A Friday Rant: I want to buy, I just can't

I admit it. I'm an old guy. I'm used to the way things were. The good old days.
You know, where you walked into a dealership and the MSRP on the sticker from the manufacturer was the starting point for negotiations. If you paid full price, you were a sucker.

I know things are different, that there's little to no negotiating anymore and what you pay is what you pay. But I just refuse to pay MORE than what's listed on the sticker.
I've now ditched my third deal in trying to buy a TRD Pro. Each and every time because some slimy _insert-descriptor-here_ has decided to upcharge me right at the end.

Dealers, why do I have to give you $10-15K more for a vehicle I know to be overpriced just for the honor of purchasing one? And I'm really really sick of having one price advertised only to see another once we get ready to sign things.
Toyota, why are you allowing this? Is it the Popeyes Chicken Sandwhich thing? You somehow think scarcity is gonna to lead to greater profits? Here's a hint: Popeye's is now 20th in fast food. Behind Panda Express for God's sake.

There is a reason people consistently rank car dealers with congress and lawyers in lists of folks they'd just as soon load in a bus and push off a cliff <for any monitoring overlords, this is a humorous hyperbole, designed as a jest to express disgust...>.

Again, I like the Tundra. Heck, I'd say at this point I'm in lust with it. I just can't seem to find one to buy from someone who'd just let me buy it. It's insanity. I have money I want to give someone for a product and I can't do it.
Frankly if this doesn't change I'm gonna have to start looking at other trucks. I don't want to - I like the looks, features, and history of the Tundra - but if I can get a reasonably appointed truck at far, far less than what these thieves and crooks are charging then I'm gonna have to go there.

</rant>

 

Sorry to hear OP. It all seems a little F'd and a shame

 

We just bought a Chevy out of state. The experience wasn't enjoyable but we paid sticker. Look elsewhere and have it delivered, or make a trip to bring it home. Believe there are threads listing states which sell at MSRP.

 

MSRP TRD PRO here in Arkansas on the dealer lot.

 

Curious as to hear more details of the 3 that fell through. Did they try to slide in a market adjustment at the last minute? Tell you the truck came with some "packages" that were not removable and you had to purchase? You talk like you got near the very end and then they hit you with surprise.

I think they are jacking interest rates on people like mad, I know for sure they are encouraging 84month or longer loans now. Insanity.

What did they tell you/do?

I also still believe the longer you wait right now the better the deal. Inventory is back up at major dealers, they are just holding out on admitting the supply and demand problem is gone. The longer they have people thinking this is still the status of the current market the longer then can upsell them.

 

Have you tried this method?

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-want-to-buy-a-tundra.10671/

 

For the dealer who advertised one price, then tried to increase it when you showed up: If it was the same truck, then that is Bait and Switch, which is illegal in all states. And there are more and more dealers out there who will sell at MSRP, though I haven't heard of any dropping below MSRP yet. If you can afford to be patient, your patience will be rewarded.

 

Some models are on GC hold waiting for software update. Once that gets applied there's going to be many tundras getting delivered out there.

 

What state do you live in?

 

Idk, seen a few crank/rod bearing failures on these lately. Not to mention some other concerns. I think you should take a few days and research a bit more before you make any decisions. Lots of things to consider!

 

That's why I waited and bought used. Let someone else make the bad deal and get the good deal.

 

This is the point where being enrolled in those car buying services that avoid haggling pays off. I can easily look up what I want in a vehicle and find my closest dealer willing to sell below MSRP.

 

Yep. That's putting it kindly.
One would think that the dealer gouging would make the non-purchase decision very easy, especially with all the sh!t still going on with these things.

 

Interesting. Like the OP I am old school and I had never paid close to MSRP before. This time was different, but in the end I paid MSRP, not over. But it still rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed to me that they quickly came down from their listed ADM and like the days of asking for that are numbered or maybe even over. I dunno. But mine was not a Pro so maybe the demand factor for those is higher.

