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  • Report:  #23763

Complaint Review: Toyota of Glendale California - Glendale California

Reported By:
- Pasadena, CA,
Submitted:
Updated:

Toyota of Glendale California
1260 South Brand Boulevard Glendale, 91204 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
323-245-3845
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
Granted, my credit is poor, but the disrespectful treatment I received at Toyota of Glendale is inexcusable. After filling out the credit application for a 2002 Echo (listed at only $10K) the finance manager said I could not buy a new car, that I was approved for only $10K, and the total must include tax and license, therefore, it would have to be a used car. He said I could not buy the new car, because when the tax and license was added, it would go over the $10K.

So, I walked across the street to look at the used cars, but the nicer one's (Toyota or Honda) were not acceptable for one reason or another. The finance manager's excuses were that they had too many miles or they were too expensive. The only acceptable car on the lot was a Daewoo Nubira. I took it for a drive, and told him I would bring my daughter back to see it, as she would be a second driver. She hated the car. They said the only other car on the lot in my price range was a Chevy Geo. We took it for a test drive, but it was so small, my daughter, who is 5' 10" tall, could not get the seat back far enough to be comfortable. So, we left and forgot about buying a car for a couple of weeks.

I decided to call the salesman to see if they might have an older Camry that would fall within the $10K price range, and he said a 1996 was just turned in the day before. I asked him to check with the finance manager to see if the cost was within the previously approved amount and he said, Yes, and to come on over.

When we arrived, the salesman let us take it for a drive and my daughter and I both loved it. We went inside to make arrangements to sign the paperwork and make the down payment, when the finance manager came over and said I needed to fill out the loan application again as he had cleaned out his briefcase and discarded my application. I told him before I did, I wanted to know how much my payments would be and get the price settled. He left us (as they always do), and went over to talk with some other customers. We waited at least 20 minutes and the salesman was obviously annoyed with the length of time it was taking. He went over to talk with the finance manager, and I saw him send the salesman over to another manager. In about 5 minutes he returned and informed me that I could not buy the car because it was too old and it had too many miles on it! I told him I wanted to speak with the finance manager. After we waited another 20 minutes, he came over and informed me I would have to buy a newer car with fewer miles on it, and the Daewoo was still available. I told him I did not want a Daewoo, I wanted to buy a used Toyota, and he literally told me I could not buy a Toyota, that I needed to start off small and then move up, and there was a Ford Tempo I might like.

I happen to be African American and a woman, which I understand gives me two strikes to start off. I did not see another Black person in the dealership, and the salesman told me they did not get much Black business that their business was primarily Philippino, Armenian, Asian, and Hispanic. I told him it was clear to me that my business was not wanted.

