Getting ready to buy...need tips, dealer experiences, cautions.. [Archive]

sheag

11-21-2002, 09:42 PM

So I'm getting ready to buy my H2 and I'm nervous about the whole experience and what to expect. I live in Hawai'i, but I'm staying with friends in the Seattle-area for the primary purpose of test-driving and ordering/buying my Hummer here and then it will be shipped to Hawai'i. I've gone to a few dealerships and taken test drives. I've been treated better than I expected as I'm female and I didn't expect so many women to be buying the H2, but it turns out a lot of us are! I very naively expected that I was going to be able to buy one off the lot, but the inventory here is at most places extremely limited. I would really like a Sunset Orange with Adv Pkg and sunroof. I'm not excited about having to wait for a custom order, but I will if necessary. My concern is that several of the dealerships are selling these cars at more than a little above MSRP. Am I foolish to think that I should be able to get one for MSRP? I notice that on eBay many H2s are selling for MSRP and slightly under. Should I expect to pay a premium in order to get one off the lot if I find what I'm looking for?

Any experiences, advice, opinions welcome. Thanks, I've been lurking for some time and very much enjoy the conversations.

Shea

sheag

11-21-2002, 09:42 PM

Big Z

11-21-2002, 09:57 PM

Four Hummers were bought by a local dealer (not Hummer) on a thursday last week, ALL sold by saturday for 65k each. Another dealer had 1. They would not test drive, or allow it to be sat in, It sold. MSRP-It will be cool if you do! But Don't count on it, Buyers are standing in line! /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

11-21-2002, 10:35 PM

sheag:

First, welcome. Second, you should be able to land a deal at MSRP, but it depends on where you buy.

Be patient and order the options you want. I was #3 on my local dealer's waiting list and I had the opportunity to take one of the first H2s coming in - wee! Only one problem (or three to be exact): I did not want the brush guard, moon roof, nor side steps and the H2 coming to the dealer had all of these options. If I had been patient, I would've placed an order on a vehicle that wasn't loaded and pocketed the savings.

Let us know how it goes.

Klaus

11-21-2002, 10:35 PM

I bought mine right off the lot at MSRP. What I did was to go to www.gmbuypower.com (http://www.gmbuypower.com) and build my H2. When I was finished, I used the option to contact all 4 dealers in the Atlanta area to let them know what I was looking for.

One dealer, Hummer of Union City GA, emailed me and said they had the truck on the lot. I dropped by the next day after lunch, and drove it away that evening.

They changed out the steps for tubes, and changed out the standard grill guard for the larger unit.

The only problem I had was a couple of bad relays in the underhood fuse box. One controlled the high-beam headlights. It was a little touch and go the first time I switched on the high beams at night on a lonely road at speed!

Here is the info on Hummer of Union City GA:

HUMMER of Union City
4100 Jonesboro Road
Union City, GA 30291
Phone 770-306-6000
Email wpb1996@aol.com
Fax 770-306-6020

They are located just South of Atlanta. I bought mine 10/30/02, and they had about 30 on the lot.
Might be worth a call!

MAC

11-21-2002, 10:36 PM

Have not look at eBay recently, but I remembered many final bid prices did not meet the reserve, no sale. The prices I have seen were higher than MSRP. Everything is possible, but have not heard of any Hummer below MSRP.

There is nothing stupid about paying a little extra to get a Hummer, 50" thin TV, diamond ring, Rolex, latest video game or hot tickets NOW, how much extra is depending on your wallet and how much you want it. You got the money and you want it now, why not? I know some people who do it often, I don't see them crying, in fact, strangely, they get richer and richer.

Personally I would not compromise on the color, you have to look at it for many years to come.

11-21-2002, 10:38 PM

I ordered mine 8 weeks ago, still another 4 weeks til delivery. Since the moonroofs are limited, the likelihood of finding the color and the moonroof in the same combination is probably slim however some of the larger dealers have better selection. You're going to spend a significant amount of money so my advice is get what you want even if it means waiting a little extra time - order it if you have to. You should have no problem finding a dealer who will provide it for MSRP, expecially if you order it. And don't forget about trying some of the Hummer Only dealers.

good luck,
JJ

Zing

11-21-2002, 10:44 PM

My advice is to order exactly what you want even if you have to wait a few months. This is a beautiful vehicle that you will be driving for a while and you shouldn't compromise. And if a dealer is pricing over MSRP, go to another. Many on this site have gotten free or discounted accessories, not that you should expect that, but you shouldn't expect to pay more. And if you happen to find and H2 on the lot that you like, even better.

Welcome to the forum and best of luck!

