Toyota Grad Rebate

i just bought a 2012 and i asked Toyota to give me the graduate rebate. they are giving me grief. here's the story:

per the Toyota website one of the conditions of eligibilty for the grad rebate is "be enrolled in an accredited graduate degree program". currently, i am a graduate student in an accredited master's program at the University of Washington.

when i purchased my truck i submitted my unofficial transcript. i got a call asking for documentation of my student status. no problem. i sent a letter from the registrar indicating i am a matriculated student in a graduate program.

i am not currently registered as it is the summer quarter. i will be registered as of September 27th for the fall quarter. i dropped my only class last spring around the last week of the quarter.

i am not sure if they are trippin because i wd last spring or because i am not currently in class. the finance guy said Toyota was telling him that i had to be currently registered at the time of the purchase. that doesn't make sense to me because i bought the car during the summer quarter and my university still considers me a student because the summer quarter is essentially optional.

i told them i would provide proof of registration after i register in for the fall but i was told by the finance guy that this may not work because i was not registered at the time of the purchase. wtf is this? the big Toyota boss is going to give me a call so i'll try to keep my cool.

am i going to get screwed here?

 

Hmmm, that sucks. I've actually used the Toyota Grad rebate twice. Once on a 2010 Corolla, a few months after getting my bachelor's degree and again this past summer on my Tacoma as my wife is currently in grad school. Looking at the grad program documentation, it looks like if you've earned a degree in the last two years, you should be fine or if you'll earn one in the next 6 months, are either of those the case?

 

the condition i meet is 'currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program'.

here's the text from toyota.com:

How To Qualify: THIS IS THROUGH YOUR TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES ONLY. You must meet all of these conditions • Get that degree! To take advantage of the program you must meet one of the following: • Have graduated from an accredited four-year college, university, or registered nursing degree program during the last two years or graduate from such a school/program within the next six months OR • Have graduated from an accredited two-year college during the last two years OR • Be enrolled in an accredited graduate degree program or have received a degree from an accredited graduate program during the last two years OR • Have graduated during the last two years from the two-year Toyota Technical Education Network (T-TEN) Program or any other two-year post secondary automotive program accredited by the NATEF OR • Have completed an electrician apprenticeship/certification program during the last two years through the NJATC and the IBEW. • GET a job! Show proof of present employment, or future employment with a start date within 120 days of your purchase or lease contract date. Toyota Financial Services (TFS) must deem your salary sufficient to cover living expenses and vehicle payments. DISCLAIMER: $1,000 rebate on a new Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, Tacoma, Yaris, and Toyota Camry models (excluding Hybrid Models). Rebate offered by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Rebate will be applied toward the down payment on eligible finance contracts with terms up to 60 months (First payment may be deferred for first 90 days on eligible new and current year used Toyota vehicles; finance charges accrue from contract date. Deferred payment not available in Pennsylvania or in connection with the preferred option financial plan.) OR on lease contracts (First toward the amounts due at lease signing or delivery, with any remainder to the capitalized cost reduction.) One rebate per finance or lease transaction. Rebate available on contracts executed between 1/4/12 and 1/2/13. Only available on select new untitled Toyota models. College Graduate Program is subject to change or termination at any time. Some restrictions apply. Not Compatible with $1000 Military Rebate Program. Program may not be available in all states. On approved credit through your participating Toyota dealer and Toyota Financial Services. Not all applicants will qualify. Toyota Financial Services is a service mark of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation and Toyota Motor Insurance Services, Inc.

 

I just bought a car with the grad rebate. I showed them my diploma, showed them proof of work and got my 1000 taken off the price before ttl

 

Sounds like bs to me. I got the discount with no problems. It was my wife that had just finished her degree so we put her name first at the time of purchase and got the 1k off.

My guess is that since you've already bought they have no interest in giving it to you. Good luck getting it though!

Hell, I couldn't even get my $100 for referring my brother to the dealer I bought from. (Team Toyota of Lithia Springs) I know that was from the dealer and not Toyota but they wouldn't do anything to help. They lost any of my future business over a lousy $100. There are plenty Toyota dealers around here that are closer anyway.

 

they took the $1,000 off when i purchased but i'm now being told Toyota won't honor the rebate. or i suppose maybe they won't honor it. they have not told me no they are just giving me grief. the point is it's friggen annoying after i submitted documentation from the registrar indicating i am 'matriculated'. they seem to be looking for 'enrolled' which, in my mind, means the same thing. i think they are tripped up because i am not 'registered' because it's the summer quarter than that, in my mind, doesn't mean shit.

 

To them I can see how it seems like you're not in school, you didn't get any credits last semester and aren't going this semester yet so I can see how they would be hesitant. Could you wait a few weeks til classes start and then get it? A few weeks is definitely worth $1k....

 

i register on the 27th of this month. i told the finance guy that and he said the issue was that i was not registered when i made the purchase so future registration may not help. to me this is all beside the point because whether i'm registered or not i'm still a matriculated student in a degree program.

i should mention i work in higher education administration, not the registrar, but i am familiar with the terms.

registration and enrollment do not mean the same thing even though they are sometimes used interchangably so i could see why there is confusion. i was enrolled but not registered when i purchased.

 

so you bought the car on day x and now on day y you go back to the dealership after the purchase asking for a college rebate?

if so why would they give you a discount after you made the purchase? everything was settled after the state of current state of being before you applied or whatever

edit: read it wrong, seems like it was already discussed during the purchase. they dont hold up their end I would say return the truck lol

 

So are they expecting you to pay it back then? I'd be like

 

i'm not paying it back and if it comes to it i would return the truck. i'm sure they will honor the rebate after taking an earfull from me. i'm just pissed that i'm going to have to go through this. it's just annoying Toyota Corp shit. why they gotta play me like that?