Are Dealerships playing customers?

If you don’t like the price, don’t buy the product.

 

Amen. Or, fly over to China, buy one of their reliable 4x4’s, and have it shipped back to the states…I’m sure they’d almost completely subsidize the freight for you.

 

Koons Arlington Toyota in Virginia just outside DC. Was truck shopping for the past 3 years and it was the first time I had been there since it’s a small dealer right in town. 44k OTD! They have none left, like the salesman said the stars aligned for me right time right day. The other Toyota dealers didn’t believe it until I sent them a pic of the offer. The salesman was AWESOME! He knows trucks! We talked about off roading, motorbikes, camping, etc! It was the best buying process I’ve ever had zero haggling after I told them this is the price I’ll do today and I showed up and signed paperwork within the hour.

Ilya Kotelnikov
Product specialist
Koons Arlington Toyota
4045 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA. 22207
703.522.6000 ext. 1254
Cell: 571.234.0981
ilya.k@koonsauto.com
https://www.koonstoyotaarlington.com

 

They are only playing the customers that want to get played. And by the looks of it, there are lots of them out there.

 

My brother -in-law works at a Toyota dealer in PA they sell at MSRP no matter what. But they will not sell to out of state clients right now due to demand. He has 2 22 tundras on the lot right now. Honestly though I bought my 18 TRD off-road crewman new for 44,XXX OTD and wouldn't spend the money these new ones are asking. They look and sound great but for the money they are asking there are better options in my opinion

 

All in one’s perspective..in 2018 I would have said (and actually did in 2019) lots of better options than for the behind the times truck curve Tundra…

 

Are dealers playing the customer? Does a bear poop in the woods? They didn't earn the nickname 'stealership' by NOT playing customers. It's well known they all do it to some degree. Some are just more greedy than others. Caveat emptor.

 

lol, me too man, exactly. the older I get the more that rings true as well.

 

The current scenario we see playing out all over is indeed interesting. I have purchased 3 Tundras, the last two new ones. 2016 and 2018, generally driving them about 36 months and 70k miles, and have received what I consider to be decent deals on each as far as trade in and paying well under MSRP. In normal times, I would have been looking at my next new one about 12 months ago, obviously not a good time to look.

Now, as I chat with potential sales people at dealers within a few hundred miles of my place, I sort of screen the ones that say "market adjustment" by asking what they intend to do "when", not "if" the market returns to a place where the dealers are looking for customers to buy.. It is surprising how quickly they drop the adjustment amount, yes. So far, none have been interested in less than MSRP. The good thing is, I am currently a Tundra owner, with a great truck. I don't "need" to buy.

At some point, they are going to "want" to sell trucks, then they will get to the point where they "need" to sell.. That's when we get to remind them again about what we are being currently seeing. Markets work every time.. Once there are no buyers at the prices the dealers are demanding, they need to adjust. I simply don't see the inverse being true, where we as a consumer have to just get used to paying inflated prices. They build million mile trucks... We that currently drive them can wait..

 

How does this crap keep coming up as thread worthy?
It’s a free market.
Dealers can charge what they want.

 

Local dealer has this one. I didn't get a picture if the truck but it's on sale as an end of year sale. Something like $46,800.

 

Get your deposit back, move on.

 

I hope she posted a review(s) on Dolan and called out the sales rep by name.

 

I’m sure others have already said this but no one has a gun to your head making you buy. If you don’t want to pay $10k over then simply don’t. But as long as people continue to do so the dealers will capitalize on (in my opinion) careless buyers. It’s not the dealers to blame it is the buyers. If a dealer is used to selling 10 vehicles in a week and business model supports that revenue and they can only get enough vehicles to sell 2 in a week…can’t keep lights on with with only 20% the revenue. I know it’s not that simple and lots of other variables. But if I only have so many vehicles to sell I gotta make the most of can out of the stupid buyers who will still buy because they can finance for
8-10 years and all they care about is the monthly payment not the final cost!

 

Even King James not that dumb.

 

Just happened to stumble upon this article. Very interesting and seemingly unbiased information about the pricing and supply situation in general. While not 3rd Gen specific, it certainty applies.

https://apnews.coming/article/business-lifestyle-prices-2c8831b6f2d6c3228e4ad88f55c73a0c

 

I don't think the dealerships are playing anyone or price gouging. One does not NEED a new truck. At least around here there are plenty of used Tundra's on the lot. Closest dealer to me has over 30 in all the trim levels including TRD Pro and 1794. Given that number, I have no doubt one would be buying those right at book value or maybe better if you have any negotiating skills at all. I traded in my 2021 TRD Sport with 4041 miles to the local Honda dealer on 22 November. They priced it at $49,800. Last week I was in there for an oil changed. I walked the lot and it was still for sale. I opened the door and the odometer read 4046 miles, which tells me at most it has been test driven twice, but probably only once. And just for grins I looked today on their website and they are already down to $45,800 which is over $1k below sticker. Been sitting there 6 weeks to the day. Salesperson told me last week that when they took my truck in on trade, it was the only domestic full size used they had. Now they have 8-9 (including 5 Tundras) and have not sold a one since they took mine on trade.

 

I live in Des Moines, IA. I have first allocation on a Pro at MSRP and a Raptor at MSRP. The Raptor took some dealer shopping, most 5-10k over MSRP.

 

Dealers aren't screwing anyone. If you don't like their offerings, don't buy it, move on. Taking advantage of a buyer who is willing to spend way more on a new truck than they should, yeah, that's what's going on. So what. No one is forcing anyone to buy a brand new $50k+ truck. You are forced to buy groceries, gas, electric, medical care, you know, necessities, but not luxury items like brand new trucks.

Most people who are buying a new truck, especially the first year of a new gen, want the latest and greatest, so it's going to cost. As said many times here and other posts, these are weird times with supply and demand. If you don't have to have a new truck, sit back and just wait it out. If you are paying $10-15K over MSRP for a new truck that already has an MSRP of close to $50k, then you are doing better than most. Either stop complaining about the cost or move on to another dealer. Oh yeah, happy new year.

 

Exactly, market forces at work! When supply exceeds demand, prices will come down… now the question is how long will it take?

 

by the time supply shifts to meet demand better, will the price come down? Or will the trillions of dollars we printed out of thin air keep that price exactly where it is now.

The 2020 stimulus money wrecked car prices as much as the chip shortage, maybe more.

 

I don’t understand the hype. I found a couple dealers that are MSRP but after physically seeing the new Tundra and driving it. I’m more pissed Toyota made the truck smaller interior wise (the dash brow is annoying). It also felt more car like. Lastly, I’m not a huge fan of how it looks either.

 

Different strokes for different folks! Thank God

 

What’s funny is that a LOT of people talked about the tundra being dated. The dash cluster couldn’t be more dated if they tried.

 

Bottom line is anyone buying a new tundra right now is getting played. They are over priced for demand

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/busines...ed-car-would-be-buyers-are-aghast?context=amp

Good article about the car market as a whole and the role of inflation.

 

That can pretty much be said for any new car right now.

 

Exactly! Especially around any heavily populated major city. The dealers know some sucker can't wait for inventory/prices to adjust and will pay a premium for having it now.

 

This.

 

So, for those complaining about prices; if you bought a 2022 Tundra then someone offered you $10k more, hell $20k, than what you paid, would you? I know I would. Capitalism and free market at work. I was lucky to get an Xbox Series X and PS5 during launch. I knew the demand was high so I sold both at DOUBLE retail price. I could've gotten more, but I wanted to unload them fast. I got another Series X for myself a couple months later basically free since I profited from the previous 2 console sales. Love it or hate it, it's business. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.