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blind spot monitor question

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by vontan, Oct 21, 2015.

  1. vontan

    vontan Junior Member

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    new to the forum after buying a 2015 Prius a few weeks ago. Just wanted to get some opinions on whether I'm off base on this. Previously having a Camry with a factory installed blind spot monitor in the mirrors, we asked if we could get the Prius with the same. The one we picked out didn't have it but the salesman said he'd throw it in the package (more on that later). We took it home and they said they'd call when it was ready, next I get a call saying the mirrors had to be painted and it would be a few days...mirrors? I figured maybe they had to replace the whole mirror, so we bring it back for the install in another few days and they give us a loaner, then another few days later we pick up the Prius only to see it's an after market blind spot monitor. No mention had been made that it was different than the factory install, no mirrors had to be painted, then to make matters worse I see they added 1200. to the cost of the car for this. I am pretty livid, the monitors you can't really see during the day, the cord on the dash unit is exposed about a foot. It's a Myron & Davis unit that lists for 240. so it amounts to them charging over 1000 to install it? I feel they ripped me off by not explaining it was an after market product and they overcharged me on top of that. From a few searches it appears it costs 150-200 to install this plus the cost. I didn't even see it until after I paid cash for the car since I had no reason to think they weren't putting in what I paid for. At the same time my husband bought a new Tacoma which we are supposed to be picking up Friday, I told the salesman today they needed to resolve this before Friday I expected some sort of compensation. Sorry this is so long, I am not sure where to go from here. Unless they take off probably 800 from what I paid and maybe take it off the cost of the Tacoma I won't be happy with this whole deal. Opinions?? thanks for reading,
    yvonne
     
  2. matt b.

    matt b. Member

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    Take the Car back talk to the sales manager and tell him the entire issue tell him you don't want to pay a dime and I bet you'll see something happeN. Good luck don't settle

    Merged.

    Won't pay a dime
     
    #2 matt b., Oct 21, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 21, 2015
  3. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    Go with the small "stick-on" mirrors, (AutoZone, WalMart, Target) - ~$6 per set, easy to set up, and much less expensive than the dealer. Also check out the CarTalk.com web-site, they have a great way of setting up your internal & external mirrors to eliminate any blind-spots!!! - hope this helps
     
  4. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    Lesson learned, if the car you want is not equipped with what you want, find one that is, this we can add it later is almost always B.S.
     
  5. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Welcome to the site.

    Hold on to that customer satisfaction survey until you are satisfied.

    You asked for a feature that is not available on the car. You saw the additional charge on the contract for what has to be an aftermarket system.

    A salesman is going to lie like a rug to get you to agree to the sale. If you were told an OEM system was going to be installed then that should have been listed.

    If you didn't go through the dealer's Internet Sales Dept. you probably paid extra for the salesman.

    Bring this up with the Sales Manager or General Manager. If you didn't sign the contract & pay for the truck tell them that sale is on hold. Best wishes for a reasonable resolution.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i've heard about problems with sleazy florid toyota dealers. what did the salesman say when you confronted him?
     
  8. Redpoint5

    Redpoint5 Senior Member

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    Always get everything in writing before agreeing to pay. Always read what you sign. Always withhold full payment until you are satisfied that the contract was met.

    Sorry about your bad experience. It's an upsetting lesson to learn.
     
  9. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Caveat emptor
     
  10. RivRider

    RivRider New Member

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    WilDavis. Thanks for the CarTalk link. I'll give it a try.
     
  11. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

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    From the scant information provided, here's what I see:
    Mistake #1 - it looks like you assumed there was a factory blind-spot option for the Prius because there's one for the Camry.
    Mistake #2 - when they said they'd provide one, it looks like they didn't volunteer that it would be an after-market accessory.
    Mistake #3 - you assumed "throw it in with the package" meant free, or at least reasonable, so you didn't question the cost.
    Mistake #4 - you signed the contract or paid for the car without reading it first or noticing the cost.
    Mistake #5 - you assumed dealers charge reasonable fees for installations.

    That said, I think the dealer is despicable and probably took advantage of you, but it doesn't sound like what they did was illegal and you're not entirely blameless. You made assumptions and didn't question things until after the fact. Yours is an all too typical story, it's what too many dealers do if they can and I feel your pain. Back in 1999 we bought a Pontiac Montana. We made our deal and signed the contract only to find out later that the dealer added a $1,395 extended warranty. Since we were financing, I assumed the payment schedule was the result of finance charges. Only after we got home did I read through it and found what they had done and was able to cancel the warranty. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what legal recourse you have at this point since you've already signed the contract, paid for the car, are past the 72-hr point and probably have no real proof of what was said. As someone else mentioned, you can try to hold the Tacoma purchase hostage and maybe the dealer will offer some kind of discount to keep your business, but in the end, it's a harsh lesson learned.
     
