Toyota dealer pulling back said delivery date, screwing me?

Dealers compete for cars. They have an allocation based on prior sales and when a car is selected by a dealer for delivery Toyota handles the delivery schedule and provides a date that is is supposed to arrive at the dealership. That is likely the date you were given. Many things can screw up the actual date of arrival and the dealership does not actually know for a fact when the car will arrive, despite what Toyata has promised.

Locating a vehicle is an entirely different process and this is most likely what an online broker does. Dealers often source vehicles within their geographic area because they to not have the ability to ship a car across the country without charging for it.

My local dealer will in maine will only source as far away as MA or VT and they have to first contract with another dealer to actually get the car, then they have to trust the other dealer still won't sell it out from under them (not all dealers play nice), and then they will likely "send a driver" to pick up the car and drive it back to their own dealership for cleaning and prep (so the must co-ordinate with their part time driver staff which can sometimes be difficult). They must also make sure the car is "perfect" and the whole process can easily take more time than either you or the salesperson desires.

Often in a Toyota delivery situation nobody at the dealership, not even the manager, knows exactly when a new car will show up. It is frustrating to all people involved but that is the way it works.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(whitespider @ Jun 9 2007, 05:39 PM) [snapback]458830[/snapback]</div>

The only reason I sort of "got it" is because my wife is a salesperson for the local Toyota dealership and she has been in the embarrassing position of having to explain why a promised delivery date has not been met many times on vehicles that have been promised by Toyota for a specific date. She has also been screwed by delivery drivers going to get a "located vehicle" and finding out the vehicle has been damaged, or is no longer available... Stuff happens.

 

The dealer that you contract with will honor their end of your deal. If they do not then Toyota will not tolerate it.

If the car is coming from Toyota, it will be delivered on a truck. The risk of damage is minimal.
If the car is coming fom another dealer, your dealer will honor the committment it made to you but there are more variables in the mix...

Suppose a located car is actually part of an allottment coming to another dealer? Suppose the Toyota delivery date is pushed back a couple of weeks for whatever reason? In that case neither dealer can give you an honest answer to your valid questions. And then suppose the car did take a rock chip while in transit? And suppose the driver who is picking up the car scrapes the gas pump? Stuff happens all the time but as long as the car is perfect when you receive it I would not worry the least.

Dealers take their committment seriously whether their attitude shows it or not. Not all people understand customer service and many buyers do not understand that a salesperson does not get paid for most of the stuff they do. The car business like any other high volume business, makes money on extras, service, upgrades, custom orders, financing, and incentives by the manufacturer.

A salesperson who needs to move 15 cars a month is going to be more focused on selling the next vehicle than on a deal already signed and out of his control. Thats just the way the system works. And of course his/her boss is going to be "grading" them on their customer service skills and on the evaluation form you fill out when you pick up the car. if you do not provide a "perfect" score on the evalulation, the salesperson is going to get a severe reaming from his boss, and his boss will get a reaming from the next level up, and so on... Yet their income is tied to the "next sale"...

I would not worry if I were you. just be patient and instead of being opesty about things just be up front with them and ask to be told the truth instead of the typical line of marketing crap. The deal is done so now you want them to remember you as a great customer instead of the guy who drives a hard bargain, just in case there are any issues with your purchase.

 

There arn't any Prius in the area yet. They were expected to come in today, but I think they are late. You'll get your car when they do.

Oh, and ya, untill you have signed agreement with a VIN you just have an offer. Even after you buy and take delivery of the car you have a cool-down period to return it. Obviously they will give you a really hard time about it so make sure you do your homework including talking to lawyer if things get that bad.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(whitespider @ Jun 9 2007, 03:14 AM) [snapback]458568[/snapback]</div>

KWIM = "Know What I Mean"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(whitespider @ Jun 9 2007, 05:14 PM) [snapback]458898[/snapback]</div>

This varies by state. Some states do not have Cooling Off Period.