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Comments
Thanks;
Well, no one told me I couldn't say what I paid or where I bought it from so here's the info!
I got my Sienna from Toyota of Palo Alto. They responded to my email request for a quote and said they would beat any price in Northern CA by $100. I took my best quote to them and they did exactly what they said they'd do-- no arguing, no issues!!! They showed me what they had in stock (3 or 4 Siennas) as well as everything that they had coming in (20-30? Siennas). I decided to wait for the exact options and color that I wanted and it arrived on time or maybe a day or two early.
After our Sienna arrived they told us that they changed their "Beat any price in Northern CA by $100" to "Beat any price in SF Bay Area by $100" since they didn't expect us to bring in quotes from the Central Valley!!
Another great quote we got was from the dealer in Santa Rosa. That was for $600 over cost.
I don't know if dealers raise/lower prices on a daily/weekly/monthly basis or as supply/demand rises/falls but hopefully you can still get this deal. My sister's friend took my info to a dealer in the Sacramento area and said she got about $3000 off MSRP for an XLE Limited with AWD. I don't know the exact price. She has to wait another four weeks for it to arrive. Good luck!!
Steve
I don't mean to be a pest, but since I'm in the SAC area would be helpful if I knew who your sis' dealt with.
With 2 kids now, finding the right price and minivan has become a family mission. ;-)
Again, thanks for your info.
Has anyone else had this problem? This experience doesn't leave a very good feeling about Toyota customer care in my stomach and is killing the enthusiasm I once had for the vehicle.
Can everyone who bought a Sienna 04 in my area respond with names of dealership and price paid? I haven't had any luck so far with negotiating at the dealership or by email. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks
My former strategy was to call every 2 weeks and "get an update." My calls this week were not returned. Yes, they have offered to return my deposit (which I think, legally, they HAVE to.) But before I know whether to "get out of line" I feel like I need to now how many people are in line ahead of me ... and an expected delivery date. Now they will not even speculate or answer my well-phrased question: "is it more likely 2 weeks or 2 months?" It's all been good-guy/bad-guy song "Those people in Corporate, $@&*% them, they won't tell us anything! I sure wish I could get my hands on those guys !!!" (My paraphrase, and I hope I spelled the expletive right.)
The only "clue" that I have is that on August 16th th edealer called to offer my dibs on a different XLE (different color, different options, and that was presumably ordered by someone on April 7th and he ran out of tiome (as his engine broke and he had to get another van.) THe only problem, besides the fact that it aws a different color and different options and would likely re-start the negotiations on cost at square one (due to different/more option packages) ... I indicated that I (and my wife) "needed to know what our choices are ...ie, that van today or OUR van ... when ? If it meant waiting 7-10 days to get the van we ordered, we would wait... 3 or 4 months, we might take the OTHER one. Leaving unreturned messages, I told them that I needed an "expected date of delivery" in order to reach a decision. Before theyt could provide a "due date" they sold the OTHER van to another customer off the street.
But, the "clue" may be ... an April 7th order arrived August 16th ... and after the recall had been implemented... so a May 20th order may reasonably be 6 weeks behind. But that's my intuition, not theirs. I also wonder if my actual vefhicle was in port and got "turned around" at the time of the recall.
Anybody else out there got a story to top that one ? Any dealers wants to tell me what I should do (besides look again REAL hard at the Ody's and Quests) ? I know, it's those $%&@# guys at Corporate !!!
Toyota and Edmunds require you to enter your zip code to get a list of dealerships in your area. I want to go out of northern VA and MD, but I don't know where to find zip codes.
Can anyone help me get started?
If you were to go to the USPS site you would be able to find them. You might start here:
http://www.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.htm
I would hunt around at MANY other dealers within a reasonable driving range (2 hours,?? depends on your tolerance) looking for better pricing.
Keep in mind, they already get MSRP - Invoice + dealer holdback. On a Sienna, that's several thousand. Then many dealerships play the other games (rustproofing, scotchgard, etc) that adds on some more $$. Then there is insurance that they'll want to sell you (a LOUSY deal). Realistically, advertising is one of their costs (just like heating, electricity, salaries, etc). That simply comes out of the proceeds of the sale, whatever is left is "dealer profit".
Yet dealers in other parts of the country-- Palo Alto, foreign car heaven-- have them in stock or on order unsold? Something doesn't add up.
Recall only adding 2 weeks to the wait? That doesn't add up at all either, not at all consistent with experience in this part of the country.
Dealers who are discounting heavily in this supply/demand environment? They aren't very smart business people.
When I want to find a zipcode, I go to a net search engine like google.com and type in something like pa zip. Usually a real zipcode flops up in the first few hits listed and I don't even have to drill down any deeper.
