My dealings with Scarborough Toyota and Importing a Sienna [Archive]

icu_nxtime

Dec 20th, 2006, 08:40 AM

I thought you might be interested in following my quest for a Toyota Sienna I will update further if I get any response to the emails attached.

Here is my original request fairly harshly written to make a point and stir up what I thought would be a "we can work something out" response even if there was no reall way they could. I had to send it 3 times before I got my response.

>>Looking for one in dark grey (slate)

I am not sure if you can be competitive with US pricing after the conversion is factored in, however I would like for you to try. I figure this is the best time as the 2007's are arriving and you are moving your location.

Please let me know what you have available on your lot and what package it is with options so I can compare accurately and I will let you know what I am willing to pay based on the overall cost of simply importing one from the USA.

I understand there are other factors such as hassle, trade in and time spent so I will be fair with my calculations.

I look forward to your response. I would like to have this entire purchase done and the car in my drive in the next two weeks.

Thanks>>

I will add the replies and mine back on seperate pages soit isn't so hard to follow

icu_nxtime

Dec 20th, 2006, 08:41 AM

>>> "xxxxx" <xxxxx@scarboroughlexus.ca> 12/19/2006 4:12:15 PM >>>

This will be a quick response to something that many have tried and failed or that many have tried and quite frankly regretted. If you are to purchase a 2006 Toyota Sienna in the U.S it will benefit you greatly. If you are willing to go down and pick one up yourself it would be even better. Please note that it requires a fair bit of effort to do this. The other option is to pay a broker to import the car and do all the paper work. Once it hits your hands it will all up to you to continue the process to get the car licensed in Ontario with all required safety work to accomplish this. It does require effort on your behalf. The other issue is that Toyota is becoming ever so strict with importation of vehicles unless you have a U.S address that you could register the vehicle to. Be advised that it is not recommended and Toyota does frown upon this transaction. It would ultimately be the best bet to purchase one locally. Good luck. Cheers

xxxxxxxxx (Automotive Logistical Operations)

Sales and Leasing Representative at

Scarborough Lexus Toyota

2000 Eglinton Ave East

Scarborough Ontario

M1L 2M7

Tel:416-751-1530 Ext xxx

Fax:416-751-6474

Website: www.scarboroughtoyota.ca

icu_nxtime

Dec 20th, 2006, 08:44 AM

I bet they just drop it and think I would be a pain in the ass to deal with.

<<xxxx, thanks for getting back to me finally. I will assume the delay in responding was to formulate a logical reply to my original request. I am concerned that it took 3 attempts before I got a reply and the information I requested was still not provided in your response. I am not looking for the pros and cons of importing, believe me I have done my research there is a lot of information online including the prices and process to follow. So please don't belittle me or try to scare me into thinking it would not be advantageous to import.

I was asking if you wanted to try and be somewhat competitive in pricing a Sienna for me. I acknowledged that I would be willing to pay more in Canada for the less hassle of doing all of the importing work. I have copied my original request below so that you can reply appropriately. I live very close by and it would be convenient for me to bring my vehicle back each time for service. I am a little reluctant based on the lack of service so far. Please convince me that you would like to have my business and a sale.

I was expecting a response like we aren't sure what we can do but we will do our best to try and make you happy and provide you with a solution we can both agree on.

Instead it took way too long and not even in your reply do you say anywhere that you would be willing to put together some options for a local purchase.>>

rdtx2002

Dec 20th, 2006, 08:48 AM

you are a pain to deal with... the truth hurts ;)

icu_nxtime

Dec 20th, 2006, 09:01 AM

These guys don't budge on MSRP pricing no matter who goes in. I think they need a wake up call. It is more the principal of the issue.

