Should I go full Karen and ask to speak to the sales manager?

No vaseline, but it seems they did use Vick's.

 

Buyers have zero leverage in this market, you could go Karen all you want because the dealer/salesman could care less if you walk. There is no way I would pay a dealer 5k over MSRP especially when I have to pay 10% sales tax and CA's ridiculous registration fees

 

Bro. If you go in unchapped it’s gonna hurt…just saying. Better chap them cheeks your gonna over pay!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they sold that Tacoma to another person and are waiting for another allocation or one in inventory to pop up. Now isn't a good time to buy a new car, a house, or any other major purchase. I leased my 2020 TRD 4Runner in February of 2020 right before the global mess. I got a steal of a deal and will be buying it out at the end of the lease to keep for a while or resell. OP I don't envy your position.

 

Thanks for the level headed advice. I have begun my search at other dealers in California. It's just a truck.

 

Dealers are crazy right now. I took my 2010 Silverado in for an airbag recall last week. The dealer has been hounding me about it for over a year and finally called me and asked if I would bring it in. This truck has a new GM crate 5.3 that cost a little over 10K to purchase and install about 8 months ago. While waiting for that to be completed I purchased a new 2021 Silverado and figured I would save the 2010 to give to my son as his first vehicle when he starts driving in a couple of years. So being that the new engine has a 3 year 36k warranty and that the truck is in perfect shape its value in this market is probably in the $30k-$32K range as a private sale. About 10 min after dropping the truck off I got a call from the sales department at the dealer asking if I was interested in selling. I responded that I would sell it but that I was sure the dealer and I were way to far apart in what I would have to have due to the $10K I had just invested. They offered me $22k and I laughed and said, like I said. It would not make sense for either of us to waste our time on this so just replace the airbag part and let me know when it is done. He did not want to let me off the phone without giving him a figure so I threw out $36k more just to be a dick. He said, oh we cannot get anything close to that as we would probably sent it to auction. I was like well bud, you should not be trying to buy trucks private sale to send them to auction and because you have a 2011 with 20k more miles than mine without as high a trim package and without a brad new crate engine with a warranty listed for $35,000.00 on your site. I just thought I would see how bad you wanted to buy my truck. That conversation ended and when I went to get my truck they would not pull it around or give me the keys until the sales manager came to speak to me. He was certain he could get me close to my figure if I was willing to trade my truck. I explained to him that I have a 2021 Silverado sitting in my driveway and a 2018 Tahoe in the garage that I had no incentive to trade my 2010 for the Silverado on the lot they have $76k on the window sticker for when I just purchased the same truck 8 months ago out of state for $25k less. They still thought they were going to drive a deal and walked away to "see what they could do" even though I repeatedly told them I have no interest in buying another vehicle in this market and I did not recall seeing a for sale sign on my truck when I dropped it off. I ended up taking my primary set of keys and walked around the back lot until I found my truck and just left. I called them about 20 min later and told them they could drop my keys off anytime over the next week at my work address. They have called me twice saying I could come pick them up and I have told them they can bring them to me. I am sure I will have to stop by the dealer but I will do it whenever I feel like it and as they do not have anything signed of me that I got the truck back they will have to produce them.

 

Santa Margarita Toyota has a guy named Kevin that works there. He's been very honest and upfront with me. They dont "presell" their trucks. 4x4 have an $1,880 markup over MSRP and 4x2 have an $880 markup.

I almost bought with them, but finally got a call from Longo saying they got my 7566 in LR. Longo will sell at MSRP.

 

A month ago the local dealer here had a 5k markup on a mid tier Rav-4, PLUS three thousand dollar's worth of window tint, floor mats, and unicorn wax. I asked why on earth a Rav was going for 8 over sticker and he flat out said "whether it's you or someone else, this car is selling today."

I thanked him for his time and bought a Mazda instead.


Must be the world's easiest time in history to be in car sales. Most folks I dealt with, they just had to be breathing enough to say "here's the price, and there's the line for the finance desk." And they were still banking commission. Crazy times.

 

Thank you, I'm calling them right now!

 

UPDATE: I have started a search with more dealers, and I spoke to Kevin at Santa Margarita Toyota of California. However, when I do a google search on the vin #, it does now show my dealer as the contact for this vehicle. So I'm thinking it is heading that way. I'll keep looking in the meantime. Thanks all for the advice.

 

He has one destined to show up any day now and another that was built last friday. Both are Lunar Rock model 7566.
He worked hard to stay in touch with me, but money talks and Longo is selling at MSRP. Glad to send someone his way though!

 

UPDATE: The dealership finally got back to me and said the vehicle was sold to someone who outbid me. I have contacted Toyota.

I did speak to Kevin and he still has that truck with the options I want, but I do not like lunar rock or army green. Too bad for me.

 

That is seriously messed up, but truthfully, you would have overpaid.

 

Thank you for this tip. I did.

 

they sold you a specific truck (gave you the vin). Took your deposit, then sold same truck to someone else for more money? Sounds like breech of contract, or consumer fraud to me. I would be asking the states attorney consumer fraud division if they are in violation...

 

I have emailed Toyota with my story and my copy of the paperwork. Thanks for the advice, I just might contact them too if Toyota doesn't lend any assistance.

 

This is the bigger issue. Absolutely no leverage for the buyer in this market. Embarrassingly, I almost traded-in my 2016 sr5 for a 2022 frontier. Talked to a sales person and we agreed on a price, drove 2.5 hours to the dealer and when I get there he added almost 9k in mark-up. Goes on to tell me it is a sellers market bullshit and he can't give it to me for MSRP (even though that is what we agreed on). What sucks is that it doesn't matter, they are going to do that to the next person and that person will buy. I'm sure it was sold that same week. So they can play all the games because there are no ramifications. I know I wont give my money to any place playing games and I dont even want to buy a nissan anymore because they didn't care at all how their dealers are handling customers. Haven't had issues with the few toyota dealers that I have worked with and now waiting for a delivery that is suppose to happen this week.

 

How's it going now Karen?????

 

Unbelievable! That sucks.

 

I stayed calm, contacted Toyota in an email and shared my story. I'm actively calling dealers in California that I got leads on from this thread. I'm reserving full Karen for now.