What is TDA and do I have to pay it?

Hi all,

First time poster but have been lurking for a while now. So I found a dealer that said they would do $500 over invoice, but when they showed me the invoice there was $640 for TDA(Toyota dealer advertising). My question is do I have to pay the TDA or is it negotiable? Or is this just some BS they are trying to add on.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2016-tacoma-model-package-option-costs-master-list.388345/ Check your invoice price on the master list. Does it look the same as what the dealer is claiming to be invoice?

 

Yeah the invoice price matches the master list but then below that they have a line item that says TDA and adds an additional $640.

 

If that's all they're adding then you're doing great. Those of us that have a distributor have a larger fee added on top.

South East Toyota is showing as $935 currently.
Gulf States Toyota is showing as $950 currently.
All Other Regions is showing as $900 currently.

 

My region has a $900 delivery fee. Is that what you are talking about? This Toyota dealer said TDA stood for Toyota Dealer Advertising which was $640 in addition to the $900 delivery fee.

 

Yep. Mine doesn't have the TDA, but there's a bunch of other crap in there. At the end of the day, the best way to negotiate is the total drive off price. You don't really care where they stick the numbers as long as your total is where you want it.

 

Thanks for the info. I am hoping to get s TRD OR DCLB 4x4 with P/T with towing for 36K OTD. Does that sound decent? Again thanks for your help.

 

That sounds about right depending on your local tax. Don't forget to add the tow package. IMHO it's well worth $650.

 

Definitely will get the tow package and no sales tax here.

 

In that case, 36K sounds very doable. Good luck, man.

 

Yeah as said - destination fee AND the TDA - I almost hit the roof since I got an "internet" price and then they added those 2 items = ~$1500 additional...AND there were 2 sales folks involved and they both were not happy. I got the internet price and walked in an took it for a test drive with another sales person. After that is when the "extras" were added in. I just excepted the fact that 1 - I was getting the truck I wanted and 2 - I got a larger hole in my wallet.

 

Most dealers will not wiggle on TDA fee whether you buy the theory it is a shared cost that the dealership MUST pay back to corporate or it is just a money-maker to pad their profit line. If they tell you and show you math that you're not paying TDA, it's just that much less money they're going to make on the deal. When others are willing to walk in and pay MSRP for a vehicle, there isn't much reason for a dealer to take a loss by giving you some type of "family" pricing deal.

 

BTW the dealer is also being paid "Dealer Hold back" on the vehicle sale. This is a set percentage cost paid back to the dealer for moving that model unit. It's hidden in the sales price from the consumer. You can search the forums to learn more about what this means. At the end of the day the dealer has to put food on the table, he has mouths to feed and bills to pay. This is a business. They have ways of making money, even if you think they're taking a loss, they are not...if they were, they wouldn't be making the deal.

 

Thanks for the responses. I know they are going to make money I just didn't know if TDA was real or some thing this dealer just made up to get an extra profit.

 

I paid no TDA.

 

In the Dallas area it's called a TMF (Toyota Marketing Fee) from what I've found so far and at two dealers who let me look at their computer screens that fee is $1047! At this point I would be psyched to only have to pay $640. The shipping, or freight charge, is added to every new vehicle sold and is absolutely non negotiable.

 

TDA is the advertising the dealership is charging you/other buyers to advertise for that particular dealership. I would refuse to pay it.

 

I thought the same thing but have come to learn that Gulf States Toyota (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi) is responsible for this fee and the dealers send that money back to GST to share in regional marketing. Southeast Toyota (SET) does the same thing I believe, the rest of you are just lucky you don't live in these regions and aren't stuck paying these crazy fees.

 

none of the dealerships in Oklahoma were going to charge me for it.

 

Must not live in the southern part of the country.