Phillips Toyota of Leesburg ... again!
 

Of course, there are always two sides to a story--and sometimes more than two. But when I see or hear Phillips Toyota brought up, I think back to a series of threads a few years ago that resulted in my not buying at Phillips Toyota--and know two others who also went elsewhere. Possibly more? Who knows?...

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...hillips+toyota

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...hillips+toyota

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...hillips+toyota

So you start a whole new thread to stir the pot on an already active thread. Why not post to the thread already running? And bring up hearsay posts from 2-4 years ago.

I visited Philips once, won't be back.

:bigbow:

:bigbow:

Let me say it again.............

:bigbow:

I always buy Fords; never have bought anything Asian.

Just don't go there.

I went to DeLuca and price was $3K less for the same car, same accessories.

I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.....:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

It’s Deluca that made me furious.
 

I’ll never go back to Deluca in Ocala. Old school sales techniques. Games. Trickery. They don’t understand that today’s consumers know car dealer bull**** ... we read ... we watch You Tube videos ... and share experiences on social media. I was so furious I had to barge into the “managers” office to get my keys back — held hostage while they tried to push me into a car I explicitly told them I did NOT want. Buyer beware.

Make that three people that are not going back to Phillips Toyota. I went there the other day to look at a RAV4. It had about $1200 worth of ad dons that I did not won't. They told me that they would be happy not to add them to the car but I would have to pay for them anyway. Needless to say I got up and left. Never again.

Nothing new here. All the dealers are the same and I mean all dealers. Negotiate and cut your own deal but don’t disparage one company when they all do the same. I price shopped my Toyota Highlander with 3 dealers. I was in control the whole time and ended up getting the best price at Phillips. It’s not the dearer, do your homework and you make the offer. Take it or leave it

I have no experience with the Toyota dealers. I did go to an out of the way Plaza Chrysler dealer in the sleepy town of Inverness and got a great deal from what is a small dealer compared to some of the mega dealers nearby the Villages and Ocala.

I've posted a link in the past for James Bragg who runs a service called "Fighting Chance," his method works and is worth the cost of buying one of his packages.

Fighting Chance: Your Customized Solution to Getting the Best Car Deal

So? Why the need to post links to old articles? Everyone has their choice as to where to buy a car. Most dealerships are similar. Like any other business, they want tomake a profit. If you feel you are being an outrageous prices, go elsewhere. Whats the big deal?

Car dealers
 

I tried my hand at selling new and preowned cars and it started with the dealers sales training program .
The programed sales track was developed by a well known national auto corporation and is in use by many dealers regardless of brand. Buying a car is much like voting. You go with the best liar, then live with it!
In a nutshell the dealer teaches
Sales team members how to lie.
For the customer,
Tell what they want to hear
Get the money
Tell them the way it is.

Watch for the track selling technique and know the warning signs because those dealers are ruthless.
Different color ink or markers used on written offers to and from the sales manager.
Statements such as the dealer or buyer is out or will return soon.
The manager just stepped out.
The buyer/ manager stepped out and your keys were put in the safe for your security till he returns.
KELLY BLUE BOOK! Yes there is a book for you but its not the one the dealer uses. Bait and switch.
The worst liars use religious icons placed in your view and often bring GOD into the pitch along with their family and supposed life experience. .
Those sales people first sell you themselves to gain trust.
Of course the vast majority of customers lie and get indignant.
In the end its the Best sales person who lies the best because
they filter both the customer’s and management’s lies to make the sale.
My advice is do your homework
Pack your lunch and stick to your plan.

Too bad, great cars.

Costco's Auto Purchase Program
 

By far the easiest process I have used to buy a new car was thru Costco's auto purchase program which I believe is still offered to members. I just walked into a dealership, picked out the car I wanted and talked to a sales rep. His comment was that he could not compete which my price and turned me over to the fleet manager. The entire process took less than an hour. The price you pay is a set number over invoice, no negotiating. I realize the games that can be played with invoices, but the price seemed reasonable to me. The real plus was no haggling. Perhaps the dealer gets a kickback from Costco.

Amazing people cant just pass the new post up and have to get negative . I’m thinking it’s still a free country. Interesting post battery draining, I might of missed it .

Rich is exactly right with this comment. All the whiners on this post you need to learn how to buy a vehicle. All car dealers will try and make as much money on a car deal as possible, that is free enterprise. You as a buyer need to do your homework before entering a dealership and save yourself as much money as possible. Again that is free enterprise. Stop your whining please.

my daughter's car crapped out-we used bill bryan subaru & were beyond pleased. the only thing is i kept looking for Brewster :icon_wink:

I’ve never had a bad experience at Phillip’s Toyota. My 2018 RAV4 is the best car I have ever owned, meets all of my needs, and will probably buy the same thing from the same people in the near future.

