1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

My experience at Carson toyota

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by K9lulu, Mar 3, 2012.

  1. Randyneely

    Randyneely Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2012
    23
    1
    0
    Location:
    chico
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I bought a 2012 Prius III in redding ca on 2/29/12 for $24,100 + fees You can also ask for a Costco/ SAMs club deal, normal 200 over invoice. Good luck ! Randy in Chico Ca. The price was clearly set and it took less then an hour for paperwork, wash and fill up, great Internet rep Jon Geer.
     
  2. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2007
    1,826
    514
    6
    Location:
    Pleasanton, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I was given the price of 22,000 + 2495. OK

    After some back and forth I was told we are allowed to make a profit. Uh, this fragment of a sentence could stand a subject. But OK, you were negotiating a price and a justification from the dealership was made that they weren't selling the car so cheaply that the dealership wouldn't make a profit.

    The new price was now at 24,800 + 2500 because the special offer along with the 0% apr for 36 months had expired 2/21. Likely a President's day sale and you didn't get the deal sealed by President's day. Hint, there will be a Memorial Day sale, July 4th Sale, and Labor Day Sale.

    I replied it was good until 3/5 but got rebuked with we sell a lot of Prius here, you will not get one for under 25,000, come back and see us if you cannot find a better deal elsewhere. Did you have paperwork stating this? I would be surprised if a dealership didn't honor their paperwork, or at least provide a better explanation than this if you did have paperwork. The answers you are providing seem to indicate some lack of respect or frustration from the sales people. However, you aren't indicating any culpability on your part? Were the negotiations unfriendly? Were you being unreasonable and therefore wasting their time? Are you an innocent victim of circumstance?


    So there, take that!!! This seems to indicate that you are getting ready to have your "vengence" by posting a negative review of the dealership on Prius Chat.

    How was your experience at Carson toyota? I haven't purchased at Carson. However, when I did look to purchase my 2010, I did contact Dianne at Carson. She was professional in all my communications. However, at the time, I could get a very good deal at a local dealership, thus I went there.

    Where do I go and who do I talk to in order to get a good deal? People here will present their favorite dealerships in So. Cal and will give guidance or links on how to do a deal. My advice is to contact several dealerships through their on-line pricing and get some quotes. Also check AAA and Costco pricing to see if they are any better.

    What is a reasonable quote and otd price of a 2011 Prius 2 in orange county, ca? I haven't priced cars recently, but I'm guessing you will likely be closer to MSRP than Invoice given high fuel prices. The 2011 will be less expensive than the 2012's, but also less inventory.

    I would appreciate any advice and I'm just looking for a good buying experience. Edmunds has a nice article written by a former car salesman, and that is enlightening. I'd recommend doing internet sales and do all the pricing over the internet. That way, all you are doing is going to the dealership to sign the documents and pick up your new car.

    You posted when angry. Your expectations weren't met. You clearly feel that you were victimized by this dealership and this is how you are fighting back.

    Now if the facts ended here, you'd have a lot of sympathy and there'd be people chiming in about their awful dealership experiences. However, Dianne posted and provided additional information from the dealerships perspective.

    When the data is taken in whole, it appears that the OP was not prepared to purchase a vehicle and that likely, their March 5th document really expired on Feb 18. Dianne's explanation is simple, makes sense, and fits the data.

    My conclusion is that the OP went to the dealership unprepared. Once their, they were frustrated by their experience and was expressing this frustration to the staff. The staff felt their time was being wasted and were frustrated in return.

    I understand why the OP is being bashed. They weren't prepared. They had a bad experience. They then come to Prius Chat, create an account for what appears to be the sole purpose to bash the dealership and to ask for advice. In that order.

    If some of the responses aren't sympathetic, it is because the posters feel that the OP didn't do enough to secure the deal prior to going to the dealership. They feel the OP sounds more whiny that having a legitimate complaint.

    Is the OP a jerk? Likely not, but they didn't handle this event well at the dealership nor in their posting of the facts/events of the day. I'm not seeing a lot of the OP supporters admit that the OP didn't present all the facts or even acknowledge that the OP did a good job in setting up their purchase.

    We've had many many trolls here, they come in, create an account, and then cause trouble, and never come back. Not everyone with a low post count who posts questions or complaints is a troll (Coach81 is a classic example of someone who's been needlessly bashed), but there is definitely a pattern to "trollish" behavior.

    BTW, the OP hasn't returned or responded.

