Another dealership (sales) horror story

So 5 years ago or so I got rid of my Tacoma and got a Ford... truck was okay, wanting to get back in a Tacoma and finally found the truck......


Had been working a deal on my trade with the internet sales specialist at the dealership.

I told them on Thursday that I wanted to come Saturday to get the truck if we could agree on trade and price, dealership is 3.5 hours away and I work M-F so I had to come Saturday and make it happen.

No trade appraisal Thursday, internet sales girl said the manager didn’t get it done

No trade appraisal Friday same story as Thursday

She called me at 1145 Saturday saying it was on his desk and he was finalizing it...

Trade appraisal Saturday night at 7:50 pm we were within 500 bucks and the price on the truck was very good... dealership closes at 8 pm and I live 3.5 hours away... internet sales girl tells us the truck is there on the lot And they are open 12-4 Sunday, okay... We be there at 2 to get it.


I am 2.5 hours into the drive and they call me and say the truck was sold Saturday. I pulled off the 4 lane to get some clarification... sales manager tells me it had been sold and was gone... I explained my situation and he was in disbelief... he says he would follow up with the internet sales lady... long story short, the vehicle was still listed in their inventory, but had indeed been sold... idk how or when they pull inventory off their site bit it didn’t happen...

They said they could get me the same truck Tuesday, same deal, blah blah blah... I told them it would have to be delivered to my house...

I still really want to get back into a Tacoma but they are in short supply right now in my area... I wasted my entire Sunday due to their f-up... I’ll post a follow up when this situation shakes out. I’m pretty disappointed

 

That sucks, but at least they called you before you got to the dealership.

Good luck on your search for a new Tacoma.

 

If they hadn’t called me it would have got ugly once I got there... I have contacted dealerships from North Carolina to Ohio looking for “the truck”... then this happens... I hope they make it right...

 

I must just be ignorant or completely backwoods (both are distinct possibilities because I'm pretty dang homebody and live square in BFE, and I'm old school enough to expect folks to live up to the deals they make), but as many of these kind of things I've read, I'm just about shocked it didn't happen to me since I specifically wanted a MT, and a new one to boot.

Is it an irony that as I traversed the internet that I saw my Tacoma show up in their inventory on multiple sites while it was in transit from IL to here?

 

You should gone all the way there and got ugly anyway. Frickinn Toyota stealerships.

 

Based on your description, it seems your new truck purchase could have happened earlier, but was held up by the trade-in appraisal. It's often more advantageous to sell your old vehicle separately, either private party or to a dealer, not necessarily to the dealer selling you the new truck. Selling your old vehicle is one deal; buying a new vehicle is another deal. Keep them separate, especially if the old vehicle is a 5 year-old F150 (i.e. mass-market appeal and easy to sell).