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

Question about Prius Orders

Discussion in 'Order Tracking' started by gnagel, Dec 23, 2005.

  1. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    About 10 days ago, I placed an order for an '06 Prius (Package 1 in Silver Pine Mica). The dealer told me to expect delivery in 8 to 12 weeks.

    Over the past 10 days, I changed my mind. I decided that I really wanted the Package 2 in Silver Pine). After further consideration, I want the auxillary in for an easy iPod connection. And, the smart key feature looks interesting to me now.

    I called the dealer yesterday and asked if this change could be made, and if so, how it would impact the delivery time. I was told that it was not a big deal. The wait would be about 12 weeks.

    I'm wondering how this works. Does the dealer order this exact car (Package 2 Silver Pine Mica) from Toyota? Or, does the dealer just get an allotment and then try to satisfy the customer as much as possible. In other words, should I expect to get a call 12 weeks from now saying that there's a Package 4 Prius available or that the Package 2 came in, but that it's not the Silver Pine?
     
  2. ScottY

    ScottY New Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2005
    1,250
    7
    0
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I think that's how it works. When I order mine, I was told there's an 05 package 3 coming in next week and if I want it. If not, wait longer for the right one to come in.
     
  3. A2Prius

    A2Prius New Member

    Joined:
    May 6, 2005
    14
    0
    0
    I ordered an '05 Prius last January for December delivery, then changed it to an '06 for January delivery once I'd learned about the federal tax credit for hybrids. I'm pushing my dealer to deliver my car a.s.a.p. next month. I'm quite flexible about color but the vehicle's gotta have Package #4.

    If I remember correctly my salesperson said his dealership's January allotment will be 19 Prii. (This is a big Toyota/Scion dealership.) I'm "in line" for a Oceanside Blue/gray interior car to hold my place. This car won't be built until perhaps the second week of January. The dealer has a few more '06 Prii on order with Package #4: if one of those folks decides to opt out I have the right of first refusal.

    Bottom line? The Prius continues to be in very high demand, and getting EXACTLY what you want with regard to color and optional equipment is a crap shoot.
     
  4. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2003
    1,131
    60
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    It is a crap shoot. They cannot pre-order specific ones like other manufacturers. They can get what they get and hope they have a customer for it- though actually I think they all get it from the Regional pot..
     
  5. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2004
    4,333
    7
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Bingo.
     
  6. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    My interaction with the Toyota dealer isn't making sense to me.

    I asked if it would help my chances on a timely delivery if I expanded my choice of colors. He responded that it wouldn't make much of a difference. He encouraged me to order the car that I want--and that it would be delivered in a 12 week time frame.

    I called again this afternoon to confirm this understanding. He seemed just a little frustrated with me. Three times he repeated..."It's NO PROBLEM AT ALL" to deliver the Prius with my exact requirements by April.

    Does this make sense? Is it possible that by accepting such a long waiting time (4 months) that the dealer knows they can secure whichever car I choose?
     
  7. roach52osu

    roach52osu New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2005
    200
    1
    0
    Location:
    Dublin, Oh
    They are probably going by a statistical analysis of what they have taken delivery on in the past. I placed my order in early october only requirement was pkg 7 (no white, no black) I had several colors that I would like more but was otherwise open. Still told that I will be waiting until jan-march and contact recently indicates later rather than sooner. I suppose your dealer may just be guessing as well but in sales it is better to under promis over deliver so hopefully you will get your car in that timeframe.
     
  8. Jeffcss

    Jeffcss New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2005
    13
    0
    0
    Location:
    Simi Valley, CA
    Somebody else just had this question in a different thread and I posted but real quick:

    My salesperson told me that the dealership puts in a request based on their waiting list twice a month. Toyota repsonds about 5 business days later with a list of cars including the color, options and VIN numbers and they take whatever Toyota gives them. It doesn't always match the original request but many times it does. So there is no actual ordering, it is just an allotment but Toyota does know who is waiting for what when they fill the allotment.

