Question on how to secure a brand new truck

Are they though?....From what I saw, people using a broker were getting better pricing than some of those that were buying without. Just because there is pricing built in to pay a broker or the dealer decides to shave a point to pay the service fee doesn't mean anyone is going to give that money or point to a consumer...at least the average car buyer anyway, a savvy buyer can get there but not your every day car buyer.

The broker can often tap into a larger market than the dealership sales staff guys standing around on the sidewalk waiting for the next guy to drive on the lot.

I mean, if you were selling something and getting 40% margin and all of a sudden you were able to obtain that item and get a 50% margin, would you suddenly give that extra 10% to the consumer without a fight...probably not....but you might give 5% of that to a broker that can double your sales volume making you more money by turning product quicker. Not all sales have the same margin attached to them.

The point of the on site sales staff is to cater to the sales channel that will only buy that way...or more realistically the uneducated, impulse buyer that they can hose for max margin. It's just another sales channel, on site staff services the above buyer, the internet staff handles their own type of buyer and brokers handle another set of buyers. Put it all together to maximize your reach.

 

It’s not about self-soothing a buyer, it’s about getting exactly what you want, locked in at $2-$3k below MSRP without having to waste your time hunting across dealerships to then eventually attempt to haggle at the dealer that has exactly what you want.

 

Welcome to TW.

 

Thanks. Can’t wait to post about my new truck when they are released.

 

If you are a Costco member have checked their Auto Buying Program?

https://www.costcoauto.com/

 

I have not checked it out but I will now, thanks.

does this buying tool help with securing a truck that isn’t released yet?

 

Before I bought my 2016, the Toyota dealer Costco hooked me up with would only do a Costco discount on an SR or SR5 (at that time). I wanted a Sport so I ended up buying from a different dealer. The Costco Toyota dealer did talk about SRs and SR5s on their lot and what was arriving soon. Not sure if things have changed today.

 

Genuinely curious. Have you personally gone through the process with this broker?

 

No, when the time comes to buy my next Toyota I will use Jim though.

 

Ok. I always keep options open. Just a thought: upcoming buyers market negotiations will be around +/-that invoice number like before. Any broker advantage will be lower and lower. And they have to eat too.

 

I used when I bought my highlander hybrid, paid him $750 broker fee via venmo, and he brokered a deal between me and the selling dealership. Dealership then contacted me and took over from there, pricing exactly how he brokered, 0 add-on, and 0 up-sale on anything, vehicle fresh off the hauler.

After factoring $750 broker fee, I basically got $750 off MSRP, but at that time it's a great deal. I'd say use the broker for mass produced vehicle is great, he can get you the best price in the country. There are vehicles that he can't discount, such as limited edition Supras, you will have better deal buying it from an MSRP dealer without broker fee.

 

So I can speak from the dealer perspective on brokers in the domestic world. I was a sales director for Ford/Lincoln and would sell to brokers once in a while (1-2 deals a month out of 200 new units).
I’d sell to them at invoice less $500-1,000. I never saw what they sold the vehicle me for, didn’t care. I get the RDR and helps me hit my volume bonus which could take me from $700 to $900/unit.
Downsides were the survey still went to customer, so if broker was a douche, we got screwed.
I see the appeal from the customer, you deal all from home, no upsell, here’s your price, no games. Most often times delivered to your home. Downside is you absolutely will pay more for the convenience. I’d sell for $500 below invoice to a broker, and I’d sell to customers via Costco or USAA for $2,000 below invoice. We did things differently though, no games. Here’s the price, you have to pay my doc fee of $693.67, and you have to finance with Ford if you want the $1,000 extra rebate. If you don’t finance with them you lose the $1,000. We won’t make you do it, just disclosing the rebate. 100/100 times it’s still cheaper than the broker.
When I shop for cars I look for the lowest price, and check out their disclosures at the bottom. States like Texas cap doc fees so if you can find one with $3,000 off and no mandatory adds you’re in. Florida is perhaps the slimiest of all states. $15,000 off the truck, but they add the Sunshine Protection Package for $2,995, then doc fee of 1,000, and other bs for $700. You’re better off buying local, and rewarding the honest dealers (they do exist, do your research).

 

Gulf States fucked up prices in Texas. Everything coming through their pipeline has distributor adds. The dealers are piling on.

 

When I bought my 2016 TRD Sport I used the Costco program. The TRD Pro wasn't available yet, and I asked if the Costco program would work for that and was told no, they were allowed to cut certain vehicles from the program at their (dealership's) discretion.

 

Is the allocation spreadsheet dead? I see there may be rumors that Toyota put a stop to it. Any other alternatives to finding the truck I want?

 

I found this one. It is a CSV data file that is being updated.
The raw data needs some massaging with each update, notably with a filter on the top line to make it sortable.
The link takes you to a webpage that will allow you to download the raw file.
(Download button, on the right near the top of the field that will say the file is too large to display)

https://github.com/kissmygritts/flatdata-vehicle-inventory/blob/main/data/toyota-inventory.csv

 

Since you are in Southern California, check in Carlsbad. They have lots of non-hybrids. When the iForceMax starts showing up, you should be able to walk on their lot and see many to choose from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZK1hFJR3zM&t=78s