I suppose you might wind up with a vitamin ad or worse if you search for zip for PA and MA, lol.
Steve, Host
Dear Toyota
On Sunday, August 24th, my wife and I experienced the worst car-buying experience of our lives. We are steadfast Toyota fans, and we or our extended family have purchased over 8 Toyotas over the last 15 years. Unfortunately Sunday’s experience has given us second thoughts about making our next car a Toyota.
We have been in the market for a 2004 Toyota Sienna for over 2 months. Getting the right model, color and package had proved elusive as it has been on allocation since it’s market release. We had visited 5 local San Diego, California dealers to look at different models. Each time we left unable to get what we wanted (White LE, 8 seater, w/ 3rd row air curtain). And dealers were not taking orders for special factory orders. Our only choices were to buy Siennas costing $5,000 to $8,000 out of our price range. We became frustrated with the market environment that Toyota seemed to be creating. We decided to reconsider other car buying options.
While out of town on Sunday, by chance we drove by an Orange County Toyota dealership, ELMORE Toyota. They had three white Siennas in the front of the lot. We were on our way to Church at the time, but made a note to call the dealership after the service. Perhaps the model we wanted might be there. After the service we phoned the dealer. The salesman said they did indeed have the model we were looking for. But we should hurry as there are people “snooping around the Siennas”.
We arrived at the dealership 20 minutes later and were ushered to the white 8 seater Sienna we had been looking for. It seemed to be a stroke of luck and we were excited we might finally have our mini-van. The salesman, an English gentleman I'll call "G", was enthusiastic about the automobile, saying that 4 people had looked at it that day. The message was that we should act quickly. So we did. Immediately after the test drive we told the salesman we wanted to buy the car.
We walked into the office to begin the paper work. I filled out a Motor Vehicle Credit Application for Purchase. Even though I was going to pay cash I was told I needed to do this for a credit check. So I complied with the request.
Then G said “The sticker price is $27,700. Usually we mark this price up a bit. But since you’re paying cash I may be able to get this approved at this price.”
The statement that the sticker price may not be honored took me completely by surprise. I had assumed we had an understanding out in the lot when my wife and I said we’d buy the car (at sticker). I sensed that I was about to begin the proverbial car salesman game. I said “The MSRP is $24,500. There is already a markup in the price.” G said he’d see what he could do. I had an uneasy feeling about what was to come next.
Five minutes later G came back saying that the credit check was still in process. It would be another ten minutes or so. And by the way, “there seems to be some confusion as some other customers are interested in the car as well. But since you’re paying cash, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had been at the lot over 45 minutes at this point and no one had looked at the car we were interested in. And although we were told that others had looked at the car that day, no salesman had told us there was any one ahead of us trying to buy the car.
Right away I felt as if I was about to be scammed. I thought we had a deal, and now I was being told that not only was the price not firm, I’m one of three vying for the car. I felt as if he was looking for me to get into a bidding contest with the other customers. Feeling the whole experience beginning to turn sour, I said that we would wait five more minutes for them to make up their minds. If the price was not accepted and the van ours, we would leave.
Five minutes later G returned apologizing and saying that there were two other customers ahead of me, but that it should be worked out soon. Feeling as if I was being taken advantage of I told G I wanted my credit application paper work back and that I was rescinding my offer. He asked if I’d reconsider but I said that this was not a pleasant car buying experience. Walking to the office G asked me to wait outside while he got the paper work. A few minutes later another salesman, apparently G’s manager came out to talk to me.
He asked how it was going. I mentioned that my offer was rescinded and I wanted my paperwork returned to me. He begin to say that this is the way it goes, that there were two other customers interested in the same car.
At this point I begin to get angry. I said “I had not been told there were other customers ahead of me for the vehicle. I had been led to believe that this vehicle was for sale. Now you’re playing me for a fool. You’re supposed to be a professional!”
The manager angrily replied “I have two other customers ahead of you that I have to give priority to!”
I remember thinking there’s one van for three customers? I said, “Then you don’t need me as a customer.”
He yelled back, “You’re right, I don’t!” and stormed off.
Then another salesman ran up to me asking me how he could help. What did I want, he could get me anything I wanted…” Here we go again I thought. At that point G walked by handing me my paperwork and I walked out.
I had been treated like a sucker the whole time. It was a terrible experience that reinforced every negative stereotype there is about car salesman and the car buying experience.
I wanted to voice my extreme displeasure over this lack of respect rendered to my wife and me, customers about to hand over a significant amount of money. We were non-consenting players of a game where dealers manipulate multiple customers against one another in an effort to bid up the price of the car. I don’t know if this is unique to ELMORE Toyota. I do feel that Toyota, by limiting the release of Siennas has fomented an excitement for the car (deserved) that enables most dealers to take advantage of their customer base (undeserved). This behavior is predatory, offensive and unethical.
