It's Camelback Toyota. It looks like they sold the Magnetic Gray, but you can still get the Blue Ribbon. Go to their website which is their name + .com (I don't know if I am allowed to post websites on here).
I would send emails to all the dealers in Phoenix and Las Vegas area. Both places are cheap to fly to. Dealing on cars in SD is tough. Too many buyers with more money than brains. Good luck,
"Too many buyers with more money than brains" definitely applies to car buyers in Phoenix too. The problem is especially bad with luxury cars. It's like people think its tacky to attempt to negotiate the price of a car or something.
I got my Mag Gray/Ash (fully loaded) in San Diego last week. They are not that hard to get locally, if you're smart about it. In the last three days, I've had three dealers call me with cars coming with those exact specs. I called every agency in SoCal, including SD, Orange, LA, Riverside, and Imperial counties. Do the same, and talk to the fleet managers (they have the best access to dealer authorization sheets). If they tell you to come in and place an order, tell them you already have orders placed, but you'd like to be notified in case something becomes available unexpectedly. You will get calls within a reasonable time. I found my car at the CLOSEST dealer to my house (Mossy)... here's how: The car had been ordered three months earlier, but when the car arrived, the would-be purchaser was out of town and could not take delivery. Due to my persistence, I got called and was at the dealer within an hour. That night, I drove home with my Mag Gray fully-loaded Camry Hybrid. It wouldn't be useful for me to tell you the names of the dealers that had identical cars, because they would have been sold by now. Just follow my procedure, and you will get lucky sooner than you think. It will be worth the wait. I have 301 miles on my car now, and couldn't be happier!!!
OK! So I got my TCH!!! (Magnetic Grey, fully loaded)
I took chasgoose's recommendation and called Camelback in Phoenix. (THANK YOU!) They had three of them in, one of which was EXACTLY what I wanted. I drove 370 miles to Phoenix Friday, picked it up, and drove it back this morning.
Overall, I liked Camelback but they added $1,000 over MSRP for the heck of it. I ended up paying $36,165 which including taxes, fees, and the extended warranty stuff.
I absolutely love the car but it DOES drive quite differently than a normal gas car... Thanks for all of the help and advice everyone. I really appreciate it!
Wow, I'd have to be a treehugger to be willing to pay ES350 prices for a Camry Hybrid. My loaded titanium was only $30,000 with the discount but $36,000?????
Yeah.. Cameltoe got me good. They must have known how desperate I was to get this car.
Here's the invoice:
$33,966.08 (Including $2028.08 tax) $369.00 Documentation fee $1,395.00 Toyota Extra Care (6yr/100k miles) $100.00 Theft Gard $400.00 Gap protection
$36,230.08 Total (UGH!)
OMG, I must have been out of my mind when I signed this deal. They added all of these "Warranties" and "Theft Gard" and "Tirex" (whatever the hell that is) & it all added up.
All I can say is if anything breaks on this car, it had BETTER be covered. I do love the car though.
Actually there are no states that require/allow a 'recision' period on autos. Specific stores may do something like this as a customer service point but it's not required.
I am looking for Blue Ribbon, TCH with Bisque leather, fully loaded in the Pacific NW. I am in Seattle area, but could go somewhere in the west to get one. Anyone find one please let me know. THANKS
Sorry, I just looked at the paperwork again. Tirex and Theft-gard were both included in the $33,938.
They didn't etch anything into the windows for the Theft-Gard. I just read the Registration form and it says "If your vehicle is stolen, the company will pay benefits listed on the back." Most of the benefits on the back cover paying for Towing, deductibles, car rental, etc." It was only $100 so that's not too bad.
I agreed to all of the warranties, by signing all of the forms, but believe that I do have 30 days to reconsider. The only one that really cost the most was the Toyota Extra Care pack but I'm going to keep that for sure.
