( Part 2 ) - Anyone use Costco auto program and have issues with the dealer not cooperating?

Here is my original post from a few days ago https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ssues-with-the-dealer-not-cooperating.585542/

I wanted to update everyone on what happened to me yesterday after what you all advised I should do.

I'll try to make this story short. My town has 2 Toyota dealerships and I didn't have luck with Bill Wright Toyota so I decided to try the other one, North Bakersfield Toyota. I went down there yesterday morning with my girlfriend and she test drove a RAV4 and a Camry, then I started talking to the sales guy about Tacomas.

I told him exactly what I wanted and how Bill Wright Toyota had been the crappiest service to me and wasn't honoring the Costco price. He asked me to come inside and went and got his manager. So I told him the same thing and then he told me that North Bakersfield Toyota is owned by Bill Wright Toyota so they are the same (great -_-).

Then I told him that Bill Wright had the exact Tacoma I wanted, minus a few add-ons, but wasn't honoring the Costco price and wanted me to pay labor to install all those extras onto it. So he said he would have it sent over right away and they would detail it so I could test drive and as long as I signed some paper with a $500 deposit then they would hold it for up to 5 days for me and he would give me the agreed upon price, $39.8k out the door.

At this point I'd been there for 4 hours and my girlfriend and I were hungry so we told him we'd be back in an hour and that should give them enough time to detail it.

We came back 1.5 hours later, after the salesmen sent a few texts, and it was still being cleaned. Then the manager came back out and started saying "you won't believe this, but that RAV4 your girlfriend was looking at just sold but we have the next trim up available for a similar price." We told him no and I said I wanted to go see the truck. He then got out the intent to buy paperwork and wanted me to sign it along with a $500 deposit.

I told him "Not until I see the truck." So he had the salesmen take me back to look at it and long and behold....The truck had TRD Sport stickers on it?!

I told him "what the hell is this bullshit man?" then he told me 'Oh thats got to be a manufacturer error. I'm sure it's an Offroad"

I told him no deal and asked to go look at the VIN so I could look it up. He then took me back inside and said he needed to get his manager. I told him "No bother, I'm leaving." and then walked out the door. 15 seconds out the door, the manager comes running after me.

"Hey! I'm sorry about that mix-up, my sales guy just informed me. This is going to sound like the most corny sales trick but, that Tacoma is actually being requested to go back to Bill Wright because someone wants to buy it. But don't worry, I just told Bill Wright that I have a buyer here and he already wants it...so I just need you to sign this intent to buy form and I can hold it for you for 5 days and then we can figure out those sticker issues."

I laughed in this pricks face and told him he'd lost mine and my girlfriend's business, got into my car, and drove off.

Within an hour both him and the salesman tried calling and texting me and I've ignored it all.

Another guy on my previous post recommended Longo Toyota down South near Pasadena so I'm going to give that a try. As for Bakersfield, no one should ever bother buying from these ass-holes. Ludicrous.

**EDIT** - I somehow missed this part. But when I went out to look at the vehicle during the 'detail' they were still in the middle of 'cleaning' it and when I walked up to the truck, the right side had a TRD Sport sticker on it and that's when I flipped out. Then I walked over to the left side and it had a TRD Offroad sticker.

So my guess, because I distrust all salesmen and fear the worst, I figured they had a TRD Sport Tacoma and were in the middle of slapping on Offroad stickers on it before they showed it to me and could sell it to me at a much higher price.

 

Should have asked him if the missing MTS and locker is a "manufacturer error" as well.

 

Not sure what the big deal is about putting down a deposit...if you don’t agree on a price they have to return the consideration.

 

Seriously, out of my entire, extremely long post, that's the part you're asking me about? lol

Does no one here think its f*cked up to slap the wrong stickers on Tacomas for a sell?

 

**EDIT** - I somehow missed this part. But when I went out to look at the vehicle during the 'detail' they were still in the middle of 'cleaning' it and when I walked up to the truck, the right side had a TRD Sport sticker on it and that's when I flipped out. Then I walked over to the left side and it had a TRD Offroad sticker.

So my guess, because I distrust all salesmen and fear the worst, I figured they had a TRD Sport Tacoma and were in the middle of slapping on Offroad stickers on it before they showed it to me and could sell it to me at a much higher price.

 

Easy check though. Look for the mts knob. If it's there its a real OR. If it had both stickers it honestly might have been a factory oops.

 

Lol seriously?? Holy crap that’s crazy

 

That would be classic...pic or it didn't happen.

 

And it could have been. I was just tired of all the other bs sales schemes. Plus, they had told me at Bill Wright that this Tacoma was there floor model...so you're telling me that no one ever noticed that the stickers were different? Nothing added up with this dealership.

 

That's insane that they would swap stickers. Once you bought it though you'd be hosed.

I actually know a guy that bought a 2wd because the sales man told him it was 4x4. He was so excited about the price he didn't even check

 

Wish I would have but caught up in the heat of the moment. Just go to North Toyota Bakersfield and I guarantee you'll see some sort of fuckery while you're there.

 

Come to think of it, it would be a whole lot more than stickers to swap for it to be visually the same as an Offroad. You sure you got a good look at it. Seems a little odd.

 

Do you remember which flares it had? (Painted/unpainted)

 

I have never, and will never put down a deposit. The urgency should be on the dealer/sales rep to close the deal.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to minimize their ability to negotiate with you.

The fact they want the deposit so bad is why you should never do it.

 

Let me clarify something, I could have looked at a few things while I was there, but again I was super pissed off when I saw the stickers that I didn't bother to stick around and do a full inspection. I didn't notice the MTS knob but I also only look over the front windshield to get the VIN.

I did notice that the hood was normal and didn't have the scoop, so it probably was an Offroad but who knows if they were just thinking I was some idiot buyer and was trying to pull a fast one on me one way or another.

I'm still super worked up about this so I could have just thought they were trying to screw me. But as I was leaving to get into my car, when their manager ran out after me and tried to use some trick to get me to sign the intent to buy and leave a deposit, that's what completely did it in for me and convinced me they were shady and trying to one up me one way or another.

 

It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a sport and off-road...the fact that wrong stickers are on the truck doesn’t really matter...what’s on the paperwork lends clarity and enforceability to a relationship.

 

There was an issue before with mismatched bedside decals coming from the factory.

 

I second Crown Toyota as mentioned above. If your gonna come all the way to Pasendena, another hour wont hurt lol. They are an amazing!! Dealer.

They are 15 minutes from my house... If you ever needee me to check out something there let me know. Its been almost 10 years since i bought my 09 from them and they still personally call me to inform me of recalls before i get the letters.

 

Obviously don’t deal with either local Toyota dealership... question, did you contact Costco Auto Program yet and advise of your treatment and experience? I would absolutely do that. The amount of time you spent the respective dealerships is defeating the purpose of a negotiation free program. The whole point is to have a hassle free purchase in a reasonable amount of time... the Costco program is not normally the best price you’ll be able to negotiate to, rather a quick and mutual compromise.

Not all dealerships are “approved”, call the Costco Auto CSR at 1-800-755-2519... don’t waste time on the internet form, talk directly to a CSR and get this straightened out.