Hey all, I just want to share a horror story with y'all about a dealer called City Toyota in Daly City, CA. Hopefully, after hearing this, anybody who is considering a Toyota will not even give them a second look.
Last week, one of my dad’s friends (I’ll call him “my friend” from now on for simplicity) approached us for some help in buying a Toyota Sienna. He was unsure whether he wanted a 2006 or 2007 model. At this time, I was on vacation so I was more or less unable to help, but my family took him to City Toyota and I figured they would be able to work something out. They did, agreeing on a price of $23,388 for a 06 Sienna LE7 w/ Package 1 (Silver Shadow Pearl) + $1800 for both a 7/100 warranty and alarm, 100% financed through Toyota at a rate of 0% APR as advertised. The salespersons, Cyndi and Ray, were quite friendly and helpful. Only one problem: they had no vehicle for us. No biggie, we are not in any rush so all parties agreed that the car would arrive sometime within the week and it would be picked up this weekend 1/13/07. So far so good, everybody is happy. Personally I don't know why anybody signed papers when there was no car, but you say tomahto and I say tomayto
When I got back from my vacation, I discovered that my friend had actually signed a contract that said $23,888 - $500 above the price that was agreed upon! Doing more research, I also found that the so called $500 alarm was listed at $249 on Toyota’s website, and that the $1300 warranty was available for $776 + tax = ~$800. So at this point, we are feeling mighty pissed. The warranty we did agree to those prices, so mostly the fault is ours, but being ripped off for $500 on the vehicle price was just too much. I decided to get my dad to call Cyndi without telling her who he was, and he found that she quoted him $23,318 on the exact same car, so we know that the price we originally agreed on was definitely doable and that they probably knew the car existed somewhere since they gave a quote on it.
Skip forward to today, when we all walk into the dealership together to fix the problem. At this point, we realize the warranty price was our fault and we agreed, so we let it go. Ray approached us and we talked to him about the price, again he was very professional and friendly. He went to talked to his manager, some Indian guy named Razwa(?). This punk wouldn’t even talk to us – so we approached him instead. We just said we wanted to talk, we were not demanding or mean. We were told to basically screw off, that it’s no big deal (since when did $500 become no big deal?) and to enjoy the car (what car??). By now, my friend sees that my dad and I are talking to the manager and he approaches him as well. My friend tells that manager hey look, we are all mature adults, lets sit down and work something out – I’m willing to give you a little bit more money if you meet me in the middle. It was agreed with a handshake that $23,588 was an acceptable price. Then it got ugly.
You could say my friend is a very trusting person. Razwa said, ok on my word, next week when you come in I will have a car for you and I will change the contract next week to say $23,588. My dad and I jumped in on this, saying that something should be put on paper NOW instead of later. After all, last week you cheated me out of $500, why should I believe now that you are good for your word? My friend’s wife also agreed, she wants it in writing. Razwa gets defensive saying that his word is good, etc and that how about we just cancel the contract. Ok no problem says my friend’s wife, let’s call it off – so we do and we say cancel the contract.
Razwa demands that we give him OUR copy of the contract and walk away – why should we? Where is our proof that we both agreed to void the contract? Still he insists, give me your contract and walk away. All of us catch on at the same time – we are not willing to leave without proof of a voided contract. Finally he scribbles all over it and gives us a photocopy.
We think that he was trying to do two things: 1) Agree on $23,588 to bring us back in next week, but not put it in writing just so we would waste our time and take the car at $23,888 anyway, and 2) get our contract and give us no proof of voiding it so that we would be stuck with a legal binding signature that says we would be buying a (still unseen) car at $23,888. We want to emphasize that throughout the whole thing, Ray was very friendly and helpful, always on our side, so he is not to blame here. But we would caution that you don’t sign any papers until you see a car in front of you, don’t sign anything taking for granted that the numbers are correct, and never deal directly with the manager (let the salesman do it for you). I also urge you to strongly consider San Francisco Toyota or Putnam Toyota, both of which we have had good luck with and are vastly superior to City and Melody Toyota.
