"PRION" REVOLT? Prius Buyers Unite in Toyota Gaff

[RobertO]

Fellow Prions:

The subject line above contains a media headline a lot of us would like to see.

Shall we take a cue from CNN and Fox and make some news, now that we have the desired headline?

With Priuschat.com at nearly700 members and a wealth of evidence and a surfiet of anger and frustration over the build/allocate/delivery fiasco, we may finally be at the juncture where we take our first solid consumer issue to Toyota USA and compel them to respond publicly to an informed user group.

It's OK to vent our frustration on the Priuschat site; we should all keep venting - it's healthy. My concern is that this energy now may be better directed at Toyota.

Can we now begin a conversation amongst ourselves to formulate a structured approach to Toyota to which they will HAVE to respond to publicly?

Just saying they're sorry is not enough. Treating us like children only inflames us. Hanging dealers out to dry with allocations of one or two vehicles a month while accepting waiting lists in the scores of units per dealer is not very nice.

I got my car though a fluke on 10/25/03. Maybe some of you think it shouldn't matter to me, onna counta I Got Mine.

The truth is I just can't abide watching serious buyers and honest dealers faced with the prospect of waiting 12 to 60 months, for a car, based on current allocations.

I'm not a PR guy.

But I do know when it's time to act responsibly.

Alternative action: We can all share in the sour grapes as we watch Toyota's e-car market share erode to other brands for the next 18 months because the couldn't/wouldn't figure this out and do the right thing - PUBLICLY. And never 100% happy about owning an '04/'05 Prius.

I'm done here.

So what are the next steps?



Bob

[boa8]

N/A

[Bob Allen]

Fellow Prions:

The subject line above contains a media headline a lot of us would like to see.

Shall we take a cue from CNN and Fox and make some news, now that we have the desired headline?

With Priuschat.com at nearly700 members and a wealth of evidence and a surfiet of anger and frustration over the build/allocate/delivery fiasco, we may finally be at the juncture where we take our first solid consumer issue to Toyota USA and compel them to respond publicly to an informed user group.

It's OK to vent our frustration on the Priuschat site; we should all keep venting - it's healthy. My concern is that this energy now may be better directed at Toyota.

Can we now begin a conversation amongst ourselves to formulate a structured approach to Toyota to which they will HAVE to respond to publicly?

Just saying they're sorry is not enough. Treating us like children only inflames us. Hanging dealers out to dry with allocations of one or two vehicles a month while accepting waiting lists in the scores of units per dealer is not very nice.

I got my car though a fluke on 10/25/03. Maybe some of you think it shouldn't matter to me, onna counta I Got Mine.

The truth is I just can't abide watching serious buyers and honest dealers faced with the prospect of waiting 12 to 60 months, for a car, based on current allocations.

I'm not a PR guy.

But I do know when it's time to act responsibly.

Alternative action: We can all share in the sour grapes as we watch Toyota's e-car market share erode to other brands for the next 18 months because the couldn't/wouldn't figure this out and do the right thing - PUBLICLY. And never 100% happy about owning an '04/'05 Prius.

I'm done here.

So what are the next steps?

I'm with you Robert. By the way, thanks for hanging in there with those of us who don't have our cars yet. Much appreciated solidarity and support.
Bob


Bob

[tag]

More transparency, clear distribution policy - OK.

I think that's a reasonable and fair request and firmly believe would satisfy the vast majority of folks on waiting lists.

[Jerry P]

I think Toyota knows they have a problem, but what a wonderful problem to have - too much demand for a product only they can provide. They have begun to address the issue with the apology on the Prius site, but maybe they could do a bit more on keeping individual purchasers informed on their order status.

[richard_durant]

You are mistreated by the greedy dealers who are not owned by Toyota USA.
There is a problem - demand is much higher than anticipated. But Toyota (at least partially) made their projections based on overly consevative (as we see from hindsight) dealer's estimates.

I think you have to clearly define what is your objective.

More transparency, clear distribution policy - OK.

Toyota's blackmail (world "revolt" make me suspicious) to get for a few "revolutionaries" cars ahead of others and generate tons of money for the lawyers - NO!

By the way, it's all the same all over the world. Here in Europe we have to wait 5-6 months.

AAAARRRRGGHHHH : 5-6 months to wait !!!! Do you have already order a Prius ? Is this an official answer from your dealer ?
The Prius will be avalaible on march '04 in France, and I don't think the problem will be solved until there. Better fix my bicycle ...

Richard. 8)

[boa8]

N/A

[Danny]

boa8 - have you thought about waiting until they available more in the US and importing one to Switzerland? Cost could end up being about the same and you'll get the features you're looking for. I know people do this with BMWs and Mercedes from Germany to the US quite a bit. With the Dollar being so weak right now compared to the Euro, you could end up saving money.

[boa8]

N/A

[richard_durant]

I think Toyota is everything but stupid. They're doing a trial run at Les Champs Elysées since a few months, and every comment from prospective customers are scrupulously forward to Toyota France. FYI, the main topic is the hardness of suspension. Toyota is supposed to fix this before the first sales.

BUT : if you read the marketing data from Toyota pressroom http://www.toyota-media.com, you will know that the main customer target is :

'Typical Prius drivers would be an ‘early adopter’, in their
40s, professionals or executives with a higher level of
education and above average income, usually living and/or
working in metropolitan areas. These are the same sort of
individuals who would typically use DVD, digital TV and
Bluetooth® technology and the latest electronic personal
organisers as part of their daily working and social life.
They would also have a socio-environmental conscience,
but still want to enjoy their driving and might currently
drive one of the sportier diesel cars in the D-segment or
small-premium sector. They are interested in low fuel
consumption and, by inference, low emissions and are
willing to pay extra for these benefits which have a positive
effect on the environment. '

In other words, only a few old techies who have an above average income to afford this car. Not so much people, isn't-it ?

WHY ?
The main reason is, I think, that the FRENCH driver DO like FRENCH Diesel manual gear box cars (65 % of brand new cars sold in France are Diesel manual gear box).
We don't like :
- automatic transmission (only 10% of cars in France),
- gasoline engines (gasoil cost 20% less than gasoline),
- foreign cars (we have 3 french brands- Renault, Peugeot and Citroën),
- strange technology,
and more, nobody knows that Toyota is more reliable than German cars (and, of course, much more than French cars).

SO, the Toyota's target is not to sale huge quantities of Prius as in the USA, because they know they won't be able to do it. The more realistic target is to sell a few hundred (last expectation is 500) of expensive Prius to a few techies who REALLY know what they will buy.

To do another comparison than the BMW, the Renault Laguna Privilège 2,2dci 150HP automatic transmission costs 29,500 euros (same as the Prius top price in France), the average mileage is 7.6l/100 of gasoil (costs 20% less than gasoline) compared to 4.5l/100 of gasoline for the Prius. But, the Renault has HID, rain detector, automatic lights, tires pressure indicator, automatic door-lock, cruise control AND speed limiting device, etc. (but no GPS, and - of course - no THS), AND, at last but not at least, it's french 'Monsieur !'. http://www.renault.fr

Of course, I'll buy a Prius (some day ...), but I'll buy it BECAUSE it has a THS, and it's precisly where Toyota missed the point : when people in France will buy a Prius (or equivalent in the future) because it's a nice car, nice accesories, good look, cheap, etc. and - by the the way it's a THS ! Oh, yes ? I didn't notice ... Then it will be a real progress ! But we, in France, are far from that ...

Richard. 8)