How many of you had this happen to them?

I went to a Scion dealership here in my hometown city during the afternoon. I stood by a xB for 10 minutes straight looking very nice, in pouring rain, while holding their checkbook and important papers. I waited there looking around for a salesperson to approch me...no one came. I walked away muttering out loud "Well looks like they don't want money...I'll take my business somewhere else"

Then I went to local Carmax...They were happy to greet, deal, sell the car as its self, and my car salesperson always stops me to chat with me for few minutes while I'm putting in a order for accessries. Last Wednesday, we talked for good 20 minutes. I think they want to have small business client status..meaning client-business friendship so you keep buying from them.

So ever since this shopping experience, I'll never ever buy a car from the dealership from first dealership. And I also talk highly about Carmax now too. I remember within couple weeks I got my car....I went back to the first one on a Sunday just to see price difference. I could of sold a Scion to a late teenager and father...I didn't want that dealership to make money while taking Carmax's business. LOL

 

Can't say that my experience was quite like that, but I got my xA a few weeks ago, and if you had actually got somebody to talk to you, it may have been like my experience: https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=119163
I don't think that the salesmen feel motivated to sell because of the low profit for them, in my opinion.

 

both dealerships that i went to (including the one that lied to me about how driver's way and carmax operated) had people come out to me as soon as i pulled up. one of them, the scion place was just in the toyota place, the other one (the one i went with) the scion place was a separate place than the rest of the autos.

i had taken my trade-in to driver's way a week before i ordered my car...at first the dealer said they'd give me "probably around $3000" for my car, then i took it to DW and got quoted $2500 flat out buy (they would give $3200 for trade-in on their lot). so at the place that i eventually gave my business, they originally said they'd give me $2000 but i said i'd not take it unless they would give me at least $2500. they said ok and i got $2500 for my crap car.

i got the iPod connected stereo and they had no problem with it "being on national backorder".

 

Might be true for some, but not all. I enjoy working with Scions, even though they don't pay very well. There is more to life than money, and I am a big fan of Scion.

I have also found that Scion customers tend to be more polite, and far more interesting...though this is just personal opinion. ;)

Out of interest, XPRESSSCION, whereabouts was the dealership you walked away from?

Sometimes, being in car sales is a two edged sword. If we talk to someone as soon as they arrive, we're being pushy. If we don't, we don't care. Sometimes, we're so busy that every sales rep is already with a customer...you just never know.

On the other hand, it could be that someone was ignoring you, yes.

 

I have to say I just bought my Scion from the Elgin Scion in Illinois and although I agree some of them do that... we have a great experience there. We actually went to three dealerships that are closer to us and couldn't even find a scion to test drive and a toytoa scion dealership!!! I really think this was a result of a bad dealership.

 

Scion vehicles are pretty hard to come by. Even the biggest dealerships don't get a whole lot of them, so not finding a single xA at some of the dealerships near you isn't all that unlikely. The bigger the dealership is, the more likely it is to have a Scion or two lying around.

Toyota/Scion dealers can't just call Toyota and say "We'll take 5 xAs please". Toyota doesn't work that way; the Toyota production system operates using an allocation system. In a nutshell, dealers get allocated new cars based on how many they sell a month, and have no control over what they will or will not get in. Dealerships with no xAs are 100% unable to get more in unless Toyota allocates them one (or unless they dealer trade for one in case of an order.)

 

That would be Frank Gentile in Racine, WI. They also sell Subaru and of course Toyota.

Then of course, when I went to pick up my front end mask at carmax...I had to walk by Toyota showroom and I went to Scion area since I saw red xB for sale. I was wondering how much they were asking for it. There were three salespeople standing around...no one bugged me. Probably helped the fact I was carrying the colorful Scion xA Front End mask box.

 

We went to the Toyota dealership in Pauly Toytoa in Crystal Lake, St. Charles & Dekalb.

 

I've had great luck with Wilde Toyota in West Allis, WI. They are always quick to greet and usually very helpful.

However, everyt time I go into Don Jacobs in Milwaukee, no one ever approaches me. I was looking to see if they had a Yaris, and no one ever approached me. I grabbed the lates Scion sampler CD and made my way out. A sales guy was standing around on the sidewalk, and I finally just went up to him and asked about the Yaris.

Although, servicee varies from dealer to dealer and day to day.

 

Ha, that is where I work!

I'm glad you have had a good experience at Wilde. Hopefully I'll be joining the ranks of the Scion faithful myself, soon!

 

My salesman never acted like they were selling a low-profit car. They acted as if I were buying a Hummer.
I've brought it in to the dealer for oil changes and salesman and his manager have sat down and "talked car" with me while I waited.

I've always felt like I belong to an elite club when there.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

Dealer name: Suburban Toyota

 

I live in Bakersfield, CA where we have Bill Wright Scion. I went there once and waited around for about 10 minutes looking at the xA's. Then I finally went to go find someone, and found tons of Toyota salesmen who said that the sales guys for the scions "were doing something important" and that I should come back in an hour.


ooo-key-doo-key.


So I left and called the next closest dealership about an hour and a half away; Frontier Scion in Valencia. I talked to one of their sales guys, who said they had exactly what I wanted there and would hold it until I came to pick it up the next day, with no credit card down or anything. Just on word alone.


Went there the next day and drove home a happy man. I still go to Bill Wright Scion here for service, which is probably why my car keeps messing up.


Certain dealers just seem to care more than others. And it shows.

 

Hello,
I just got signed up here. Nice site!

I just bought a 2006 Scion Xa march 10th from a dealer in Erie Pa. The salesman was great...helpful and not pushy at all in fact I went there last fall to look them over and decided to wait till spring to buy. I told him when I came back this spring that I would ask for him and he was just fine with that and didn't call me once.
My new car had a little over 400 miles on it and he told me it couldn't be helped because it had to be driven from the Point of Entry.
I'm still sceptical of that but the car is great --SO FAR.

One thing that bugs me is that the back door on the passenger side will not open from the inside. Even with the driver's lock not activated.

 

Check the child-lock on that back door. Flip it and you should find the door operable.

 

I got one for you....Went to dealer with a blank check from a national bank and the dealership gave me the run around about processing fees for such a check. All they wanted to do was....for me to not use the check and go with their Financning with Toyota. Needless to say I didn't use that dealership.