[artman67]

Just got my 04 tidepool pearl #9 not the color I wanted but not bad
( green kinda makes a statement )

Toyota raised the price $300 but sent me a letter that since I ordered before the price raise they will reimburse it .... i'm cool with that

dealer here IN Boise, Idaho also raised the price 2,000
"market adjustment" is what they called it .... not cool with that

But I wanted the car and intend on giving their 2,000 worth in bad advertising

Thinking about a custom bumper sticker

buyer beware

 

[richard schumacher]

Presumably the written purchase agreement you have with them allows them to do that? Caveat emptor :_<

 

[autoxic]

Supply and demand. You could have passed on the Prius, but you wanted it, didn't you?

However, I do think the dealer is scum for changing the price on you.

-Ken

 

[Daniel]

If you had any sort of promise, even verbal, about the price, you may be able to recover in small claims court. Better yet if the dealer gave you anything in writing, even just a price scribbled on a scrap of paper. But if there was no mention of price, or if there was any agreement (written or verbal) that the price could change, then you are out of luck.

However, a "buyer beware" bumper sticker would suggest that the car is a lemon. I'd suggest instead "Don't buy from XXX Toyota," whatever their name is.

I don't remember if there was an escape clause when I ordered mine. I know I had a price in writing, and I got a receipt for my deposit, but I don't know if the receipt allowed the dealer to change the price. However, he charged me what he had quoted me (MSRP plus taxes and fees).

I suggest you read through all the paper you have on hand, and try to remember just what was said to you verbally, and write down anything you remember that might commit the dealer to MSRP. The free market lets them charge whatever they like, but a contract is binding, even if it's only verbal.

Note also, that if you got a verbal price quote, and the dealer didn't write it himself but you did, that can be very useful evidence in court, because you can show the court that you are not relying on your memory of what was said months ago, but you know what you were told because you wrote it down at the time.

 

[artman67]

That was actually a comment for the group
The idea I had for the bumper sticker was

"bait and switched"
on the left hand side of the plate and
"toyota dealer IN boise" SUCKS
on the left in say ... hot pink and lime green

verbally I was told "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in"
Looking for the paper work .......

 

[Bob Allen]

That was actually a comment for the group
The idea I had for the bumper sticker was

"bait and switched"
on the left hand side of the plate and
"toyota dealer IN boise" SUCKS
on the left in say ... hot pink and lime green

verbally I was told "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in"
Looking for the paper work .......

As angry as you feel, (understandably) if I were you, I wouldn't elevate this dealership to the level of a discussion with your fellow highway travelers by putting bumper stickers on your car. You will likely inflict very minimal retalitatory damage on the dealer but you'll be putting "negative carma" on your Prius. I go with the posters who suggest you investigate small claims court, especially if you have something in writing.
A letter to Toyota about the dealership will have much more effect on the dealership than bumper stickers. Eventually, you'll get over the anger of being ripped off and you will still like your Prius and you will probably not want the continual reminder of your experience to greet you every time you approach your car from the rear.
Bob

 

[artman67]

Point well taken

 

[Daniel]

Since the guy told you he could not tell you a price until the car arrived, it sounds like you have no agreement that you could use in court.

As Bob suggests, a letter to Toyota may be in order, so they know this dealer is overcharging. Maybe they'll direct more cars to dealers who charge MSRP instead of to dealers who take excessive profit.

And your experience is a lesson to others: When you make your deposit, ask for a price. If the dealer says he does not know what his price will be 6 months from now, ask for an agreement relative to MSRP. Maybe the dealer won't sell for MSRP, but he ought to be up front with you when you order the car, how much over MSRP he's going to charge. If he refuses to do that, it should put up a red flag.

 

[artman67]

He told me exactly ( his word ) what the price was going to be .... then it changed

 

[FIXIT]

That was actually a comment for the group
The idea I had for the bumper sticker was

"bait and switched"
on the left hand side of the plate and
"toyota dealer IN boise" SUCKS
on the left in say ... hot pink and lime green

verbally I was told "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in"
Looking for the paper work .......

