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Long, Bad History: Empire Toyota, Oneonta, NY

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by rigmar, Aug 19, 2009.

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  1. rigmar

    rigmar New Member

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    Empire Toyota is a dealership located in Oneonta , NY. It is owned and operated by Geoff Harris. I want to give prospective buyers some advice before stepping through the door at Empire. I can give you an inside look because I was behind the scenes as a salesperson.
    Locally, Empire Toyota is known for being a very difficult dealership to deal with. Customers can feel the tension stepping into the showroom because it's a very aggressive atmosphere.
    The salespeople are very stressed due to the pressure they're put under by the owner and the sales manager. We work on 100% commission so we are predisposed to making the most money possible on every customer. There is no salary. Employee's are discarded regurlarly so you may not see the same people from month to month. In my case, I was the top producing salesperson at the dealership in terms of overall units, profit, and aftermarket. I called in two days in February 09' to care for two sick children...I was Fired. Mr. Harris cares nothing of his employees or the public....The only thing he cares about is hitting a homerun on you. Let me give you an example as is pertains to Prius & Used cars
    When Prius got hot the summer of 2008 Mr. Harris decided to add an "environmetal package" on every Prius which was an additional $1300. This included Rustproofing, Undercoating, Fabric Protection, paint sealant, and a remote replacement. The dealer cost for this warranty is exactly $595. This netted Empire $705 of pure profit. Some may say...I can request to not have the package...right.....wrong. I lost many sales to good customers that didnt want the package. At this dealership you do not have the choice, you have to buy it...period. We were also selling prius for MSRP (sticker) new and used.
    Mr. Harris brings in prius as "track" vehicles a.k.a RENTALS. Every year he orders about 30 to rent to the public or give away as loaner vehicles for service. I can tell you first hand that customers beat the hell out of these cars. He must wait 3 months and a certain amount of Mileage before he can sell them. When he does we clean them ....they all have between 3000 miles to 5000 miles on them. HE PUTS THE ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND SOLD THEM FOR STICKER. As the new 2010 prius has come out , he has about 20 prius 08 and 09's with miles which he is discounting about $2000. If someone came in with a 2008 Prius with 3000 miles on it to trade in , we would give them Invoice less 25% depreciation for the vehicle So a vehicle that MSRP's for 23,080 invoices for 21,080. Less 25% is about $16,000 . They would turn around add $4995 mark up to sell it for $20,995 sale price. Every used vehicle on that lot has about 4,000 of markup. some... like used tacomas have more.
    BOTTOM LINE IS AVOID GOING THERE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO. IT IS WORTH THE HOUR DRIVE TO ALBANY OR BINHAMTON TO RECEIVE A PLEASANT BUYING EXPERIENCE. MR HARRIS IS ABOUT GREED, SO GIVE HIM A MESSAGE HE CAN UNDERSTAND...................NO SALE!
     
    #1 rigmar, Aug 19, 2009
  2. nmrickie

    nmrickie Member

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    Let me guess . . . you'd still be there screwing people over if they hadn't fired you . . .
     
    #2 nmrickie, Aug 19, 2009
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  3. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    Sorry... I have no sympathy for you. If you had any morals you would have quit before getting fired. Shame on you for going along with the shenanigans.
     
    #3 djasonw, Aug 19, 2009
  4. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    That's pretty funny. I appreciate your honesty.
     
    #4 mgb4tim, Aug 19, 2009
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  5. Sandy

    Sandy Hippi Chick

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    You sound bitter they let you go....
     
    #5 Sandy, Aug 19, 2009
  6. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I smell a troll.
     
    #6 bruceha_2000, Aug 19, 2009
  7. rigmar

    rigmar New Member

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    Let me ask you a question? If you had to take care of your sick children and got fired as a result, would'nt you be a little pissed off.
     
    #7 rigmar, Aug 20, 2009
  8. rigmar

    rigmar New Member

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    I replied to some of you haters out there...but the administrator dictator erased both my replies. The censorship on this website is surprising. I thought people wanted the truth ...I guess I was wrong
     
    #8 rigmar, Aug 22, 2009
  9. rigmar

    rigmar New Member

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    what does that mean???? why don't you tell me what you really mean . Instead of being a hater why don't you write me a real message that conveys something of substance instead of something cryptic.
     
    #9 rigmar, Aug 22, 2009
  10. willnottakeitorleaveit

    willnottakeitorleaveit New Member

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    :confused::confused:
     
    #10 willnottakeitorleaveit, Oct 4, 2009
  11. willnottakeitorleaveit

    willnottakeitorleaveit New Member

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    after recent dealings with empire toyota of oneonta i can say that i'll take my business elsewhere. mr. harris's attitude of take it or leave it won't work with me now or ever. i will take myself and excellent credit elsewhere. you are the first that i've come across to chase a potential customer away. way to go.
     
    #11 willnottakeitorleaveit, Oct 4, 2009
    Green Works likes this.
  12. neilz

    neilz Member

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    It looks like Empire Toyota has crooks selling cars and management that fires a good crooked salesman because he lost the dealership 2 days of screwing customers. I am not surprised that it is easy to find a car salesman who can screw the customer. Looks like nobody there should take off from work for any reason because you affect the dealerships bottom line.
     