I am being a D1CK on purpose just to stir them up a bit if that's even possible with them.

sunnybono

Dec 20th, 2006, 09:17 AM

Audiogenic

Dec 20th, 2006, 09:59 AM

Local car dealers are puppets because they don't make the decisions so you are simply preaching to the choir. If you want to get anywhere then Toyota Canada is your best bet (albeit a very slim one at that).

frogger

Dec 20th, 2006, 11:02 AM

I really don't know how you could expect anything else from them. If you don't buy it for MSRP someone else will.
And you're a real *** for posting the guys name and contact info on the internet

13inches

Dec 20th, 2006, 11:48 AM

He know's you're trying to be diffucult, and in response is trying to brush you off. You have no intention of buying a car from him. I'd do the same thing if I was in his shoes.

Contrary to popular belief, not all salespeople are puppets who's strings you can pull at a whim. Toyota is one of the best selling brands in the WORLD, let along in the Scarborough/Markham area. He really doesn't need your sale.

Drthorne

Dec 20th, 2006, 12:02 PM

we bought a 2006 Sienna last May for $1300 of list price of $30,800, sales person told us it's month end and they were behind so they wanted us to buy asap. It was Cambridge Toyota

Narci

Dec 20th, 2006, 12:11 PM

>>> "Jure Rossini" <jrossini@scarboroughlexus.ca> 12/19/2006 4:12:15 PM >>>

This will be a quick response to something that many have tried and failed or that many have tried and quite frankly regretted. If you are to purchase a 2006 Toyota Sienna in the U.S it will benefit you greatly. If you are willing to go down and pick one up yourself it would be even better. Please note that it requires a fair bit of effort to do this. The other option is to pay a broker to import the car and do all the paper work. Once it hits your hands it will all up to you to continue the process to get the car licensed in Ontario with all required safety work to accomplish this. It does require effort on your behalf. The other issue is that Toyota is becoming ever so strict with importation of vehicles unless you have a U.S address that you could register the vehicle to. Be advised that it is not recommended and Toyota does frown upon this transaction. It would ultimately be the best bet to purchase one locally. Good luck. Cheers

Jure Raul Rossini B.A (Automotive Logistical Operations)

Sales and Leasing Representative at

Scarborough Lexus Toyota

2000 Eglinton Ave East

Scarborough Ontario

M1L 2M7

Tel:416-751-1530 Ext 437

Fax:416-751-6474

Website: www.scarboroughtoyota.ca

This reponse from Toyota is very good. They don't jusat tell you to not buy US but state implications should you do so. I don't find anything wrong with the response..it's actually great.

The problem lies with you. You want to buy a US car in a Canadian dealership? Jure never said you couldnt't do it..just it's not dealership policy to do so.

Better question would have been at ask about warranty avaialable for US cars bought in the US but used up here in Canada.

pipolchap

Dec 20th, 2006, 12:31 PM

I support OP in this one, simply because the salespeople at Scarborough Toyota on Eglinton are a$$holes. Very snobby and not very curteous. We ended up buying a Camry at Weitzels up in Thornhill.

Whatever you do, don't give them your business!

newbie7

Dec 21st, 2006, 12:24 AM

15-20_God

Dec 21st, 2006, 12:29 AM

15-20_God

Dec 21st, 2006, 12:31 AM

The problem lies with you. You want to buy a US car in a Canadian dealership?

no he doesn't. he wants to buy a canadian car thats on the lot but he wants the canadian dealer to sell it at the equivalent price they are charging in the US. basically he wants to do a PM with a US toyota dealership.

baggio4eva

Dec 21st, 2006, 04:49 AM

icu_nxtime

Dec 21st, 2006, 08:40 AM

icu_nxtime: "sell me an apple for $2."

salesman: "Sorry, MSRP is $3, and no discount at this time."

icu_nxtime: "Sell it to me for $2, because I can get an apple from the States for $2."

salesman: "It'll be a hassle to get one from the States. It's possible, but we don't encourage it. And no, we can't sell you one for $2 here."

icu_nxtime: "XYZ@%*#(@%@*@@#JS(T%JSXX)", then post the guy's name and contact information, and then whine on the Internet.

salesman [thinking]: "What a fvck*ng 1d1ot."