MAC

11-21-2002, 11:07 PM

Did you read that? 30 HUMMERS ON THE LOT!
What does that mean? If they are really hot sellers, you don't have 30 Hummers on the same lot, that is a lot of inventory of one vehicle and a lot of interest cost. If you have 30 on the lot, you will sell them at a discount if you have to. The key is to keep inventory on hand for as short of time as possible. Think of the logistic and the business side of 30 Hummers on the lot. Sorry, I could not help it to count the beans. Numbers don't match.

Zing

11-21-2002, 11:14 PM

Where did you read 30 on the lot, Mac?

11-21-2002, 11:15 PM

Maybe those 30 Hummers are part of a drop shipment headed to US Army - our boys could use a more comfortable ride from time to time...

JJ

MAC

11-21-2002, 11:20 PM

The dude H2 4X4 said at the bottom of his post:

"They are located just South of Atlanta. I bought mine 10/30/02, and they had about 30 on the lot. Might be worth a call!"

Klaus

11-21-2002, 11:45 PM

It's no lie... They had that many. I haven't been back since, so I can't tell you what they have now. I can tell you that they had every color at the time. They are also a Saturn dealer. What a contrast!

They told me that they had driven a few of them to Atlanta Motor Speedway to show them.

I'll be back there in a few days to pick up some locking lug nuts, and the service manual on CD, so I'll take a look and see what has happened since I bought mine. I live about 30 miles away.

Klaus

Klaus

11-22-2002, 12:00 AM

One other thing... I don't know how long they are staying on the lot. I bought mine 10/30/02, and it has a build date of 10/02 on the door sticker!

Klaus

HeeHaw

11-22-2002, 12:26 AM

You will get one at MSRP. Don't rush it. Visit Sunny Southern California and I can take you to 3 dealers that will sell at MSRP.

One dealer has several. not 30, but several to select from. The other 2 dealers have a few, maybe 3-5 to pick from at all times. /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Hee

HummerGirl

11-22-2002, 02:11 AM

You can always check the inventories online through Hummer to see who has what on their lots.

~amy
Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination.~anon.

http://www.CelestialBath.com

Texas Red

11-22-2002, 02:18 AM

Gimme a link Hummergirl. /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif I tried www.hummer.com (http://www.hummer.com) and couldn't find any inventory info.

Jim
Red H2 in Texas

Hummie2

11-22-2002, 02:48 AM

H2 4X4...

Tell me more about the service manual on CD. When I inquired at a dealer they said their CD covered the whole GM line. It is a subscription that is updated every quarter and is pretty expensive. They did direct me to Helm Publication for H2 service manual. Helm says the manuals are still in printing and are not available yet. I would rather have the manual on a CD if they can be had.

Don

OLE YLLR

11-22-2002, 03:34 AM

WELCOM TO THE FORUM I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FEEL LIKE TRAVELING, BUT I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE INVENTORY AT PASADENA HUMMER AND THEY HAVE 3 SUNSET ORANGE H2,S. YOU MIGHT E-MAIL THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE EQUIPPED WITH. GOOD LUCK OLE YLLR. /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Klaus

11-22-2002, 03:52 AM

Don,

Like you, I called Helm. They had no idea when it would be available, and gave me Hummer's phone number to call. I called Hummer, they put me on hold, called the dealer, then transferred me to the dealer after they had talked them.

The dealer says he has ordered the CDs, but they have not yet come in. I'll post an update when they come in.

On my own, I discovered that folks are selling the si-2000 CDs on Ebay. They have, as you say, all the GM service info. I bought a set on Ebay for $35, and it does have Hummer info. Unfortunately, the CDs appear to be issued every 2 weeks, and GM's web site has an update patch that comes out between CD updates. The patch will only work on the latest CD release, so without getting the latest CDs, the info will get old. BTW, the GM site is http://service.gm.com/

Klaus

OLE YLLR

11-22-2002, 04:00 AM

THE INVENTORY SITES ARE ON MOST DEALERS WEB SITES WHICH ARE POSTED ON THIS SITE AT THE HEADER PAGE SCROLL DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL DEALER AND CLICK ON THE DEALER YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. SOME POST INVENTORY SOME DON'T. OLE YLLR

Hummie2

11-22-2002, 04:01 AM

KLAUS...

Thanks for the quick reply. (i wish my H2 could get here this quick) Not that I plan on doing my own repairs, but I would like to have a set of manuals to be well informed on all of the vehicle systems. I have purchased service manuals for every new vehicle I have ever bought. They are well worth their price.

