I'd write a review. It doesn't even necessarily need to be a bad review but perhaps neutral. But I'd lay it out so others know what they're getting into. Think about it like other people may not know to ask either for an advertised price.
When I look at reviews, I always consider if the review is a reasonable complaint or just an irrational person that was angry. You can usually tell.
I feel like by definition "we were made to wait 80 minutes past our scheduled appointment time, treated poorly by two salespeople, taken to a stranger's house by someone we didn't know and then shown a filthy car" cannot be a neutral review.
I agree. I was just know some people don't like give poor reviews. Hell even the comment of "you're lucky we are doing this?" is way over the line. I would not have purchased there either but I also know how hard it is to find anything right now
I think it’s pretty rich for them to be all “you should have locked in all of these details over the phone to make an appointment” when they absolutely would NOT have provided these details over the phone. It would have been ALL ABOUT coming into the showroom.
I am very glad you walked away.
Personally, I don’t think anyone cares about reviews and generally only leave positive ones when deserved.
Unfortunately that sounds par for the course when buying a car. Most of the time the advertised "deal" is nearly impossible to get but technically possible so they skirt around false advertising laws.
The manager having the car for personal use is normal too, but taking you to their house to see it is super weird.
I will say that buying preowned or off lease has worked well for us (not a used trade in) because the dealership can use a lot of different coupons, dealer kickbacks, etc to get the price where you need it to be.
I should have specified that it the car is certified pre-owned.
And I know that managers use cars for personal use, but nobody at the dealership knew he had it!
Ok I was assuming it was a trade in because of how they handled everything. I still don't know if a complaint would go anywhere, they probably still advertised in a technically legal way even if it was slimy.
That is why you are also not suppose to disclose if you have outside financing or plan to pay cash as they won't give you as good of a deal if they know they aren't going to make more money off of you. It is all a scam.
I’m seeing prices around $52k for brand new models. Am I missing something? Also wow at >$50k for a Toyota. I’m definitely out of touch with the auto industry!
Correct, which is why it would be crazy to pay $50k for used, but $43 seemed reasonable. The model has only been out for a few years so used inventory is super low. We're also on a list at our local Toyota dealership for a new one, but they haven't gotten any in for over a month.
We bought a certified used VW last month and got 2.9% financing through VW credit, just in case that helps anyone.
It was an incredibly easy experience, from start to finish. The part that typically drives me crazy is finalizing the paperwork at the end. We settled on the car and the price, left and returned the next day. Everything was all ready to go and DH and I were in and out over our lunch hour.
This post is cracking me up because I have a family member in car sales named Joe. There is no way on earth you would have ever had that experience with him, but I either buy directly from his dealership or have run every deal past him for the past 25-30 years because I agree most of salesmanship of any kind (hello, wedding dress shopping) is shenanigans. I've had dealers tell me they have to slap a $5K above list price "tsunami charge" on a car made in Japan, dealers tell me I shouldn't buy a car because that model doesn't have a mirror for me to check my make up or put my purse (douche) and had multiple dealers say they'd give me one price/ a better deal and when I got there it was magically another or they somehow couldn't make it happen. I would say put the facts down exactly as they happened IRL and let them deal with the consequences. To many people's point, car dealers have the advantage right now but that won't always be the case.
Something twisted about me really enjoys car and house shopping, but for both, you have to not fall in love with anything and be ready to walk on any deal. It is a hellish experience if you need to buy in a market like this.
Is 5.49% really a great deal for used cars now? Wow. And 9.8, that’s insane. I would recommend getting approved on your own for a loan at the best rate you can find, and then shopping around.
H and I got 7% in March 2023 vs February 2021 we got 2.1%. Unfortunately the interest rate for cars is going up just like for houses.
Post by esdreturns on May 22, 2023 12:20:33 GMT -5
I ran into this a month ago, and here is what I did. Get the lower price with the higher interest rate. Turn around and refinance with a credit union or whoever will give you a lower rate. The bank through the dealer wanted to charge me 8.5% and I was able to get 5.65% through a credit union. This way you get both the lower price and lower rate.
This post is cracking me up because I have a family member in car sales named Joe. There is no way on earth you would have ever had that experience with him, but I either buy directly from his dealership or have run every deal past him for the past 25-30 years because I agree most of salesmanship of any kind (hello, wedding dress shopping) is shenanigans.
Ohhh, this I am far more interested in hearing about!
When I think about writing a review, I always ask myself “Do I wish I had read a honest review like this before I had this experience?”. Normally the answer is yes.
We bought a Prime in 2021 so I know how incredibly difficult it is to get one. Does your husband follow any message boards or Facebook groups specifically for Prime buyers and owners? If not, I would suggest he join. There’s lots of useful information about how to go about getting one - new or used and get the best deal. It’s such a hard to find model that buying one is like a full-time job. We’ve had ours for two years though and absolutely love it. Not a single problem. Only buy gas if we’re on long road trips and charge overnight when our energy rates are really low (we live in SoCal so that’s a thing here - may not be for you). It’s saved us tons of money. Good luck in your search!