    My salesperson was reducing his list by about 5 cars each allotment so he knew that the 15th person on the list would take about 3 allotments or 6 weeks (roughly). Not an exact science, just estimates. The person at the top of the list didn't always get a car at each allotment. He told me 45 to 60 days when I put down my deposit and it was a few days under 60 when I drove the car home.

    My dealer would only let me pick one color, just like yours. They don't want their waiting list to be bloated with 15 cars that are actually just 4 people who have different color choices.

    If I was you I would try to get onto another dealers list, maybe a smaller dealer who doesn't have much of a waiting list. They might not get what they want each allotment but they might get one of the color/options you want.

    Jeff
     
  9. Jack 06

    Jack 06 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2005
    2,556
    0
    0
    Location:
    Winters, CA: Prius capital of US. 30 miles W of S
    Yes, and yes. From the consistent feedback we get, more people are pleasantly surprised by an early delivery than unpleasantly by a late. Many people change minds at last minute, change minds but don't tell dealer, are on several lists and end up buying where they didn't expect, walk into a dealer the very minute someone else just "dropped" their order, all sorts of things. Be prepared (mainly with financing, if that's what you're going to do).

    And don't be surprised if they call offering some oddball combination someone else didn't want. That's routine for many dealers.
     
  10. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2004
    4,333
    7
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    He does not want you to go elsewhere, so he tells you what you want to hear.
     
  11. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    I realize that...but, that's why I am trying to make it easier for him to fulfill my request.

    For example, I told him that I would be willing to accept a couple of other colors if that would help. I also like the beige and the silver. He replied that this would not be necessary. Given the four month lead time, the Package 2 Silver Pine Mica would be no problem at all.

    This is a large dealership. He told me that I am "near the top" of the waiting list for the '06 Prius and that they are selling in excess of twelve per month. When I asked him what "near the top" meant, he said that there were only about 15 people ahead of me and that most of their orders were going to be fulfilled in January. He said my timing for getting on the waiting list (December 13th) was very good.

    He also mentioned that the employee who submits the "orders through the computer" would be able to accomodate my request to switch from Package 1 to Package 2 since the orders would not be submitted until the end of the month...this is consistent with the other thread underway regarding tracking orders.

    Again, I am in no hurry at this point to get the car. I prefer to drive my old Corolla through the rest of this brutal Chicago winter. However, I don't want my order to get delayed much beyond April--and I certainly don't want the delay to jeapordize the amount of my tax credit!
     
  12. xraynano

    xraynano New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2005
    56
    0
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    While most here have posted that you can't order a Prius to specification, I had
    a similar experience to you where my dealer said I could do so, with a $500 deposit,
    that it would take about 8 weeks (this was in November) before a VIN would be
    assigned, and then another 2-3 weeks to get the car. I got the call today giving me
    a VIN number. I ordered a Barcelona Red Package #8 with Gray Leather Interior.
    I do not know if there is any way to independently verify that the car with the VIN
    I was given matches what I ordered, but so far the dealer has followed through.
    Perhaps only certain dealers can or will use their allocation for ordering a Prius to
    a client's specifications?

     
  13. km5er

    km5er New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2005
    50
    0
    0
    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    The way it works is that the dealers have an alotment. They get a list of cars coming into port about 20 days ahead of time. They can then draw upon that list using up their alotment. First one to reserve a car gets it. So if you order a specific color and package the dealer can reserve that car if it is on the group coming into port and if he beats other dealers at that specific car. Typically, as I have been told, those that are not nabbed by a specific dealer are the ones that get the junk added at port and are then distributed or held for "2" to "3" day delivery as you see on the web site.

    I have been told that there are certain numbers of each package shipped at a time. For example the first shipment into Jacksonville port in late december had a high number of black cars, mostly package 3.

