Prius Team: provide process, once order has been submited

It was not meant to be mean at all. I almost wish there was a big, sarcastic smiley face emote. I guess works.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough on how it works. You definitely use up one of your allocations, I agree, but that isn't the full story on out of region builds though. Lets use a real example. 2009 4runner SR5. Wants the value package with the third row seating. Chicago region doesn't build it. I have to trade a vehicle (one of my allocated cars) with a region that does build it. NY region for example. The NY region has to agree to give it up AND accept one of the cars scheduled for my region. If the NY region doesn't do that, then I have to wait another month. It is basically a regional trade rather than a dealer trade. Anytime I have had a "strange" build, it has taken me at least 5-6 months to get the order filled.

So I think we are saying close to the same thing.

As I mentioned in my post, I knew it was going to sound mean, but I, in no way, meant it as such.

Thanks Midpack. I guess sense of humor doesn't come through very well on typed words, huh?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was my understanding Jabber cannot see GST or SET regional allocations, presumably because of the unique status of GST and SET, so he really doesn't know what they have or don't have in the way of information and cars. I took Jabber to be suggesting that XMAN should go talk to some other dealers. That would be the right answer in some regions, but I'm pretty sure XMAN would find that most of the GST dealers are in the dark right now.

I've posted in another thread the following info a GST rep shared last week:

"We do have other Prius on the ground at the VPC and have waited till we received 154 units to be able to distribute 1 per dealer all at once! We like all the Dealers to get the 1 per so everyone can enjoy in the excitement! It looks like some of the other regions may have released before they received the 1 per!"

"Since the allocation has not released yet, none of the other vehicles have started processing yet. The dealers will probably start receiving their units next week. The Build Your Toyota website probably won't be available until next week. They can't upload the tools until our dealers have been allocated the vehicles. The first vessels just started arriving ports around May 7th. Our first railcar of vehicles railed to the VPC on Friday, May 8th and arrived at the VPC on Friday, May 15th. The VPC and Accessory Business Development teams have been working on validating the LIO equipment before the allocation releases today. The other regions may have allocated the vehicles a little sooner than us, but they could not have wholesaled any units before last week."

That tells me (1) GST is getting its cars much slower than some other regions, and (2) the Texas dealers really have nothing in their computer systems yet (at least not as of the end of last week). All they know for sure is that they are supposed to get their 1 car sometime this week or next, if they are lucky. XMAN's dealer is probably not lying when they say they don't know anything yet. I think I took delivery from the same dealer, and they were very helpful, but knew less than I did and would have loved to have some cars to sell as part of normal sales.

Until you can see inventory on the dealer's websites, or can build a 2010 Prius on the Toyota website using a GST zip code, I would be inclined to believe a GST dealer who says they don't know anything yet. GST must know what their regional allocation is for the 2010 Prius, and how fast they will be getting cars in, but they have not necessarily given that info to their dealers yet. I have the impression it is going to take a while to build up inventory in the GST region.

I think part of XMAN's frustration was directed at Toyota for not having a distribution system that was more transparent to the general public, but that isn't how the car market developed and works here, as far as I know. Nice thought though!

 

I gotta be honest here. I have a Prius on order and I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in how toyota allocates and does not accept "custom" orders. When I purchased my 2007 Mercedes E320 BlueTec, I walked into the dealership, picked out ALL of the options I wanted, and the dealer put an order into the system. 10 weeks later, my car arrived JUST as I had ordered it. I have been lurking at all of the posts with regard to this topic and I must say, I am so frustrated.

In fact, I called Toyota USA in California complaining that they are totally misleading the public with their "Build your Toyota" option on their website and that they are setting a false expectation to new and/or potential Toyota customers. I strongly suggested that they needed to pull that option from the website and the rep communicated to me that it was meant to be there as an example of what options, colors, etc. would be available on the market. To me, this is total BS!

With Toyota losing billions of dollars because of the macro economic conditions around the globe, one would think that they would get their S%&# together to deliver what customers want. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!

Scott

 

Whenever I ask a local dealer for information on the 2010 Prius, they look at me like I've just asked them for a detailed translation of all the hieroglyphics ever found in Egypt. It's frustrating, to say the least.

 

Ggood, your post was excellent. It tells me quite a lot about how the GST region works. Thank you for that.

Swich2mac, I can understand your frustration. However, the number of Mercedes vehicles built is considerably lower than the number of Toyotas. Also, when you consider the pricing of each vehicle, that might help you to understand why Toyota does it this way. If Toyota allowed each person to custom build their vehicles, they would have to charge considerably more. They would have to carry more parts on the shelves to cover every possible build. They would have to have more people to track every single build. The Camry has gone up, what $500 (?) over the last 4 model years. Look at the difference between the 10 and 09 Prius... but the price stayed pretty much the same... That is all due to the way Toyota builds their cars.

"You can have whatever color you want as long as it was Black" Henry Ford. Allowed him to build many vehicles quickly to get them to the masses at a much cheaper cost.

