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What If The Car Dealer Doesn’t Have The Color I Want? [ Answered ]

What If The Car Dealer Doesn’t Have The Color I Want? [ Answered ]

When there are new vehicles in the market, it is only natural that there will be shortages. In many instances, it might happen that your dream vehicle is not available in the right color. So, what do you do in such cases? If your dealer does not have the color in which you want your car, does that mean you give up on your dream car or settle for something else? Well, in this article, we will be discussing this briefly. Let’s take a look.

There are a few of the steps that you need to follow when you decide to buy a car. First, you do extensive research to see what is best in the market; next, you choose your favorite ones. And finally, after the exciting phase of getting a good car, you choose your dealership. Many times, your dealership does not have the perfect vehicle you envisioned. Be it a shortage, or if it is not available currently at your dealer’s. At the same time, some people are willing to be flexible, and some stick to exactly what they want. Everyone is attached to one thing or the other; it can either be color, a piece of equipment like an engine/transmission, or maybe even the interior. The problem is dealers cannot stock every available combination of a model. So, what’s to be done when your dealer doesn’t have the color you want?

What if the dealer does not have the color I want?

The first thing is that you have four straight options when your car dealer doesn’t have exactly the color you want in stock. Firstly, the dealer can place a special factory order for you, or they can swap what you want in from another dealership that has the available color. Next, if you are willing to be a little more flexible, you can do a deal on something slightly different than they do have in stock. You can find a different dealership to choose from or ask your dealer to buy an inbound car for you.

Let’s look at the choice we have:

Buying an inbound vehicle

Due to the recent microchip shortage, many dealers have been selling vehicles before they even arrive. As a result, when new cars come fresh from the factory, they already have someone’s name on them. Dealers have gotten good at looking at the vehicles in the pipeline when someone has specific wants. They will have every information about the car before it even arrives. This is one of the best ways to get the car you have been looking for in the current situation.

Ordering a car

If your dealer is extremely good, they might even go to the extent of custom ordering a car for you.

But, there are certain things you need to be aware of when you are buying/ordering a car from the factory. Firstly, it is time-consuming and the length of time can vary greatly depending on the automaker. It can go up from six to eight weeks to 4 months depending on the availability of cars. In most cases, if your dealership is good, you are likely to get the car faster. Due to the recent car shortages, automakers prioritize building the already sold cars first.

Choosing another dealership

As no dealer can possibly have it all, it is very common among dealers to trade among themselves. It is ultimately your call whether you want to go this route, as it will most likely cost you a fortune. In many instances, brands give holdback money to the original dealer who receives it from the factory and often do not allow the car to the dealer who requires it.

In many cases, the 3% of the window sticker price has a significant impact on the final pricing of the car. On top of that, the transportation costs cannot be missed. When dealers move a car from one dealership to another, they pay for the shipping price, which affects the final cost of the car. Farther the car comes from, the more is the transportation price, resulting in a higher final price of the car.

Buying from the dealer’s current stock

If one of the previous options suits your choice, this is the last thing you can settle for. Buying from what the dealer already has in his stock is also the least expensive option you have. This way, you might not get exactly what you wanted, but you settle for something close. If it is only the color or the interior design, you do have options to get them changed later on. However, this is the cheapest and most efficient way available to buy if you settle for close to what you have in mind.

In summary, if you choose to buy from what the dealer already has in stock, you are sure to save money. But, if you decide to go to great lengths to get exactly the color you want, it is completely your choice.

Can the dealer change the color of the car?

Yes, of course, you have the option to ask the dealer to change the color of the car. However, in many cases, it might also be a problem. If there are many options available and your car is not in shortage from the manufacturer, the dealer might agree to change the color.

However, if you are buying a pretty costly car and the dealer has already taken 50% of the payment in advance, they might deny you that choice. Good dealers will look up the possible solutions, but dealers who are only concerned with the money will not let you change the color of your car.

Anyhow, you have the right to ask the dealer whether or not they can change the color of your car. If they deny it, you always have other options, which have been discussed above in the article.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a car is the second most important possession of a person after their house. Having a car, for many people, is more important than having a home itself, so it is a matter of excitement and hard work to get exactly what you want. You are lucky if the dealer has the car of the color you like; otherwise, not to be scared, you have other options too. There are options to explore, from pre-buying a car that is still being made at the factory to settling for something close to what you want. Lastly, most of it depends on your relationship with the dealer and the amount you are willing to spend on the car.