Bait N Switch? What do I do now?

[djkrs2]

I would also recommend joining Angie's List and adding a review for the dealer. You may help more than a few people that way.

www.angieslist.com

Dave

[bac]

Originally Posted by subarutoo

(Added pinstripes, door and wheel moldings).

THAT would have made me walk - even if they threw that stuff in for free.

... Brad

[JamesWyatt]

The division of Toyota that installed these items at port is really not a division of Toyota nor is it in any way related to your dealership. If they function like Gulf States Toyota does here, the items added at the port have two values, the one they charge the dealer for and the one they put on the sticker. There is profit in each item for the dealer.

As suggested, ask for a discount on the items. Asking them to not make you pay at least something for these items is not fair on your part. Your dealer has no way of knowing or controlling these items, and even if they did, it's too late now. The "aliens" at the port (as you put) it will no more listen to your dealer than your dealer is listening to you. You can also ask them to give you the difference in service coupons for free oil changes or something.

I know we all go into a car deal just "knowing" we're going to get screwed, but it can make you jump to conclusions that either are not true or not completely fair. If the total price on the vehicle had come in lower, would you expect your dealer to make you pay the higher price you agreed upon? I didn't think so.

[bac]

Originally Posted by JamesWyatt

Your dealer has no way of knowing or controlling these items

Sorry, not buying that story for a second.

... Brad

[Paducah Dave]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Brad it is true. Port added options or Regional options are beyond the control of the dealer. But if you want to believe the dealers are evil that is your own attitude to own. We are allot fairer and will usually bend over backwards to maintain customer satisfaction....... unless that customer is just unreasonable then no amount of back flips will make them happy.[/font]

[JamesWyatt]

Originally Posted by bac

Sorry, not buying that story for a second.

... Brad

Yes, Brad, we're all in cahoots to trick you!

[JamesWyatt]

There is one exception, however, that I should mention for the OP. If you can get your dealer to catch the vehicle at the port after it arrives and before it is configured by the aliens, then they can request exactly what "port-installed options" it gets (at least with Gulf States Toyota). However, this takes due diligence on the part of both the customer and the dealer. You would need to call your sales person every three to four days and have them check to see if a red Prius has shown up at the port but has not yet been processed for options.

Odds are you put down your deposit and you and the dealer both walked away from it until the car arrived configured as it is currently. In absence of a direct contact from your dealer the port aliens will install whatever extras they feel like installing. You realize that it's possible they could have added on much much more than they did...

[JimN]

Could the difference be an increase in the destination charge?

This story illustrates why a dealer should be checked out at the BBB (a joke) or the Consumer Affairs Office before doing business.

In 2006 part of the reason I did not want to buy from Liberty was because their cars had added crap and I was not going to haggle down to MSRP. At the same time Cherry Hill's did not have PIO. Most of the PIO are accessories that can be removed.

IMO file complaints with the state/county & the BBB. The order I placed states that it is cancellable only if the buyer does not accept an increase in the MSRP. However, when I bought the MG package 3 this order for the silver package 5 was cancelled.

From a practical standpoint you can decline this car and wait for the next 2008 which probably won't arrive. The dealer will cancel the order & refund the deposit because he can't deliver a 2008 through no fault of his own. The alternative is to accept this car & blast the dealer on the customer satisfaction survey. I don't know if it does any good or not as in my case it didn't prevent all the sleaze. If you don't need the car now I believe you should be able to get one at a lower price in the winter. Read through www.carbuyingtips.com and good luck.

[a priori]

Originally Posted by JamesWyatt

As suggested, ask for a discount on the items. Asking them to not make you pay at least something for these items is not fair on your part.

Not fair? How do you come by that finding? The dealer is the one with the knowledge. The dealer is the one who provides the contract and describes the terms. If the terms do not say "this x or y may be added and you'll be responsible to pay full boat," then I don't see how the buyer has ANY responsibility. Remove what isn't unalterable and let the buyer have the rest. Is the dealer taking a hit? Yes, but who has control over that? It certainly isn't the buyer. If the dealer is getting stuck by Toyota regional, that still is not the buyer's problem, but it is a problem to be solved between the dealer and the region.

Originally Posted by JamesWyatt

Your dealer has no way of knowing or controlling these items, and even if they did, it's too late now. The "aliens" at the port (as you put) it will no more listen to your dealer than your dealer is listening to you.

If the dealer knows this goes on, then the dealer should advise the buyer that it might happen. If the buyer says "no way do I want it," then the dealer can advise that a pre-order may not be a good idea. The dealer also could say "OK" to this deal and make certain nothing gets added at the port. It cannot be had both ways. Either the dealer has control or doesn't. If the dealer has control, then the dealer should exercise it. If the dealer has no control, then the dealer should advise the buyer of this possibility. As I noted above: As between the buyer and the dealer, who is the one that is in relationship with the folks who've added these items? Correct, and it isn't the buyer.

Originally Posted by JamesWyatt

I know we all go into a car deal just "knowing" we're going to get screwed, but it can make you jump to conclusions that either are not true or not completely fair. If the total price on the vehicle had come in lower, would you expect your dealer to make you pay the higher price you agreed upon? I didn't think so.

Right! I have a difficult time believing this has ever happened. The only time I could imagine it happening would be when the car did NOT come with options requested by the purchaser. In that situation, then, of course, the buyer would not pay the higher price, because the deal called for something else to be provided.

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy this defense of the dealer. If it is such an awful situation, then the dealer should not allow cars to be ordered without advising of this possibility. Would it discourage buyers? Most likely it would -- and then this silly practice would be stopped.

[JamesWyatt]

No, you misunderstood the last part. I didn't mean if the car came with fewer options, I just meant if it for some reason came in less than the agreed upon MSRP. In that case you would expect them to lower the price even though they are providing you the car exactly as in the contract.

As to the other comments, you are being unreasonable and have no idea of how the process actually works at a dealership. To expect them to call the port every day to make sure your MSRP doesn't go up $600 is asking too much.

The only point you make that is valid is that they should have warned of the possibility of few port installed options showing up on the car. But they didn't. And they have no reason to turn that (in their eyes) small oops into a loss of profit when the next guy on the list will buy it in a heartbeat.

Something people buying cars in high demand just don't get: The dealer is catering to you by putting you on a list and offering you the car at MSRP. They don't need your business to sell this car. You need them to be nice enough to let you buy it at MSRP. You are not god's gift to their bottom line and will not be treated as such.

When you buy a vehicle that they really want to get rid of you are content to push them, harass them, and threaten them to keep lowering the price. They have no choice but to sit on the car or comply and make a deal. Now the tables are reversed and the OP doesn't like it. Too darn bad.

If the OP doesn't see it this way, by all means, they should get their deposit back and go elsewhere. The dealer won't give a rats behind that they did and neither will anyone else. Wow, stop the presses: someone got mad at a car dealer!