I agree. Do your homework on the car value and trade-in value. Any dealer will accept a reasonable, "take it or leave it" offer. But, you need to leave if they reject it. If you give them your phone number, they will most likely call you back and accept the offer after you leave.

I have purchased a Camry and a RAV4 from Phillips and have been happy with the process in both cases. I did my research before going in; there was a little back and forth negotiating; I came away with what I thought was a good deal. We have had our Toyotas serviced at Phillips ever since we moved here five years ago. Very happy with their service department and with prices lower than the Toyota dealer back north.

Phillips GMC Buick. +Seniors
 

Several years ago I tried to buy a GMC Arcadia. While I was sitting there trying to put a deal together, I overheard salesman cheering for profit they made on trade in from senior who took vehicle back because wife did not like color and traded at 112 miles. They were high 5inh each other. I walked out

They are in business to make money and unfortunately the best way to do it is to take advantage of uninformed customers.

Many auto salespeople are trained to solicit information from you that will help them leverage a sale.

They will ask leading questions that will help them lead you into a sale on their terms. Don't fall into that trap.

Don't negotiate anything until you get to go over a vehicle's terms.

How much do you want to spend? ( I haven't decided that yet.)

New or used vehicle? (Undecided)

Truck or SUV? (undecided)

This model or that model? (Undecided)

Cash or finance? (Undecided)

Trading in anything? (If you are say what does that have to do with the sale price. And if you are going to trade in don't bring THAT vehicle with you. Say haven't decided yet.)

Don't give out SS info. If they ask for driver's license tell them not to run a credit that will ding your score.

Don't ever say you love the vehicle! Be vague. ( say it's ok. What's your best price on it?)

Don't shop for a car when you NEED one badly. Be nonchalant.

Don't say you are flexible with price!

Say you are looking at different vehicles with different dealers. And you have an appointment to get to shortly.

Don't tell them you will finance. Get preapproved with a trusted finance company before you go shopping.

Dealers make big bucks on financing.

Don't give phone or email address.

Don't tell them how many buyers or how long you plan to keep the vehicle.

Don't ask questions too soon. Wait for invoice.

Don't pay for extras. Nitrogen is a rip off. The air you breathe is like 80% nitrogen already. Maybe more. I forget. Don't pay for pin striping or wind deflectors. If it's free that's ok but don't let that sway your decision.

Don't be in a rush. Walk away and go somewhere else.

These guys and gals do this every day. They are trained salespeople. Some are definitely more ethical than others. You are a rookie. They are the pros.

Oh, get a Carfax type report.

And basically, never finance where you buy... unless they have a cash back benefit for financing and you can pay it off or transfer asap.

As soon as salespeople go to get managers be very afraid.

Remember that you are definitely geared towards the Out The Door price.

I'm sure there's much more.

Still at it they did that to me 20 years ago. I too had to go into office to get my keys back.

One more point to remember. If you do happen to fall into a finance conversation, which you should avoid btw.

Don't mentioned that you're preapproved for some $ number.

You may test their financing, but don't fall into what you want your payments to be monthly. That's a trap cause it depends on rate and term. Like how long the loan is for. They can play games with that information. They will ask you that information. Keep all that to yourself.

Ha, I had to call the police to get my keys back at a Honda dealership in NC about 10 years ago. I received an emergency phone call and needed to leave, but they just kept sending person after person after person out to talk to me, but never would bring my keys.

Scumbags 😂

Hanging on to anger is not a good idea. Better to find a way to move on, rather than to go digging for ways to re-live a bad experience.

Ask Yourself
 

Ask yourself what other business do you have to go through "Ghost Buying"? When you sit with a sale person at the typical Auto Dealer you are at the mercy of dealing with a Ghost. How many times has the sales person said I have to check with the Manager and left you at the desk waiting for some invisible person to send back a message. That is called ghost negotiating. Your best bet is to tell the Sales person that you want to only deal with the decision maker. Absent of that leave as you are then part of the victim of a Dealer sizing up your weakness's and the many other features of a person spending thousands. Net: Only with the person who can commit ti a price, content, etc.

Same for my husband. We bought a Toyota just before we moved here, so under warranty. He went to Ocala first, then tried Leesburg, since it is closer. He never went back. He goes to Ocala now. I will be glad when it is out of warranty so he can start using Accutech Automotive, like I do!