We arent talking about $1 we are talking $10,000 if you don't believe me check the import thread in the hot deals section. We are being forced to pay higher prices than we should be based on free trade and the cost of the dollar in the US. Many people are picking up on this. Car shows are dedicating full shows to discuss it. Manufacturers are saying so what we will charge what we want to in Canada and as Canadians as usual we sit back and take it in the a$$ without complaining.

I understand it might not be the dealer's fault but if they start to complain to Toyota that they are loosing business to the states maybe something will change.

I am sure it won't happen before I buy my next car but I am planting the seed of doubt for these people.

icu_nxtime

Dec 21st, 2006, 08:48 AM

With all due respect to the OP...

The sales rep doesn't want to waste his time with a difficult customer who will probably contribute little to his paycheque at the end of the month. There are other people out there who want a Sienna, so he isn't going to waste his time on the cheapest of the bunch.

That being said, if I were a sales rep at this dealership... I'd make you feel extra special (as if I actually cared), and try to sell you a car. But I wouldn't drop my pants for you, like you're basically asking the rep to do.

Later:D

Your first part is not correct. I have reservations about importing. The hassle, my trade and arranging financing. That being said I would have had every intension to purchase the Sienna from Scarborough Toyota but they didn't even try. Excuses of moving and computer systems being down.
Maybe I shouldhave offered computer consulting services to build in some redundancy into their systems :lol:

Your second part is bang on. I was expecting them to say we can't match but we will try to work with you. I don't think I asked him to drop his pants either. If you read it says I am willing to negotiate higher prices based on the hassles and convienances that I stated above.

I am happy though that I have spawned some discussion on the topic, rip away, I have thick skin. And for those that support my thoughts assist me in making the US\Canada Free trade to work for all Canadians.

icu_nxtime

Dec 21st, 2006, 08:52 AM

no he doesn't. he wants to buy a canadian car thats on the lot but he wants the canadian dealer to sell it at the equivalent price they are charging in the US. basically he wants to do a PM with a US toyota dealership.

People here PM for $5 with staples and ***** when staples won't honour it.

This is a $10,000 difference why shouldn't I try ??? I do want to buy the car why not try to get the best deal ???

TenzoR

Dec 21st, 2006, 10:56 AM

The problem is that you aren't coming off as sincere enough to make them try for you. They don't know if you are serious or just d!cking around (which many people are known to do). You may very well be serious in purchasing the Sienna but you are definitely giving them the wrong vibes IMO.

Go into the dealer, talk to sales person about the car/van/suv, see the car, and overall, be very interested. Sit down, and talk to the sales rep about the prices and what they can do for you. Mention the great deals the US is getting. Be assertive but don't be a PITA. It is the end of month (or year) and they are looking to fill their quota or bonuses definitely. Use that to your advantage.

It's like fishing, you have to find the right bait and right technic to get those lucious big fish.

afong56

Dec 21st, 2006, 11:18 AM

i think there's an obvious disconnect here, if you think that negotiating us$ with a canadian dealer makes any sense whatsoever. frankly, i would not take you seriously either.

inherent within your logic is the belief that canadian dealers have all the same advantages/realities that u.s. dealers have: economies of scale, stacked dealer incentives, intense competitive markets, different tax structures, etc. this is flawed. you are not really comparing apples to apples, since to get that sienna in the door, the canadian dealer had a very different experience than any u.s. dealer.

now, otoh, what you suggest about not budging from msrp is flat out wrong, in my experience. try spending a small sum of money for an apa membership, getting a dealer cost quote, and you will find that msrp pricing, even at toyota dealers, is quite flexible.

imho, your strategy will not work, but dealer quotes can and do work--i have purchased two toyotas in the last year and half: saved $1500 off msrp on one, and $2100 off msrp on the other.

v33k

Dec 21st, 2006, 01:33 PM

Why pay more??

