I educated my friend on Prius for weeks, she drove my car, called me everytime she looked at a Prius and discussed prices. I drove my friend out to my dealership (2007 Prius). My salesguy was not there, he took day off, but we called him, he did not come in. A new salesguy rushed us in the parking lot. We gave the name of my salesman, and said we would walk around. The new guy said he understood and stuck to us like glue, and said he would learn about the Prius because he was new to Toyoto (not car sales). The dealership was running a special on 3 lower package cars, and 2 were spoken for. Price was good, so my friend bought the car at my encouragement, even the the color choice was her 2nd, because the price was good. I mentioned my referral fee twice to the salesguy, and was told there would be a sales split with my original saleperson. I called today and was given the run around by my salesperson and he acted as if he did not receive any credit for the sale. He put me on hold and said the manager at the time of the sale was no longer employed there and did not "put in for the referral fee" and it was "too late". I call BS on the whole thing. I called again and talked to a manager who is "looking into it". How much commission do they make anyway? I have been in sales my entire life, and this takes all. This was the easiest sale toyota ever had. I had made my friend check her credit, get a credit card, educate her on the damn car, and drove her to the dealership ....
"Your" salesperson, yet you sealed the deal with another? They're as happy to screw each other as they are to screw us.
Here on PriusChat, we welcome any positive references to dealerships who we recommend to each other. We also do not shy away from allowing people to post the names of the dealerships with whom they have experienced issues. In other words, if you keep it clean and stick to the facts, feel free to name names.
We shall see if they make it right, before naming names. But both salemen are not being ethical on this. I do believe it was a split, and there was no confusion about a referral fee. Between the 2 salesmen, they did not put in for my referral, and now are using the "too late, manager in charge of that sale is gone" excuse. My next step is to call the owner of the dealership.
They don't call them "stealerships" for nothing. And U.S. Toyota dealerships are the worst dealerships I've ever dealt with by far. They are fortunate to have good product, otherwise 90% of them would go under within a year based on ineptitude and the way they treat customers. Luckily my present dealer has been straight with me...so far <crosses fingers> <knocks on wood> <pets rabbit foot> <straightens horse shoe> Toyota corporate better keep the product quality up, because they've got a major competitive disadvantage when it come to sales and service.
Well, owner satisfaction and testimony, is often the very thing that make or break a product with new and different technology. My friend would never have considered a Prius, and was looking at Honda Accord, until I talked to her. She was afraid of Prius, and thought they were hyped up.
If a rebate or fee was promised in writing (say, in an ad) then tell them to pay up or you'll go to your state attorney general's office about their fraud. If it was only verbal then it's hopeless. But please, name these weasels so that others can avoid them.
I certainly would not go that far, but I was reluctant to switch from Honda to Toyota because of the really enormous difference in customer care. The Prius was just so much better than the HCH that I had to pick Toyota. But I always wished that Honda, rather than Toyota, had come out with HSD.
First of all, you expect salesman to be ethical? ound: The bottom line is pretty simple. If you don't have a contract (if you didn't get it in writing), the "referral" you speak of is just a myth, and will be treated as such by the salesman and Toyota. It's not an issue with THIS dealership or THIS salesman, it's a life experience issue, and you've just been schooled in the art of "the deal". Write this one off, and resolve to do better next time. -Brad