I hope that this is a rare occurrence with Toyota, but I fear that it is becoming all too common. Although we love the Toyota product, we now feel compelled to take a second look at other brands of mini vans.
Ace
Anyone waiting on the '05 Ody to come out to drop the price on the new Sienna may never see that occur.
I agree totally. The Ody hasn't really seen much discounting (till maybe this year - at least here in the NE). That being said, at this point a 1000 discount isn't bad being relative to the demand for both models. It will definately be easier once the ody comes out though, and getting one at list should be a no brainer. Guess I'll wait & see!
Ace
“The MSRP is $24,500. There is already a markup in the price.”
FYI - MSRP on an LE8 with option package #4 (side curtain airbags) ONLY would be $24,410 + $1610 = $26,020 + destination ($540 in Tx.) = $26,560. I would imagine that the destination charge would be the same in Seattle WA. Typically, these things usually have some kind of 'Extra Value' package of one sort or another tacked on by the factory (in addition to alloy rims, running boards, etc. etc.).
What it all boils down to is, it is entirely conceivable that the true MSRP sticker on the vehicle actually WAS $27,700. I know that, for an LE8 w/ side air bags, the MSRP definitely is NOT $24,500. It is also quite conceivable that salesman 'G' (who was only dealing with you), may not have been aware that salesman 'F' may have been dealing with a customer(s) by phone who had been searching low and high for an LE8 w/ side air bags and who were MORE THAN HAPPY to pay $27,700.
None of this excuses their attitude towards you in the dealership of course.
to commit to a firm delivery date. So he got my order. Got a loan from the Credit Union. Bought a extended warranty from the CU for $736 + tax ( 7 yr/100,000 miles.) Had to wait because of the color and 8 pass. The 8 passenger is worth the wait.
with running boards - but for some reason the
van came without them. The sales rep that we
are working with has offered to refund to us
the price we paid for the running boards.
When we did the negotiating on price we did not
have a specific line item for the running board.
So we have no reference as to what the refund
price should be.
Does anyone have any numbers on the price for
running boards? It would be nice to have the
retail number as well as the approximate dealer
cost number.
I know that I could get this from the salesrep
that I worked with - but I would rather have this
information from an independent source.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks!
Thanks!
April
Oh yeah, we have a build date of 9/15, as I know some of you do...do you have an estimated date of delivery? I don't know if I should look more at 10/1 or 10/7 or something else? Thanks!
Also, a caveat about Marietta Toyota in Atl - they delayed and delayed in getting title and VIN info to our local DMV office (said they had to wait for our check to clear - but 3 weeks?) plus they put a wrong expiration date on the temporary license plate and as a result of the delay in getting our license plate, we almost had to pay $400 in unneccessary taxes...but thankfully had a helpful manager at the DMV waive the extra fees.
Anyway, anyone buying from this dealer -keep after them to submit the information to the DMV.
Thank you, in advance, for your advice.
My concern was warranty, and it interfering with the warranty of anything else in my vehicle, but the salesman said it isn't a concern. It's a separate system that only ties into sound system.
"You have certainly made our day. We can't even get the vehicle as it
comes from the factory. You want one special. Most dealerships are
Adding $3500-$6000 2nd sticker to the MSRP. We have 33 people waiting
for one. The invoice on your described vehicle is $27917.00 without TDA
Which is another estimated $540. For as much as I appreciate your
inquiry and your offer Michael, I cannot sell you any 2004 Sienna for
anything less than MSRP + tax and fees. You are welcome to order one at
any time".
I received two other emails that where very straightforward and contained no sarcasm or exaggerations. They did indicate that they would have to order the van and that it might take as long as 90-120 days. The two dealers are outside of the Seattle, Bellevue, and Kirkland area. Outside of the major urban areas.
One email said they would go $1,000 over cost, the other said they would go $1,150 over cost.
If all goes well, and we still have a ways to go before the car is delivered; I saved thousand of dollars.
Anyway, I told them that I had 7 other buyers with me and he just lost 7 sales. We all went a dealer just outside of Seattle. Things never change there.
The dealers I have been speaking with have been saying the wait for a new vehicle is as much as 16 weeks depending on model.
My local dealer haas already been discounting the Quest. They have not had many on the lot as of yet. Hopefully with low priced Quests, eventually there will be an effect. The Ford twins will be out soon as well as the 04 DC vans, so hopefully people will get discouraged with the waiting lists and buy something else.
Thanks;
Thanks for all your help!
Even with a refundable deposit, I'd want to do it on a credit card so I may have some recourse if the dealer goes banko or something.
my .02.
Steve, Host