Last week, one of my dad’s friends (I’ll call him “my friend” from now on for simplicity) approached us for some help in buying a Toyota Sienna. He was unsure whether he wanted a 2006 or 2007 model. At this time, I was on vacation so I was more or less unable to help, but my family took him to City Toyota and I figured they would be able to work something out. They did, agreeing on a price of $23,388 for a 06 Sienna LE7 w/ Package 1 (Silver Shadow Pearl) + $1800 for both a 7/100 warranty and alarm, 100% financed through Toyota at a rate of 0% APR as advertised. The salespersons, Cyndi and Ray, were quite friendly and helpful. Only one problem: they had no vehicle for us. No biggie, we are not in any rush so all parties agreed that the car would arrive sometime within the week and it would be picked up this weekend 1/13/07. So far so good, everybody is happy. Personally I don't know why anybody signed papers when there was no car, but you say tomahto and I say tomayto
When I got back from my vacation, I discovered that my friend had actually signed a contract that said $23,888 - $500 above the price that was agreed upon! Doing more research, I also found that the so called $500 alarm was listed at $249 on Toyota’s website, and that the $1300 warranty was available for $776 + tax = ~$800. So at this point, we are feeling mighty pissed. The warranty we did agree to those prices, so mostly the fault is ours, but being ripped off for $500 on the vehicle price was just too much. I decided to get my dad to call Cyndi without telling her who he was, and he found that she quoted him $23,318 on the exact same car, so we know that the price we originally agreed on was definitely doable and that they probably knew the car existed somewhere since they gave a quote on it.
Skip forward to today, when we all walk into the dealership together to fix the problem. At this point, we realize the warranty price was our fault and we agreed, so we let it go. Ray approached us and we talked to him about the price, again he was very professional and friendly. He went to talked to his manager, some Indian guy named Razwa(?). This punk wouldn’t even talk to us – so we approached him instead. We just said we wanted to talk, we were not demanding or mean. We were told to basically screw off, that it’s no big deal (since when did $500 become no big deal?) and to enjoy the car (what car??). By now, my friend sees that my dad and I are talking to the manager and he approaches him as well. My friend tells that manager hey look, we are all mature adults, lets sit down and work something out – I’m willing to give you a little bit more money if you meet me in the middle. It was agreed with a handshake that $23,588 was an acceptable price. Then it got ugly.
You could say my friend is a very trusting person. Razwa said, ok on my word, next week when you come in I will have a car for you and I will change the contract next week to say $23,588. My dad and I jumped in on this, saying that something should be put on paper NOW instead of later. After all, last week you cheated me out of $500, why should I believe now that you are good for your word? My friend’s wife also agreed, she wants it in writing. Razwa gets defensive saying that his word is good, etc and that how about we just cancel the contract. Ok no problem says my friend’s wife, let’s call it off – so we do and we say cancel the contract.
Razwa demands that we give him OUR copy of the contract and walk away – why should we? Where is our proof that we both agreed to void the contract? Still he insists, give me your contract and walk away. All of us catch on at the same time – we are not willing to leave without proof of a voided contract. Finally he scribbles all over it and gives us a photocopy.
We think that he was trying to do two things: 1) Agree on $23,588 to bring us back in next week, but not put it in writing just so we would waste our time and take the car at $23,888 anyway, and 2) get our contract and give us no proof of voiding it so that we would be stuck with a legal binding signature that says we would be buying a (still unseen) car at $23,888. We want to emphasize that throughout the whole thing, Ray was very friendly and helpful, always on our side, so he is not to blame here. But we would caution that you don’t sign any papers until you see a car in front of you, don’t sign anything taking for granted that the numbers are correct, and never deal directly with the manager (let the salesman do it for you). I also urge you to strongly consider San Francisco Toyota or Putnam Toyota, both of which we have had good luck with and are vastly superior to City and Melody Toyota.
