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Question for Toyota Dealers - our purchased Prime is advertised for sale on website

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Spidey71, Jun 21, 2018.

  1. Spidey71

    Spidey71 Member

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    2018 Prius Prime
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    Premium
    I had a chance to call the dealership and speak to the sales rep. again. I didn't really get any more clarification about why a sold vehicle is on the website, other than it shows as inventory until it leaves the lot, which I guess I can understand to some extent. However I did get confirmation that there is only 8km on the car and that it would not be test driven - which is somewhat of a relief. The dealership has been excellent to work with so far - so I guess I should have trusted things would work out. That said, it would have been good to know ahead of time that the car would appear on the website until it is picked up - which will be tomorrow - wahoo!! Couldn't come at a better time with the price of gas nearing $1.40/litre and will probably go higher with the summer driving season.
     
  2. Dudley1030

    Dudley1030 Active Member

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    2017 Prius Prime
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    Prime Advanced
    I bought my '17 Prime last November. I began shopping about 2-3 months before that. The Kansas City are dealers all advertise several Prime's as available on their websites. Then when you called them, none of them had any in stock. Every one of them then tried to get me interested in a regular Prius. One of the dealers had one in stock that they were letting people test drive. They said it was not for sale because Toyota REQUIRED them to keep one in stock for test drives and they could not sell it. Hmmmm, out of about 10 dealers, that was the only one that had one to test drive. I called every dealer I could locate in the KC area and all of Kansas. Not one dealer had a Prime in stock. I then went to the dealer in Lawrence, KS where I live. They has just sold a red one the previous day that they got from a dealer in western KS. They wanted a $500 deposit to look for one - I told them no one had one in KS. So he said the $500 would give me first rights to purchase the next one they got in. I could also refuse it and wait for the next one. He called me about 2 weeks later and had a white Prime Advance on the way. I bought that baby. Loved it ever since. I looked a few months later and they stilled had Primes on their websites for sale that they did not have in stock.
     
  3. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

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    My car was still listed on the dealer's website a few days after I bought it. Car dealers rarely miss an opportunity to bring in business whether it's genuine or not. My bet is, even after you buy it, it'll still be listed on the website for a while afterwards. That way, anyone looking will think they have it it, come into the dealership, where the dealer will say "oh, it just got sold, but I can get you another." Not exactly above board, but to be expected.

    Buying from a Toyota dealer is one of the worst experiences we've had every single time, from multiple dealers -- every single one we've ever tried over the years (a reason why our family went all-Honda some 25 years ago). I posted at length on this some time ago and won't rehash it, but the cars themselves (and the corporate companies) aside, something Honda has going for them is that (at least in SoCal) their dealers (and service bays) are amazing compared to Toyota. I've of course been disappointed in various things with both Honda and Toyota, but never ONCE the Honda dealers (sales or service)... and every single time with Toyota sales (and not that impressed with service). Multiple dealers all throughout the area. Toyota figures people will buy their cars anyway, but Honda must put the word out on the corporate level, there's a marked difference between buying a car at a Honda dealer and a car at a Toyota dealer. The Prime was the first Toyota anyone in our family bought in over 25 years (we used to be Toyota) and all went Honda after multiple terrible experiences at multiple various Toyota dealers in the area (and buying this one again, at yet another Toyota dealer, it seems nothing has changed).
     
  4. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

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    2016 Prius c
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    Unless it's changed since I worked at the dealership, it's generated by computers. Your car should come off in a few days after you've taken it home. As for mileage at the time you pick it up. I "think" the tech's for Toyota are allowed 10 miles in the PDI checklist so at least expect that much. As for other people test driving your car before you pick it up. That would never have been allowed at our dealership, but there's always an idiot out there who will try and use the excuse I didn't know.

    But don't worry, that mileage isn't deducted from your warranty. Example, you buy a car new with 3200 miles on it. (say it was used as a dealer demo). You still get the full 3 year / 36,000 miles, except yours wouldn't expire until 3 years from date you purchased it and with an odo reading of 39,200 miles.

    BUT - You MUST make sure the correct mileage is shown on the buyers order you sign. If not, your screwed. Because a clerk in the office is the one who is reporting the sale in Dealer Daily. They are putting in the mileage shown on that buyers order. Not the finance paperwork, not the extended warranty someone foolishly purchased. The BUYERS ORDER. Can't stress enough how important it is to make sure that odo reading is correct on that.

    As far as I know, changing that after it's been reported sold is not possible.
     
    Dudley1030, Spidey71 and paprius4030 like this.
  5. Dudley1030

    Dudley1030 Active Member

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    Good to know!
     
  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    It's not your car until the sales contract is signed. However your deposit should get a "hold" tag on the car so it shouldn't be driven or sold out from under you.

    A credit card number on file has been enough to have a dealer hold a car for me for a day or two.
     
    Since2002 likes this.
  7. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    I once ordered a Mini had to wait 8 weeks, came into the dealer, and was accidentally sold! So they quickly ordered me another and threw in free floor mats!!!! Nothing is yours till you fill out the paperwork.
     
  8. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    Legally a car is new until it is registered. This includes demo cars driven by managers.

    Also legally, as pointed out by SteveMucc, until you purchase the vehicle it's not your car, it's the dealer's. They have no way to know if you are actually going to purchase the car or not. You know you are committed to the sale, they don't. Deposits help dealers weed out those who at not serious, just like hotels require a credit card number. In return they won't sell the car out from under you.

    That being said, as common courtesy they shouldn't use it for test drives. If they do you can choose not to buy it. I haven't heard of anyone doing this but I would think it would be a good idea to let them know that you don't want the car to be used for test drives, tell them you are definitely going to buy the car and that you will be there on X date to purchase it. I would think that would at least greatly reduce the chance of them doing so.

    One complication though, do you know if the car is coming directly from Japan, or is it coming from another dealer? If from another dealer they sometimes drive it instead of ship it. If that's the case there would be some miles on it, and no way to really know if it had been test driven at the previous dealer or at your dealer. If you see miles on the car you should ask questions, if you aren't satisfied with the answers get your deposit back and move on to another dealer.
     
    #28 Since2002, Jun 25, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2018
  9. Dudley1030

    Dudley1030 Active Member

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    that sucks! My salesman told me he was asked several times by others if mine was for sale. It only sat on the lot for most of one day before I picked it up.
     
    Since2002 likes this.
  10. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    The 2nd one they ordered for me was placed in the showroom with a big red sign on it SOLD! :)
     
    Since2002 likes this.
  11. Spidey71

    Spidey71 Member

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    It came from Japan and had 19km on it when I picked it up yesterday so I was happy with that. Just starting the learning curve on this beauty - so far I like what I'm seeing!
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats, all the best!(y)