If you are curious about the terms of the different warranties, I can scan them at work Monday and e-mail them. It's a lot to read at the dealer so knowing about them ahead of time would be beneficial.
haha! Are you serious?! That's really funny. Yeah, I was there from 5:30pm until after 9pm getting everything signed. I hope you got a better deal than I did.
There really is no shortage of TCH's in Houston right now. There is a shortage of fully loaded ones though as the first batch didn't include that many which were fully loaded and the ones that did come were probably pre-sold. I was able to go see another one yesterday (base model) which isn't sold.
Next shipment is supposed to hit port (Galveston) May 24.
Really the only reason to get on a waiting list here is to secure a fixed price and get the options you want rather than the ones the dealers choose to tack on at port.
I've been offered the next fully loaded gray which hits port May 24. Unfortunately, that is my least favorite color and I will probably not take it. Dealer will try to trade on Monday. If that fails, I know there are other options I can explore.
I located a base Titanium Metallic TCH at the dealer up in Humble. It arrived yesterday morning, and I arrived around 5:30, and they hadn't done whatever it is they do to prep the car for use (the side mirrors weren't installed, etc.) and since the service guys had gone home at 5, so I was not able to drive it home. The salesman tried to add on an extra $2000, but I was tired and crabby enough (I'd already gone with my mother to buy her a 2005 Toyota Matrix at Carmax earlier in the afternoon) to tell him to give me back the key to my car, that if I'd known he was going to pull that stunt I wouldn't have wasted my time driving all the way up there. So I got it for MSRP and am happy with that. I'll pick it up after work tomorrow.
I'm definitely going to have my "regular" dealer install leather. I actually prefer the cloth seats in the Matrix to the cloth in the TCH; the cloth in the TCH seems like it will catch every little piece of lint and dog hair and never let go.
The trunk is definitely smaller than that of my current '98 Camry but still plenty big enough for my needs. I could see where a family of 3 or 4 might have trouble fitting all their "stuff" in if going on a trip.
Good luck finding your match, houtex1. What color are you wanting? Have you checked the dealers in Beaumont, Corpus, Austin, San Antonio, etc.?
Congrats gc77584. I started out ordering a fully loaded titanium metallic. I still like the metallic, but the red one has caught my eye now. At first I thought I would take any color that became available, but I've decided to wait for my color. If the trade does not happen on Monday, I do believe I have another one located outside Houston.
Were you able to find a fully loaded Blue Ribbon TCH in the NW?
I ordered one just like that from a local dealer on April 2nd. I had initially approached the dealer through a Costco referrel. I put $500 deposit down, and was assured I would be one of the first to get one in the Portland, OR area. My salesperson said I would be getting it on May 20th. Today I called and talked to the new car manager to clarify when it would be coming in, only to find out it was not on its way, it hasn't been ordered, and he estimated it would be another 6-8 weeks. He said that the cars aren't coming with leather AND nav, just one or the other. This doesn't seem consistent with what I've read here.
Has anyone else had an experience like this? Anyone have any advice? Any other NW experiences out there with the TCH? I am so mad I am considering not buying TCH, simply because I would need to have it serviced at this dealership.
My dealer isn't very flexible on the trade-in price, and I anticipated this. Of course most dealers don't know how to deal with 4 year old Benzes with 98K mi on them except for the auction block! LOL
The value of my old C230 Kompressor Coupe ranges from $9K - $13K (which is the value range from wholesale to retail, all other variable held constant). My experience with eBay is you get between private party and retail so I'll probably get around $12K for it. THAT's where I'm saving money! Besides, I kinda dig the eBay thing. Plus then dealer is allowing me to put about $9K on a credit card (with cash rewards) which is paid off before interest accrues.....Red barcelona metallic....loaded....cool rims....tint....jeez I can't wait!
I pretty much called every Toyota dealer in the state of NJ and bordering PA & NY
I was holding out for the fully loaded Magnetic Grey/Ash. I had an opportunity for a fully loaded Blue Ribbon, and a base Magnetic Grey/Ash that I turned down.
