth on trade-in. He said he has to write up a sales sheet before he can give me a quote on my bike. It was quite confusing when they wrote the sales sheet, since it showed the list price was now $2,500 higher than what I was told the sticker price was on the trike. I asked the salesman about that and he assured me that he now had the correct price on the sheet and the other price I was given was not correct. When they told me how much they would give me for my bike, it was nowhere near what I would take for it. I decided to look my bike up on eBay completed listings on my iPhone, to get an idea what they were going for. What they offered me was $3,000 lower than what I could sell it for on eBay. My mind was on how much I could sell my bike for on eBay when they asked me what it would take for me to make this deal with them today (typical salesman). I told them they were $3,000 off from what I could sell my bike on eBay for. Eventually they gave me the extra $3,000, I had noticed the price had also gone up another $500. They offer me a better interest rate and it was off to the finance department to close the deal. I am still baffled at how easy it was for them to close this deal with me and what was I thinking???…
When I sat down in front of the finance man he told me he was under extreme stress, it was late on Saturday and he had seven more closings after mine. Then he apologized for seeming to take it out on me, saying he knew it was not my fault he was overworked. He started printing papers and slapping them down in front of me and saying “sign here.” I started asking questions about the price and what I was signing and he said; “What are you thinking, that we are trying to cheat you or something?” He answered my questions like I was detaining him and unsettling his nerves again. It was like a new frustration every time I ask him anything, and irritation at each additional question. I asked him if I could have a copy of the work sheet and he said no. I should have got up and walked out, but I was kinda in a daze and I signed the papers, not even knowing what I signed and this finance man not in a mood to talk about it. This is not like me, I just don’t do things like this, and still not sure why I did.
After I returned home, riding my new trike, I began to think about what I had just done. I had forgotten that they had boosted the price $2,500 from the original asking price. I also had a hard time sleeping with all this on my mind not understanding what I had just signed. I was trying to keep in mind that Jesus said in the world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, He has overcome the world… but still I had a hard time sleeping…(John 16:33)
I gave them a call Monday morning to complain about the way I had been treated. I told the sales manager I had called another Harley Davidson shop and their sticker price was the first price I was quoted. I said I want to either bring the trike back and cancel the deal or we can write a new contract and loan agreement with a clear agreement. I also want a complete work sheet with everything I am paying. The sales manager told me that I could not bring back the trike since now it was used. He said he couldn’t sell it to me for the price the other Harley Dealership was selling for because his dealership always sells for $3,000 over MSRP, but he would try to work something out. I said, “no, we are not going to do either of those options. You are going to give me my money back or sell at the same price as the other dealership. If you don’t then I will call the Texas Attorney General and turn you in for deceptive trade practices. I also will build a review web site for your motorcycle dealership and tell my side of this to everyone that looks for reviews about your business.” He changed his mind and agreed to sell me the trike for the same price as the other dealership, then he also offered to still give me the same price for my bike that we had agreed on. The difference between the finance note I signed on Saturday and the finance note I signed on Monday was $6,700. Part of that was because I had them remove the $2,279 extended warranty since they were charging more than double what the other dealership charged. All the time I was making the deal with them God was preparing a table in the presence of my enemies. These people working at this dealership were not my enemies, this entire thing was a weapon formed against me by the devil and these people were UN-knowingly being used to do it. I actually like the people at the dealership, they were just doing what came natural to them. They had no idea when this started that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, or that all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purposes. (Isaiah 54:17, Romans 8:28)
In the end of the entire ordeal I made a $2,000 better deal than I could have made at the other dealership, probably any other dealership. I am enjoying the table that was prepared for me by the Lord!