Obviously Toyota Canada is very cocky, they believe that canadian are willing to continue to pay the high price.

For those who would want to pay more, by all means, go ahead, knock yourself out. And you shouldn't even come to RFD to look for better deal. Just go pay MSRP or regular price for everything else all together. Why bother?

The dealership from US is more than happy to deal with Canadian. They have quite a number of Canadian customers. They know the drill, relatively painless if you ask the ppl who bought the car from the US. We are talking about 10K savings here. It's 1 with FOUR-ZEROS at the back. Most of you don't even have that kinda $ in your saving account. At least I don't. Think about how long it will take you to save up that much.

Put it this way, I am willing to buy the car for $10K less without the factory warranty. Afterall, we are talking about a Toyota here. Has a solid reliability track record.

Generous to other ppl is brutal to yourself. Maybe some of you have daddy and mommy pay for the bills, and $10K is nothing for you.

15-20_God

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:00 PM

For those who would want to pay more, by all means, go ahead, knock yourself out. And you shouldn't even come to RFD to look for better deal. Just go pay MSRP or regular price for everything else all together. Why bother?

for those that want to pay less, knock yourself out and buy in the states. Don't expect the canadian dealer to honour an american price and knock $10K off MSRP for you on a car thats selling well. thats is totally unreasonable.

Put it this way, I am willing to buy the car for $10K less without the factory warranty. Afterall, we are talking about a Toyota here. Has a solid reliability track record.

no one is stopping you from buying in the us. save everyone the headache and buy it there so you'll stop whining about why its cheaper in the states and why the dealer won't give you the same price.

v33k

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:19 PM

aren't the sienna's cheaper in japan? why don't you ask them to beat the jdm price? why us? actually, why anywhere? why don't you just arbitrarily pull a number out of your butt like $3,946 and ask them to beat that? you'd sound like less of an idiot if you did that. i'm actually surprised the dealer wasted their time replying to you.

Let's compare apple to apple here.
JDM MiniVan is quite different than USDM and CDM spec.

USDM is 99% same as CDM except some little things like DRL and Gauge Cluster.

no he doesn't. he wants to buy a canadian car thats on the lot but he wants the canadian dealer to sell it at the equivalent price they are charging in the US. basically he wants to do a PM with a US toyota dealership.

IMO, that's nothing wrong. Buying a car from the US is so doable and a lot of ppl have actually DONE it. Pay more for the same product is pretty stupid to me.

for those that want to pay less, knock yourself out and buy in the states. Don't expect the canadian dealer to honour an american price and knock $10K off MSRP for you on a car thats selling well. thats is totally unreasonable.

You don't have to really knock yourself out to buy a car from the US. Actually it is pretty easy. For paying $10K more for something CAN knock yourself out.

no one is stopping you from buying in the us. save everyone the headache and buy it there so you'll stop whining about why its cheaper in the states and why the dealer won't give you the same price.

Yep, that's why those smarter ones bought the car from the US and bring it over here are the winners.

Anessa

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:20 PM

Just be quiet and go buy American...don't slam a dealership because they won't humour your desired price. If they did it for you then you'd post it on RFD and get hundreds of others asking for that price and the stealership would be screwed.

15-20_God

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:26 PM

IMO, that's nothing wrong. Buying a car from the US is so doable and a lot of ppl have actually DONE it. Pay more for the same product is pretty stupid to me.

You don't have to really knock yourself out to buy a car from the US. Actually it is pretty easy. For paying $10K more for something CAN knock yourself out.

Yep, that's why those smarter ones bought the car from the US and bring it over here are the winners.

then whats preventing you from being one of the smart ones and actually importing one for $10K less?

v33k

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:33 PM

then whats preventing you from being one of the smart ones and actually importing one for $10K less?

and why would you think I haven't done it or I won't do it?