On Sunday, a dealer called me and said they had the one I wanted, but that I needed to pay $799 for pinstriping. I told him I didn't want pinstriping, but he was firm. He even said that he could NOT put the pinstriping on, but I would still have to pay the $799.
Last night he called me and told me that it was approved to move the deal along without the pinstriping.
I got home at 10:30 last night. It was a 46 mile trip and averaged 42mpg
I emerged from the lion's den (i.e., Toyota of Lake City's sales office in Seattle) last night with the car I want (the basic TCH config being offered) and almost the deal I wanted. I had prepared myself to pay MSRP, but the dealer insists on equipping all TCHs with a 3M Protection and "VIP" package, an additional $1,600. They came down ~ $600 on the package but wouldn't go further. Adding insult to injury? The car had just arrived and hadn't yet had all the optional junk installed! So they actually could have sold it to me without the stuff but wouldn't.:mad:
I know they have dozens of people on their list, many of whom will pay whatever price they slap on the window. And I definitely could've walked away from the "deal". But like I posted in another TCH forum, I did get the car I want, but I can't feel good about the process. Stuart Truckman (Sales Mgr), I can't recommend your shop. I'm sure there are worse dealers, but as a new customer I didn't see anything that indicated you were interested in building a long term customer relationship with my family.
If someone asks me where to buy I'll say "shop around". If the dealer had been satisfied with their healthy MSRP profit I would have said "go to Toyota of Lake City".
From what I've seen, the cars are coming in more than the 3 configurations originally talked about. I was offered a Barcelona Red with Nav, leather and sunroof w/o heated seats. This is the configuration I originally wanted. The catch is that it's in Shreveport, LA, a 4 hour drive. I did reserve this car, but my Houston dealer has come through with a trade (I was next in line in Houston but the car she had coming in was the gray one) and I am now taking a fully loaded Barcelona Red which I should get in early June.
I'm on two waiting lists (near the top on both). I was offered a Jasper Pearl TCH, but couldn't handle that color! I think the dealership would be willing to do a trade for me if there are any out there in the Wisconsin area. I'm looking for a fully loaded model, with silver, gray, and red as preferred colors (in that order). If you know of a TCH that meets that criteria, please let me know! Thanks!
In WV we only pay taxes on the "difference" in trade so an outright sale needs to factor that savings in. However dealers know that and sometimes take advantage of the.
I bought a 1991 300ZX on eBay back around 2000 and then sold my 1990 (junk) 300ZX on eBay. It's a little scary sending a big check and wondering if the car will show up but my experience was positive. I've got a 2300+ rating.
Sorry for this trip off-topic, but I had never heard of the states charging sales tax on the difference in your new vehicle and the trade in vehicle prices until last year. We bought my wife's Honda Accord from a dealer in Chicago, and they had no idea that Michigan charged sales tax on the entire vehicle price (they don't account for the value of the trade-in at all).
The Chicago dealer was ready to do the taxes our purchase like we were Illinois residents, and we were going to save a few bucks. I was skeptical, since this would be a good reason to NEVER buy a vehicle in Michigan if you are trading in another car. Eventually they realized that they had to do it like Michigan does, but it was complicated (they didn't have the right forms).
Is this common for states to figure sales tax on the difference between the new car and traded vehicle? It seems like a dealer in Michigan could work the system by reducing the price of the new car and decreasing the agreed-upon trade-in's value by the same amount! (There are probably reasons that dealers would not do this, but I don't know what they are).
I guess this is another reason NOT to live in Michigan!
The Chicago dealer was ready to do the taxes .. like we were Illinois residents....Eventually they realized they had to do it like Michigan does
I live in Ohio. I was told that if I buy the car in Kentucky I would pay no sales tax at the sale, but rather pay it to Ohio at the BMV when I pick up my plates. Not sure if this is correct info.
