Same VIN listed available at multiple dealerships in FL, GA, NC, TN??

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surely

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Location
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I found a 2014 Nissan Leaf SL listed online at East Charlotte Nissan in Charlotte, NC. A couple days later it was gone, only to resurface after a day. Feeling like that was weird, I typed the VIN into Google for kicks and found that the same VIN is listed for sale at multiple dealerships: 2 in NC, 2 in TN, 1 in FL, 1 in GA...

Is this a common "get them in the door and then oops the car isn't available, why don't you look at these other ones" bait-and-switch scam? Would there be any sense in contacting Nissan corporate to let them know their dealerships are engaged in this? Or is this...somehow...a legitimate practice?

http://www.eastcharlottenissan.com/used-Charlotte-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
http://www.nissanofcookeville.com/used-Cookeville-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
http://www.tedrussellnissan.com/used-Knoxville-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
http://www.scottclarkhonda.com/used-Charlotte-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
http://www.nissanofathens.com/used-Athens-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
http://www.naplesnissan.com/used-Naples-2014-Nissan-LEAF-SL-1N4AZ0CP9EC331691
 
Wow, first electric vehicles, now matter duplication... Nissan R&D is really making strides. :lol:

I meant "legitimate" in the sense that Nissan approves of its certified dealers sharing car listings this way, and that they have the car on a truck ready to be towed to a given location at a moment's notice or something. I don't know, just trying not to be too alarmist .
 
That can mean its at a transfer lot and available to the whichever dealer gets an interested buyer and pays the transfer fee first. If after the test drive the perspective buyer says no it can go back into the pool and another dealer can opt to show it.

When I bought a new 2001 Chrysler Grand Voyager I was quoted from $38,000 to $22,000 for one in Champagne with Quad Seating, Dual Air and Sunscreen Glass. When I compared the details about each vehicle I found that the VIN numbers were all the same so everyone was trying to sell me the same van. I went with the dealer willing to sell it to me for $22,000 and he had the vehicle brought in from the transfer lot which was 60 miles away. It was rock solid reliable and I just sold it last year and in all that time it only needed brake pads, tires and light bulbs oh along with the standard oil/filter changes and a few AC R134 TopOffs. Common practice for years to sell vehicles not in stock from the transfer lot and no real shocker.

The $38,000 dealer even showed me his invoice proving that he was selling it to me at dealer cost however the $22,000 dealer just told me he was more interested in earning my families business and would sell it to me at his break even price. I learned not to trust dealers who show you their invoice. Chances are they have several invoices available with widely varying prices on them based on how badly they want your business or how valuable they asses you as a repeat customer.

The $22,000 dealer probably was seeing a wife along with 2 young daughters who in a few years would need cars too as potential customers over the long run along with my 2 brothers and their families. If he could have got me a Leaf I would have bought mine there, My daughters will go to him first too. My brothers went with that No Way place a number of times and regretted it every time. Why keep on doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result?
 
RockyNv said:
That can mean its at a transfer lot and available to the whichever dealer gets an interested buyer and pays the transfer fee first. If after the test drive the perspective buyer says no it can go back into the pool and another dealer can opt to show it.

When I bought a new 2001 Chrysler Grand Voyager I was quoted from $38,000 to $22,000 for one in Champagne with Quad Seating, Dual Air and Sunscreen Glass. When I compared the details about each vehicle I found that the VIN numbers were all the same so everyone was trying to sell me the same van. I went with the dealer willing to sell it to me for $22,000 and he had the vehicle brought in from the transfer lot which was 60 miles away. It was rock solid reliable and I just sold it last year and in all that time it only needed brake pads, tires and light bulbs oh along with the standard oil/filter changes and a few AC R134 TopOffs. Common practice for years to sell vehicles not in stock from the transfer lot and no real shocker.

The $38,000 dealer even showed me his invoice proving that he was selling it to me at dealer cost however the $22,000 dealer just told me he was more interested in earning my families business and would sell it to me at his break even price. I learned not to trust dealers who show you their invoice. Chances are they have several invoices available with widely varying prices on them based on how badly they want your business or how valuable they asses you as a repeat customer.

The $22,000 dealer probably was seeing a wife along with 2 young daughters who in a few years would need cars too as potential customers over the long run along with my 2 brothers and their families. If he could have got me a Leaf I would have bought mine there, My daughters will go to him first too. My brothers went with that No Way place a number of times and regretted it every time. Why keep on doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result?
Click to expand...

Great post with great info. Glad to hear this is not an unusual tactic. I will say, however, that when I reached out to the closest dealership to ask about the vehicle, they told me it had already been sold. Later that day, I was contacted by the same dealership about another Leaf on the lot, and I asked again about the original car... and they said it was in Naples. I think they were legitimately more interested in getting me into the car they already had on the lot because transferring the vehicle is a pain for them. So there's at least some aspect of "bait and switch" to this.
 

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