get a VIN number ?

beckaloulou,

First off, I bought my Prius in Dec '07 over the Internet, just before the
current madness set in. The dealer I was working with was in Newport, RI,
some 400+ miles from my home in Ballamer, MD.

I found my car through an Internet search, and the dealer listed the VIN. My
very first e-mail to the dealer included the VIN. They promptly confirmed
that the car was on their lot, and sent back a complete listing of all the
features on the car, essentially the data on the widow sticker. Thus, from
the very first contact, I knew exactly what car and what equiptment,
standard and optional I was getting. Then we could get down to playing
hardball on the price. I included the VIN in every subsequent email, fax,
whatever -- including the $1k down payment cashier's check.

I simply can't believe that you can have some $27-30K+ in the balance, and not
know what you're going to be getting -- I had to "buy off" on a stupid First
Aid Kit as part of a "convenience package." It's still in the car, it's got some
band-aids and other basic stuff, woo-hoo! Point is, I knew it was included.

Of course, YMMV. It's a wholly different bargaining environment out there
right now. But hell, it's your $$$. I see nothing wrong with asking for,
demanding if necessary, and walking away if you don't get a VIN. Otherwise,
it's kind of like a "mail-order bride," a real gamble, odds not in your favor.

My $0.02 US, currently much devalued against the yen.

 

I know I can't get a VIN until they actually find and allocate my car to them (that dealership). Once they find the car and actually get it allocated to them, they will phone me. At that point, I can have the VIN, not before.

My dealership says they get cars allocated to them twice per month, on the 1st and 16th, so I could get a phone call on the 3rd or 18th of the month.

Basically, I've ordered a car which may not even have been made yet. But what I hope is that it HAS been made, has not been allocated, and is on some ship on its way to one of the 2 US ports (Cal. and . . . I think Maryland? or New Jersey?) For unallocated cars, you have to wait until the ship docks and the port people get the list of what is on board. They put that up (somewhere) and the dealers start scrambling to fill orders.

Different dealers gets first pick based on their volume. So a dealer with a larger volume gets to select off the ship first.

Hope this helps!

 

If your dealer gives you a VIN, it's your car -- they've committed that car to you. Once you have the VIN, you can arrange for financing (actually, you can arrange it beforehand, but the paperwork can't be completed with lender until they have the VIN). I'd suggest that when (or "if"; I know you're concerned the deal may fall through) you get with your lender immediately and do the paperwork. Our credit union even sent us a check made out to the dealer, which I handed to them when I picked up the car and wrote a check for the difference. Consider the VIN your fob, which will access the whole deal for you and protect your car.

 

Re:Vin means nothing

I ORDERED my black #2 the 4th of June. The dealer says it will be in the 12th of September. They gave me a VIN. When I asked if the vehicle was
already built, as it had a VIN, they said no. The VIN they gave me just tells Toyota what color and package I am ordering. I ran the VIN and it did pull up a Toyota Prius, but that's all.
Go Figure.

 

I placed my order on June 10. The dealer had 2 2008 package 1 cars being unloaded in Portland that day. It is supposed to arrive Friday. Even though the car was coming off the ship that day, and allocated to them they did not have the VIN at that time. I did get it on Saturday, and got my loan paperwork finalized.
From what I have read here, every dealer seems to have a different story.

 

basically, a VIN means that a dealer has a car allocated to them with specific configurations. If the dealer gives you a VIN, they have a car that is coming to them, specifically.

 

Hey,

Which dealership did you go through, if you don't mind. Just curious.

 

I was told the configuration, color, PIOs (I added the cargo net to the list) but no VIN. My salesman said sometimes cars get swapped around between allotment and delivery. I figure I'll have a VIN within a week or so for my July delivery.

 

Oh yeah, have to agree with you on that! I do NOT like that!!!

 

We put a $1000 down on memorial day weekend, 10 days later we were given the Vin # and we went ahead and got our financing secured, on June 18th we got a call that it was at the dealers and we could pick it up. When we got the vin# we were also asked if there was any options that we wanted added on so I believe they would have been added on at the port by SET. Told salesman no thanks and he seemed a bit disapointed in that. Picked up the car on the 21st and wife is estatic with it.

 

I went to Andrew Toyota in Milwaukee. I would not go to Safro because of what I just found out about my Matrix 2 1/2 years after buying it. Now I can't sell it for what it is/should be worth.
James Flynt was my salesman, and I would recommend him if anyone is looking for a salesman to work with.
I'm still planning on mine arriving Friday. Wish me luck, although I guess anyone on a long waiting list is probably cursing me right about now.
Jeff