For WV (and it's brobably easier in a bordering state) it's easy to purchase a car in PA. They take care od it under the WV code, not the PA code. You pay the WV rate on only the difference.
However if you move to WV and want to register the car and get WV plates, you have to pay sales taxes on the full vehicle value. That is if you bought it last week in PA as a resident of PA and you found out you are being transferred to WV you'll have to pay full WV taxes when you move. That's a rip. I guess it keeps the Fla oldsters from having two residences and buying in Fla and then registering their car in WV for free
I have not had any luck. I am told I am number one on the list. I signed up on May5. I haven't been called and the dealer, initially telling me 2 - 3 weeks, now says he has no idea when a car will come for me. I must admit that I am not flexible about color choice and options. Afterall, I buying a car after 12 years. I only buy Toyotas. Dealers always try to get you - wheter you buy an in demand car or a junk.
As of today, there is an available Mag Gray base level TCH at Dry Ridge Toyota in Dry Ridge Kentucky (30 minutes south of Cincinnati, 40 minutes north of Lexington).
Thanks, fellas! I wasn't slick or playing hardball or anything, I just refused to pay more than MSRP. I wasn't stuck without a car and I knew I would get the car eventually, so why fork over the extra cash?
Just got firm delivery date today - my car will be in June 14. They offered to look up the vin, but i said don't bother. BTW the Ontario rebate has been passed it is now up to $2000 CDN direct rebate of the PST you pay. Even on the base package (unless you got huge $ for your trade) you should get a cheque for $2K from Dalton & Fiends. PST on mine was about $2300 I think. TCH's are almost here!
I ordered a loaded white/ash leather TCH on March 10th with a $500 deposit. I wasn't told where I was on the waiting list. I was told to expect it in July as a conservative estimate. After reading several posts. I started to worry that a) my vehicle might not be available in my region, and b) that my dealer might not be big enough to have many TCH's allocated to it. I emailed the salesman asking where I was on the list and if he considered the dealership to be large enough to get more than 2 TCH's a month. He said I was #3 on the list and that they would be getting more than 2 a month. Today he sent me an email saying I could expect the vehicle in mid to late June. The email contained a screen print of a "Vehicle inquiry screen" that showed the exact car with the exact features codes that I wanted. But no VIN and no ship date. I wonder if this screen means that this vehicle is actually destined for this dealer or just a general inquiry into Toyota's build queue. I know, "why don't you ask him?". I proabably will but would like input from the forum.
As off this afternoon, there is a loaded Silver TCH in Kelso, WA. Meantime, I am looking for Blue Ribbon, TCH with Bisque leather, fully loaded in the Pacific NW. I am in Seattle area, but could go somewhere in the west to get one. Anyone find one please let me know. THANKS
It sounds to me like they are being very responsive and upfront with you keeping you informed as the process unfolds. In your place, outside of being anxious to get my hands on 'mine' I'd feel comfortable with how I was being treated.
The VIN's aren't usually assigned to an 'order' until the vehicle hits the port of entry. There may be several, many (?), vehicles on an inbound vessel like the one you saw. The VIN's are obviously on the vehicle already. It's the job of the planning dept to try to match 'preferences' with actual VIN's. This is normally completed as the vehicles hit the dock or soon thereafter.
Huge caveat. Each region is autonomous in it's ordering practices. As noted by others here one region's view of what will sell may differ from another region's view. Thus the difference in mix between the standard models and loaded models.
Is this screen shot that you saw actually inbound to your specific dealer? As of this week he/she knew what was allocated to them for the early June slot. If this is in your dealer's inventory under 'A' status ( allocated ) then it should arrive as scheduled barring unforeseen circumstances. A status - Allocated to the dealer ( w/in 30 days ) normally F status - Freight ( normally on the dock and should be at the store w/in 72 hrs ) G status - on the Ground at the retail location
A new group of A-status vehicles is given to a store every 15 days or so. Switching to F-status depends on when the vessels arrive at the regional distribution points. G-status means getting your financing ready .