    This is from a dealer friend...and you know how dealers lie!....but it sounds good to me! ;)
     
  14. FIESTA

    FIESTA New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2005
    22
    0
    0
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    This is a really frustrating exercise. I remember something similar in 1970 trying to but a Datsun station wagon. The saleman was so snotty that I walked out and down the street to the Ford dealership. After several hours of haggling I drove a big V8 wagon off the lot; it was a good family car for 10 years and gas prices were low.

    At Toyota of Seattle I have been talking to the person who gets and distributes the allocations. They got only 8 in the last allocation, none that fitted our requirements. He said that he would be sure to get us what we wanted delivered in January. I asked him how he would do that he said "Don't worry, I'll get it for you." I called him yesterday, he hasn't returned my call yet.
     
  15. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    That's what I am being told.

    I don't think my request is too demanding. I'm interested in purchasing an '06 Prius (Package #2 in Silver Pine Mica) and would like it by the end of April. I'm open to a Package #1 and I am also open to other colors in either package.

    But, when I mention that I am open to other alternatives, the dealer tells me "Don't worry, I'll get it for you." He is telling me that being open to any alternative other than my first request is not at all necessary.

    I hope he's right. I don't mind waiting for a few months, but I don't want to be at square one as we approach the summer. And, I will not be a happy camper if my tax credit gets reduced as a result of any ridiculous delays.
     
  16. Kacey Green

    Kacey Green Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2004
    112
    0
    0
    Location:
    Gainesville, FL
    Dealerships can also do dealer trades, at the dealership I work for we trade one of our vehicles or our future allotment for a vehicle on another dealer's lot or out of their allotment in order to satisfy our customers
     
  17. xraynano

    xraynano New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2005
    56
    0
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Current status of my order does suggest the "order to specification" is not possible directly with Toyota, and that it really means the dealer is going to do whatever they can to get you the car you want, nothing more. Our "order" came in this weekend, with the wrong color interior. The dealer offered to correct this "mistake" by deliverying the next vehicle on the list that matched our requirements, expected to arrive in about 10 days. In the end, if I get the vehicle I want within the promised timeframe, I don't care. But I would have preferred if the dealer was open about the process. I am not sure what would motivate them to do otherwise?
     
  18. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    UPDATE:
    I called the dealer this afternoon about the "status" of my order.

    It's only been five weeks or so since I placed my order. So, I really didn't expect to get much information given that the dealer originally told me not to expect delivery until about 8 to 10 weeks.

    However, the dealer confirmed that things are right on schedule. He said to expect delivery toward the end of February. He mentioned that he is having difficulty securing my first color choice (green), but that my second color choice of beige was assured. He also mentioned that he was doing his best to swap the beige for a green (with another dealership). He told me that securing the Package #2 will not be a problem.

    So far, so good. Hopefully, this will still be the case at the end of next month.

    :)
     
  19. st8flush

    st8flush New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2006
    2
    0
    0
    I work at a Dealer and We have been able to match orders pretty well. We odered mine on 11/24 and it came in on 12/22. (our first alottment). But one of our customers we are having trouble getting a pkg 8 for. Then we had 2 show up the other day unsold and avail for sale(pkg 1&3) on the showroom. Go figure
     
  20. gnagel

    gnagel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2005
    72
    0
    0
    UPDATE:

    Well, another month or so has gone by and still no Prius.

    I called the dealer ten days ago to check on the status. He had previously told me to expect the car by the end of February and that everything was right on schedule.

    After not getting a return call for two days, I called again and this time spoke directly with him. He apologized for not calling me back and told me that he would have a status update in 30 minutes. He promised to call back later that afternoon. I received no return call that day.

    A week later, I called again---only to have my call not returned again. Today, I finally got him on the line again. He apologized once again for not calling me and provided some lame excuse about being busy and under the weather (for ten days?).

    He is now telling me that the car will definitely be ready for pick-up in March.

    I suspect he's just stringing me along.

    I guess it's time to start calling some other dealerships.