Jack Demmer Lincoln

Unfair sales practice - caution buying online and out of state. I’m a car guy and I do all my car shopping on the internet, so have become quite familiar with the process. I tried to purchase a car online state. I’m a car guy and I do all my car shopping on the internet, so have become quite familiar with the process. I tried to purchase a car online (from another state) and felt strongly that the process was not handled fairly. Thus, I feel compelled to share this unfortunate situation with all online car shoppers who may experience discrimination based on their home’s distance from the dealership. The day before the car went live on the dealership website, I emailed them asking to make a deposit to hold the car. I knew this because I have been searching for this specific vehicle for quite some time, and it only appeared on one third-party website (without pictures); however, it was completely absent on the dealer website. I was skeptical, so I checked CarFax which indicated it was offered for sale at the dealership just one day prior. They called the following morning (9:41am) and told me someone would call me back to take my deposit - actually sounded like things would go smoothly. Getting a call back took longer than expected but I was unconcerned since the vehicle was unpopular and obscure. When they finally called back it was to tell me they decided to sell it to someone else. Allegedly, someone walked into the dealership that same morning and it was immediately sold to them while completely ignoring my online bid from the previous day. I understand cars sell fast, but that’s irrelevant, unless someone is careless, irreverent, and grabby. The larger problem is that there does not appear to be an equitable process or operation in place for people who can't easily visit the dealership in person. If I had refused to make the deposit or was unresponsive to calls / text / email, then I would understand it would default to the next bid. Instead, they apparently let someone jump the line which I found both discourteous, unfair, and unprofessional. If I did not live hours away, I would have arrived in person, but this should not be used against me as long as I make serious efforts to complete the purchase (i.e. putting down a deposit). If a dealership is offering and promoting their cars on the internet, then online bids need to be respected and taken seriously (equally valid as in person), unless their behavior does not align with that of a serious buyer. Otherwise, they are discriminating against all buyers who do not conveniently live nearby. I can sympathize with private sellers who do not sell cars for a living due to lack of resource and experience; however, this is completely unacceptable for a luxury car dealership that is supposedly committed to customer service. If such discriminatory practices cannot be changed, then this should be openly disclosed so all online buyers are aware and can adjust their expectations accordingly. More