Friday, June 25, 2010

Buying a new car - The Horror!

So I've had my eye on a Toyota Yaris for the last year. I think they look like a nice little car.. the sedan still has a spacey backseat as well as a nice trunk. And the price can't be beat. Unless you're looking at a Neon.. hehe.

Anyway, I found a couple good 2008 ones on the Toyota website, called the applicable dealership and made an appointment for today. It was a little out of my way.. well, more than a little. I drove almost 60 kms to get to my appointment today.. with no air conditioning.. in 30+ weather..

So I get there 20 minutes early. The guy I had my appointment with isn't there, which is fine. I tell them I'll wait. Then, past my appointment time, another guy comes out and explains that he'll help me today instead. I think nothing of this. Happens all the time.

I test drove a couple Yaris'. One had black smoke coming out of the tailpipe. I was told this was normal when you first start it up. What I do NOT think is normal is black smoke coming out the whole time while he drives away and around the building.
The next one had a hesitation when you hit the gas pedal. He claims to have not felt it. At this point, I'm losing whatever trust I might have had.

Later, we're sitting in his office and I'm assured that any mechanical problems will be taken care of, and that there is a warranty to cover these things for 30 days. I'm feeling a little more trusting than I was in the parking lot.
So I want to discuss price. Any possible deals that could be wrangled and all that. I'm told that deals can be made.. but the guy who handles financial things has stepped out. Alright. I'm a touch annoyed now. I'm then told to go have lunch somewhere and come back in the afternoon. Maybe the guy will be there then. Maybe.
At this point I'm sure that I'm not buying today or maybe not ever. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the finances to be taken care of while I'm there. After all, I DID make an appointment after all. So I ask for a written quote to see if I could shop around. He then prints off the exact car from the Toyota website. It clearly states the price as $300 cheaper than the price on the car itself. So I ask him if that's the price that will be honoured, since it's their official website after all. But no. He can't do this at this point. Sorry.

So I left. And drove home almost 60 kms in the sweltering heat. That's a total of 120 wasted kms. Thanks.

Honestly. I did not feel as if I was being taken seriously at any point during my visit. And this is coming from an actual dealership.

Oh, and did I mention that my t-shirt was on backwards the entire time? Cause it was.

Sigh.

Edit (Aug. 9/10):  I ended up getting a Corolla after all.  And I must say, it does drive much better than the Yaris!  Good job, me!  :)

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