Quoted from Mike_J:Please name the dealer.
They are trying to screw you.
Quoted from Shiver11:It’s a pretty big operation in the Midwest. Well known and they have multiple physical store fronts… I’m reluctant to share their name just yet for a few reasons. 1, I don’t want to falsely smear their name/reputation, 2, I want to follow up with Stern directly to confirm, and 3, if it turns out to be fraudulent I want to follow up with the police first before they get any heads up that they’ve been reported.
I can share this though, if you are asked to put down a 50% deposit for a $14999 price then you’ve likely run into the same shop.
Amini's?
If that's the case, I am not surprised by the quote you received. In my experience they place ridiculous markups on just about everything, but if you go through the motions with them you can usually haggle down to a more reasonable deal (at least in saner times, good luck with this one).
I don't think they are overt scammers (they aren't going to abscond with your deposit), just a little smarmy like a car dealership with some business practices (such as charging something like $400 for store pickup); however, the two locations I am familiar with are nice stores that are actually staffed with some knowledgeable people, and they do provide decent customer service.
Brighton, CO
