OT: car buying weirdness and question

You're right Heidi, it's miserably hot here.  All my friends in Ohio think it's so exciting that I live in Miami.  I personally think it sucks.  I moved here because of my job.  Hopefully someday I can move out of this hell hole to anywhere North of Florida.  The weather is miserable, the crime, housing prices, cost of living, the traffic...oh the list could go on and on.  My hair just melts from the walk from my car to my work.  People are so rude down here.  Sorry Lora, not trying to hijack your post.    

Go for the red! I was just thinking about a sexy red car last night.

And I really know nothing about contracts but if the contract you signed was for one certain car and then THEY altered the car then I would assume the contract could be void and I'd fight for my $ back.

Also, your experience with the evil dealership was so long ago that they might have had a complete management turnover by now, never know. Or they shaped up.

That's the thing..l I signed nothing at all except the form giving them permission to drive and examine my potential trade-in!  Why he would add something with no contract of any kind is beyond my comprehension... And I think it is on HIS shoulders.

Lora

UPDATE: I was at the dealer this morning and got a reasonable offer on my Civic as a trade-in, and I confirmed with the salesman that I really wanted a red one (and would wait for the next model year in September, if necessary, to get a red manual coupe).  He did not mention the black car at all and when I asked if I would get my deposit back if he could not obtain a red 2013, he confirmed that I would.  (The V6 is only available in three colors since mid year, but the problem isn't the color. It is the fact that I want a manual.  I could have a red automatic tomorrow. Nope, I want a manual.  Soooo much more fun to drive, and we don't have a huge problem with stop and go traffic where I live.)

Yesterday, the did a search in a 4-state area for a red manual and found 6 cars (one of which is at the other local dealer).  He said he would have to wait until Monday to try to make a trade for one of them because most dealerships are too busy with customers in the showroom on Saturday to deal with other dealer calls.  The "evils" dealership, BTW, will not trade with the other dealers in the are (not any of them).  A friend of mine talked to her husband (who used to work for the "evil" dealer at one of the other offices (Hyundai rather than Honda) and he said that it was originally because the evil dealership wanted the others to pay a fee for the trades (which apparently is unofficially verboten in the auto dealership world).

So, I told the dealer I like that I would give them until Wednesday to find a red one and then I would have to go to the other dealer and buy theirs (but that I would still have it serviced at the preferred dealer).

Keeping my fingers crossed.  I am really excited about getting a red one.  DEFINITELY the right decision. 

Lora

Buy the car you really want!  You'll be driving it for a long time and you don't want to spend the next 10-15 years regretting your choice.  When I bought a new car last year, I really wanted a red one.  The dealer didn't have one, salesman said they couldn't get one, so I settled for a gray one.  Signed the papers, took it home, looked at it the next day and was so sad about the color.  Every time I looked at it I felt depressed, and even considered getting it painted red.  Then the dealership's "new car manager" called to ask about my buying experience and I told him about really wanting the red car.  He got on the computer and found one a couple of hundred miles away.  It had a few more options than I had originally wanted, but i was so happy to find a red one I didn't mind a little extra cost (which was much cheaper than it would have been to repaint the gray one).  He sent someone to pick up the red car, and they took the gray one back.  It was the easiest, most pleasant experience I've ever had buying a car.  Every time I drive the car I feel happy - it's red, it's sporty, it's cute and I'm so happy I was able to get it.  So hold out for what you truly want, it will be worth it.

As for the dealer installing optional equipment without a signed contract, that's their problem.  Too bad, so sad.  You didn't authorize that equipment, you're not responsible for the salesman's mistake (if he really had the equipment installed.)

Best of luck!

Yes, after only a day, I realized that I just didn't have the excitement about the black one that I should have had.  I only got excited when I thought about or looked at pictures of the red one.  I knew that I would regret settling for the black one.  With both my 99 Prelude and the 09 Civic EXL w/Navi, I don't NEED a new car...  So finally finding an acceptable replacement for the Prelude (and going back down to one car) is something that should be joyful, and the black one wasn't going to be as joyful as the red one!

It is almost exactly the same red as my old Del Sol was.  Since I have a notoriously heavy foot, we called it "arrest me red", LOL. 

Lora