  12. vontan

    vontan Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the replies, actually they did tell me they would throw it in for free, and that is was worth 1200, I didn't make assumptions and I did read the contract. There is no breakdown on the contract for it, however when I questioned how they arrived at the final figure they broke it down on a plain sheet and that's where I saw the 1200 for the blind spot monitor. (So that in itself could leave me screwed since they can now say they didn't charge me.) I literally pitched a fit but since the bottom line was the same I went along. The whole thing was fishy from the start, they let us take the car home, writing it up as a loaner, with only a deposit on it, they gave me a folder with paperwork but when I got home there was nothing in it of importance. So much of these amounts weren't even seen until I demanded it via email. At first they couldn't give me a price until they made a contract and I came in and paid and sign, then I said how can I pay if you aren't giving me a breakdown they finally did send it via email. They did reduce their ridiculous 600. dealer fee by taking away from the total price of the car. I agreed to the bottom line through email but that was only because I didn't realize they charged me for the blind spots. Then when I got there to pay, I went over everything again and that's when it was explained how they arrived at the price of the car. I've bought more than a few new cars so I'm not entirely clueless how the system works, but this has me never wanting to buy a car again. We are to go and get hubby's Tacoma, also paying cash for that too, they put the blind spot monitors in his car for free, but were they really? I will be bring up the customer satisfaction survey, the state attorney and bbb along with me giving them nasty reviews everyplace I can but I don't know how much they care. To make matters worse the salesman we dealt with was promoted (?) and now we have a new guy who knows nothing. I'll post later how it went down.
     
  13. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

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    Yvonne, sorry if I struck a nerve, didn't intend to, just trying to figure out how this went down. When I bought my first new car in 1970, the contract included the MSRP base price and options as well as discount, taxes and fees. At the time, they had an agreement to sell cars to military members for $125 above cost, so the amount of the discount reflected that. Like you, I had an option added by the dealer and it was clearly listed, but for the MSRP. I have no idea what it cost them to do the install nor did I care.

    Conversely, the contract for my last new car only includes the final price of the car, rebate, taxes and fees. There's no indication on the contract to show how we arrived at the final price of the car, all I know is that it was what I agreed to pay based on our negotiation. I was given a separate sheet showing "their" breakdown. However, since the price I agreed to pay was what I paid, I didn't really care about the prices in their breakdown and they didn't add anything.

    Anyway, it just seems to me that you paid the price you negotiated and that price included the blind-spot option. I get that you're not happy with the job they did, I probably wouldn't be either, especially since the Camry option is only $500 MSRP. But I don't see where you questioned beforehand what they were going to do and that's what I meant when I said you "seemed" to assume things. I wasn't there, so I don't know why the salesman didn't tell you the Prius doesn't offer a factory option, maybe he didn't know given how many different cars Toyota makes and how different the options lists are. But didn't you assume they offered the option and that the dealer would simply give you something like you had on your Camry? That's not an accusation, just an observation. I might have made the same assumption based on what the salesman said. However, when Pontiac said they'd add the factory hood tachometer to my 1970 GTO, I questioned exactly what that meant and even talked to the mechanic before I agreed to the deal. Fortunately for me the job was done right.
     
  14. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    As presented by the OP I think I'd be upset as to how the whole thing unfolded.

    At this point what resolution can the OP get to try to gain some satisfaction? Well unfortunately maybe none. The Dealership/Salesman may of been misleading, but without any specifics in writing? Exactly what was agreed upon and for what price becomes a You Say...They Say situation.

    It's too bad, because in purchasing not one but two vehicles from them, before signing on the dotted line and handing over large quantities of cash you WOULD OF HAD...lots of leverage to get EXACTLY what you want. But once you've paid and taken delivery, you're kind of stuck with what you have in writing and the vehicle in your driveway.

    Also, and I don't mean to sound condescending but I always think in this day and age where information about whatever vehicle you are purchasing is available in mass on the internet from various sources, it really is incumbent on the purchaser to know exactly what they want, what is possible, and make sure that is what they are getting.

    It becomes a semantic interpretation when you ask for something The Prius doesn't come with, and the salesman say's they can get it for you. It's up to the purchaser to know what is available from the factory and what is being installed as an after market non-OEM accessory.

    At this point, I think the best thing to do would be hopefully enjoy all that is right about the vehicle(s) you have purchased.
    Sounds like you got a Prius with some type of blind spot monitor. It may not of been what you were expecting, but it is what you have. And hopefully lesson learned as far as making sure what you are paying for, is what you really want and expect BEFORE paying for it.
     
  15. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    "At first they couldn't give me a price until they made a contract and I came in and paid and sign, then I said how can I pay if you aren't giving me a breakdown they finally did send it via email."

    That has to be the first warning sign of a sleazebag dealer. If they don't know what they are selling it for then my reply would be "when you figure it out email me but don't wait too long. If they persist in their nonsense then I might make an insulting low ball offer. At this point any haggling is more for my amusement and just to waste their time. It's a mass produced car and another one just like can be found somewhere.
    Taking the car home can be the closer to a sale. When I was shopping for a car for Mom Burlington Chevy wanted me to drive one to her. Kerbeck will bring one to your home.
     
