Internet Purchase Help

Try going through Capital One Auto Buying, Cosctco, Yahoo Autos, etc, some dealerships only do internet business going through brokers like these, and you still get very good prices:

Capital One Auto Buying | Homepage

 

Keri,

Although I had a very satisfying Internet buying experience in Dec '07, its a
wholly different buying environment out there right now; really high demand,
dealers probably taking minimal stock to prepare for the new model in 2009.

All I can offer is to broaden the area you will consider driving to. In this day
and age, and the Internet, I find it hard to conceive how a dealership could
stay in business and not do Internet sales.

Good luck

FWIW, my Internet buying saga at:
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-...s-purchasing-qdyssey.html?highlight=crapulous

 

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if you belong to AAA they offer a new car buying service...all you do is tell them what you want and they will find it for you and deliver it to your door....most of the time they will be able to beat any price you can personally get from dealers because they purchase cars in volume....if AAA does the search for you and finds you a car but you decide not to get that cat AAA will charge you $25 for the search fee...

 

Hi. I have just (and I mean JUST) made a deal on an 08 with packg 6 for 25,995. I tried all the things others recommended, including AAA and Costco and neither were worth it, their "special" pricing was only $250 off MSRP. I ended up watching EBAY for several weeks, found a nice dealer in Columbus Ohio who offered his Prius with package 6 for 25,995. Since I live in upstate NY this was a very long drive for me (9 hours) so I decided to send an email to every dealer in NY (ok, not every, but the ones in the bigger cities, with a concentration in the NYC area) and was able to find several who would match this price. I also recieved a few somewhat snotty responses from dealers who tried to talk me out of making a deal via email, and one who "promised" me that when I see the purchase agreement their would be "all kinds of added fees". He was partially right-dealer charged an additional 350 for prep, dmv, tire charge, inspection, etc, but overall I think it was still a better deal than if I bought locally. (Which after one brief visit to the dealer I ruled out completely!) Sadly I am in a 8.75% tax rate so I am still paying just over 28K for the car but with an 80 mile commute daily I hope Ill recoup my loss. My advice is to pick a dealer anywhere in the country who is offering good pricing, and use them as leverage against a more local one. You could always have it shipped if you save enough it'll still be cheaper. My price was $1880 lower than the locals would do!

 

I did the internet/fleet thing here in Phx a month ago and my phone rang within 2 minutes. Set up an appt for that Saturday, told them exactly what I was after...they had the exact Prius I wanted waiting there for me and I paid $500 under invoice.

 

You can telephone and ask for the internet sales department too. You don't have to do it by email.

 

there are rooms for negotiation for sure, I am not sure the demand is like in your area.

but many of us have gotten it with touring #6 in the low to mid 25k + TTL here in CA

the price he quoted you is about 2k more than what I paid

 

You shouldn't have to "think," ie be uncertain, you should know. Get it in
writing. That's lot of money, and you have the right to know, and to say
"No," if it comes to that.

If you really want that car, ask the dealer to fax you a completed and signed
sales agreement. Go over it with a fine tothed comb and a magnifying glass.
The first one I got made no sense. Them: "Oh, don't worry, we'll fill that in
when you get here." Me: " Unless the form is completely filled in, I wont be
getting there." I got a complete form, but it was like pulling teeth. Keep
going back and resolve any question or uncertainty. My file of pre-purchase
correspondence is 1/8 inch thick.

Remember, you aren't committed until you sign something. Don't sign/initial
anything until you know and are satisfied. (Which is not to say you
are completely happy with the final price.)

 

Hi Keri,

You doing all the right things but if I may suggest you can do more. One quote for such a large dollar value item is not enough. Get 3 quotes minimum. You can broaden your search by going to the Toyota national web-site and put in the area(s) you want to search for a dealer. Next go to the dealer's web-site and see if they have an on-line inventory; also lot of dealer's have an Internet Sales Dept. Get an on-line quote even if the price is posted. The more you can expand the geographic area of your search the more competition you'll create. It's best to find a cluster of dealerships with a good selection of the model you desire - this will create some competition for your business.

