How do I know if I'm on the waiting list?

Hopefully they have a from filled out with your preferences, placed in a binder in order. That's how it was at a big dealer in Milpitas, CA

 

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You are the customer. You are who's going to pony up the $$$$$. Of course you can call, just don't be a pest. I understand allocations come out around every two weeks. Your salesman should tell you where you are on the list. I don't mean timewise I mean how many ahead of you on the list. That way you at least you should move up on the list after each allocation. Also you should check out the following thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/48970-prius-waiting-list-support-group.html
We've been on it since May.

 

It all depends on where you live, the number of Toyota dealers....If they are straight shooters they should tell you the number of Prius they get every 2 weeks and whether you are likely to get the color you desire (white and silver seem the most popular). Do not feel "guilty" to contact several dealers if you have that option; they all understand that they cannot promise you anything and they understand if you find a dealer that has the Prius you want, you will buy from them....Also, you don't need to visit each dealer ship; just give them a call, let them know you are serious and that you are on the wait list with another dealer, but will buy from the first who gets the car with the package option you want. Be firm, however, on the accessories you will or will not accept (such as the 3M scratch guard)....Many Prius will come with the rear bumper guard (about $70) if you were to buy the product without installation, it will run about $50 to $60 so don't freak out when they say it "comes that way".

If you only have one dealer you can contact, then you are truly stuck; be flexible with the color (accept maybe 3 or 4 of the options). If they sense you will be an easy customer to deal with, they will remember and place you higher on the list.

Call maybe once a week, just to let the sales person know you are still interested. In the Portland, Oregon area, it takes about 2 weeks to get from the bottom of the wait list to the top, and another week or so to get the car.

Good luck.

 

Of course, call them as often as you wish, you're the customer. If you want to find out for sure if you are on a list but don't want them to know you don't trust them, just call and ask them to verify the color and package number you chose.

 

When I said "just don't be a pest", I meant that more than once between allocations might be considered an annoyance. While the squeaky wheel get the oil, remember, if it requires excessive attention, it gets replaced or set aside.

 

I agree, but one shouldn't be shy. I don't mind making salespersons earn their commission.

 

you pay 100 to 500 to show that you are interested, pick your prius and wait for that one or the one similar and to your liking.

 

When we went in we actually ordered ours with the color and package that we wanted, were agreed on our price, paid $500 down, and then they faxed the order while we were there and we were given a copy of the order. They told us it would probably be 3-6 months, even told us it might be an 09 depending on their allocations and that they would keep us posted. We were actually contacted about 6 weeks later and told that they had received notice that our order was on the way and we picked it up 2 weeks later. That was just this past Thursday and we love it! I would call ASAP to make sure you are on the "list".

 

I've heard of at least one dearler in the metro Atlanta supposedly buying them @ $1500 over MSRP from other dealers in the area and reselling them @ $4000+ over MSRP. They even pulled the plug on customers on the wait list that had made a $500 deposit being quoted MSRP. I was in the process of getting on their list, back in May, which is why I am now on a wait list in Florida, supposedly MSRP. We'll see.ray:
Could be something similar.:noidea:

 

there is no list, so you are not on one.. if by chance the dealer gets an unexpected delivery he will decide based on several factors, price over msrp etc who gets what

 

Some dealers keep lists and follow them, especially the ones that quote MSRP w/o phony dealer fees. They may be few and far between, but they are out there. I saw a post recently re: a dealer in Florida who sticks to the list @ MSRP w/o any extra, above normal, dealer fees. I looked for it but I couldn't find it. I've heard of them in FL, PA, Mid-West somewhere, scattered around. Just couldn't find any in GA.

 

i sold harleys at their peak, here's a hypothetical: buyer A lives in another state and after sale i will never see him again, buyer B lives nearby and wants only to pay MSRP, buyer C is willing to pay over MSRP but lives in another area, buyer D lives nearby and is willing to pay over MSRP...what order do you think the dealer is going to sell to?

 

Your points are well taken. However, I'll go with buyer E. AutoAdviser Rep. for large CU contacts friend who is salesmanager at out-of-state dealer to get MSRP deal for buyer E. Salesman from OOS dealer calls buyer E to confirm specs and deal. Dealer may not want to risk losing future refferals from large CU. :decision:

As I have said in other posts, We're not in any hurry, only anxious. 2009 would be O.K. and may have a few minor improvements/fixes. And we will not sign for any unathorized add-on charges. Our "Document of understanding" is a "Build-your-own" from Toyoto.com showing MSRP, options, dealer fees etc. Taxes, title, tags to be additional. AutoAdvisor rep will handle all that, since we never bought an out-of-state vehilce before. It's a service the CU offers to it members. Used them before when we bought our 2000 Avalon. They handle everything. I do my homework to see what the marketplace is like, so that I can recognize a fair market price. We never even talked to a salesperson for the final purchase of our Avalon, only while looking,touching, testing and when we went to pick it up. We'll see! ray:

 

I don't know if anyone has said this yet, but we called and asked where we are on the allocation list. that's the technical name for the waiting list. So, that's what you'll want to know, is whether you are on the allocation list.