Are there ANY car dealers in Florida that offer fair deals??
My most recent experience in was a deal in which:
--The price of the new car was over MSRP
--The trade-in for my car was 15-20% below KBB or NADA
--The Documentation and License fees were six times the actual cost
--The quote for the new car included $3500 of "fluff" add-ons that were probably worth $500.

My opinion is local dealers would sell far more cars if they didn't treat seniors like idiots! Needless to say, this dealer lost a potential customer!

Phillips Toyota
 

I just bought a used car from Phillips Toyota for my granddaughter and I had no problems, good price and great :a040:sales experience. The salesman was Ashley Lane, and he was wonderful to deal with...no pressure, the price I was quoted was the price I paid. The 5 year old car is in excellent condition and looks like it was very well taken car of. When I picked it up, there was no hard sell for extended warrantee etc. I checked the prices of the same car with more mileage at other dealers and their prices were a few thousand more.

The worst is Jenkins, they have no soul

Wow. Harboring such anger and feeling a need to inflict damage on a business is doing you much more harm that it is doing them. Move on already. Geez.

Fact.......
If the dealer is willing to sell you a car at whatever price is agreed upon.
YOU OVER PAID!

I think that you can get a fair deal from Lexus of Orlando and I’ll tell you why.

I’ve had the itch to buy a new vehicle, but I don’t really need one. So, I’ve had some time to do some research and shop around. In a vehicle, I want safety, reliability and comfort. I limited my search to either a Toyota or a Lexus. Rather than run all over, I started by contacting the nearest dealers via email. I went to each website and picked out a specific vehicle, making note of the VIN (vehicle identification number). Then I emailed the dealers with something like this:

“I am interested a 2021 Model-XYZ (VIN-xxxxxxxxxxxxx) that is listed on your website. Please email me with your best out-the-door price including a detailed breakdown of all the options, fees and taxes. A copy of the Monroney sticker and the invoice would be great too. I live in zip-code 32162 (Sumter County) and would probably transfer tags.”

Mostly, I got all kinds of gibberish. Taxable fees, non-taxable fees, Tires/Battery/MVWEA fees, document fees and so on. From my research, I knew what everything should have been.

The best response came from Lexus of Orlando. They wouldn’t email a quote, but, if I gave them my phone number, they would text me one. I didn’t want to give out my phone number, but I did. This was at the beginning of April and Lexus was offering a $2,500 cash rebate on the RX350 that gets applied to your vehicle as a down payment, without using Lexus financing.

They texted me dollar figures for MSRP, discount (about 8.84%), taxable amount, transfer tag, subtotal, rebate and out-the-door. The out-the-door price was about 93% of the MSRP. I plugged the figures into my spreadsheet and it all made sense. I was impressed enough to make an appointment to drive that specific vehicle. We went to Orlando and drove the RX350. I have never been treated better at a dealership. They were great. The RX350 was quiet and comfortable. Rear visibility and road feel were a bit lacking. Quality was apparent. Safety and reliability has been proven.

Then came the closer. He said that they would honor my texted quote, but we couldn’t agree on the trade-in allowance for my 2010 Scion xB. They were $1,500 under what I wanted. I didn’t buy the RX350. Not just because of the trade-in (they upped the trade-in offer another $1,000 after I walked), but mainly because I was uncomfortable with getting in and out of it. I’m tall and having to carefully and consciously duck because of the sloping roof was going to grow old fast.

Bottom line…
--The price of the new car was 8.84% less than the MSRP
--The trade-in for my car was 7% ($500) below KBB
--The dealer fees were $65
--The licensing fees were actual
--The quote for the new car included $0 of "fluff" add-ons

Now it is May and Lexus is now offering $2,000 cash rebate on the RX350 that gets applied to your vehicle as a down payment. They are also offering 0.9% APR financing for up to 60 months, without a cash rebate.

A business exists to make a profit. It possess no soul. The dealer sells a car at the price you and the dealer agree upon. Paying too much for the car is your problem, no one else's.

Try CarMax -- no haggle, no games
 

I worked for CarMax as a Sales Consultant just this past year (selling cars was one of my weird bucket list items after I officially had retired from the corporate world). Moved to TV, so left CarMax and retired again.

Anyway, CarMax really is "no haggle" -- no surprises, no games, etc. The Sales Consultants are paid a flat commission regardless of what price car you choose. Most of the cars are 1 to 3 years old; however, there are quite a few that are basically new (less than 500 miles). The 8 weeks of training we received as Sales Consultants was literally all about providing iconic customer service ("iconic" is CarMax's goal and used constantly internally to describe the customer service expected).

