I hate buying new cars!

I am so sorry to hear about how difficult it has been for you guys. I had previously bad experiences buying new cars (last 4 were Fords...) and decided to go the internet sales route. With 3 Toyota dealers in my area, I was able to search their websites, email each one and then see who REALLY wanted to sell a car. I found a dealership here (AllStar Toyota) that allowed me to do everything by internet except sign the actual paperwork. They quoted my off-the-lot price before I even saw the dealership. I test drove the car one morning for about 30 minutes. They brought the actual car I bought in from another dealership. I didn't have to put any earnest money down to do the deal. I told them ahead of time no additional stuff at closing. I was in and out of the business office in 15 minutes. Only 3 sheets of paper to sign and I was gone. I have stood longer in line at WalMart!!

By the way, they were so wonderful.....I bought a Tacoma truck there, too.....the same day!!

 

I agree that the whole car buying experience is a nightmare most of the time. One dealer added a bogus $500 charge to my paperwork and then lied about what it was. I was so brow-beaten that after 4-6 hours I just gave up and went home in what they gave me. But the next morning I took it back and got what I really wanted. Also, later a detective with the State told me about the add-on fraud. I demanded that it be reversed or else I'd take it to the next level. Fortunately they gave me my money back for the bogus "insurance" they said I had to buy. I am a senior woman but I am pretty savvy about these things. However, the constant barrage from 3-4 salesmen was just more than I could handle.
The next time I went through Costco to buy my 2008 Prius. It was a world of difference.

 

turapeach, I think you should write a letter to the dealer and perhaps copy Toyota corporate, just like you wrote it here.

One of the most hateful things about the whole car dealership/sales process is that there is so little control by corporate and so little consistency about what you encounter from dealer to dealer.

I remember going car shopping when my kids were little. I hated that. You will l-o-o-o-v-e your Prius, though!

Howardbc, I'm glad to hear it was a better experience through Costco. Maybe I will try that next time.

 

Isn't it a fun experience? I signed a contract today but it took a little push push and my dealer is fairly easy to deal with. They get retail because they are back logged and I can't fight that. They offered me a low figure on a trade in and were adamant about the price. Once I explained that one of my golfing buddies was the owner of the local auto auction they relented and gave me a fair price. It pays to fight these guys. Incidently, my dad was a new car dealer for 40 years so I know the ropes... Between that and the auction prices I received from my buddy we were able to make a deal.

 

One of the rules is never bring small children when going to the dealer to buy a car. The salesman will use this situation, restless and crying kids will added advantage to them in creating more pressure to you and easier to prey on you.

 

True dat.

My only hope back then was that my kids made them as miserable as they made me.

 

I had bad experiences with both my Tercel and my Corolla. I am hoping the Prius will be a smoother process. I got a great deal on the Tercel but then got slammed with the F&I guy.

I seriously have anxiety about the whole car buying thing. I have been doing so much research and feel prepared. I hope!

 

At one of the dealerships I visited, I had the one of the sales guys park one of their used cars behind my car so I couldn't leave as we were talking prices. Of course, they couldn't find the person who had the keys. I have no idea how they could have thought that keeping us there was going to increase their chances of making a sale. A lot of the Toyota dealerships I went to were surprisingly shady (pulling crap like this) when I was car shopping. This situation improved dramatically once we began to call every dealership within a 3-state area and basically said beat this price or no sale.

 

At this point, I'd order them to either tow it, give me a free loaner overnight (and don't let them have my keys), or I will have it towed at their expense.

A very old trick, from decades ago, was for them to test drive your tradein while you are still negotiating the new purchase. If you tried to walk out, they either couldn't find the trade-in, or could find the car but not the keys. My last apartment landlady, already older, had this happen while helping her elderly mother buy a new car. Mom was upset and caved. I would have called the police to report a stolen car.

 

F & I clerks are TOTAL JERKS when I bought my 2006 Prius from Spinelli Toyota (Pointe-Claire (Fairview), Montreal, Quebec) I was lied to repeatedly.
The insurance, especially the one that if you have a Total Loss they replace it with a brand new car for five years.

I hope that Google Spiders cache this post, and a future customer in my area reads this!!!

I deferred getting any "extras" from the Finance & Insurance "lady" (a real b1tch) and told her I'd check with my insurance company first.

Turns out her 1,000$ Total Loss protection was pure crap - it was already included in my policy, and is worth less than 100$ per year. So I would have paid 1 Grand to save 100$ per year, only the first five years.

I switched dealers for everthing else, including servicing both our Toyotas.

Spinelli also has a used car dealer lot - the sales people there are 10x more competent and curteous. We "upgraded" our 2006 Yaris from new to "used" it had 1,100KM's on it and was 3k$ less than the "new" with more options to boot.

 

its sad that buying any big ticket item has become like that. If you buy a flat pannel TV or a Computer they try to sucker you into paying $300 more for a 3 year warranty. They tout to you when selling that its the best we are reliable, but after you make the decision they go what if it breaks. I am starting to think that competition for our dollars is so great now that the dealerships and retailers must not make much money whatsoever except on up-selling.

By the way when I was with my father when he bought a new Ford Focus recently the finance manager goes these cars are really poorly made and cheap you should probably get the warranty. He yelled at her and said Are you telling me that I am buying a piece of crap maybe I should just go across the street and get a Corolla then. After he brought up the competition she of course retracted her statement and quit harrassing him.

 

A salescreature try to lie/bullshit, or intimidate you? [Sarcasm Mode = ON] Nah, can't happen [Sarcasm Mode = OFF]

It helps that I'm built like a big, bald, mean-looking biker. Oddly enough, salescreatures tend to be VERY nice and quiet around me

 

You should have supported her instead! Corolla is way better than a Focus.

"Ya know, she's right Dad. BTW Toyota has 100% American built cars in their lot, and this Ford was made by Mexicains. Be American Dad."

 

My dad's brother actually is a retired Ford worker and my dad qualifies for the family discount, and the current generation of the Focus believe it or not is built in Wayne, Michigan.

 

Thanks, I couldn't resist. Of the big 3, I have to say, Ford always was the better company, even in service.

 

Car buying does not have to be a bad experience. Shop for dealers before you shop for the car. Then go in armed with Consumer Reports report on the car you are looking for and their report of dealer cost.

I had a very bad experience buying my first new car in 1976, but both my next two new-car purchases were easy and friendly.

Don't do your car shopping when you are desperate for a car, and just walk away when you start getting bad treatment. And of course park your own car where they cannot block you in. (I would not have thought of that one!)