 

Fortunately, the Prius only comes in 10 different builds (not including interior/exterior colors), which is relatively few. These cars are really just starting to trickle in. Once inventory increases, you should be able to find the car you want.

I'm looking to buy a "plain" Package V without Nav or AT, which may be one of the least-produced builds, and I have certain colors in mind, too. Still, I don't expect any difficulty in getting exactly what I want this fall.

I know Toyota won't release this info now, but it would be interesting to know some day the percentage of total production for each of the 10 builds, and percentage based on color.

 

I just talked to Toyota of Fort Worth and they said that their 1st (and only) car is expected at port on June 3rd and at the dealer a week later. The same with Toyota of Lewisville. Forth Worth was able to tell me the exact car and price while Lewisville just knows it is receiving a white car/beige interior but no other specs/price (hopefully my car, since that is what I "ordered"). So the information still doesn't seem to be spreading at an equal pace but I guess some dealers know a bit more than others.

BTW, as of 10:30 CT this morning, Toyota of Fort Worth's 1 incoming Prius II, sandy beige metallic/beige interior was still available.

 

Step 1: Call every Toyota dealer in the nation and ask if they physically have a 2010 Prius and you want to buy it. Make downpayment/reservation over phone to guarantee it is yours and have them send you digital photos of car and VIN.

Step 2: Go to priceline/travelocity/other, buy plane ticket and fly to dealer.

Step 3: Drive Prius home, getting 51+ MPG.

Step 4: Convince your spouse it was really, really worth it.

.

 

Scott,

This is a common issue with new buyers of Toyota's. It is however the way that Toyota and Honda doe business...Especially on vehicles from Japan.

The vehicles have very few variations and options.

This keeps manufacturing and logistical costs low, the lowest in the industry.

 

We get this info every month, it's called the TVO. It's also done on a regional basis only. It's the build schedule at the facotry for that region.

The TVO will vary monthly as volume picks up and as consumer preferences become better known. The 10 variations may be rationalized down to 6 large ones, 3 medium ones and one that no one ever orders. Next year those variations will be rationalized further.

 

This Post hopefully can be answered by Jabber, DeadPhish or Diane:
When my wife and I ordered our Prius, the dealership ran the Dealer Daily and found that our region (K.C.) did not have any vehicles matching our order (1229, w/ AT). Our saleslady said she could Preference Order it and the order would go directly to the factory. At first she said we'd receive it in 6-8 weeks, then after she returned from consulting with her manager, she came back and said it was going to take longer, and she couldn't give us any time frame.
I should have suspected she was NOT 100% knowledgeable on the Prius itself, or on the ordering process, when she hadn't a clue when I told her we wanted a 1229 (which she DID know what that was), but looked blank when she was told we wanted it with AT.! We also included 8 Accessories, which I told her many would be PPO's, she had NO idea what that meant.
My question is, was she correct, can a dealer make a Preference Order, and if so (like Diane explained) does it supplement one of the dealerships allocated vehicles?
I am still a little fuzzy on a dealers ordering process, what actually can and can't be done!
David (aka Blind Guy)
P.S. Someone once asked if being handicapped was hard...I told them, "yeah, being stupid is a REAL handicap"!

 

I wish you were here, closer to me! I have package II's and III's and IV's. I feel as if I have II's coming out my ears right now, but once the cars start to land, they will sell quickly... so it's not of real concern to have a lot of II's coming. At $22,950 with mats, they will fly off the lot.

I mean, being frustrated about not having a car or a car scoped out at this point seems a little silly - it's barely been out for 10 days in certain regions, and some regions (CA) have no cars on ground till tomorrow, the 29th.
Dianne

 

Dianne

Are you saying California will see cars tomorrow ??? That would be the best news in a while!!!

 

The process of getting Toyota product never comes into question till someone can't get what they want. For all the good it's done to have things complicated, and I mean VERY complicated with a million little codes and options, Chrysler, GM - in the toilet. Ford troubled too.

Honda, Toyota - flush with cash.
You can't argue with success.
We do not always NAIL it with the car introductions and timing, and delays for things ... no one's perfect. But - I have to say, we do a fine job in either ordering and getting certain models and combinations to regions based on their own requests and prior sales ... or we are all - everyone of us, able to custom order build a car for someone to their liking.

The know how, and the willingness has to be there on your dealership and sales staff's part. And, YOU have to be OK with waiting for this to be accomplished. There are instances in which a car you want in CA isn't coming to CA, but it's a car available to another region of the country. If it's a Japan built car, I can only have that car under two circumstances:
1. It's coming to the same port as my region, ie. LA port.
2. I have enough profit in the deal to afford trucking my car to the dealership who's got yours, and then truck yours back. Now, this comes with its own set of problems, because they could and may sell that car out from under us while we are trying to transport. This happens on popular cars and they don't give a rat's nice person about doing this because we do not have an ongoing trade relationship. Deals like this are usually one-shot deals. How often do I need to trade with Whatever Toyota out in Lima Ohio and do they care about selling your car out from under you? Nope.