    #12 neilz, Oct 4, 2009
  13. radioprius1

    radioprius1 Climate Conspirisist

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    It's funny you want to tell the truth now but not when you are ripping off customers. Thanks for telling us about this crooked Toyota dealership, and I have a smile on my face because you were fired.
     
    #13 radioprius1, Oct 31, 2009
  14. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    I have a smile too and I don't feel sorry for the schmuck for getting fired. He'll just get a job at the Honda store and utilize his wonderful stealership tools at the new job.
     
    #14 djasonw, Oct 31, 2009
  15. priusguy78

    priusguy78 New Member

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    It means she smells something fishy...aka you....she's saying that your full of BS and that your nothing more than a pissed off employee ;)
     
    #15 priusguy78, Jan 6, 2010
  16. priusguy78

    priusguy78 New Member

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    anyone who states they have "excellent" credit usually doesn't...
     
    #16 priusguy78, Jan 6, 2010
  17. priusguy78

    priusguy78 New Member

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    As a friend of Mr. Harris' i can confirm that you were indeed fired for staying home, BUT...i believe that going MIA for 3 days w/o contacting the dealership is a little different than caring for some runny noses at home...Also, it takes 4 months before a car can be released from TRAC (rental) service and can be sold, not 3 as you stated above (possibly this lack of knowledge was another contributing factor in your release from Empire's services???...just a thought ;)) And finally, just because you've done nothing with your life since you were let go doesn't mean you can post lies and BS on here as a way to "blame" your former employer for your shortcomings...LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!!
     
    #17 priusguy78, Jan 6, 2010
  18. priusguy78

    priusguy78 New Member

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    Let me first state that my name is Tom Haller and I am a salesperson at Empire Toyota & Scion here in Oneonta, NY, and have been since 2003. I’ve been in the car business for thirty years, working at the largest and smallest of dealerships, bouncing around from dealership to dealership. Then, I found Empire, and since that day I have been treated as well as I have ever been, and it absolutely offends me that a disgruntled, couldn’t make the grade, former salesperson would attempt to slander our good name, along with our management team and owner, Geoff Harris. The only stress that I have ever felt in this business is the stress that I put on myself…READ BETWEEN THE LINES!...Now, I’m not saying I haven’t had my share of ups and downs during my tenure here at Empire, but as far as Mr. Rigmar’s accusations against our owner of not caring for his employees, BULL. We all suffered hard times when the economy took a turn for the worse in ’08, I went home and found that my power had been switched off because I couldn’t make enough money to pay my bill. I never said a word to Mr. Harris, but after talking to my sales manager, Greg Aikens, about my situation, guess what happened…He went to Mr. Harris on my behalf, and this so called no good, greedy man who apparently cares about no one but himself paid my bill for me and my power was turned back on. He’s even fed me when I wasn’t able to feed myself. This is an honorable and caring person! Both to his employee’s and his customers. We here at Empire strive for excellence within our dealership, ourselves, and in the way we help customer. BOTTOM LINE…if you avoid us because of someone else’s own shortcomings, then you will miss out on an extremely pleasant new or pre-owned car buying experience. Mr. Harris is not about greed, he is about commitment to his employee’s and most of all, his customers. Apparently, anyone who cannot reciprocate that commitment is not the type of individual he wants representing his dealership, and based on the slander I’ve read on here, Mr. Rigmar, he seems to have made the right call!! Again, I am Tom Haller (really, it’s not a fancy user name I can hide behind), representative of Empire Toyota & Scion for 6 years, and will be for many more years to come. Sorry for all the venting, I’m done now, but to all of our customers out there I leave you with is this message…SALE ON!!!
     
    #18 priusguy78, Jan 7, 2010
  19. Prominus

    Prominus New Member

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    I know this is an old thread but after having the most awful buying experience at Empire Toyota I came across this thread and felt the need to register just to share my story.

    I don't even know where to begin.

    I went to trade in my Prius in order to lease a Corolla. We agreed on 8500 on my trade in and 20300 on the corolla.

    1. They refused to give me back my equity in cash. They tried to force me to put it into the lease.

    2. I never leased before and asked for full disclosure of all fees and they did not tell me about the acquisition and disposition.

    3. I get to signing and they wanted me to sign the lease on an electronic keypad on the computer WITHOUT SEEING THE CONTRACT.

    4. They had changed the contract price of the car from the agreed upon 20350 to 21850 and told me the 1500 they added was a lease fee.

    I walked away from the deal and called Toyota corporate to file a complaint. Later that day I receive a call back from the "Owner/Manager" asking me what I wanted and why I called the 1800 Toyota number. I told him to file a complaint. He called me a whiny little bitch.



    I don't think anything will come of it but I called and left a message with the corporate executive office, and the regional manager. I am also leaving a BBB report and writing a letter to Mr Yuki Funo the USA chief executive officer.
     
    #19 Prominus, Sep 21, 2013
    Green Works and Grey Ghost like this.
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wow, thanks for warning everyone, that's ridiculous.
     
    #20 bisco, Sep 21, 2013
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