    Finally, when you have someone like F8L, who has lots of posts, lots of "friends" and lots of "thanks" comes in and weighs in with an opinion, you should listen to it. Justin commands a lot of respect on these boards because he is fair, open minded, kind, and respectful. This board isn't a popularity contest, but there are key members and contributors here and their advice should be given the respect it deserves.
     
    4 people like this.
  3. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2009
    873
    193
    0
    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Wow - that is pretty asinine.

     
  4. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2007
    1,826
    514
    6
    Location:
    Pleasanton, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    http://priuschat.com/forums/dealers...-prius-hatchback-inventory-2.html#post1483736

    The OP has exactly 2 posts. Almost Identical. Except this one adds a "Tee Hee" and posts it on Dianne's inventory threads.

    I've changed my mind. The OP is a jerk AND the OP is a troll.

    I don't know. There is NO mention of what you say in the member agreement. There is no "Thou shall not mention a bad experience at a dealership, unless you promise to come back and listen to us call you a classless clown...over and over"
    I don't know who the mod/owner is, but if you guys feel this strongly about Dianne, you may want to amend the user member agreement to say something like "I promise to love and to hold Dianne and her over priced deals for life"


    And some advice to Candycane Princess, your posts are extreme in the sense of twisting what people say and exaggerating them. If someone posts defending Dianne, you spin it as "where does it say that we can't criticize a dealership". No one said you couldn't criticize, but the will expect you to support your criticism with facts and not to take their statements and twist them as you see fit. Your sarcasm isn't very humorous and it isn't very witty.

    If you continue down this path, you will find yourself being treated adversarily and you will have no one else to blame for it but yourself.

    There are lots of good people and good information here, I fear you will leave this site in frustration that could easily have been avoided.
     
    3 people like this.
  5. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2009
    873
    193
    0
    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    That is a very telling quote - the fact that you took MONTHS to buy a car boggles the mind. It sounds like you and the OP are kindred spirits.


     
    1 person likes this.
  6. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I resemble that remark :eek:

    However, in total I spent about 30 minutes with salespeople I did not end up buying a car from. I suspect CCP of a wee bit more.
     
  7. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,795
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I think initially I felt the OP was being treated a bit harshly.

    But the 2 post history, and the total disappearance of the OP must be looked at as at least "trollish" behavior.

    Plus what started as a defense of the OP's right to criticize Carson Toyota, turned pretty rapidly into a attack of Dianne Whitmire. I don't care what you think about Carson Toyota, or even Dianne Whitmire, but I'd say her participation within Prius Chat would define her as someone I think not deserving of attack.

    I've changed my mind. This thread should die. Seems to me the OP was not sincere in obtaining information.
     
    2 people like this.
  8. CandyCanePrincess

    CandyCanePrincess New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2011
    113
    14
    0
    Location:
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    II
    It took me months because I waited till the supply stabilized in Japan. Why is that hard to comprehend? I wasn't buying a pair of shoes. I spent no longer than 15 mins w dealers I wasn't going to work with... And the fact that you have Dianne thanking your baseless post suggesting I took too long cracks me up even more.

    And mind you, all I said was calling people names in a rush to defend someone is not cool. If you guys think so, hooray for you.

    All in all, for anyone in the market and still reading thru this twisted and now boring thread, please keep looking until you find the price you are comfortable with :)

    And no, I am not going to leave a forum in a hissy fit because person x doesn't like me. Nor will I automatically thank someone for running into a thread to shush me into drinking a particular dealer's kool aid because of his post count. This isn't high school.
    In all of this, I think codyroo took the most balances approach to answer the op's question. As well as the people with the lowest post count. If you look at the trend of responses, you will definitely sense a trend and side to thing. Not a very good place for a forum this size. A forum that has to do w prius the car, not sales people. :(
    I may have been too sarcastic in my tone and I can totally man up to that, but I hope you will be able to see how unwelcoming you are when you call people jerks and clowns and state their post count as a reason to do so.
     
  9. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2007
    1,826
    514
    6
    Location:
    Pleasanton, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    CCP,

    I'm hoping you have a long stay on this site. I don't discount people because of post counts, everyone starts at 1 post and progresses from there. However, certain characteristics can be seen in "trolls" and low post count is one of them. No one is asking you to drink the Kool-Aid. We have many members here that have been around for awhile and don't like the Prius, chose another vehicle other than a Prius etc. They provide good counter points/balance and keep the site from becoming a fanatic site that you fear it may be. The trick is doing it thoughtfully and intelligently.