  16. vontan

    vontan Junior Member

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    thanks again for everyone's help, no you didn't strike a nerve but I think in trying to be brief some things might not have been clear. Today we went and I told him before we talk about the Tacoma we need to settle on the Prius issue. I tell the salesman that I will be filling out 2 surveys, and mention the state attorney, bbb, and online review sites, then say we are prepared to take back our deposit on the Tacoma and go elsewhere. (I'd already researched deposit returns) After a few min he leaves, I know he told them all what I said, then a manager came and told me it cost him over 900 to put it in, oh really? I tell him I know exactly what the unit was the model and the list price which was 240, so I know you aren't paying list so you are charging 1000 to put a 200 unit in really do you think I am that dumb? I tell him I want the whole 1200 back and they can remove the monitor from my car. He goes away, comes back telling me they will give me a 600 or so discount, I say not good, and again repeat the 1200 and removal. Says he can't do that, and comes back with another offer, that one was maybe 800 discount telling me he had to pay to have it installed, I told him that wasn't my problem, and maybe next time they wouldn't misrepresent what they were selling. so again I tell him to return my money and remove the unit, so his reply was that then I would be left with holes in my car. My answer was no I won't because you will have to replace the fenders and front posts, I didn't want this aftermarket pos so I won't be having my new car in anything other than new condition. Bottom line is after he goes away and comes back he admitted I was right and said I would get the 1200 back they'd put it against the truck and I could keep the unit.
    But with the Tacoma they again tried to pull a fast one, they took 1200 off the bottom line, then I had to have them adjust another 125. off they agreed to pay, then they adjusted the licensing fees since we already had tags, Another fast one, the tag fee was reduced on the paperwork from 225. to 83. so if you just looked at the column it would look in order, but I could see in the total it really wasn't deducted at all. I explained this to the finance guy and he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about, so we had to go over the original and final total and deducting the lines and of course I was right and he had to take another 145.off. So all told they took 1500 off. Now I have to decide what I want to do about the consumer satisfaction survey, they did satisfy me but it was a battle. I went in looking for a discount but your comments made me realize I shouldn't just settle for a discount, thanks.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wow. do you have an ernie botch dealership in florida? i wouldn't wish them on anyone.:eek:
     
  18. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Get dealer quotes from TrueCar | Never overpay. Hassle-free car buying from TrueCar Certified Dealers. for the Tacoma. If you are paying more than that you aren't getting a bargain.

    Misrepresenting state fees and taxes is a popular dealer scam. The inflated registration fee is the first number I cross out on their preprinted form.

    Since you bought 2 vehicles make sure you go to 2 new owner parties.
     
  19. vontan

    vontan Junior Member

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    little late for the dealer quotes at this point, I always think after the fact I didn't get a good deal when I buy a car, I take it as part of the process, can't worry about it now. Hopefully the car and truck will last a long time. We are people that keep vehicles a long time, the prior Tacoma was 18 years old with over 400,000 mi, and my older CR-V was a 2004, now that was a real lemon, but I needed it for work and it's served it's purpose for over 11 years. Now we are both retired we won't be putting on the miles like we did with the others.
     
  20. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

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    Obviously there was more to the story or I just didn't grasp enough of what you were saying. In any event, I'm glad you stuck to your guns and ended up getting the system for free.

    FWIW, I also never feel I got a good deal and hate the car buying experience. When I bought my GTO in 1970, the markup was around 17% and the factory kickback was around 10% (verified by a friend's dad who was a dealer in MI at the time). I paid $125 above cost for my first new car, so they still made a good profit, but I didn't have to go through the pain of negotiating and that's worth something in my book. From what I understand, that markup/kickback percentages have now been reversed, so that even if you get a car for dealer cost or below, they still make a nice profit, up to 7% or so compared to back then. And having a trade-in is even worse because they play even more numbers games with those.

    When it comes to numbers games, I have to admit I learned a lesson there. When I bought a van in 1999, they estimated the license fee. Turned out the actual fee was something like $23 less. When I asked about it, they said they don't automatically refund anything under $25, someone had to request a refund. How much did they make off customers who didn't notice the price difference when they got their tags in the mail? I got a good deal on the van, but as I said, they also snuck in an extended warranty and I was not happy with them after. Come forward to 2014 and Toyota automatically sent me a check for the difference in fees and the rest of the experience with Toyota here was actually fairly pleasant. Of course, I bought just before gas prices really dropped and so di hybrid prices, so I know I didn't get a good deal after all, but that's water under the bridge.

    I'm sure your new vehicles will last a long time, but I'd have an eagle-eye on them if you get them service by this dealer. Maybe the salesman simply screwed up and the manager didn't like having to make things right. My wife still thinks the Pontiac dealer sabotaged the van because we did have some trouble with it and eventually needed a new engine after the warranty expired. So far, my Toyota dealer has been good, but soon we'll find out for sure after I turn down their Blue Service the next time I get the oil changed. :)