To keep order for several different reasons the VIN's aren't known by the receiving store until the vehicle goes to G-status. Again there may be 10 separate 'white-loaded' TCH's sitting on the dock for the entire 150-store region. It seems like your store is getting one if there is a TCH in A-status in the store's inventory. Ask.
Questions: from your description it sounds like the allocation to a specific dealer has been made when the car gets "A" status. Is there a point BEFORE the allocation list comes out where a car is allocated to the region (not dealer) and the dealer can preference it? Does this happen before shipping? Or is "preferencing" communicated directly to the factory and irrespective of region? Is "preferencing" the same as ordering?
Another comment: F status - Freight ( normally on the dock and should be at the store w/in 72 hrs )
Does this depend on how close your region is to the port? I heard that for the midwest, cars are shipped to Portland, transported by rail to a midwest location, and then transferred to trucks for transport to dealers, and this can take a week or more.
In the local store's view it's unknown exactly what will be put into it's inventory until the allocations are known about the 2nd and 17th of each month. There is a 'regional' distribution based on past sales and population and plus a myriad of other factors in the matrix.
The distribution via Portland for the Midwest makes sense since water/rail are the least expensive forms of transport. A week to 2 weeks would seem to be a normal transit time from the WC to a distribution point to a retail store.
Now in this early stage of the vehicle launch with all of the TCH's coming from Japan it's logistically complex and expensive for some areas. When Georgetown comes on stream in 4th qtr this complexity should be reduced. It might be that KY supplies the heartland and Japan supplies the coastal markets or KY supplies the eastern half while Japan supplies the western half.
It might be that KY supplies the heartland and Japan supplies the coastal markets or KY supplies the eastern half while Japan supplies the western half.
Interesting, I never thought of that. Do they do that on regular Camry also, or are they all built in the States? If you want a car built in Japan vs KY you would have to go to the West Coast to buy.
Comments
Thanks!!
Heath
I took chasgoose's recommendation and called Camelback in Phoenix. (THANK YOU!) They had three of them in, one of which was EXACTLY what I wanted. I drove 370 miles to Phoenix Friday, picked it up, and drove it back this morning.
Overall, I liked Camelback but they added $1,000 over MSRP for the heck of it. I ended up paying $36,165 which including taxes, fees, and the extended warranty stuff.
I absolutely love the car but it DOES drive quite differently than a normal gas car... Thanks for all of the help and advice everyone. I really appreciate it!
Heath
Here's the invoice:
$33,966.08 (Including $2028.08 tax)
$369.00 Documentation fee
$1,395.00 Toyota Extra Care (6yr/100k miles)
$100.00 Theft Gard
$400.00 Gap protection
$36,230.08 Total (UGH!)
OMG, I must have been out of my mind when I signed this deal. They added all of these "Warranties" and "Theft Gard" and "Tirex" (whatever the hell that is) & it all added up.
All I can say is if anything breaks on this car, it had BETTER be covered.
Did you agree to the warrantee?
Does your state have a period of time where you can back out of the deal? I think there are some states that allow you 3 days to think about it...
Unless of course you don't mind :-)
They didn't etch anything into the windows for the Theft-Gard. I just read the Registration form and it says "If your vehicle is stolen, the company will pay benefits listed on the back." Most of the benefits on the back cover paying for Towing, deductibles, car rental, etc." It was only $100 so that's not too bad.
I agreed to all of the warranties, by signing all of the forms, but believe that I do have 30 days to reconsider. The only one that really cost the most was the Toyota Extra Care pack but I'm going to keep that for sure.
If you are curious about the terms of the different warranties, I can scan them at work Monday and e-mail them. It's a lot to read at the dealer so knowing about them ahead of time would be beneficial.
Next shipment is supposed to hit port (Galveston) May 24.
