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Toyota deal tries to scare me....

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Filmmaker1225, Aug 17, 2012.

  1. Filmmaker1225

    Filmmaker1225 Junior Member

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    We had a little tiff over price, and when I told him another dealer offered me a better deal, and that I was planning on upgrading the speakers in that car, (a Prius 2) he said it would invalidate the car's entire warranty. This would be a certified car. BTW, he was trying to sell me a used 4, for way too much dough.

    What say you folks with more experience than me?
     
    #1 Filmmaker1225, Aug 17, 2012
  2. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Scare him by finding a better dealer...
     
    #2 RRxing, Aug 17, 2012
  3. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    I'd say that the 'change dealer' light was illuminated as soon as the sales person used the words 'warranty' and 'invalidate' in the same sentence.
    Walk.

    There are other dealerships, and even other manufacturers if you can't find an honest dealer near you.
    Right now, it's possible to get a new G3-two for about $22,000 out the door. Of course, if you live in one of those states that charge insane sales taxes (mine is 3% of the net value of the purchase) or insane property taxes, your OTD might be a little different that mine.
    You have to pay taxes.
    You do NOT have to pay for non-optional options, documentation fees, etc.
    You do NOT have to pay MSRP, or retail book value for a used unit.

    They don't have to sell and you don't have to buy.
    A dealer selling you a used 2010 G3 for $32,000 isn't them being a crook, it's you being a moron.
    A dealer telling you that putting aftermarket speakers in a CPO car will void the warranty??? THAT'S them being a crook!!!
    What the heck is it about Toyota dealerships anyway??? :(

    Go to a Credit Union or your bank.
    If you don't qualify for one of their lower rates, then that LAST thing that you need to be doing is sniffing car seats at a dealership. Get pre-approved for a loan whose payments you can afford, and determine the fair market value for the used car that you have your eyes on or the MSRP if it's a new one.
    Haggle.
    Buy.
    Drive.

    Easy.
    It's your money. YOU control the purchase.

    Good Luck!!!
     
    #3 ETC(SS), Aug 17, 2012
  4. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Changing the speakers -might- invalidate the warranty on the -audio system-, but that's it.

    I believe that person just invalidated the trust of that dealership.
     
    #4 David Beale, Aug 18, 2012
  5. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    That's where you just get up and walk away. That's what I did with the first two dealers when I was looking for a Prius.
     
    #5 El Dobro, Aug 18, 2012
  6. rebenson

    rebenson Member

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    sounds like you weren't interested in the vehicle this sales person was offering.
     
    #6 rebenson, Aug 18, 2012
  7. Filmmaker1225

    Filmmaker1225 Junior Member

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    Thank you for your generous responses,

    I did all of the above. Moved on to another dealer, walked out, refused to pay his ridiculous price.

    And, I was trying to talk sense to the guy. I told him I'd located a car in the next country for considerably less than his price. This was after he claimed that people fly in to the area to buy his pre-owned vehicles.

    I do have much better deals on the table, and am about ready to purchase a 4 with 26K on it. And I'm getting a warrantee.
     
    #7 Filmmaker1225, Aug 18, 2012
  8. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    All dealers are bad. If their lips are moving they are lying.
     
    #8 Judgeless, Aug 19, 2012
  9. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
    Staff Member

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    That's an unfortunate generalization. Many dealers can be bad - but the dealers I choose to do my business with are not, or I wouldn't be doing business with them.

    As to the OP - shop around. Your money means you're in control. Scare tactics are just that, and only potential buyers who are inexperienced or have limited intelligence will fall for them. Fortunately, those who know better only get their intelligence insulted and generally walk away. Fortunately your "BS alert meter" went off in time.

    Also, go in prepared to negotiate each part of the deal separately. Negotiate the price of the car first and foremost w/o any consideration to trade, add-ons, or financing. When buying new, know the invoice cost of everything you want, and understand/know what the dealer "hold-back" is.

    Then, if needed, negotiate financing, or come in pre-approved from your own bank. Cash is always best, but most of us aren't in a position to do that (or have the financial willpower to save for 3-5 years). Don't let the dealer condition you into a "payment" buyer (you can afford $xxx/mo, and adjust numbers in his favor). If they throw random numbers on a piece of paper in a 4-square fashion, you're being conditioned as a payment buyer.

    If getting a warranty, have a quote already from an online warranty dealer (Warranty Shack comes to mind, but the URL no longer works) - and only consider Toyota warranties, not 3rd party. That way if (or when) they try to stick you with an insane price, you have leverage (or options).

    If you've got a trade - know the "book" values, or be prepared to sell the car privately ahead of time. Alternately, be willing to trade your car in at the dealer who offers the highest price. Most dealers are willing to buy your trade w/o you purchasing a car. Sadly - some dealers who offer a fantastic purchase price make it up w/ a lowball on the trade.

    I have no affiliation with this site - but learned early on how to be an informed by visiting New car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying and other sites before making a purchase.
     
    #9 HTMLSpinnr, Aug 19, 2012
  10. miketee

    miketee Junior Member

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    Just bought my 2nd Prius and aside from the lowball offer for my trade, it was a pretty decent deal. The first step was to locate the car I wanted in the exact color combination I wanted. I did this from the comfort of my office by shopping online and obtaining the internet price, which is typically much lower than the price you'll get by walking into the dealer and not knowing what's on the lot. My first Prius purchase was different because it was the last one on the lot and I went with it because I didn't want to wait another month for more to come in.

    Armed with a printout of the internet price quote, which was a few hundred under invoice, I went to look at the car. I said nothing about a trade until I got there. They appraised my used car and, as expected, gave me a lowball offer. When I refused the offer, they tried to keep me there by asking how much I wanted for it. Knowing that they would never agree to my number and knowing I had a great price quote in writing on the new car, I left the dealer and pomptly got the offer I wanted for my used Prius at another dealer.

    When I went back to buy the new Prius, I still got it at the quoted price and took the 0% financing deal. The salesman and the finance guy were the only people I had to deal with and neither of them were high pressure. The finace guy did offer me an extended warranty but when I politely refused, he didn't push it. The guy who appraised my old car didn't have anything to say to me.

    Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The key is knowledge and the willingness to walk out if you're not satisfied with any part of the deal. Some of that only comes with experience. I can remember my first new car purchase many years ago and how I really had no idea about what I was doing. The dealer probably smelled blood before I even walked in the place! Of course, in those days, we didn't have the internet and didn't have access to the information we have now. Thank God those days are over!
     
    #10 miketee, Aug 23, 2012
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