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I think I am screwed by GST....

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by texasshawshank, Aug 29, 2016.

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  1. texasshawshank

    texasshawshank Member

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    I placed an order for a three with ATP two months ago after working out a price. Now when I called in for a status update I was told the car will finally come in on 10/10, as a 2017 model!
    Now the negotiated price is thrown in the air and everything needs to be restarted again!
    It makes no sense to me while there are hundreds of threes w/ ATP sitting in California dealership, and Gulfcoast States Toyota can get none of them.
    Since I have long, highway commute, DRCC and LKA is a must, I try to avoid low profile touring tires for less noise. Now I have to make hard choices to accept 2016 three touring, or fours, but choices will be much more limited, let alone the extra $$$ I have to pay. I really don't like this situation.

    Do you folks have any advice for me? What else I can do to get one I have been researching and waiting for so long?
    (Alternatively I can keep driving my dirty diesel TDI and wait for the 2017 price to come down...... I want to turn it in and don't want to keep it anymore.....)
     
    #1 texasshawshank, Aug 29, 2016
  2. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    Does the purchase agreement specify a 2016 Toyota Prius Three with ATP? If they put the order into Toyota promptly with Toyota, they would have known within a couple of days if Toyota could or could not honor the order. What does the fine print on the back of the order say happens in this situation?

    Do you know what the MSRP increase would be on the 2017? Does it have the required ATP and nothing else that you didn't order? Obviously you can refuse the car if the change in price is excessive, but I would use the purchase agreement as leverage and take the 2017 if you can agree on the price. It might be a new model year, but there's still a slump in Prius sales and the dealer really won't have much leverage to eliminate the discount you agreed upon for the 2016.
     
    #2 DonDNH, Aug 29, 2016
  3. texasshawshank

    texasshawshank Member

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    Yes. the agreement does specify it's a 2016 3 with ATP. For your second statement, yes, I also think they might have kept something they already knew until this point -- tricky dealers.
    My negitiated price is based on costco auto pricing combined with toyota rebate. Since both are going to change for 2017 model (no toyota rebate for 2017), I need to renegotiate the 2017 pricing even though I know I can use this agreement as some leverage. But I doubt it's going to be this low.
    Alternatively I still have a little bit time looking for a three touring (since they all have LKA and DRCC, and I lose the roof and HUD), or a four with ATP. But choices will be much more limited than two months ago.




     
    #3 texasshawshank, Aug 29, 2016
  4. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    Have you spoken to Costco to see if they will help you negotiate a fair price as you are their customer as well as the dealers?
     
    #4 DonDNH, Aug 29, 2016
  5. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    As for hundreds of 2016 Prii Three with ATP sitting in CA - you might be able to get one of these for a good price if you're willing to deal long distance and do a road trip.
     
    #5 DonDNH, Aug 29, 2016
    Fanatic likes this.
  6. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Yes talk to Dianne Whitmire here, in that case (import from CA)...she's been quiet lately hope all is OK.
     
    #6 wjtracy, Aug 29, 2016
  7. texasshawshank

    texasshawshank Member

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    Can you tell me which dealership is it?


    iPhone ?
     
    #7 texasshawshank, Aug 29, 2016
  8. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    #8 wjtracy, Aug 29, 2016
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Carson Toyota IIRC.
     
    #9 Tideland Prius, Aug 29, 2016
  10. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    Dianne went silent or didn't take me seriously back in June. I took my business to a different state as a result. I hope she does a better job earning your business.
     
    #10 wrprice, Aug 29, 2016
  11. Gen 2 Tom

    Gen 2 Tom Active Member

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    I had something like that happen 40 years ago. Those dealer order forms have a ton of fine print that requires them to honor nothing. They wrote the thing. So they had me wait for a car and wouldn't sell it for the agreed upon price. I don't recall why. Of course no matter what happened I wasn't buying the car from them.
     
    #11 Gen 2 Tom, Aug 29, 2016
  12. texasshawshank

    texasshawshank Member

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    First thanks for y'all's comments and suggestions.
    I have contacted CostcoAuto and reported my disappointing experience --- I ordered a 2016 model with discount and got a 2017 model w/o discount. Someone will contact me for more details, so I will see.
    wjtracy & Tideland Prius: You are right, I need to give a serious thought about ordering one out of Gulfcoast area. I have dropped a message to Dianne. so I will see....
    Do you have any other good ordering experience you would like to share? I am all ears.
     
    #12 texasshawshank, Aug 29, 2016
  13. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    I bought my 2016 Prius from Dianne. Highly recommended!
     
    #13 krmcg, Aug 29, 2016
  14. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    Which dealer is responsible for this poor customer experience?
     
    #14 wrprice, Aug 29, 2016
  15. pjm877

    pjm877 Member

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    I bought a 2004 Prius from Dianne. Highly recommended. Drove my 2002 to trade on from Austin, tx.. brought her a Teddy Bear and some sweets too. She was very up standing with me ... I paid Texas TTl and used a Austin local Credit Union. It was a sign and drive affair.

    Of note I had the VIN so already got Ins card for it,,, then bought a Temp $10 something to allow me to drive it off the dealers lot.. then went to DMV for Tx temp tags (was $25 at the time)

    Sure hope that helps... Might get a good deal from New Mexico ?? but sure don't know
     
    #15 pjm877, Aug 30, 2016
  16. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

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    I would recommend taking the quote to other dealers in the area. I imagine you signed a deal in June, and in July and August they upped the dealer incentives to 2500 on the prius. Should be able to get even a better deal than your previous deal you had, if you can still find what you want. As an FYI, I got a three with ATP as well and love DRCC and LKA. The HUD is "cool" but not really all that much more functional than all the other screens you have already and find myself not using the HUD as often as I should be using it. The moonroof is pretty cool and like that, but don't know if I would go with a ATP package on the 2017 just because of the moonroof. I didn't want the four because of the leather in the hot florida sun but I got to say the softex seems cool in the hot sun on my steering wheel.
     
    #16 robsnyder20, Aug 30, 2016
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    All US-spec cars with SofTex-wrapped steering wheel have the "temperature balancing material" quoted in the Japanese literature.

    upload_2016-8-29_23-21-18.png
     
    #17 Tideland Prius, Aug 30, 2016
    alanclarkeau and robsnyder20 like this.
  18. texasshawshank

    texasshawshank Member

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    It's FredHaas Toyota Country.
    I think it's more of a lack of competency than a deliberate act. They ordered a different car than what I asked for, and failed to inform me until it was too late. With the change of model year that has put me in a very bad situation.

     
    #18 texasshawshank, Aug 30, 2016
  19. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    During my last car shopping phase, I narrowed it down to a Prius v five with the safety/tech package. GST wasn't importing them in that config and the closest GST choice in terms of size was a much more expensive Avalon. GST lost a sale to Subaru.
     
    #19 fotomoto, Aug 30, 2016
  20. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    Fred Haas isn't on my ****-list of Houston area dealers, and has actually been spoken of reasonably well by people I trust; I have no first-hand knowledge, however. I'm inclined to agree that it's probably a competency issue that, sadly, will be present at nearly every dealer to some degree.

    Are you willing to fly out to New Mexico? Albuquerque zip code shows six 2016 Three w/ ATP available, in black, blue, gray, and white. A Southwest flight to Denver, CO makes 10 available, all of the same colors plus red, too. Find a firm deal via e-mail and fly out and drive back; if you can save another $2k off MSRP it's probably worth it, not to mention the 2016 incentives. You might need to bring your own financing or do a cash deal if you buy out of state (ask before you fly somewhere).
     
    #20 wrprice, Aug 30, 2016
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