Don

SONA

11-22-2002, 10:53 AM

Well at the risk of taking some hits... It really depends on how much you want to spend, and how long you are willing to wait. One place is Jacksonville is said to be auctioning off each one as it comes in to the list of waiting buyers. If you want MSP shop, shop, shop and be prepared to wait, wait, and wait. We had some recent fortune and drove by deal, interest peaked, drove in, bought one right then and there and paid sticker price. That's right paid sticker price, and after numerous cars throughout my life, never paid more then $500 over invoice for any car.... but we fell in love with the H2 and dove in. They sell an average of one a day or everyother and if you want one go get it. Most importantly, find a dealer from a current H2 owner and go where the best deal is.. certainly depends on what state you live in and how far you have to drive for service. Best service is always from who you get the car from and I dont need to drive to South BF Egypt when an small or large problem develops. Oh yea, like I tell my friends, if you can't afford the gas, don't buy one, good luck.

SONA

11-22-2002, 10:56 AM

talk to New Harley Davidson owners.. If you dont buy it the guy behind you will. The H2 sells itself and I do not think there is much room for discussion on the price. It is a luxury item. (just and after thought I wanted to add).

HummerGirl

11-22-2002, 11:16 AM

My favorites list...which is getting thicker and thicker...

All I did was go to the Hummer website and clicked on find/locate a dealer. This will open the "Hummer" layout. All the Hummer dealerships work under this method from what I found. When you go to your choice of website it should give you an availability link. ("Search our Inventory") I did this with several of the Atlanta area dealerships even though I did not buy mine there. I bought mine in Florida.

~amy
Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination.~anon.

http://www.CelestialBath.com

x-mst.com

11-22-2002, 12:27 PM

I got mine there too. It was a 45 minute drive from Suwanee, GA; but it was worth it to get one same-day. None of the other four Atlanta area dealers had any that weren't spoken for; but Hummer of Union City had 10 at the time.

I asked how they had so many when the other dealers had none. The answer was simply that they filled out their paperwork properly and the other dealers did not; therefore, they got the other dealers inventory. I don't know if that is true or not...

Anyway, they were really a Saturn dealership and therefore their customer service was excellent. I got it for MSRP, but had to pay $450 for the "clearcoat ****". There was absolutely no way to get around it--it wasn't written in--it was actually a hard part of the sales form.

I did save from them because their price on the external tire swing arm was only $1200, whereas other Atlanta area dealers were charging up to $2200!

Hummie2

11-22-2002, 12:54 PM

Some of the local dealers here in Houston do the clear coat/ fabric protection and VIN etch all glass when the vehicle first hits the ground at the dealership. They get a break on their insurance for the VIN etch and pass the cost on to the customer. Supposedly there is a small insurance policy that will pay about $2k if the vehicle is stolen. The cost is about $1200 for everything. This is about 80% profit for the dealer. Atleast you do get a little something for a $1200 markup over MSRP.
"What ever the market will bear" certainly holds true for the H2.

Don

HummerGirl

11-22-2002, 07:09 PM

$1200.00 for the tire carrier...!!!!!!

Yikes...got mine for $695.00 and a tire cover for free on Ebay.

Installed it myself (except I needed help lugging the tire on the rack) and did the wiring too! Took around 30 minutes to install.

Sometimes it pays to be a female shopper!

~amy
Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination.~anon.

http://www.CelestialBath.com

x-mst.com

11-22-2002, 07:31 PM

What kind of wiring are you talking about?

HummerGirl

11-22-2002, 10:11 PM

The license plate has to be moved from the hatch and replaced towards the left hand side of the bumper. The SMA tire carrier that I bought, which is the same one the Hummer dealers are using, has a license plate light bc by law it has to be visible at night. So when you turn on your parking lights it will come on an illuminate the tag.

I had to find the wires that ran to the parking light and splice them and add the wire to the license plate holder. It was super easy. Just had never wired anything external on a car. Only put in interior products such as TVs/Radios etc.
So I was super leery about messing up my H2 baby!

Got it working just fine. Saved me lots of $$$!

~amy
Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination.~anon.

http://www.CelestialBath.com

VPRKLR

11-22-2002, 10:55 PM

I just ordered mine today at Putnum in Burlingame, MSRP.

Joe C.

MAC

11-22-2002, 11:10 PM

Congratulation, Joe. How long will it take to get it? I drove passed Putnam yesterday, did not see any Hummer H2 on the lot.

I got my Hummer from Putnam Hummer too. They are pretty low key and professional. In Hummer survey about dealership, I reported everything was great, except I wish the showroom is more fancier or luxurious or have cappuccino machine or something like that. Ordering the Hummer didn’t take long, I had appointment & no waiting, there was no bargaining involved. But when I took delivery, even with advance reservation, I waited 2 hours, which was uncalled for.