These are the realities.
Most stores don't want to do orders. Hey, even I don't WANT to do them but if I see no other way to get the car you need, and it's NEVER going to be built a certain way, I'll get you started with a custom order and into a 3-4 month wait. If I run a locate across the country and see no way to get you the car you want thru trade, it's order or wait till something changes in how cars are being built and shipped. Would I prefer you buy something I have coming that's close? Yes. It's easier on us both.

Right now, on cars with more buyers than cars, we all want to sell what we have FIRST and improve the travel rate to get more cars. Very few folks are willing to trade off their inventory of 2010 incoming Prius. We too are reluctant. I offered a blue IV car with a sunroof to a nice fellow last week... and by the time he dropped by with a deposit, it had been traded away (by me!!) for a red IV that originally was going to head to a dealer in Arizona. I mean, the man whose deposit came first was going to be helped first, but it sucked that a car I had been able to offer, and hoped to sell, I no longer had access to. Once you print a list of your incoming cars, and pass it to your salespeople, it really shouldn't change, it should just get smaller after deposits are taken. It makes it harder for everyone to sell the dealership's cars.

I hope this all makes sense. I am always willing, from a Yaris to the Landcruiser, do a locate or a special order - whatever it takes. If the deal itself makes sense, then getting the car makes sense. At some point, you have to drop the "freaking out" stance and let those of us who know their stuff just do the best we can for you.
Dianne

 

The target is that ALL DEALERS will receive their "1 Per Dealer" by Friday May 29th.

After the 1 per dealer is shipped, and confirmed that all dealerhips have at least 1 Prius, the port will commence with a free flow of all 2010MY Prius units to the dealers.

 

I know that I have mentioned it before, but it warrants being mentioned again as people still have questions.

A "Preference" is simply a dealer telling the region that they prefer toget a certain vehicle instead of "just send me anything". It does count against our allocation. And right now, we are only allowed one preference per allocation. We have been very fortunate in the fact that what the region has given to us has just happened to fill most of my orders. It was PURE luck. I only need one or two preferences to complete my list of sold orders. Unfortunately, they are both V's with AT, and the last time I checked, there were only going to be about 85 built in my region in the various colors. June doesn't look much better either.

For those reasons, that is why most dealers cannot give a time frame as to when it will come in. It is based on how many are coming into the region, whether or not your dealer earned one, and whether or not they still have the preference available. In addition, if 15 dealers have the exact same model/color preferenced, it falls down to how many prii you have sold over the last 6 months that determines how far down the list you are to get one. It also helps if the dealer principle takes his regional rep to lunch and how often. Ok, I kid about the last part.

 

The top part - -about preferencing, is all wrong when you use my own region as an example.

Preferencing is the only way to tell region what cars you want. You are allowed to do 400 or 4000 or 40.

A preference doesn't count against you -- it's simply a computerized way for you to tell your region what models, color combinations, and options YOU need to have.

Right now I have 23 Prius coming in 2010's. I have to look at an allocation estimate to know how many Prius my entire region has coming. And, when you sell cars fast, you earn them faster, but you don't double your allocation when you're as large as we are. A small store doubling their allocation and going from 1 or 2 cars to 2 or 4 cars is easier than me at 23 cars going to 46 cars! I have to estimate what we really have coming. If I thought we'd have another 23 cars coming, I'd ask for 30-40 anyway. But, preferencing any more than about 30 cars every two weeks is a waste of efforts.

Now, let's say that on June 2, 700 new Prius are allocated. And, let's say for the purpose of making this easier that of that 700 cars,

II - 200
III - 200
IV - 200
V - 100

OK -- I have lots of orders for the Prius, but of the 12 orders I don't have cars to match, 8 are package V cars.

If there are only 100 package V cars coming, and I need 8, with 75 dealers in region, if every single one earns at least 1 Prius and they all are as smart as I am, they will all ask for a package V first... and some will ask for Package V for their first few preferences. I know it's waste of a good preference to ask for more than 3 Package V cars, because there won't be enough past the 3rd round ... so then I need to switch to another model that's just as popular but as limited, such as a sunroof car, because asking for all 8 V package cars is insane. It's like draft picks.

I won't divulge here how I would go about getting more cars with sunroofs than anyone else, trade secrets and all, but there are ways to ensure the best allocation when you know what you're doing. If you haven't got every car you want, for heavens sake, have trade bait! And, lastly, high CSI (like we have, nearly 100%) works to get you more cars too.

Di

 

My dealer is a small dealer so they are only getting 1 car and they will be selling that one to me. They said they don't have any others on the ship. Does that mean they are selling me the one they were going to use for a demo?

 

I just want to say thanks to you and Jeff and the other sales people who have tried to answer our questions regarding why we could not just ask for the vehicle we wanted and expect to have it arrive in some reasonable time period. It appears the answer varies by dealership and by region. We put our deposit on the 2010 last June and I have resigned to waiting till I hear from the dealer. We decided on a sandy beach V with AT and it sounds like it could take a few more weeks till one is available.
Bob