how to find your place in wait list

Yeah, I put down a deposit for mine on October 22. My Tercel is about to turn 222,000 miles, and it doesn't have much life left. (I must admit, I could get it to run much longer if I put some money into it, but I'm saving for my new car.)
I was getting angry last month about the wait. It's not worth getting angry. It's just a car! Life is too short...there's way too many other things to focus my energy on.
My plan is to call my sales guy once a month. Let him know that I'm still here. (I have to say that I was never missled or lied to by my dealer. He said up front that he had no idea when my car would arrive.)
Toyota made a mistake. They grossly misjudged demand for this car.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: If you spend time being angry about not having your car yet, you probably won't like it when you get it.
OK, I'll stop preaching now.

 

Good God. I did EST in the late 70's as a youngun! Learned how to get my cheese though!

Dianne

 

beware of http://www.plusaf.com/falklaws.htm#26th .....

8)

 

Good point! I've come to the conclusion that the squeaky wheel does, indeed, get replaced in some situations. This, however, does not appear to be one of them.

Had I not contacted my dealer subsequent to placing my "order", I would never have learned my place on the list, how many cars had been allocated to the dealer, how many orders for the same package were ahead of mine, the dealer's policy for contacting those on the list when cars arrive, etc., etc.

In sum, I believe contacting the dealer on occasion serves to accomplish a couple of goals; (1) gleaning information re the status of your order and, (2) keeping your name in front of the dealer.

 

Hey TAG!
IN my case, many people are waiting, and waiting ... and being informed that the wait it terrible and they KNOW the production is not meshing with the demand. I am positive they call other stores and find out the same thing - 5-6-7 month wait, no telling what will land, etc. Well, in my case, the worse the wheel squawks not-nicely, the faster the check gets sent back. That's a fact, JACK! I have put up with enough whining and plenty of professional, emotional, and personal abuse over the wait and sale of this 2004 model year car to last me for a lifetime.

Dianne

 

Dianne,

Again, you are definitely atypical in terms of being forthcoming with information. There are far too many, on this board and elsewhere, who can't seem to get even the most basic information (to which, I believe, they have a right) such as their place on the list.

Thus, I am not advocating barking, whining, squeaking, or making other animal-like sounds on a weekly basis. I am merely suggesting, for those who don't even know their place on their dealers' waiting lists or other pertinent information, and whose dealers have been less than forthcoming with information, to touch base with their dealers from time-to-time.

Personally, I've been waiting 3 months and have contacted my dealer only a couple of times and even those times would have been completely unnecessary had my salesman been forthright about the delivery date when I placed my deposit, informed me of my position on their waiting list and of the policy to offer any car that arrives to the next in line regardless of the color/package ordered.

 

But, it's not about being forthright. Honey, it's not even about being "right". Even I was telling folks in Sept and October who were put on my wait list that I'd have their car in Dec/Jan! MANY of them still have no cars or even cars close to their horizon. I mean, no one knew or foresaw the imbalance of product itself. Using your logic, even I am the bad guy. :>

 

Well, yeah, but what were you telling them after you learned of the imbalance?

I mean, there are a seemingly multitude of accounts where dealers have told customers "6-8 weeks", "3-4 months", etc., after they became aware of the shortage and knowing they would probably never be able to deliver an 04. So, it was one thing to be telling folks 3-4 months in Sept/Oct.; telling them the same thing today is a different matter.

 

yeah, i did est, too... 79-80-81 or so. i THOUGHT there was something about Diane that sounded good..... <smile>

i was wondering, and maybe Diane or any other Dealer/Members [who are you?] can help us out...

IS there any communication between dealers about the availability problems, or are you guys just hung out to dry on your own, too? i'd be disappointed [not for the first time, ya know...] if the "home office" didn't have SOME kind of message out to the troops on the front line about how to handle the many anxious customers... which, of course, you aren't allowed to share with us, right? <grin>

slightly more seriously, can dealers kind of band together and see what's going on at HQ? more production increase? roll over the orders to '05's? anything? nothing?

i'm going to come at this from the viewpoint that we can do more by helping each other understand what's going on and sharing info [as well as some feelings.... :guns: ].

and where DID that Hunger Project money go? to Russia, with Werner?
[bigger grin.... i was an est-hole for nearly ten years, but the prozelytizing eventually wore out, even if the knowledge i gained didn't.]