Ordering without guaranteed delivery date?

I worked out a deal to order a Tacoma from a dealership, but didn't go through with it because they wanted a non refundable deposit and wouldn't provide a delivery date. They would only refund my deposit IF the truck showed up AND it was not as I ordered it. This sounds like a terrible idea to me. What do you think? Have you placed an order and had any issues? The deposit amount asked for is $1,000.

 

It's BS. I ordered with zero deposit, and they send me updates every week. If you're in Texas, PM me.

 

They can't withhold your deposit. Go to another dealer, if you want to stick with that dealer, call Toyota and tell them what the dealer said, they'll set them straight. They have a set number of vehicles they can get, so the one you would get comes out of the "allotment", not really a "special order". They may not have ordered exactly as you want, but either you buy it or it goes on the lot. They can't get a delivery date until the vehicle has a vin and hits the assembly line. even then, it will be an estimate. there are a lot of things that have to happen and people involved getting a vehicle to a dealer, kinda hard for them to give an exact date, they have no control over anything until the delivery truck is on its way.

 

I put down $500.00 down that was refundable with 4-6 week delivery. I wouldn't put money down on anything if it was not refundable.

 

This guy is right. Dealers can request a vehicle to be built a certain way and they do get an allotment, but they usually don't "build to order" vehicles, at least that's not how Toyota works. As for the deposit. The above statement is true also when dealing with Toyota.

 

Walk away...I put a deposit down, the dealer never cashed the checked. Wound up giving me the check back when it came time to "settle up". Ordered in August, accepted delivery a week and a half ago

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll definitely keep looking.

 

Just curious why so many people order?.

 

Because blazing blue pearl DCLB TRD Sports or ORs with the tech and towing packages don't grow on trees. Toyota makes damn few of them.

 

it's not that Toyota doesn't make them, it's because few dealers order them. It's the same as getting a Limited that is fully loaded, most people go with basic packages and colors. It's just not a big selling color

 

I went through this process recently with my dealer. I decided to walk away. Too much uncertainty, no guarantee the exact specs will come on your truck, wishy washy delivery date. Found the truck I wanted on another lot and my turd of a salesman wouldn't get it for me. Walked away and did my own work to find something that worked for me now. Waiting until February 16th for something that MIGHT be what I wanted was just unacceptable.

 

Every dealer is going to be different. I had one that wanted the cash up front that wouldn't give me a price or date and the one that ultimately delivered didn't want the money because the knew I had been waiting for almost 3 months. They even told 3 people who wanted to buy it out from under me that it was already spoken for.

 

Because so long as a three pedal option exists I'll never own a slushbox.

 

I'm planning on ordering to get the configuration I want, a black double cab off road with the towing package only. I can't find a truck like this at any of the 4 Toyota dealerships in my immediate area.

 

False depending on your area is what Toyota sends to that region.

For example on second gen Toyota felt that barcalona red didn't sell well so they were few and far between.

Op don't do it. Like others said call Toyota and they will set the dealer right.

I was asked to make a deposit that was refundable, and the reason they do it is so they can hold the truck in case someone else has interest in the truck.

 

I ordered a DCLB TRD sport with tow and JBL. I only left dealer a $200 deposit on a credit card and the dealer noted on recipt that it is refundable. It was ordered on 11/5 and I checked after 3weeks and no dates yet. But options are limited for a TRD long bed here on Long Island NY The wait sucks

 

The dealers spec what they order, not Toyota. I know the guy that does the ordering at my local dealer. Now, the options they chose will depend on the market and what they have sold in the past. The number of allocated trucks they can get are also sales based. That's why you can usually find vehicles with more options in larger cities, they sell more vehicles and it's not as much as a gamble they will have it sitting on their lot a long time. I like to buy vehicle fully loaded, therefore I usually have to go to Chicago or somewhere, or do a dealer trade. dealer trades usually wipe out any discounts. There are multiple dealers in my area and I had to get my limited 350 miles away because all they have around here are TRD's and the Sr5. My local dealer had never sold a limited before mine and they never had a TRD pro.

 

You either misunderstood what the guy that does the ordering at the local dealer told you, or even he doesn't fully understand the process. Toyota has a set build allocation for each build cycle for each region. Twice a month dealers can request specific builds from that preset allocation. They may or may not get what they request. Higher volume dealers get larger vehicle shipments thereby having a higher likelihood of getting what they want. Toyota's LEAN or Just-In-Time production method simply wouldn't work like it does with dealer driven build specs.

 

From what I've come across so far (at least in this region) you have the port installed options that the dealers can select or deselect in advance of the truck's arrival. Then there's the factory installed options/configuration - those are what gives you the 90 to 120 wait time.

 

I'm not going to leave a deposit. What do you think Toyota would do if I called them?