Searching dealer inventory??

is there a way to search the actual inventory of surrounding and out of state dealers have? I do a search and it shows dozens of trucks at my dealer. but when I go there they have 2 tacomas for sale, and maybe no more for a month.

 

Dealers put the trucks that are "in transit' for sale, without having it there.

I just bought a 21 from 6 states away. Took me long time to find a LB that dealer would try to sell me SB. I asked them for Toyota model code and spec sheet. I verified myself. These salespeople are morons.

 

In 2017 I spent 2 months searching dealership inventories looking for a specific truck that I wanted. I started close to home and then started looking further. When I finally found my truck 2 popped up the same day in Norcross Georgia and Columbus Ohio. I called the dealership in Columbus and was there the next morning to pick it up. I got what I wanted in the color I wanted. My wife thought I was crazy waiting that long. It was worth it.

 

Don't be so quick to blame the sales person.
They're stuck between you and what their sales manager is telling them, and then they get the blame. Not fair to the sales person.
This is not to say that all sales people are straightforward and honest in what they tell you.
In my negotiations I dealt directly with the sales manager and got to witness some of the interaction between them and the poor sales person.

 

how did you search that many dealers?

 

I am only blaming sales people who don’t have knowledge of their products

like if you can’t visually tell between a DCLB and DCSB, you probably shouldn’t sell a tacoma

I ran into lots of salespeople last weeks.

Or the ones that insisted truck had bed light when it didnt

or ones that said grey wheels are the black wheels

so many lies and ignorance to get a sale

 

Buying my 2016 and then my 2020 I was shocked at how poor product knowledge some of the sales people had. I do not expect them to know everything but at least know the basics lol.

 

Agree 100%

I am not asking horsepower or gvwr numbers !

I had same experience in buying my 2018 as I did my 2021

salespeople are getting dumber by the day

 

I wasn't trying to defend the sales persons' knowledge (or lack of) - I was taking a shot at how sales managers often put the sales person in an awkward position.
As far as product knowledge goes, I'd have to agree that most are lacking. I suspect that some of that can be attributed to how much/little training they get when a new model year rolls out. And then there's the lack of mentioning what devices/features/etc. are no longer included.

Agree wholeheartedly.

To me, the best answer to that question is "I'm not sure, let's check."

That's just plain stupid on the sales persons' part. Goes back to product training.
The best vehicle consumer is one who knows the product better than any sales person or sales manager.

 

This is why I decided to buy my Taco last April. At the time Dealers had lots of inventory and prices hadn’t Gone ‘COVID-crazy’ yet. I was able to find and buy a Taco exactly as I wanted at my local dealer 5 mins from my house.

 

My first strategy to find the truck I wanted was to search individual dealership websites in about 20 cities across the country, and periodically re-check. That was tedious and dumb. How I ACTUALLY found my truck was simply using a nationwide autotrader search, filtering, and then ignoring every listing that didn't have pictures. Much less tedious, and I found "the one" in about a week.

 

I bought my Taco in April right as the shutdowns started. I figured the manufacturers stopping production would force prices for used to skyrocket. I was right. I had to drive 2 hours but I found what I wanted. It was rough trying to find a MT but I kept searching until I did.

 

I agree with you 100%. Salespeople have lots of slow time. Instead of watching porn on the phone, and trying to pick up the secretary/parts girl/service cashier girls, if they opened the brochure for 10 minutes, they would know the product.

I take pride in my work. I farm for a living. When a customer comes to me, and if I didn't know the variety of fruits and what makes things different, my customer will think I am an idiot and walk away.

This isn't a PhD dissertation. A salesman can read the brochure for 10 min per model when it comes out. If they don't know just say "I will check for you" as you said.

But to argue a short bed which is a long bad, is idiotic. It doesn't happen once. I see it over and over in my vehicle purchases, in dealers all over the USA.

It is as if every salesperson is a 7th grade dropout that can't read or write.

 

Try BuyaToyota.com, put in a Zip code, select a dealer, select Inventory, select trucks, select Tacoma or Tundra, and start filtering for the features you want. Notice in the website address line that a region will show. You can change regions by selecting a different zip code for a State away, etc. This will give you the vehicles that are in stock in a "Toyota" region and those that are on order. Once you find what you want the real investigation begins; visiting all the dealers websites for whatever region the vehicle is found within; I used Google Maps to show the dealers in an area. What are the boundaries of Toyotas regions, I do not know - it is a guessing game. What they do not display and which would be helpful is the VIN. This is how I found my Tacoma 3 States away, flew out and picked it up and drove it back.

 

I used Cargurus. To locate mine, with options I want.

 

Wait... is the guy who wrote this the same guy who wanted to bolt down a bed mat....

 

not all of us farmers are the same people.

@tractorfarmer123

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bed-mat-theft-prevention.702245/

 

Many people want to secure the mat. It is worth $100. The bolt mod only costs $4 and that is for premium stainless steel hardware.

 

Autotempest- fantastic search engine. Found my 19 OR fully loaded with 9k miles 3 states away for 10k less than new (pre Covid)

 

As someone else mentioned, try buyatoyota.com. However, when I was looking for my truck back in early 2019, I got to the point where I was spending time every morning, searching every dealer in the San Francisco bay area, within 150 miles! Every dealer has their own inventory that you can search online. That being said, some dealers have a MUCH larger inventory than others. Example, while my local dealer in Oakland CA had about 30 Tacomas at the time, I discovered that actually the biggest selling Tacoma dealer in all of northern CA, was the dealer in Santa Rosa CA, Freeman Toyota! They had over 120 Tacomas in stock at the same time! Also, if you just drive by some dealers and only see a couple of trucks on the lot, it doesn't mean that is all they have. A lot of dealers have limited display space on their lots, but have remote lots where they park most of their inventory. Finally, regarding knowledge of salespeople, it also depends on the LEVEL of ACCESS a salesperson has in being able to search inventory, and what is coming. The first salesperson I actually decided to to in and talk with, was a really nice [and hot!] young lady at Freeman Toyota in Santa Rosa. She was really nice and very knowledgeable about Tacomas. However, as large as their inventory was at the time, they didn't have the truck I wanted. She said they could ORDER it but it would take about 2 months to get it. So I decided to check with the dealer in Oakland CA. I was introduced to a saleslady there, [who was also totally hot!] and as it turned out, she was not only knowledgeable, but SHE was able to not only look at inventories just about anywhere, but she was also able to see what was in the Que to be BUILT! I wanted a quicksand 4-door tacoma TRD Sport 2wd short bed, and at the time, it was hard to find. However, in looking at what was to be built, she discovered that in a little over a week's time, they would be building/manufacturing the truck I was looking for, down in Mexico. she said it was actually predestined to go to another dealer, but if I let her know by the next day, which was a week before its manufacture date, she could REDIRECT it to her dealership! I contacted her the next morning on her cell phone, and asked her when she was going to get into the dealership. She said she could be there when they opened, so I met her there at 9am, and ordered my truck. Not only was it built on the day she said, but she was actually able to document the whole manufacturing process as it went along the assembly line! She texted me when it was completed, and when it had its brief driving test. She then texted me when it was on the truck for delivery to the dealership, and when it was to arrive. She kept me informed the whole way. The point is, that she not only was knowledgeable, but she had ACCESS or computer privileges that enabled her to search inventories, but also, to show her what was scheduled to be built. I spent a lot of time searching dealer inventories myself, but it was she who was actually able to get me the truck I wanted. Long reply, but hope this helps...