Dealer pulling a fast one???

[neutronned]

Originally Posted by reginaever

I pre-ordered mine about 4 weeks ago, after reading what cgrigel wrote, I asked my dealer if I could get a vehicle inquiry report with a VIN. She says that she can't find out until she receives the car. I asked her if she is trying to find a car from an allocation, but she says she actually put in an formal order. She said it would be about 6 - 8 weeks initially, but now she says 2 - 3 months. I'm not sure what to think. Should I start looking for another dealer?

A couple of things she said don't seem right:
1) Can't get the VIR until the car is rec'vd - I got mine from the dealer when the car was allocated to their dealership but just off the ship and at port.
2) Cars are still being allocated and some regions have cars that aren't spoken for. I called around to something like 10+ dealers in the upper Midwest and found the one I wanted. Actually, I got calls back from two dealers within a day of one another.
3) The Toyota online inventory systems seems to sometime show cars from across a region and sometimes not. For example, in the Twin Cities, each dealer's inventory seems separate. In IA, their inventory screens seem to show regional inventory, with some cars "In Stock" if that car is allocated to that dealer and "Available" if it's at another dealer but available to trade.

Bottom-line - I'd probably check a few other Toyota dealer's websites and see which seems to be getting cars. Look for "In Stock" or something to indicate that they are getting or have the car.

Good luck!

[neutronned]

I just got an email update from the salesperson. The car I originally had allocated to me is still in transit and due next week. In the meanwhile, they had an identical car where the deal fell through and that car was on their lot. So as a service to me, they decided to swap and get me the readily available car rather then make me wait.

So it appears that all is good and all my speculation was for naught.

Thanks to Dianne for helping out and I should have new owner pictures mid next week!!

[ggood]

Originally Posted by reginaever

I pre-ordered mine about 4 weeks ago, after reading what cgrigel wrote, I asked my dealer if I could get a vehicle inquiry report with a VIN. She says that she can't find out until she receives the car. I asked her if she is trying to find a car from an allocation, but she says she actually put in an formal order. She said it would be about 6 - 8 weeks initially, but now she says 2 - 3 months. I'm not sure what to think. Should I start looking for another dealer?

As long as you have a refundable deposit (or none), there is no reason you have to stay married to a particular dealer, especially if the model you want is not one of the rare ones. I would e-mail several dealers for quotes and availability, and check build a toyota for your zipcode, and also the different dealers websitesw for inventory.

[rlr66]

Originally Posted by reginaever

I pre-ordered mine about 4 weeks ago, after reading what cgrigel wrote, I asked my dealer if I could get a vehicle inquiry report with a VIN. She says that she can't find out until she receives the car. I asked her if she is trying to find a car from an allocation, but she says she actually put in an formal order. She said it would be about 6 - 8 weeks initially, but now she says 2 - 3 months. I'm not sure what to think. Should I start looking for another dealer?

I just ordered the same package. My dealer told me there were only 2 of them in the Southeast region where I'm located and it could take 7-8 weeks because the availability was not there yet. I think we just have to be patient.

[dsviv]

reginaever, I got my vehicle inquiry report about two weeks before I took delivery. It had all the details about the car, boat name, and expected delivery date, but no VIN #.

It arrived on the exact day the report stated. It arrived at the dealership around 9am and I picked it up at 6pm.

[Tuon]

I'm also curious if the dealer might be pulling a fast one on me. I got the vin number and was told the car would be expected on the 4th of July. Which of course being a holiday and a Saturday, and Sunday being a manditory closed day in Jersey. I call on monday, and I get told that the delivery has been pushed back to the following Saturday but on their website the car is listed in stock with the vin number listed.

[neutronned]

Originally Posted by Tuon

I'm also curious if the dealer might be pulling a fast one on me. I got the vin number and was told the car would be expected on the 4th of July. Which of course being a holiday and a Saturday, and Sunday being a manditory closed day in Jersey. I call on monday, and I get told that the delivery has been pushed back to the following Saturday but on their website the car is listed in stock with the vin number listed.

Can't trust the website information to be literally true. My car was listed as in stock, with the VIN, but the salesperson confirmed that it was really in transit to the dealership. He indicated that "in stock" simply means allocated to that dealer and it's definitely coming in. Exact location could be still at the port, on the truck or train or really at the dealer.

I don't know how they get to call a car that really hasn't arrived yet as "in stock". Seems to me that it should be "coming soon" or "available" or something.

As an update, there was no fast one. I picked up my 2010 this morning and everything was up and up. They simply had an identical car become available sooner then the one I had originally put money on and decided to sell it to me rather then make me waiting even a few more days. Other then not communicating what was happening with the two cars (which worked out to my favor!), I'm very happy with Wilson Toyota of Ames.

Good luck! The wait will be worth it!