I ran into this a month ago, and here is what I did. Get the lower price with the higher interest rate. Turn around and refinance with a credit union or whoever will give you a lower rate. The bank through the dealer wanted to charge me 8.5% and I was able to get 5.65% through a credit union. This way you get both the lower price and lower rate.
We did this with one of our cars a few years ago. Our sales guy actually told us to (we were buying new). I think we had to make a few payments with the original loan first though.
Our last car buying experience ended in H looking at our sales guy and saying, “You are an outright liar. How do you sleep at night?” So I get it. I don’t understand how car dealerships seem to be able to be the one business that can treat customers like crap and get away with it.
I would leave a review but not report. The interest rate OR price deal but not both has happened to me multiple times. I try to negotiate price first and only tell them I am using my own financing at the end.
When you go to the next Toyota place, beware of “mandatory” warranties. They tried to pull that on me when I bought my Sienna (a “mandatory” $3,500 warranty), and I told them I’d pay $1,000 for it if they upped my trade-in amount by $1,000. They settled on $1,000 and upping my trade by $500. I couldn’t get away with paying nothing because there were multiple customers for every car in the height of the pandemic, but do NOT pay full price.
Also, Toyota has dealerships through the Costco guaranteed price program. May be worth going through that.
I bought my used car online last summer and I liked the process because I wasn't pressured on the spot and everything was in writing. I was very explicit that the car needed to be spotless, mint condition. Buying online also gives you time to check other sources for better financing. I was also looking for something very specific and there were only about 6 models with the color/interior I wanted in the eastern half of the US. In the end, I paid $800 to have the car shipped around 500 miles.
*My car did arrive with a bit of small damage on the front bumper and it was a hassle getting the dealership to pay for the repair, but they did in the end. Definitely not a perfect process but I was happy with the outcome.
I think it's fair for you to write a review and just state the facts. Reviews were very helpful to me when I was shopping.
I'd also stay away from dealerships that offer bad credit financing or anything like that. My car cost much less than what you are looking at but I bought it through a Porsche dealership and they definitely didn't want a bad review to deal with when I needed the new bumper on my car.
We bought a Prime in 2021 so I know how incredibly difficult it is to get one. Does your husband follow any message boards or Facebook groups specifically for Prime buyers and owners? If not, I would suggest he join. There’s lots of useful information about how to go about getting one - new or used and get the best deal. It’s such a hard to find model that buying one is like a full-time job. We’ve had ours for two years though and absolutely love it. Not a single problem. Only buy gas if we’re on long road trips and charge overnight when our energy rates are really low (we live in SoCal so that’s a thing here - may not be for you). It’s saved us tons of money. Good luck in your search!
I don't think he does so I'll let him know, thanks for the tip! He's been looking for a few months and I know he's getting frustrated.
I'm glad to hear you're happy with it after a couple of years!
I definitely read reviews and I don't understand why people wouldn't leave a poor review if they had an absolutely terrible experience. If I'm looking for a dealership I absolutely want to know if someone has gone through the nonsense described here or, say, they gave some rando your phone number so I can avoid shady places like this. I make a point to leave reviews when I've had really good experiences and I've contacted companies when salespeople have been amazing. So it isn't like I slam a place when I don't have a superior experience. But if someone who is trying to separate you from your money treats you like a pile of garbage, yes, you should share that experience.
I bought a new RAV 4 a few years ago and it was a shockingly easy and honest experience. I had a pounding headache from dread on the way and was ready for battle and I still can't believe what a decent experience it was.
I ran into this a month ago, and here is what I did. Get the lower price with the higher interest rate. Turn around and refinance with a credit union or whoever will give you a lower rate. The bank through the dealer wanted to charge me 8.5% and I was able to get 5.65% through a credit union. This way you get both the lower price and lower rate.
We did this with one of our cars a few years ago. Our sales guy actually told us to (we were buying new). I think we had to make a few payments with the original loan first though.
Yea, we should have done that but we were both so annoyed at that point that we were just done.
Post by UMaineTeach on May 23, 2023 11:33:48 GMT -5
(I do understand the OP is about newish used cars, but stick with me anyway)
I, for whatever reason, feel the need to defend Toyotas in general. They absolutely make and sell cars that cost more than 50k and like some other brands they maintain resale value.
Lately we have seen the cost of new non-luxury trim level trucks across brands being around 60K. My husband goes to visit “his” truck on the lot every Saturday after our kid’s activity in that city. He (and apparently 8 weeks of other people, ) just can’t to $66-68k for a vehicle.
lightbulbsun, krystee, On the costco program, I still had shenanigans. They wanted to charge me for all sorts of accessories, including a cupholder ($200 plus $200 installation charge) and decals ($700 plus $500 installation) I didn't want. They said the costco program had no limitations on accessories and these had already been installed on the car. I ended up using a different dealership that would negotiate over email.
