Tansky Sawmill Toyota (Columbus Ohio) was terrible...

I've been lurking here for about two months, reading up on the Prius, trying to decide if I wanted one. A short while ago, my Fiance and I decided that we were going to go ahead and get one. The short version of what follows is that Tansky Sawmill Toyota in Columbus, Ohio, decided to renege on the deal and claims that the paperwork documenting our initial deal is "lost." After agreeing to a lease of $330 a month for 36 months, they asked for a deposit, and told us to wait a few weeks for delivery. Three weeks later, we arrived at the dealership to pick up our car... only to be told that they were not going to honor the initial deal. Instead, they raised the monthy rate by $130 a month to $470 a month. This is a cautionary tail... always get copies of the paperwork and more importantly, never deal with Tansky Sawmill Toyota.

About three weeks ago (just prior to the new year) my fiance and I had worked with a Sales Rep at Tansky Sawmill Toyota to lease a Toyota Prius. After researching on the web, meeting with dealers, and talking with the Sales Rep, we decided to go with Tansky because of the extremely positive experience we had with the Sales Rep. He, my fiance and I, and the Sales Floor Manager agreed on a lease of $330.00 a month for 36 months with $0 down for a Prius with package number 5. The Rep had me initial a worksheet that, in handwriting, read "36mos@330," and we put a $500 deposit down in order to have the car brought to the location.
This past Friday (1/18), I got a phone call from a different Sales Rep saying that our previous Sales Rep was in a bad car accident, had broken both his legs, was in surgery, and would not be returning to work anytime soon. He said that since he was in charge of dealer trades, he was already partly involved with our order, and I was to work with him. He said that he was driving to another dealership that night to pick up our car, which would be ready the next day.

We arrived at Tansky Sawmill Saturday a little after noon, and were excited to see the Prius we ordered sitting on the lot. After waiting for nearly an hour, we were told that Tansky was refusing to honor the previously negotiated deal, because it couldn't possibly be real. Andy all but accused us of making up the offer, yet was unable to offer any paperwork to confirm or deny our claim that 36mos@$330 with $0 down was the agreed upon lease. Instead, the Sales floor manager (the very same one who agreed with us and our initial Sales Rep on the initial rate three weeks prior) said that the best she would do was $470 a month for 36 months with $0 down. She claimed that the first Sales Repmust have forgotten to price the package option, quoting us only a base (though later she countered this claim by stating that even a base model Prius couldn't be leased for $330 a month for 36 months with $0 down.

In the end, my fiance and I walked out disappointed and frustrated. Based on my experiences, I strongly suggest you avoid Tansky Sawmill Toyota. I hope this helps others avoid the heartache/headache that my fiance and I went through.

UPDATE!!

I emailed everyone and their brother at the dealership and related my experience. I was contacted by the GM, who apologized for everything that had happened. He said that the $330 price should (obviously) never have been discussed. While he couldn't afford to take the loss on the car by leasing it at that price, he offered to lease it at cost. The difference in monthly was enough to get me back in the door. He threw in a few free oil changes, and after what seemed like an eternity, we were driving off the lot in our new Prius. The exact color and package we wanted (Magnetic Grey #5). In the end, they made things right. I doubt I'd recommend them to anyone, the GM seemed to want to try and make thing right, and that counts for a lot.

Anyway, thanks all for your input. I greatly appreciate it!

 

We did get our 500 bucks back... they didn't dispute that at least. And thanks for the tip on Germain Toyota being reputable... we're certain that we want a Prius, and are planning some to start the process all over again this weekend. Hopefully with better results. =]