LexManDC

Dont feel bad guys, employees can't get breaks on prices either!

viet658

Two dealerships in Southern California have qouted me $750 off MSRP. Only problem neither has the car with the package I want.

flipside909

Hmm are you sure about that? I didn't know Toyota Motor Sales USA owned the Penske Corporation (Longo Lexus, Toyota & Scion as well as Stevens Creek Lexus (NorCal)). I think you have the dealerships confused with region distributors. TMS supplies the cars to Toyota dealers which are either 1) Independent/Family owned 2) Corporation owned. In places like the South East/Gulf States region. There are a non-TMS owned distributor for those areas i.e. Gulf States Toyota and South East Toyota (wholly owned by JM Family Enterprises). Gulf States, South East as well as Servco (hawaii) sell cars for TMS. So in essence, when you buy a Toyota in one of these regions, the pricing/option packages will be much more different (sometimes costs more) for the same car you can buy in CA or anywhere else in the US. Basically when buying a Toyota under a dealership, you're buying it from a 3rd party...not Toyota Motor Sales USA directly. Now if you're in a region outside of a distributor, you buy your car direct from Toyota Motor Sales USA. Lexus on the other hand...this is solely and only distributed through Lexus USA (a division of Toyota Motor Sales USA). JM Family Enterprises and Gulf States do not have the distributor rights to those regions for Lexus. They wish they did but I don't think Toyota will ever make that mistake again.

United #10

I paid $500 off MSRP.

ES3

So I'm confused, CAN employees really buy at under invoice or not?

flipside909

Yes they can buy the car at the internal rate which is usually at or below invoice. Some new models including the hybrids are restricted due to availability.

ES3

SO jealous! How did you do on pricing of YOUR car?

wthai

which ones? I live in so cal.

flipside909

I'm one of those that can wait until next year when the bugs are ironed out and the pricing is much more easier to work with.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Direct TMS employees get to pay below dealer invoice because they do not pay LDA or holdback. But they also have to special order their car and wait 3 months if they want to buy under the employee program. Even if it's another model that's been out for years they still have to wait to get the employee deal.

Dealership employees are NOT under the TMS program. Each dealer reserves the right to set their own employee pricing. A dealer I used to work at made employees wait until after the excitement of a new model was well over before letting employees buy. One example that comes to mind is the SC430, which took 2 years before they "generously" allowed us opportunity to buy for $2,000 over invoice. We were like, thanks a lot! If employees wanted to pay market price, such as MSRP for the new IS350, then they were allowed to buy just like a regular customer off the street. But we are faithful and hardworking employees, right? We should have at least SOME perks to the job. Other models that had been out for years were set at $100 over invoice, but I've sold cars to customers for that before. It all depends on model and timing. You know those GM employee pricing commercials? You pay what they pay? We used to joke around that EVERY car manufacturer has that program already with certain models.
Employee pricing sure sounds good right now when there's a new hot model out, but if you think about getting a job at TMS or a dealership just to get a little extra savings on cars when the average buyer buys a car every 5 years then it doesn't make financial sense.

So, if you are anxiously waiting for your new IS then bite the bullet and pay up because the new IS is a fantastic car. Otherwise wait it out awhile and start negotiating. There's a TON of IS's coming next year after January and the price will drop eventually.

Onyx-IS350

To add to that TMS(Toyota Motor Sales) is under the TMA(Toyota Motor North America) umbrella now sitting alongside TMMNA(Toyota Motor Mfg. North America). TMMNA employees also recieve the employee pricing...and you're right about the 3 month wait for any purchase. I'm currently waiting on a blk/blk 350, Perf. Lux. Plus Pkg., Nav/ML. which has been hell and then some...would you know if dealerships have any status info on vehicles ordered through TMS or does TMS just alert the dealership the vehicle will be sent to once it gets to the port?...I've been working with Vehicle Services at my location but they have no idea of the status and it's been 3 months since I've ordered. AsianGirl007? Anyone?...

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

LOL...hell is right. Sometimes I'd approach customers on the lot and once they say they work at TMS, I'd cringe. We didn't get any warning on TMS cars, not like a customer's car where we know it's on it's way. The ordered car just pops up in inventory and we'd have to tag it like crazy so no one would sell it by mistake. You should contact the General Sales Manager of the dealership the car has been routed to and give him all your info so he can check on it. It's been 3 months already so I would call first thing in the morning as you are probably very close to getting it.

viet658

Cerritos and Longo. Cerritos was a little more willing to discount, Longo only did it because I said I would go to Cerritos.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

I am just curious, did either one happen to give a DATE you can get a car? Or did they say, we'll let you know when we get one?

viet658

Nope, neither could give me a date. I am growing a little impatient with them. Do you know what will be in the next allocation? I remember you posted the first allocation. That was really helpful. Too bad at that time I was set on getting ML. If you know of a dealership that has either Luxury or Sport package with NAV and available now, please let me know. I am willing to pass on ML to get the car sooner.