As angry as you feel, (understandably) if I were you, I wouldn't elevate this dealership to the level of a discussion with your fellow highway travelers by putting bumper stickers on your car. You will likely inflict very minimal retalitatory damage on the dealer but you'll be putting "negative carma" on your Prius. I go with the posters who suggest you investigate small claims court, especially if you have something in writing.
A letter to Toyota about the dealership will have much more effect on the dealership than bumper stickers. Eventually, you'll get over the anger of being ripped off and you will still like your Prius and you will probably not want the continual reminder of your experience to greet you every time you approach your car from the rear.
Bob

I like the bumper sticker approach.

I don't think toyota will intercede in this issue. The negioated sales price is between you and the dealer. Toyota's $300 action was due to the corporate policy on the cars price and your actual order date...they can pat themselves on their back all they want.

I believe that a carefully and wittingly crafted bumper sticker will impact the dealer. The fact that you have the courage and balls to make such a bold statement wth respect to your dealer treatment win the approval and Kudos of those who see it. I don't see how this will mar the car. In fact, the fact that you saw fit to still aquire the model car may bode well for the strength of your decision to commit to the car you chose.

I strongly think that the satisfaction at having your say, in your market, and having that FREELY MARKETED BY VIRTUE OR YOUR NORMAL TRAVELS (as is the fashion of the dealer's affixing their license plate cover to your car) will accord you the true satisfaction you seem to seek. The owner "may" decide to make amends in exchange for your ceasing to express your free speech so publicly.

Best to you and your attemps to FIXIT!

 

[jimb]

He told me exactly ( his word ) what the price was going to be .... then it changed

Don't be a wussy like that guy suggested 2 posts back, raise hell. You've been ripped off and you need to let people know. You going to let people walk on you? Bumper Sticker isn't enough, go to google and start searching, I bet your state attorney general has an area that handles such a thing, start with the Better Business Bureau.

 

[Daniel]

First you say:

verbally I was told "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in"

Then you say:

He told me exactly ( his word ) what the price was going to be .... then it changed

Which is it? Did he tell you that he'd give you a price after the car arrived? Or did he quote you an exact price and then change it?

In the latter case you can take him to court. In the former case you don't have a leg to stand on.

 

[kachunk]

bumper sticker

if you put a "buyer beware" sticker on your car, everybody is going to think the Prius is a piece of crap.
If it's the dealer you're mad at, threaten (and follow through) to take them to court, it's the best recourse.

-- Alan LaFleur

 

[artman67]

First you say:

verbally I was told "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in"

Then you say:

He told me exactly ( his word ) what the price was going to be .... then it changed

Which is it? Did he tell you that he'd give you a price after the car arrived? Or did he quote you an exact price and then change it?

In the latter case you can take him to court. In the former case you don't have a leg to stand on.

They are the same depending on how you read it

Sales person said "I can tell you exactly what your car will cost when it comes in" then told me exactly what that cost was then changed the price on delivery

 

[artman67]

Could be possible that the dealer worded it very carefully to be taken two differnt ways

Don't recall if he said somthing to the affect of "The price today is xxx" before he said the number and wrote it down

Still looking for the paperwork

 

[artman67]

Anybody have a idea if company XXX would have legal rights to XXXsucks.org

I know they would to XXX.org

Thinking of putting up a phpbb like this one up and just put the url on the bumper sticker

 

[Fredo]

Domain names are registered individually, and even a 1 character difference would not be covered by the first domain. So if the dealership has XXX.org registered, he has no claim on XXXsucks.org .

Now, a sleazy dealer may anticipate a situaton like this, and also register XXXsucks.org . If this has happened, try XXXtoyota.org, and other variants unitl you find one available. You could also try XXX.com , XXX.net , and I think they just opened some new top-level domain names like .tv or.info .