PDI List gave dealer pause

[GrumpyG]

I was supposed to close on my new TT tomorrow. I had sent the dealer a copy of the PDI checklist from the forum, but he didn't look at it until today.

He says that the PDI won't be ready to be done tomorrow, but I could go ahead and close. LOL!!! Yeah right. I told him I wasn't going to close until I was happy with the PDI. He seemed to be taken aback, but it is what it is. If he isn't happy with it, there are other dealers.

While my money is still in my pocket, I have more leverage. When my money goes into his pocket, I have no leverage. He can tell me to pound sand. Sad that the RV industry works this way. What if the auto industry worked the same way??

[{tpc}]

I would bet this won't be the last dealer to take pause at the checklist. That doesn't make it right but still my feeling.

What things on the checklist couldn't be done? Or does he mean he can't do the whole walkthrough tomorrow, but will on another day?

For the record, I closed about 1 months before I picked up the trailer. For me it was more about timing than anything else. I took the checklist with me and looked over as much as I could first, talked with the people at the dealer to get a "feel" for how they operate, and when I was satisfied I wasn't going to get screwed, we closed. That said, they could have screwed us.

When I went to pick up the trailer, we found a couple things that we weren't happy with and they fixed them on the spot. We have found a couple minor ones over the last year that I have corrected on my own, or just haven't got around to it, but it wasn't worth having it sit there on their lot for warranty stuff so I never brought it back. It past its "year" anyways while it was still too cold to do anything and surrounded by snow.

If I would have gave that pdi list to my dealer outright, instead of looking at some stuff on my own that I could do, and speaking with them about other stuff that I wanted them to show me, they would have likely said the same thing. They are the biggest dealer around and have multiple locations. They are the closest to me. And they probably sell 10 times more than any dealer nearby, so if they lose my sale...big deal.

Again, doesn't make it right. The list is sound, but you also have to go with your gut...if he gave you a bad feeling, its ok to walk. Once they have your money, your stuck with it and having to deal with warranty stuff.

Edit to add....my dealer typically does their closings during the week when the banks are open, then schedules the walk through on the weekend. Its not that they won't do it all on the weekend, they will, but hours are tighter because of all the walk throughs they are doing, and sometimes it might mean you don't get to do your walk through anyways. I think because like me, a lot of them are newbies, and need things set up and explained like hitches, brake controls, etc.

I think if I was trading or buying again, I could speed up the process tenfold.

[GaryWT]

I know there is a list here but have never read the whole thing. People that have sent it ahead of time are sometimes upset when the dealer tells them they have already done everything on the list and do not do it again. The dealer I have bought the last 2 trailers check everything out and when you arrive it is more how things work and what do you need to be shown so you know how to do everything. I got to look things over to see if anything was wrong. Each dealer is different as is each buyer. Hope it all works out.

[tommy_z]

A week before I scheduled delivery I sent the PDI checklist to the finance guy and told him I planned to go through it before taking delivery. I got a lot of pressure to sign papers FIRST. I was adamant about doing it my way, and they ultimately conceded. The tech knew about my list and he said he'd do the same thing.

After all, it's just like buying a house and it's common to get those inspected before buying!

I still found a few minor things that weren't explicitly called out on the list, so apply your own common sense too. My tech fixed stuff real-time as I found issues, and he got a $$ tip from me for being so good about it all.

[GrumpyG]

The Service Mgr went over my entire list. Took the better part of 2 days. They conceded that I was entitled to check everything out before closing. I just don't think they ever saw a list that long. LOL!

Anyway, we're back on for tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!

[tgpilot]

So, where do we find this list? Can anyone post up a link etc.? Thanks.

[GT2400BH]

Try this

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5127