Hi guys. I have a question for those of you who have gotten your tC's, and those of you still waiting.

I'm up to 3 weeks now on my dealer (only one allocation though, so it's not too bad I guess). I'm waiting for a Flint Mica automatic.

My question is, did you guys put a deposit and/or ask just one dealership to get you your car, or did you get set up with multiple dealerships to hedge your bets?

The only reason I'm asking is because I'm not sure what exactly my dealer is doing. I know he could request to get the one I want (not that it's guaranteed), or try dealer swaps.. but it almost sounds like he's just sitting there waiting for it to appear on his allocation list. Who knows how long that'd take.

There are many Toyota dealerships around me, so I'm wondering if I should go and get a reserve on one at another place as well.

 

first off, i wouldnt even work with a dealer that makes you put a deposit.

secondly, the waiting list in my area is 4 weeks, so you could still be right on schedule.

third, call and ask to make sure he has made a request.

 

Well, honestly I feel more secure having the deposit down. The check isn't cashed, he's hanging onto it until I get the car. But to me at least it feels like they know I want it, and they are actually going to get it. If I went somewhere where they just told me they'd call me when they got it (especially after how bad an experience I had at another Toyota dealership just trying to do loan work) I'd feel like I might never get the car.

I've called so many times to bother him.. I know it's his job, I just feel bad if I call him, AGAIN. Before the dealership started taking deposits he was doing all kinds of crazy VIN # swapping until he got the tC's his customers wanted. At least that's what the deal was going to be when I tried to do this in the beginning of July (money problems at the time stopped me). The last time I called he rambled off everything he had for me like it was sitting right in front of him (what I wanted, the deposit and when he put a date on it for, the cell # I gave him after the fact to call me, etc0.. so he seems on the ball..

I just.. well, worry I guess.. his last comment was "we got an allocation [last Monday] but yours wasn't on it. We'll get you your Flint Mica, it will just be a little while"

 

I had a depsoit down for about a week and a half. Then when the allocations came in I started calling around to see if any dealerships had any. If you find a flint Mica somewhere else then get it. Go back to your original dealership and get back your deposit. Calling up other dealers is your best choice. you never know you might get lucky.

 

Explicit; yea I took a shot at that this past time. I could've gotten a white automatic.. but for the money I'm spending.. I'd like to get the color I want, ya know?

 

The dealerships have little to no control over their allocation of cars. If Scion says you get 10 tC's this month, 7 of which are auto's, 2 of which are blue, etc etc that's what they get.

Now once they get the allocation they start wheeling&dealing, i.e. talking to other dealerships. If you have an order in for a Flint Mica and I have an order in for an Indigo Blue (same tranny's), and each of them has what the other guy wants, they trade the cars to each other as a straight dealer trade and each of their customers (you and me) get what we want.

There are situations that talking to multiple dealers could get you the car you want faster, but you are competing against other buyers, the dealerships aren't competing against each other for you (especially since these cars are no-haggle-pricing). For example: if I order exactly the same car as you from Dealer X, you order it from Dealer Y, and Dealer X gets the car in their allocation, Dealer X isn't going to trade it to your dealership so you can get your car: they are going to give it to me. So putting your name on multiple dealer lists wanting the same car pretty much only improves your chances when you get in line in front of somebody who wants the same car as you, at the same dealership as you.

 

Jglonek thats true. Might as well pay for the color you want. Its was funny to hear the reaction of the dealerships when I called. Even though the wait time is 4-6 weeks, some places were looking for any tC's they could find for me. Some even lying saying they could get any color I want and it would be there in max 4 days. In the end I got lucky.

 

I called around to all dealers in a 90 mile radius to find what I wanted. My local dealers were of no use at all. They didn't seem the least bit interested in selling a tC. I ended up driving an hour and a half to get my Flint Mica 5 speed.


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two months and still waiting...

 

I put down my deposit on the 15th, and got a call yesterday saying that I should have my car by mid-September. The thing is, when I put down the deposit, I wasn't totally sure on what color I wanted--my first instinct was black, but I keep reading about the fabulousness of the flint mica, which I have yet to see in person, after hitting 3 dealerships (unless it is the same as the flint mica on the small lexus suv), so I wanted to check it out. Anyway, I guess they put down BSP when I put down the deposit, even though I was actually undecided and they said that I didn't need to decide yet, because they've got me a BSP automatic with airbags allocated to me. I guess this is a good thing, since I was completely obsessing about which color to get--I started out definite on black, then was curious (still am) about flint mica, then started thinking black cherry, then back to black--it was insane. But I guess black is it--which was my first instinct. It was a lovely black one on 18"s that got me hooked on the car to begin with, so I guess it's ok. I just wish I could have seen the flint mica first. Now I have 3 weeks to obsess about accessories and options.

 

Both my salesman, and his manager, independently told me that although they do get a certain allocation of tC's sort of at random, all dealerships are allowed to give a list of a few most preferred cars. Which means if its on the boat they get first dibs. Since there were no auto SSM's stock with side bags in the entire SE region, I gave them one allocation to get it. Sure enough, got it off that next boat. I had to wait 3 weeks, (two weeks for allocation, one week for transport) but it only had 4 miles on it.

They assured me that if it was on the boat they would have it for me, so I trusted them and it worked out well. If they came back and told me I'd have to wait any more to find out than the 2 weeks til that allocation, I would have taken my business elsewhere and probably sent multiple dealers looking for it. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for you to fit me into your allocation schedule, and you shouldnt either.

 

Well I just did some calling around again and everyone is saying about four weeks to wait. I'm at 3 with my dealership so maybe, maybe they will call me next week when they get their new allocation to tell me it's on the way.

One dealership that I was interested in going to told me they had a 5 speed white one available. I said no, and he told me I could put down a THOUSDAND DOLLAR DEPOSIT and they could order one.

HA HA AH AH AHA AH AHA HA

 

Timed mine just right. I ordered it 2 days before allocation. My salesperson confirmed I got one out of allocation shipment. Should be here in 3 to 4 weeks. I know they are trying hard for me because I ordered a lot of after market options. They have a deal set up with one of the top modding shops in my area. $$$ in options will get you the car. I will never pay dealer mark up for a hot car though.

 

I have over $2,000 in options ready to go.. not that they know that, because he wanted to wait until he had the VIN# for my car for me to go in and fill out more paperwork including the options..