 

I could be wrong, but seems that IIRC things are different going through Costco.

 

If you are anywhere near NH, try Grappone Toyota in Bow, they are a no bullshit dealership. I paid sticker for a CRV I just bought a couple months back, and they state they do not charge over MSRP on any vehicle.... Good luck OP.

 

I totally agree with the distastefulness of paying anything over MSRP. Hell, I feel bad even paying MSRP, but times change. FWIW, I ended up paying $1000 less than MSRP for my Tundra by going through Costco. Originally the dealer wanted $3k over MSRP because it was a "desirable allocation" (Limited CM TRD OR 6.5 bed in Lunar Rock). I would imagine this would work for a TRD Pro, but not positive. Good luck!

 

Be patient. Things will change in a year or so.
I look forward to the day car sales people no longer exist. I hate the process and the snakes.
I have a 2018 Limited CM. I plan to keep it until 2028 or so. Hopefully all the bugs will worked out by then!

 

Sucks to hear OP. I ordered my truck last April and waited until end of December to receive mine.

 

I hear you OP, maybe its a bit different where you are, but I payed MSRP on mine as well (platinum, not trd), felt a bit vindicated there since my trade got member than expected even after the 8 month wait for my truck
The dealership I used stuck to msrp across the board, no haggling, and agreed that this silly covid burp was going to go away and in their mind they'd make out better in the long term with customer retention by not pulling the bs with adm, and making future sales instead

 

This is my life - researching facts to bolster my arguments. Thanksgiving is a blast at our place...

 

There’s a Facebook group called No Markup Toyota. Dealers in there constantly at msrp, just put want you want in there and I’m sure they will reach out

 

Stop ranting and get out there and start negotiating!

Hurry before tax refund season begins. Ya should have started at the end of December. Got myself a killer deal.

Dealers are weird here tho. Some have 5 and some have like 50 on the lot

 

I had to look around, 250 mile radius but found one 120 miles from me, sticker but we did get slightly below that for a number of reasons. So they are out there but I do think days of under MSRP are a long way off. Manufacturing and chips shortages are real, we see it everyday in the tech industry. Transformer costs for utilities have gone up over 100% in a year, they wont come back down. SO get the best deal you can and dont sweat it. I dont think you’ll see a change in this for 3-5 years.

 

In each and every case, they took advantage of the language in the actualnorder form. It allows for price changes for 'dealer incurred costs and additions to the build.'
See, Nitrogen filled tires are IMPORTANT. Dealer installed 'cleaning packages' (I kid you not) are essential...

 

Given everything I can research, unless a miracle occurs we're gonna have a glut of new trucks later this year. Hopefully Toyota is one of them.

 

what are you finding in your research that says we will have glut of new trucks later this year? And what miracle are you expecting to not have this happen??

if anything ppl default on loans since economy faces a recession (i live in bay area and all the tech giants of silicon valley have laid off ppl left and right) which may or may help the used car market - dealers will buy them all up, sell them for a premium and move on - new cars are still facing shortages.....

Have you seen Toyotas chip shortage is even effecting the little circuit boards that are built for remote key fobs....

This is plaguing all mfg, I was going to order a f150 powerboost back in 21 and 22 but again they delayed their builds in 21 and in 22 all of a sudden they had shortage on the 360 camera package.

Everything I see is this chip shortage has not played itself out completely, and since the pandemic nobody has inventory - mfg and dealers are realizing nobody wants to pay for 1+ acres and have million dollar+ of inventory sitting on their lots. Having buyers lined up for vehicles being shipped and enroute is even better, they might as well start practicing Tesla business model, dont run any commercials and just have customers line up to place order and take delivery 6+ months out (which is literally wtf Toyota is practicing right meow)

 

Can you give details of how you used Costco? I've searched multiple zip codes for a tundra (I'm willing to travel to get one) and they all just return "we have no dealers with negotiated prices for this vehicle".