The cars are all certified and come with CarMax's free 90 Day-Warranty (which is in addition to any remaining manufacturers warranty). In addition, they started the 30-day full money back guarantee return policy as of January 12th (previously it was 7 days). Again, no tricks, games or anything. You can return a car within 30 days and you will get all your money back including the recording fees (which CarMax will take the financial hit on). Needless to say, they don't expect nor did they receive many returns with the previous 7 days or the 30 days that went into effect.

CarMax also has MaxCare and it's a really exceptional ESP (extended service plan) that covers even more than most manufacturers warranties plus road side assistance (note: some manufacturer's warranties don't transfer the drivetrain warranty over to a new owner on a pre-owned car). And, again, the MaxCare ESP is straight forward and I saw it work for customers numerous times. You can go to CarMax, the Dealership or any licensed auto repair shop and it pays directly and not a reimbursement plan. If you sell your car before the ESP is up, you can also transfer it to the new owner for $50. Or, if a trade-in, you cancel it and get refunded whatever timeframe is remaining no matter how many times it was used.

Bottomline, if you thinking about a reliable vehicle and are considering pre-owned (they do sell new Toyota cars in Michigan & CA), check out CarMax. The one I was at was on Rinehart Road in Lake Mary/Sanford, but they just opened up a cross-functional in Ocala.

Last comment. You can have a car transferred to another location free of charge if the transfer range is 250 miles or less. For longer distance transfers, the charge depends on the distance (for example, $99 from Miami; $149 from Georgia or the Carolina's; $549 from Texas, etc. CA is more around $1,900).

All those questions you probably shouldn't answer at a dealership that negotiates price, at CarMax go ahead and answer them so your CarMax Sales Consultant can really help you. I made President's Club there in record time and I never sold a car to anyone; however, I did assist over 250 people find the vehicle they wanted. And the financing options at CarMax are really good -- better than even most of the credit unions -- with no tricks, games or anything else going on. CarMax also gives you 3 business days where you can switch out the financing with your own financing company for no cost. It's just a couple of papers that need to be signed to cancel the CarMax financing (or one of the other 7 lenders used for financing at CarMax).

Here's a BIG thing to notice. When you sit with a CarMax Sales Consultant to find a vehicle or find financing, you will notice that their computer monitor is FACING YOU so you can see exactly what's being done on your behalf to assist you in getting the best car for your personal needs. You will also see that there's some really amazing proprietary tools like the FBS (finance based shopping) tool that will show you cars that you are literally approved to purchase along with stipulations that may possibly be required (i.e., proof of income, proof of residence, car insurance, etc.). You may or may not have any stipulations as they're dependent on length of employment, down payment if any (you can do $0 down), length at residency, etc. Did I mention that -- CarMax financing does not require any down payment -- down payments always help, but it's not a requirement to get financing.

Okay, one more last thing. Trade-ins. CarMax will appraise your current vehicle at any location or you can also do it on-line with pictures, etc. The appraisal is also "no haggle". The appraised value can be used as a trade-in OR you can also just sell your car to CarMax without purchasing one from CarMax. Sometimes the appraised values are higher than KBB (Kelly Blue Book -- which is just more a suggestion since KBB doesn't actually buy anything and makes money off it's advertisers); sometimes they're the same and sometimes lower. Depends on the vehicle, condition, mileage and also the supply/demand in the area.

Take your insurance policy with you and your driver's license. You'll need those to test drive as Covid prevents the Sales Consultants from riding with you on the test drive. Or, just purchase it on-line and have it delivered to your home. Home delivery is available from the Sanford/Lake Mary location to The Villages. Yes, you still get to test drive it when it arrives and you still get the 30-day return policy.

Happy car shopping! (What you see on-line at CarMax.com is exactly what's in inventory on the lot -- there simply aren't any surprises and the only fee they charge that's not required by law (sales tax, license) is a $399 processing fee. That's it (you'll see signs all over the place at CarMax stating that fee along with the statement "not required by law").

Hope some find this info helpful. BTW, Ocala is cross-functional -- everyone there is paid a salary -- each person is trained to do all the different functions and they do different functions on different days -- so one day they may be prepped cars for inventory and the next day may be working as a Sales Consultant -- same salary, different duties. And, with that said, don't expect them to "sell" you a car based on an extensive knowledge of all it's different features. They will, however, assist you in finding the vehicle with the features YOU tell them you want. Do your research on what you want in a car before going to CarMax and you'll have a lot more fun buying a car than you may have had in the past. I certainly enjoyed the year I worked for them and loved working with so many of my customers.

Toyota dealerships generally have a bad reputation especially their service departments. But we were happy with the sales/service at Phillips for the minivan and two trucks we bought there. Maybe the management has changed for the worst since then. We switched to Ford Escapes which better meet our needs now.