Tips on Buying Cars: Rebate, nissan altima, finance manager

Question
 I just bought a 2009 Nissan Altima the dealer sales manager sold me the car for $23499.00 that was the price he quoted me. After I agreed to buy the car and went to the finance manager. The finance manager added a $1500.00 rebate to the price of the car making it $24999.00. I told him that wasn't what I agreed to buy the car for. He stated that I was responsible for the sales tax on the rebate and that was why it was added to the price of the car. Then at the bottom he took the $1500.00 rebate off the price after everything was added up. I feel that I was cheated out of the $1500.00 rebate. I wasn't told that the offer that was made to me included at rebate. As a matter of fact I didn't know that the car had a rebate until I went to the finance manager's office. In the State of Florida you are responsible for the taxes on the rebate but it isn't added to the price of the car making you pay more sales tax then requires.

Answer
Jerry,

Thanks for your question.  Unfortunately if you signed the contracts and took delivery of the vehicle, you agreed to it.  Most dealerships will negotiate a car deal using all applicable incentives and rebates.  You negotiated the price that you would pay for the car, and that is the price that you paid, it just happened to be including all rebates and incentives which is normal.  Now, the dealership probably should have specified that, but as long as the disclosed it on the paperwork, what they did was perfectly legal and ethical.  

I wish I could tell you something different, but I can't.

Hope this helps a little!~

Thanks - JB