    The Electric Me is one such poster. Cycledrum is another (although he is back in a Prius). There are others that present (but I'm forgetting their names at the moment). They have their gripes with the car. But I think they like the community, they like the information they can get (lots of engineers, scientists and such visit and post), and the general maturity of the community.
     
  10. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2009
    873
    193
    0
    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    It was hard to comprehend because you did not say it and I am not a mind reader.

    Last summer my wife and I were shopping for an Acura that was built in Japan and in far scarcer supply than the Prius. We spent a couple of hours with the dealer, negotiated the trade-in and agreed to the AAA price and left a deposit and then waited for delivery - all in all not a big deal and it did not take months even with the wait.

     
  11. CandyCanePrincess

    CandyCanePrincess New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2011
    113
    14
    0
    Location:
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I don't know about AAA, but you may not be aware that Costco was NOT offering the deal on the Prius. I contacted the Costco program and I had Buick sellers contact me!! I got an email saying something along the lines of "the car you want is unavailable due to production, so here is a car that we think you may like". I had to wait till the production went back and I didn't mind. Partly because this forum educated me about the supply and demand / disaster in Japan.
     
  12. pdp

    pdp New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    162
    16
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    If this was in response to my previous post about not getting the $xxx,xxx deal I asked for from you, but got from another dealer instead, I just want to add that you didn't ask me about my financing plans with the car. I was going to pay in full on the spot, did not have a trade in, and had no intentions of haggling for any freebees to be thrown into the deal... so what you mentioned above had no bearing on my situation... that is my big picture. Call me the "no surprises" kind of customer! :D

    Anyway, part of me didn't want to post this because it started feeling like beating a dead horse, but I reread what you posted and felt obligated to tell my side of the story, just as you told your side of the story in response to the OP of this thread. And just for the record, I do feel like you did the right thing when dealing with the OP.
     
  13. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2009
    873
    193
    0
    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Financing and trade are pluses for a dealership - they make money from both and in many cases the margins are better than the sale of a new car.

    You are always going to be able to find someone who will "beat that deal". Especially when another salesperson spend the time with the customer and does all of the heavy lifting. I have used this tactic when buying a car. The one thing that I am careful to do is be honest with the salesperson - let them know that I'm just looking and researching and that when I am ready to buy that price will be a major factor.

    It has gotten so bad in other industries it has developed a name - showrooming. As in going to Best Buy to research TV's and talk to a person and then going home and buying it from Amazon for less. Just think of how this is going to affect things in the future - I think it will have a seismic shift similar to what happened when Walmart came in and drove out small local companies. Taken to the extreme you wind up with no retailers, just a zillion Amazon warehouses selling everything.



     
  14. bretaz

    bretaz Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2010
    475
    52
    0
    Location:
    Surprise, Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ha, I can't believe I just read all this shit.
     
  15. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    :eek:

     
  16. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2006
    19,011
    4,080
    50
    Location:
    Grass Valley, CA.
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Bru, I would have warned you had I known you were headed this way. lol
     
  17. pdp

    pdp New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    162
    16
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    What you said makes sense, but I think you missed my point. I never even had a chance to "showroom" with Dianne or let her know whether I'd be financing or not before she told me "nope, not possible." And she was the first dealer I communicated with about a Prius v because of her prevalence on these forums. So I looked elsewhere, it's as simple as that.

    As for the prospects of showrooming and selling everything via warehouse, I wholeheartedly agree with you, I think it's inevitable that one day most everything will be sold like that and companies like Amazon will probably just have "showrooms" here and there. Heck, there are rumors (or maybe fact now) that Amazon is opening a brick and mortar store! My curiosity is how it will affect the economy, or how easily the economy will let this happen. But I think that topic is best left for another forum!
     
  18. bretaz

    bretaz Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2010
    475
    52
    0
    Location:
    Surprise, Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I wish you had. I feel like I just wasted part of my life, and the only things I have to show for it is now I am behind on work. But it just kept sucking me in.

    On a side note, I have never met nor purchased a car from Dianne. But I do recommend that you play words with friends with her. But be prepared, you are gonna lose. Lose bad. :D
     
  19. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    LOL Bret and Justin. Both youze!!

     
  20. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2006
    19,011
    4,080
    50
    Location:
    Grass Valley, CA.
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    No way man! My GF already trounces me soundly. I don't need to get trounced by Dianne too. I'd come back and post a nasty thread here on PC talking about how she cheated and lied to me about the meaning of ZA or XI. lol