One Year on the Carson waiting list

I don't have the inside story (wish I did) but I think there are two sides working against the buyer here? Note that (unless things have changed) Dianne works in the Fleet sales dept... then there is the retail side. both have to feed off the same % allotments that for the whole dealer ship... Just the way Toyota Japan is doing things

I think most dealerships that have a fleet sales area work this way

So, if you are lets say: Dallas texas (put your big city name here) and work a deal with toyota and a dealer for a high profile that gets in the news for lets say 50 cars....you get cars fast... you are not, and going through the fleet/internet area... you just might get bumped... a lot

Now the other side (retail)... you go into/call dealer at the retail side, flash some big "Bucks" the dealer makes big, the salesperson gets big commission, you walk away with a car much faster (depending on the amout.. from the next shipment)...

Now if you are Kerry and want a Prius, make a big deal about it in the press on the campain trail..... You will get a Prius Driven to you by the Toyota USA Div Pres... the next day... what he would do with it I do not know.


So bottom line want a car fast.. pay though the nose, be a major canadate running for Pres of the USA, or a BIG name Movie Star making a big deal about the car all over the press.

Me, bought a 2002 directly though the Toyota Corp internet order site, got offer to do the same for a 2004, placed order on (I think) Jun 1, 1115 cst 2003, car on lot Nov 9 2003, picked it up and drove it back to Texas from Carson Toyota Nov 13 2003...

been babying the car ever since..

From where I sit, that looks the way it works, don't like it, but worked within it...

Is there a way to fix it... you bet there is, but will Toyota, heck no.. dealers would go nuts.. Some salespeople would love to see a change... And what could Toyota do:
You goto a corp order site, pick out the options, color.. ect and the required delivery region (have to pick now because of regional contracts) and order the car directly through Toyota Japan, Car gets put on boat, you get notified of Vin number, and to contact the dealer of your choice, and they do the paper work and such for the delivery fee.. make a small amout on the sales, prep, paper work. Car gets into port, they call you to conferm, you at this time say yes or no. AND this is the big one... dealer caught selling a car out from under someone looses in a BIG way some how.. you have the vin you know if that is your car.

Toyota has created a big mess/stink, will it come back to bite them in the (you know where) time will tell.. IF someone else steps up to the plate and offers something on the same par as the Prius and does not have the backlog or ordering mess, They will win. And No, I do not think Honda is there yet... the CVT is not on the same par as the Prius and the cars fail in other areas too... otherwise I would have bought one..

OK, rant over, Mister chairman I yield the floor to the next speaker...

Ya'll have a nice day

 

There is another rout for the present. Find a rural dealer with fair volume and moderate to low demand. They exist. I paid MRSP in Helena Montana and drove the car home 700 miles or you can have it shipped. I did pay a one way air fair so some would say I paid over MRSP, but I had a secondary motive I had a visit with my son who goes to school and works in Helena. Man is the rationalizing animal. I like any excuse to see him now that he is gone. It was and is a good deal for me. Look around you might find a good deal for you. I still think there is a relationship between fleet sales and individual sales. Helena has sold a lot of cars to the state as has my local dealership in Olympia. Both seem to get a bunch of cars. My theory uncorroborated. In the absence of data you can have any theory you wish... Tom Gerretii