Ok to call multiple dealers in my area to pre-order car of my dreams?

Nothing is bad karma when your dealing with car sales people. Lower forms of life than politicians so don't sweat over it. Remember no non refundable deposits, ever!

 

I would not even bother to call them. Just e-mail several dealerships with your specifications. Those e-mails always go directly to the internet sales manager, who usually has a lot more latitude and independence than the average car salesman. Some of them will call you back, if you want to include your phone number, or you can leave that out and only call them if they make you a written offer. The ones that are serious about selling you a car will give you some sort of written indication of what they are willing to sell it for. You need to be quite specific about what you want to buy, including any options and accessories. I always include the known info re invoice, destination charges, and MRSP. CR and other car sites always say to negotiate up from invoice, rather than down from MRSP. I've gotten 3 or 4 cars this way, never from the same dealer. Don't tell them you are in a hurry, but in this case, you really have little negotiating leverage if you are not willing to wait for inventory buildups. I paid MRSP for my HyCam under similar circumstances. The process simply weeded out the dealers who were insisting on trying to do BS addons, or sell for more than MRSP. It also found me a dealer who had an early allocation car available and was willing to trade around to get me the right color etc.

 

On behalf of the good dealers/car sales people including several very helpul ones who post here --- your post sounds like an example of self-fulfilling prophesy?

 

You need it right away but you can't put down $100? So you're OK knowing that someone who comes in after you and puts down $100 will probably get the car you wanted. We get what we deserve...

 

Agreed. There are some bad sales people but many bad politicians. I find that the internet sales people tend to cut through the BS because they know that you are a well informed potential buyer.

Roy

 

I have bought all my cars beginning with an internet quote since 1998. In the end, I have had nothing but good experiences every time, and I'd be willing to bet I've reached a lower final cost than average. I don't mind if they call or e:mail me, since I actually want a car. And when I'm confronted with a hard-sell/stall tactic sales rep/dealer who doesn't want to negotiate (and it's happened), I just walk away - it's pretty simple. I would go back to the sales reps I have dealt with in the past...

 

I thought I would share my experience shopping for a car with my young adult daughter in Portland. She wanted a Honda Civic. She clicked on the get quotes link on one of the car buying sites and got back several quotes. There was a Honda dealer near her house. We hadn't gotten a quote from them but decided to stop by any way. They were horrible, making a ridiculous offer then expecting us to bargain down from that. We left, went to a dealer that had e-mailed a quote, in Vancouver, WA, bought at near invoice in a few minutes. When we got back to my daughters place, she had gotten an e-mail from the first dealer's internet department, sent before our bad negotiating session, with an offer similar to the one we ended up getting.

I'm not sure I would have told them I was willing to buy at invoice, but no biggie.

By the way, my daughter got married at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. I wish I would have had a Prius then, Lot's of regenerative breaking on the way down!

Roy

 

Not sure I would have immediately volunteered to pay MRSP! In any case, good luck! If you can get a dealer to identify a specific car (with VIN#) that has been allocated to them, or that they can trade another dealer for, don't be afraid to make a deal and give them a deposit. You don't have to wait for it to show up on their lot. They know weeks or days in advance what has been allocated to them and what other cars are available or are going to become available in their region. Make sure you have a termination right if they don't deliver that specific car by a specific date.

 

A refundable deposit is entirely reasonable, and $100 is pretty small. Don't let that stop you from dealing with someone who may have the best out-the-door price.

 

Agreed. It's usually just in the form of a check that never gets cashed anyway.

 

The smartest thing you could do is to dream-on a few months longer and wait until the feeding frenzy is over at your Toyota dealer.

Keith

 

Speaks for itself...