Don't settle with one quote especially since that price seems high to some of us. A year ago I bought a package 5 for $24.5 K, but prices do fluctuate by geography and over time as supply / demand varies.

Good luck, be patient maybe waiting longer will get you a better deal.

 

Hi Keri,

I just saw this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/dealers-pricing/45193-no-hassle-package-6-25471-a.html you may want to review it and get a good indication of prices for pkg 6.

Cheers,

 

Keri, although NR is the code for a Touring 6, he notes the leather is port installed. This sounds like it really is a 5 with aftermarket leather. Port installed leather is not the same as factory leather. The mats are accessories. You should be able to buy them cheaper from the Parts Dept after the sale or on line either from a dealer or aftermarket. Get itemized quotes. What is his perception of TTL? Ask your DMV what taxes & fees are collected. I'll bet you'll find that the dealer has inflated those figures in the hope that the buyer is ignorant. CH Toyota tried inflating the state's title fee on me. A Buick dealer tried pulling it on my friend until I called him on it. Personally the above quote isn't passing the smell test. Shop more and use the spreadsheet on CarBuyingTips.com new car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying.

 

One question to consider is, Just what do you expect an "Internet Sale" to do
for you? If I were pressed hard, I would have to admit that when I started
my search for my dream car at Toyota dealers armed with data from the
Internet, I was an arrogant bastard with unrealistic expectations. I though
that the Internet had given me a club to beat the dealers into submission.
Not even close.

The internet gives the buyer the opportunity the collect information that in
turn you can use in having a near-equal chance in negotiating a price that
both parties consider acceptable. Its a poker game, pure and simple. The
dealer's wild card is they have what you say you want. Your wild card is you
have what the dealer wants, your money. The sales people play this game
every day; think about it.

Your ultimate weapon is to walk out. The dealer's ultimate weapon is by the
use of subterfuge, smoke and mirrors, bluff and bluster, etc to get you to
pay for things you don't want, or that have really high profit margins. Your
protection is to have read enough to know what's going on, and know your
limits to go only just so far and no farther. Period.

(Here's a trick that drives sales people crazy: never sit down, never. This
way you can walk out any minute without even a fair-thee-well. They will
beg you too be seated. Politely decline the offer; "I have a bad back," "I sit
down all day at work." Politely decline -- as opposed to refuse --all food and
drink other than water.)

It is best to remember that you are never really "in charge." But you can be
extremely well informed. Options; average prices in your area; the
existance of an identical car across town, across the state, or farther. I
found the internet to be tool of great potential. But it's more a scalpel than a
cutlass. Once I really understood this I could do my homework and make my
best offer.

First, nail the price down. Do not discuss financing or trade-in until the price
is locked, and in writing. The sales person has their manager on the phone
in the next room. Even things up; take a friend with you, don't hesitate to
'take a break' and go outside for some fresh air. Park out front so it looks
like you might just drive off. (On the Internet, wait a day to respond, get
more info, work the numbers. Here is where using the Internet is really
powerful.)

After you buy, there will always be nagging doubts; Could I have done
better, $1000 less, a free cargo net?

Forget it. Drive the car, enjoy the car. In a small way, it really is the first
day of a new life, or at least a new lifestyle.

 

Have you tried edmunds.com? It's a great place to start.

 

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for what's it worth, i got a 2008 touring model a couple months ago for $27,000 'out the door' cost at a dealer in Rock Hill, SC which included 'lifetime tires' for as long as i own the car....the car i got had leather added at the port in Jacksonville, FL...i read one reply to this post that stated port leather was not the same as factory leather but i don't really understand why if this is in fact true....i would think the leather added at the port is just a swap of the cloth seats with leather seats....i doubt very seriously the seats are actually taken to an uphoulstry shop to have leather skins added...i would think the port has a supply of factory leather seats and arm rest and simply makes a swap out....the results should be identical...