Negotiated a deal over the phone for a silver package 6 for $500 under invoice. Salesman was nice and picked me up from my home and took me to dealership. Get there and the car is GONE! His manager sold it while we were gone! He even told everyone there he was getting me and put a SOLD sign on the car. I am guessing the manager got over MSRP and sold it. The salesman did everything he could to "right" the situation. He drove to another dealer and swapped cars for the silver while I filled out paperwork. It took an extra hour. My question is, should I write a nasty letter to the dealership or give low marks to JD Powers? Of course I will give praise to the salesman, but the manager??
My suggestion would be to acknowledge everything the salesman did for you and even suggest to the dealership that should the salesman ever leave their employment that you would follow HIM and buy from him before you would return to the dealership due to the actions of the manager. Second, I would give medium marks to the JD Powers and name both the salesman AND the manager. Explain the situation in whole and give the salesman his due. Give the manager a kick in the pants. Just my thoughts.
Back in May I went rushing to two different dealerships trying to get a test drive in. The cars were gone when we got there in both cases. Your salesman had less power than the manager and he was hungry for the sale (why else take less than MSRP). I rate the salesman OK. The dealership with the manager is iffy in my view.
The manager probably did get higher. But what is important tot he manager is, he got the money, while the salesperson didn't have paperwork signed, no deposit, no moneys at all. Bad practice by manager? Oh yes. But with what we've all experienced in the Prius market of late, not nearly as bad an experience as some have had. Count your blessings! Then sock the manager and dealership.
I'm more than skeptical that you bought a Prius for $500 under INVOICE. You did mean invoice and not MSRP, right? What dealer was this? What was is your salesman's number because I'd be calling him first thing tomorrow morning. What was your out the door price on your #6?????
If even a credit card # was given as a deposit to hold the car then I would say the manager is at fault. If two people are selling from the same inventory then whoever has the keys makes the sale. I believe your salesman acted honorably and went out of his way to satisfy you. In 2006 I went to a dealer for a test drive. An older couple had the car out. My salesman then got the key and we went out. While we were talking (I wasn't going to buy that day anyway) the other salesman picked up the key because he sold the car to them. No dealer is going to sell a Prius for $500 under invoice when there are people standing in line waiting to pay MSRP. I suppose you could get a van or truck for invoice. It seems the membership at large needs to read www.carbuyingtips.com.
Here's a way to get even with the sales manager.... Have your Prius serviced by a different Toyota dealer in town, if you can. I would take my service business elsewhere for the way you were treated!
Dealers and managers with good ethics that sounds like an oxymoron. When I go to dealers, I see large sales floors and well decorated. Where does all that money come from? I got a feeling from us buyers. I don't really think they are looking out for our interest.
LOL it wasn't Roseville Toyota was it? We had a kickass salesman but his "big boss" manager was an asstard of the highest order. He was so bad we reported him to Toyota corporate.
