A Toyota customer claims that he was forced to buy extras or no sale

Key takeaways:

• Due to worldwide supply chain issues, you’re unlikely to get any offers depending on the model you’re looking for.
• Kim claims to have had three Toyota vehicles in the past and refers to his family as a “Toyota family.”

If you’re imagining purchasing a new vehicle, brace yourself: it’s a seller’s market.

Depending on the model you’re looking for, you’re unlikely to find any offers due to global supply chain problems, high demand, and low dealer inventories.

Joo-Young When Kim went shopping to replace his 2021 Toyota Highlander, which was stolen from the driveway outside his Vaughan home on Nov. 23, he was well aware of this reality.

Kim said, “I phoned approximately six Toyota dealerships around Toronto in an interview with Global News.”

Finally, he discovered a new 2021 Highlander for sale in midtown Toronto at Toyota on the Park.

The bargain, however, took a turn for the worse when Kim asked the salesperson if the dealership could throw in free vehicle mats, which is a regular customer request.

He claims the salesman returned after checking with the dealership’s business manager.

Kim claims that the response was not what he expected.

“He returns with a new figure: $60,000 and change,” he says. “What is this?” I asked, looking at him. Kim remarked.

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Kim claims he was told that he would have to pay for them if he didn’t want certain options.

“They won’t sell me the car unless I buy an extra warranty and rust-proofing,” Kim explained.

According to Kim, the new price is $60,000.

“I believed that was unethical.” ‘You can’t do that to me,’ I told them. ‘I’m not interested in buying this.’

According to Kim, he urged the salesperson to return to the company manager and ask again, which he did.

“He came back a minute later and said, ‘No, the business manager is firm: we’re not going to sell you the car until you buy an additional warranty and rust-proofing,'” Kim explained.

Kim declined to sign the contract and expressed her dissatisfaction with the experience in an online review. As the owner of a family-run dry-cleaning business, Kim claims that he has exclusively submitted good reviews regarding his customer interactions in the past.

The general manager of Toyota on the Park denied an on-camera interview with Global News but spoke with the news organization on the phone for several hours about the situation.

“There is no such policy (requiring the purchase of optional equipment).” “I’ve never had an issue with a customer other than this one that suggests that,” Matt Treacy explained.

“The internet reviews — both positive and negative — paint a far more accurate image of who we are than this one occurrence,” Treacy added.

“I admit that this was probably handled poorly in some ways, but I can’t say what those things were because I wasn’t present during the chat with the consumer.”

“At my end, I haven’t been able to validate that same report.”

Kim has created an official complaint to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC), which is currently investigating.

The agency that governs auto sales in Ontario declined to comment on Kim’s case but told Global News in an interview that the regulations are clear when it comes to price.

“Extra fees, extra charges – that’s not allowed.” “On top of the listed price, only HST and licensing are allowed,” said Maureen Harquail, OMVIC’s chief operations officer.

“Anything optional is optional,” she explained, “and the consumer needs to be advised that these items are optional so that they may decide whether or not to proceed with the deal.”

Kim claims to have had three Toyota vehicles in the past and refers to his family as a “Toyota family.”

“They’ve permanently lost me… “I’m furious with Toyota for allowing their dealers to do this,” Kim added, adding that she has since ordered a vehicle from a different brand.

However, due to supply constraints, that car may not arrive for several weeks. He had to surrender his rental car and will now have to rely on public transportation.

When he thinks back on what transpired, Kim summarises his dealership experience as follows: “Untrustworthy corporate practices.”

A spokeswoman for Toyota Canada told Global News that the company takes customer concerns seriously and that they “will follow up with our dealer personally to better understand this particular scenario.”

“We also encourage customers to direct their complaints to our customer relations team,” the statement read.

“While our dealers are independently owned and run businesses, they are required to follow all rules and regulations governing retail sales, including forbidding them from engaging in any type of linked selling.”

Source: Global News

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