Dealer wants non refundable deposit on a factory order. Is this standard practice?

Get it in writing.

 

Yes, plan on getting everything in writing first.

 

The deposit is OK, non-refundable is not. The deposit is to show good faith that they are not spinning their wheels on a custom order. The paper work costs them about $20 in labor, not $1000. I think they can eat $20 if needed. The audacity of car dealers amazes me. You are making a very big decision and they are callus and flippant about it. They are, well to put it bluntly a bunch of A-Holes.

Places like CarsDirect and TrueCar allow you option the car and set the price. The local dealer will deliver the car. Also you can probably find a dealer somewhere that will deliver it to your house. Make some calls and make some deals.

I would also talk with the general manager of the dealership and tell him you will drive to wherever it is to buy the car if needed. But a non-refundable deposit is not acceptable. It's called customer service - remind them of that. They should use you credit check as your good will and faith that the truck will be received.

If they are this bad trying to bilk you now, how bad is the service dept?

He cannot guarantee delivery of that truck on a specific date at the time of the deposit. Delivery could run over 1 week, 1 month, or a year. He has no control over the process. It could easily be delivered early too. Personally I would make him wait for deliver so he has to eat the inventory cost for that time, but I'm evil. Once the order is submitted he should get some feedback on the delivery date, but until then delivery date is open ended. Even after he gets a date, stuff happens. They have a strike, snow storm, stuck in customs, new regulations, a turtle crossed the road, etc...

To put it in perspective I bought a limited production car 20 years ago, the local dealer wanted a $1000 deposit refundable deposit to get on a waiting list. This was still not acceptable to me and I drove 50 miles north and bought it off the floor. His loss for being flippant.

If he is playing hardball get the delivery date in writing with a cash penalty for every day it's late. Get everything in writing.

God, I freaking hate car dealers. Any opportunity to make them cry I do.

Best of luck.

 

I hate dealers too. But to allow them to put another inquiry on your credit report? If only for the purpose of vetting you as a live prospect? Is that giving in and letting them control the sale? So to get the other kids to allow you to play with them you have to "spend" an asset to legitimize yourself, thereby lowering your credit score and raising your future cost of capital? Ain't happnin'. Part of successful negotiation is FIRST building value in yourself as a buyer, and in doing so convincing them to continue to spend their time talking to you because you are the hottest prospect they are going to see today. Creating an urgency in them to do business with you. WITHOUT anything but your assurances. And if you can sell better than they can you can do exactly that. Drive them as you would any other enemy of your family's financial well being: like the dust before the wind. Done correctly, when you drive off of their lot in your new vehicle you should have them praying that they never have to sell you a car again, and your departure should invoke in their mind visions of Clint Eastwood riding off into infinity in the last scene of High Plains Drifter.

Deposit. Of ANY kind: (Insert sarcastic smirk here.)

 

And Tacomas are in demand and you'll be paying close to MSRP, so the dealer is looking to get a decent commission on the sale. If he doesn't want the commission, I'm sure there are other Toyota dealers who would be willing to place the order without any deposit.

 

On a side note, I just got back from placing a deposit on a 2021 TRD-OR.

 

TAKE ME NOW LORD! JUST TAKE ME NOW!!

 

$100 refundable deposit should be sufficient. I bought my last two vehicles from the dealership with $100 down.