However, I do agree with you that there is no way a dealership here would cut $10K on the price.
That's for sure

v33k

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:35 PM

FYI

Edmonton Subaru is actually selling USDM spec car on their dealership.
IMO, that's REAL smart business decision.

So does some Toyota dealership here in Toronto selling that Scion

scouzi

Dec 21st, 2006, 02:36 PM

no he doesn't. he wants to buy a canadian car thats on the lot but he wants the canadian dealer to sell it at the equivalent price they are charging in the US. basically he wants to do a PM with a US toyota dealership.

I don't think it's the dealers's fault. He can't do much . His own invoice price doesn't even come close to the US dealer invoice. When I was shopping around back in 2002, US cars were more expensive in Canadian dollars than here.

They can't fluctuate the price on a daily basis. It`s not an LCD TV. If the dollar drops to $.80, they won't increase their prices.

The reality is that in the last 5-6 years, car prices in the US have followed the same price incerases in $US as the prices in Canada in $CDN prices.

I'm actually looking at importing myself - but I don't blame the car dealers for their prices.

In Canada, Subaru decided to price their Tribeca against the BMW X3 and Accura or Infiniti.

In the US, they are targetting a different market (Murano, Pilot, etc).

It`s like in Germany, a BMW is not considered a luxury car - it's in the same league as VW as far as the Germans are concerned.

TenzoR

Dec 21st, 2006, 03:45 PM

FYI

Edmonton Subaru is actually selling USDM spec car on their dealership.
IMO, that's REAL smart business decision.

So does some Toyota dealership here in Toronto selling that Scion

I believe DVNLT (Don Valley North Lexus Toyota) is selling the Scion as used but it's pricey imo

v33k

Dec 21st, 2006, 03:48 PM

I believe DVNLT (Don Valley North Lexus Toyota) is selling the Scion as used but it's pricey imo

Yes, and they are making a killer profit from it!!!!

Narci

Dec 21st, 2006, 05:01 PM

Yes, and they are making a killer profit from it!!!!

The scion isn't even sold here so that's a moot point when buying the same car in the US compared to the same car in Canada.

Friend works at DVNT and he said they don't make much on them because the dealership pays the cost to transport the car over, safety, DRL etc. It's almost like if they were a regular customer buying a used car in the states and bringing it up to Canada.

Pricing, whether it be cars or boats or whatever, is based on what a region is willing to pay for it. If people living in Canada don't like the price here, they can import thier own or move to the states. I heard food is cheaper in the states but does anyone complain? It's slao cheaper ot ride the subway in NY so can we negotiate a ride price witht he TTC?

newbie7

Dec 22nd, 2006, 06:34 AM

Why pay more??

For those who would want to pay more, by all means, go ahead, knock yourself out. And you shouldn't even come to RFD to look for better deal. Just go pay MSRP or regular price for everything else all together. Why bother?

Generous to other ppl is brutal to yourself. Maybe some of you have daddy and mommy pay for the bills, and $10K is nothing for you.

hahaha DUDE, we're not saying that we should pay more, we're simply saying what he's doing doesn't make sense. (i.e. The dealer is not gonna cut $10K; therefore, just buy from the States since OP says he knows all the procedures and it's not a complicated/expensive set anyway.)

gstylez

Dec 22nd, 2006, 08:54 AM

the op wants to see if the dealership will give him discount or price match an item while talking via email... you do know that any 12 yr old can be sending this guy an email asking similar questions to youres.
this is like having a for sale on a car and before even seeing it youre already haggling.

Warped

Dec 27th, 2006, 01:01 AM

no canadian dealer would price match the U.S price of the same car.
its all about supply and demand.... especially toyota. As long as there is demand for their cars (which there is), they got little reason to lower its costs.

besides....if you are comparing some sort of price matching policy...
i doubt Toyota Canada and Toyota U.S has a price matching policy anyways.

car companies are in oligopolistic competition.. what does that mean? well theres only a few products available, but they service to a huge market.
in the end, its the car company that has the upper hand, rarely the individual consumer.