Car Dealership Asking Me to Pay More for a Car I Bought 4 Months Ago

Bought a car from Hyundai 4 months ago, going to arrive in 2 more months and I received a call today from the salesman stating that due to increased costs, they are charging $1200 more then the agreed price. I would need to pay the extra money in order to get the car but I can get my deposit back if I decide to cancel my order.

I signed the paperwork back in Feb and apparently there is a clause something along the lines that they can increase the price until it arrived in Australia. I will confirm when I read the paperwork once I get back home from work but regardless, what happened to 'A deals a deal'? I already was willing to pay RRP for the car but random price hikes after the deal is made seem bs.

My main questions to the community is

  1. Is this a bluff? Has this happened to anyone else?
  2. If the clause is in the contract, would it be still legal under consumer law?
  3. Should I just accept its a sellers market and swallow my pride? Am I being unreasonable?

Thank you for your time

closed Comments

  • +4

    Its year covid, you not the only one https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/711567

    If the clause is in the contract, would it be still legal under consumer law?

    you haven't bought it yet, just a order, they willing to refund.

  • My 2¢

    1. I wouldn't think so. But no it hasn't happened to me.
    2. Yes
    3. If you want the car, even at the new price, yes.

    It is reasonable that you are disgruntled, but if that clause is in the contract, you're stuck with accepting one of their two options.
    And I'm sure they wouldn't have reduced the price if costs had come down.

  • If its in the paperwork that you signed of course they can do it.

  • Do you really want to wait another four months for a car if you cancel?

    • And if you do, the same terms will probably be in the new contract so could happen again.

  • +2
    1. No. Yes would've happened to many
    2. Yes
    3. Yes.

    but random price hikes after the deal is made seem bs.

    Our (Toyota's) cars currently have up to a 3yr wait time. Unfortunately we can't hold prices for that long, so we too have these clauses

    • Who are these people waiting 3 years? Surely thats fiction - not from you, but from the mothership marketing team…

      Who are these people waiting 6 months?

      I'd look for something else… then again I'd never buy new again, let someone else pay the '15% drive out the driveway' depreciation

      • +2

        '15% drive out the driveway' depreciation doesn't exactly exist at the moment.

        • True to a point, but it still does depending on which car your talkin about…
          Those that are on waiting lists for fools, would be true..
          Those that can be delivered immediately then yea there'd be depreciation still… and I wouldnt pay it :)

        • More likely to appreciate in value if wait times are going up three years on new cars.

      • +1

        you from 1980? its 2022 now :)

        • Last new car I bought was in 1990 :) Last new bike I bought was 1984…

      • +1

        LC70 buyers, hence why used ones are asking over $20k more

        Most people

        That's fine. You could end up buying a 3yo car for the same price as a new one, but get it straight away. Or buy a make/model that isn't desirable, hence shorter wait times.

        There is no '15% drive out the driveway depreciation' lol hasn't been for 2 years. You want a 1yo one, you're paying more than a new one, so good luck with that.

      • them Landcruisers battle tanks

        I waited just on 9months.

      • People waiting to get their LandCruiser 70. Four years, or never

        • Nothing like buying a brand new 1974 car.
          70 series buyers are missing some sheep in the top paddock.

  • +2

    Read your contract

  • +1

    what hyundai model did you purchase?

    • Looks to be either a Kona N, Sedan N or i30N

  • Yep, if you'd paid on the spot it'd be a different story, but as you haven't paid and inflation etc prices aren't valid for the period they once were.

    In my industry we've had people buy excavators and chose to pay a 10% deposit rather than signing on the dotted line from day 1.

    6 months later the excavator had gone up 10% effectively absorbing the deposit.
    Take the refund if you don't want to 'overpay'

  • Have a read of the posts in the following:
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/711567

  • +2

    …what happened to 'A deals a deal'? I

    It is, but you agreed that they can raise the price as per the deal you made.

  • I just got a Hyundai for my wife last week and squeeze the sales guy (I bought another car with him before hand 3 months ago). Apparently, Hyundai put up prices and adjusted things with the new financial year. So I reckon they are being charged the new year price and they want to make the difference up now.

    Hyundai have apparently cut the bonuses too because of the high demand, it is easy to sell a car, so why do dealers new bonuses?

  • what happened to 'A deals a deal'?

    Welcome to 1985…. take a seat.

    imagine being one of the suckers on the 3yr waiting list… by then it would have doubled.

  • +4

    My main questions to the community is
    1. Is this a bluff? [No]
    1a. Has this happened to anyone else? [Yes]
    2. If the clause is in the contract, would it be still legal under consumer law? [Yes]
    3. Should I just accept its a sellers market and swallow my pride? [No]
    3a. Am I being unreasonable? [Possibly/Not really]

    You are not being forced to buy the car at the new price. The new price just means that the old contract is no longer valid and you have 3 options.
    1: Tell them to shove it and buy something/somewhere else.
    2: Accept what they are offering you.
    3: Renegotiate the contract. If you think you have the power and the skills, go for it. Maybe get some free services or discounts. Ask for some after market accessoroes you feel cover the extra you are now being asked to pay.

    • +2

      Best reply so far. Thanks mate.

      • I'm guessing it's an i30/Kona N series if it's $1,200. Just look at it this way, what percentage of your car's original price has it gone up? On the lowest/cheapest variant, i30 N manual, it has gone up about 2.6%. While it is a shitty thing for them to do on existing orders, it isn't unforeseeable when you order something 4 months out (hence why it is in the contract).

        You just have to decide, are you really that pissed off over a 2.6% price rise on a vehicle that you are willing to back out of the deal, lose the car and go back on a 4~6 month waiting list with another manufacturer, only to be stiffed by them in a few months?? And if you are, then you have nothing to lose by putting that to them.

        If you are pissed about it, but still want/need the vehicle and are willing to pay the price hike, then again, no harm in pressing for a better deal. Ask to meet half way. If you win, you win. If you don't, then just pay the new price.

        Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Over the life of the vehicle, you are going to spend more money in the same time of ownership on other things. An extra $1,200 spread over, let's say, 6 years of ownership, is $200 a year. The longer you keep it, the less this $1,200 is going to matter, and over a short term, everyone is paying the higher price, so it will mean that all of these vehicles will be asking more at sale time.

        • Or someone else gonna happily drive their car four months early, mmmm smell of a new car smell :)

          • @boomramada: Basically, yeah. Either pay the $1,200 and get it now, or tell the dealer to shove it, go to the back of the queue and pay $2,000 in 6 months after they have another price rise because "inflation".

            Car makers do this because "they can" and people will grumble and just pay it. The other reason they do it is in the hope of clearing the back orders with cancellations. For them, it's a win win.

  • +2
  • -1

    Is it Hyundai Tucson?

  • Hyundai seizing the situation and attempting to make an extra $5million by the end of year 22.
    Not doing a lot for 'customer satisfaction', but welcome to the family.

  • Remember, you can always negotiate a contract. Read what they wrote in contract and you can cross out/negotiate the terms.

    I've seen so many people just sign without looking at contracts written by companies that aim to maximise profits.

  • Forum post closed as per request by OP.

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