Unfortunately that sounds par for the course when buying a car. Most of the time the advertised "deal" is nearly impossible to get but technically possible so they skirt around false advertising laws.
The manager having the car for personal use is normal too, but taking you to their house to see it is super weird.
I will say that buying preowned or off lease has worked well for us (not a used trade in) because the dealership can use a lot of different coupons, dealer kickbacks, etc to get the price where you need it to be.
I should have specified that it the car is certified pre-owned.
And I know that managers use cars for personal use, but nobody at the dealership knew he had it!
I still think this practice is pretty crappy. You are adding more miles to a used car, why?? And if you do that, there should be far more rules about the condition you keep in, even if they will clean it.
I’m seeing prices around $52k for brand new models. Am I missing something? Also wow at >$50k for a Toyota. I’m definitely out of touch with the auto industry!
Correct, which is why it would be crazy to pay $50k for used, but $43 seemed reasonable. The model has only been out for a few years so used inventory is super low. We're also on a list at our local Toyota dealership for a new one, but they haven't gotten any in for over a month.
It is crazy that used cars are sometimes more expensive than new ones these days. That is crazy. Also, that is very close to what I got my new Highlander hybrid platinum trim. I guess my point is, perhaps really think if that is a price you are ok with.
I will say this, the only good thing about used car prices being so high is that you can still get a pretty penny for your current car if you want to trade it in. 6 months after buying the highlander I worried we should have stayed with a minivan. I could have gotten a Sierra and not lost any money in the deal. it is nuts.
We had a dealer try to charge us MORE due to paying cash. He said that the discounted price was only available to people who were financing. We walked away, and he called back less than 12 hours later agreeing to the discounted price. Luckily we did everything over the phone, so the price was set by the time we arrived in person.
Post by DotAndBuzz on May 24, 2023 12:44:54 GMT -5
Yes I think that's typical. Shady as hell (and GIANT WTF to taking you to a house), but typical.
My bff is trying to buy a Toyota right now. She was back and forth between new and used highlander (the hybrid model, I think), and she was leaning new. Goes to order one and the dealer said "oh yeah, so we don't actually do ordering anymore because the demand for these is so high. You go on a waitlist, and when your number comes up, you get what you get." She couldn't pick trim package, color, NOTHING....meaning the cost could also vary wildly.
She walked and is looking at a few used ones now through carmax.
We had a dealer try to charge us MORE due to paying cash. He said that the discounted price was only available to people who were financing. We walked away, and he called back less than 12 hours later agreeing to the discounted price. Luckily we did everything over the phone, so the price was set by the time we arrived in person.
When we bought a car 8ish years ago, while trying to negotiate the deal the salesmen was like “I can get the payment to under $200/month for you, but I don’t think I can meet that price”. To which I burst out laughing because paying full price was already under $200/month at our interest rate (1.9%). I was like, “did you even run the math while you were talking to your manager for the last 20 minutes”. I was hot and came out with an exceptional deal because they were so flustered by the time I was done.
share.memebox.com/x/uKhKaZmemebox referal code for 20% off! DD1 "J" born 3/2003 DD2 "G" born 4/2011 DS is here! "H" born 2/2014 m/c#3 1-13-13 @ 9 weeks m/c#2 11-11-12 @ 5w2d I am an extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, pro marriage equality, birth control lovin', Catholic mama.
Yes I think that's typical. Shady as hell (and GIANT WTF to taking you to a house), but typical.
My bff is trying to buy a Toyota right now. She was back and forth between new and used highlander (the hybrid model, I think), and she was leaning new. Goes to order one and the dealer said "oh yeah, so we don't actually do ordering anymore because the demand for these is so high. You go on a waitlist, and when your number comes up, you get what you get." She couldn't pick trim package, color, NOTHING....meaning the cost could also vary wildly.
She walked and is looking at a few used ones now through carmax.
I got a new Toyota 2 years ago from a sizable dealership. I went in June looking for an AWD Sienna- the dealer showed me pictures of 3 that had been promised to the dealership- the colors, trim packages and accessories were predetermined even though they hadn't hit the assembly line yet. I was able to choose from 1 of the 3 unclaimed vehicles and it was delivered 2 months later. I wonder if she would get on the list but be able to "pass" if the platinum trim comes up.
My salesman said that Toyota itself doesn't allow ordering, they offer the dealership specific cars and if the dealership declines it they get "skipped" that round.
Post by morecoffeeplease on May 24, 2023 18:24:47 GMT -5
We bought a Toyota less than a year ago and we could not pick and choose. We were able to see 5 that were allocated to the dealership and put a deposit down on the one that we wanted. I wanted a black car but that wasn’t an option at the price point we wanted so we had to get dark gray.