Really the only reason to get on a waiting list here is to secure a fixed price and get the options you want rather than the ones the dealers choose to tack on at port.
I've been offered the next fully loaded gray which hits port May 24. Unfortunately, that is my least favorite color and I will probably not take it. Dealer will try to trade on Monday. If that fails, I know there are other options I can explore.
Nevermind, right-to-rescind does not seem to apply to automobile purchases or leases. Good thing to know.
I'm definitely going to have my "regular" dealer install leather. I actually prefer the cloth seats in the Matrix to the cloth in the TCH; the cloth in the TCH seems like it will catch every little piece of lint and dog hair and never let go.
The trunk is definitely smaller than that of my current '98 Camry but still plenty big enough for my needs. I could see where a family of 3 or 4 might have trouble fitting all their "stuff" in if going on a trip.
Good luck finding your match, houtex1. What color are you wanting? Have you checked the dealers in Beaumont, Corpus, Austin, San Antonio, etc.?
I ordered one just like that from a local dealer on April 2nd. I had initially approached the dealer through a Costco referrel. I put $500 deposit down, and was assured I would be one of the first to get one in the Portland, OR area. My salesperson said I would be getting it on May 20th. Today I called and talked to the new car manager to clarify when it would be coming in, only to find out it was not on its way, it hasn't been ordered, and he estimated it would be another 6-8 weeks. He said that the cars aren't coming with leather AND nav, just one or the other. This doesn't seem consistent with what I've read here.
Has anyone else had an experience like this? Anyone have any advice? Any other NW experiences out there with the TCH? I am so mad I am considering not buying TCH, simply because I would need to have it serviced at this dealership.
The value of my old C230 Kompressor Coupe ranges from $9K - $13K (which is the value range from wholesale to retail, all other variable held constant). My experience with eBay is you get between private party and retail so I'll probably get around $12K for it. THAT's where I'm saving money! Besides, I kinda dig the eBay thing. Plus then dealer is allowing me to put about $9K on a credit card (with cash rewards) which is paid off before interest accrues.....Red barcelona metallic....loaded....cool rims....tint....jeez I can't wait!
I was holding out for the fully loaded Magnetic Grey/Ash. I had an opportunity for a fully loaded Blue Ribbon, and a base Magnetic Grey/Ash that I turned down.
On Sunday, a dealer called me and said they had the one I wanted, but that I needed to pay $799 for pinstriping. I told him I didn't want pinstriping, but he was firm. He even said that he could NOT put the pinstriping on, but I would still have to pay the $799.
Last night he called me and told me that it was approved to move the deal along without the pinstriping.
I got home at 10:30 last night. It was a 46 mile trip and averaged 42mpg
I know they have dozens of people on their list, many of whom will pay whatever price they slap on the window. And I definitely could've walked away from the "deal". But like I posted in another TCH forum, I did get the car I want, but I can't feel good about the process. Stuart Truckman (Sales Mgr), I can't recommend your shop. I'm sure there are worse dealers, but as a new customer I didn't see anything that indicated you were interested in building a long term customer relationship with my family.
If someone asks me where to buy I'll say "shop around". If the dealer had been satisfied with their healthy MSRP profit I would have said "go to Toyota of Lake City".
I think the dealership would be willing to do a trade for me if there are any out there in the Wisconsin area. I'm looking for a fully loaded model, with silver, gray, and red as preferred colors (in that order). If you know of a TCH that meets that criteria, please let me know! Thanks!
I bought a 1991 300ZX on eBay back around 2000 and then sold my 1990 (junk) 300ZX on eBay. It's a little scary sending a big check and wondering if the car will show up but my experience was positive. I've got a 2300+ rating.
I really like the red.
The Chicago dealer was ready to do the taxes our purchase like we were Illinois residents, and we were going to save a few bucks. I was skeptical, since this would be a good reason to NEVER buy a vehicle in Michigan if you are trading in another car. Eventually they realized that they had to do it like Michigan does, but it was complicated (they didn't have the right forms).
