Toyota of Tampa Bay Warning

So I just wanted to share an experience to watch out for with Toyota of Tampa Bay. I contacted them regarding a Trail Edition from the Toyota.com inventory search. After a short discussion, they sent me a build sheet with a $25,000 Market Adjustment. This is ridiculous and not representative of the many other dealerships I dealt with with a 500 mile radius of my location in Louisiana. Their business practices seemed a little underhanded, as I asked if they were selling at MSRP and he stated they were and when he sent me the build sheet it included the $25,000 market adjustment. Which is more than half of the cost of the truck. Ridiculous.

 

$25k?!

That might be the highest market up I've seen so far.

 

And this was on top of another $1200 Documentation Fee and another $1200 BS dealer package on top of the BS Southeast Toyota Distributors adders. Nearly $74k for a Tacoma before TT&L.

 

They probably did this as you are very out of state and don't want your business as they will never be able to service that truck.

Local dealer here I use does not add markup to any vehicles as long as you live in the 100 miles radius of the dealership. Outside of that they add a $3,000 markup. Their exact reasoning is they would never be able to service that vehicle. Makes sense to me

 

You would think the manufacturer would want to put a stop to these practices, but clearly they don’t seem interested.

 

Get them excited and ask what the total cost plus mark up and you will have a bank draft made up. Can I pick it up Friday if that's ok with them.

 

They were one of the ones that had a 5K "market adjustment" (i.e. price gouging) + all the add-on crap on any 4x4s when I was searching my area last year. Best thing you can go is bomb them for gouging in online reviews.

 

Can we dedicate this song to Toyota of Tampa Bay?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dfYcQ_r_x8

 

Seems like a steal.

 

I don't see how dealers like this stay in business? There are quite a few dealers in my area that have the same practices but not to that outrageous level. I just refuse to buy from them. So much so, that out of the last 6 vehicles we've bought 5 of them came from out of state.

 

This ploy is designed to get you to say: "$25K markup!?! I am not paying that!" To which they will respond: "What will you pay? I will go to work for you and see if I can earn your business." Having typed that they are probably not motivated to sell you a vehicle they probably cannot even get. Nationwide there are 83 available and 4 in Florida. There is zero chance that another dealer will swap one they have on their lot for another Tacoma so unless the dealer has one or knows one is on the way to them they literally will have nothing to sell you. Did they tell you they could order you one and if they did order you one did they tell you when it would likely be delivered?

 

post up the build sheet

 

HOLY F**K

back in 2017 I purchased my RWD Sport for less than $200 over MSRP. Shit is getting ridiculous out there.

*proof for the one’s who like to bust balls

 

Wow you paid over msrp in 2017?
https://www.toyota101.com/inventory/new-2023-toyota-tacoma-sr-4wd-4x4-access-cab-3tysx5en2pt018162/

The deals are back out here. Tacomas are the most in stock Toyotas other than gas Camrys

 

You might want to drop your cell phone. I mean, unless you want to talk.

 

Light them up everywhere you can online. I’d cover my cell number though, and uncover the salesperson and manager’s names so everyone knows who to call there.

 

That was very much a "we aren't interested to have you as a customer."

Don't know how it could be any more blatant.

 

I wouldn't pay $79k for a Toyota.

 

Here's my tip.

Do NOT buy in the SE or Gulf States regions unless a particular dealer already has exactly what you want sitting on the lot at a price that's good for you.

While the region already has their fingers in those pies, if you try to 'order' what you want, they'll make it worse.

Not all of the dealers are idiots like this crew, but they are constrained in many ways by the region.

As an counter to the you can only buy local theory, a friend in Clearwater recently successfully placed an order for a Corolla in NH at a solid price. He took that pricing to Sun Toyota in New Port Richey and they matched it, so he cancelled the NH order and avoided the fly and buy cost.

Maybe Corolla was the magic here?