Is this common for states to figure sales tax on the difference between the new car and traded vehicle? It seems like a dealer in Michigan could work the system by reducing the price of the new car and decreasing the agreed-upon trade-in's value by the same amount! (There are probably reasons that dealers would not do this, but I don't know what they are).
I guess this is another reason NOT to live in Michigan!
I live in Ohio. I was told that if I buy the car in Kentucky I would pay no sales tax at the sale, but rather pay it to Ohio at the BMV when I pick up my plates. Not sure if this is correct info.
However if you move to WV and want to register the car and get WV plates, you have to pay sales taxes on the full vehicle value. That is if you bought it last week in PA as a resident of PA and you found out you are being transferred to WV you'll have to pay full WV taxes when you move. That's a rip. I guess it keeps the Fla oldsters from having two residences and buying in Fla and then registering their car in WV for free
I don't know if it's common in other states, but that's how they do it in Texas.
Agreed! Nice job Hamm3R.
Meantime, I am looking for Blue Ribbon, TCH with Bisque leather, fully loaded in the Pacific NW. I am in Seattle area, but could go somewhere in the west to get one. Anyone find one please let me know. THANKS
The VIN's aren't usually assigned to an 'order' until the vehicle hits the port of entry. There may be several, many (?), vehicles on an inbound vessel like the one you saw. The VIN's are obviously on the vehicle already. It's the job of the planning dept to try to match 'preferences' with actual VIN's. This is normally completed as the vehicles hit the dock or soon thereafter.
Huge caveat. Each region is autonomous in it's ordering practices. As noted by others here one region's view of what will sell may differ from another region's view. Thus the difference in mix between the standard models and loaded models.
Is this screen shot that you saw actually inbound to your specific dealer? As of this week he/she knew what was allocated to them for the early June slot. If this is in your dealer's inventory under 'A' status ( allocated ) then it should arrive as scheduled barring unforeseen circumstances.
A status - Allocated to the dealer ( w/in 30 days ) normally
F status - Freight ( normally on the dock and should be at the store w/in 72 hrs )
G status - on the Ground at the retail location
A new group of A-status vehicles is given to a store every 15 days or so. Switching to F-status depends on when the vessels arrive at the regional distribution points. G-status means getting your financing ready
To keep order for several different reasons the VIN's aren't known by the receiving store until the vehicle goes to G-status. Again there may be 10 separate 'white-loaded' TCH's sitting on the dock for the entire 150-store region. It seems like your store is getting one if there is a TCH in A-status in the store's inventory. Ask.
Questions: from your description it sounds like the allocation to a specific dealer has been made when the car gets "A" status. Is there a point BEFORE the allocation list comes out where a car is allocated to the region (not dealer) and the dealer can preference it? Does this happen before shipping? Or is "preferencing" communicated directly to the factory and irrespective of region? Is "preferencing" the same as ordering?
Another comment:
F status - Freight ( normally on the dock and should be at the store w/in 72 hrs )
Does this depend on how close your region is to the port? I heard that for the midwest, cars are shipped to Portland, transported by rail to a midwest location, and then transferred to trucks for transport to dealers, and this can take a week or more.
Thanks.
The distribution via Portland for the Midwest makes sense since water/rail are the least expensive forms of transport. A week to 2 weeks would seem to be a normal transit time from the WC to a distribution point to a retail store.
Now in this early stage of the vehicle launch with all of the TCH's coming from Japan it's logistically complex and expensive for some areas. When Georgetown comes on stream in 4th qtr this complexity should be reduced. It might be that KY supplies the heartland and Japan supplies the coastal markets or KY supplies the eastern half while Japan supplies the western half.
Interesting, I never thought of that. Do they do that on regular Camry also, or are they all built in the States? If you want a car built in Japan vs KY you would have to go to the West Coast to buy.