Alana

Pasadena, California


5 Updates & Rebuttals

Elaine

Woodland Hills,
California,
I too, hate shopping for used cars

#2Consumer Suggestion

Thu, July 04, 2002

I can identify with the lady who filled out this report. I am a young college student who is also looking to buy a car. (My car, a Toyota Celica, was totalled in an accident.) I am looking to buy a car within the next month, and have narrowed my choices to a couple of car models. My boyfriend and I went into Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys (on Van Nuys Blvd.) and told the salesman I was looking to buy a 2000 or 2001 Celica GTS. I asked him if had a 2000 or 2001 GTS, and he said they did. He asked if I wanted to take a look at the new ones, but I told him that I really would like to see a used one because that is more in my price range. He said "Just take a look at the new ones", so I figured fine, I'll take a quick look at the new ones and compare them to the used ones to see what the price difference was between new and used. He showed me the new Celica's, which were between $21,000-$26,000. The only new Celica GTS they had was a manual, and I was looking for an automatic, so they did not even have a new one that I liked. After 10 minutes of looking at the new cars, I told him I wanted to see the used Celica's he supposedly had. He insisted he had some in stock, but kept asking why not a new Celica? I told him once again that I wanted to see a used Celica. We went back into the showroom waiting area, and he told my boyfriend and I to wait while he went to "go check his stock". Five minutes later, he comes back with a man who introduces himself as a "manager". (I believe he was a closer.) The manager then asked why I want to see a new one, when they are having a zero down payment special on new ones. Once again, I repeated what I had told the salesman, which is I wanted to see what the price difference was between new and used ones. I also told him that I was looking at another possible car, which is the Ford Mustang GT. He said "Why would you want to buy something that's not realiable?". They went into their whole financing pitch and took out credit report papers and everything to try to get me financed into a new one! All this and I did not even get to test drive a single Celica, and there was not even one car I was interested in buying! These guys were already trying to push paperwork and financing on me when I didn't even have a car in mind! Believe me, we walked out of there in disbelief at the crap they were trying to pull. I asked once again if they had any Celica GTS's to show me, and they said they did have them in stock, but they would show me one when I was ready to buy! The next day, a woman from the Keyes Toyota dealership called me. She claimed she works directly with the owners, and wanted to know why Keyes Toyota couldn't do anything for me. I told her that within the 20 minutes I was there, they were already trying to talk about financing and all this without me having a specific car in mind or test driving a car! I also told her my experience was bad, and I did not want to deal with anything like that ever again. She apologized for my experience, and she checked her database and told me there were NO USED 2000-2001 CELICAs in stock! When she said that, I told her that even as I left, the so-called manager and the salesman were still insisting they had the used Celica's in stock, and I did not appreciate being lied to! When a woman shops for a car, the salesman are much more aggressive and much more manipulative. It is such a headache to shop for a car at a dealership. After my experience with the Keyes Toyota dealership, I decided I'm going to buy my car private party. I've had friends and family buy private party, and the experience was much better than that of dealerships. Usually private party sellers just want to get a decent price for their car, so you usually get a good deal. You don't have to deal with the bullshit that comes from the middleman (the dealer), with their salesman and managers trying to milk you for as much as they can so they can get more commission. If you buy private party, I recommend taking the car (before you buy it) to a mechanic and having him check it out to make sure the car is running good and has no problems. For the lady in Glendale, you can find lots of cars in your price range Auto Buys, Auto Trader, and Recycler. (These magazines also each have a website to look for cars.) And I'm sure you can find lots of Camry's within your price range. Financing might be a problem as you said, but I am sure you can find other options to help you. As for the guy who was venting, the lady in Glendale was just saying that she feels that she might have been treated this way because she is a woman AND ethnic. I read her letter and I can't believe that kind of treatment she received. Maybe she was treated that way because she was a woman, or maybe they just treat all people like crap. Young people at dealerships get treated like crap and not taken seriously because it is assumed they have no money to buy a car. I encountered this often when I was shopping for my first Celica; I was 18 and some of the salesman wouldn't let me test drive because they assumed I had no money to buy. And sales people can also be very prejudiced when people come in dressed a certain way. I've gone in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt looking to buy, but was treated like I was poor. Basically the only people who are treated better and taken more seriously are nicely-dressed older people.


Elaine

Woodland Hills,
California,
I too, hate shopping for used cars

#3Consumer Suggestion

Thu, July 04, 2002

I can identify with the lady who filled out this report. I am a young college student who is also looking to buy a car. (My car, a Toyota Celica, was totalled in an accident.) I am looking to buy a car within the next month, and have narrowed my choices to a couple of car models. My boyfriend and I went into Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys (on Van Nuys Blvd.) and told the salesman I was looking to buy a 2000 or 2001 Celica GTS. I asked him if had a 2000 or 2001 GTS, and he said they did. He asked if I wanted to take a look at the new ones, but I told him that I really would like to see a used one because that is more in my price range. He said "Just take a look at the new ones", so I figured fine, I'll take a quick look at the new ones and compare them to the used ones to see what the price difference was between new and used. He showed me the new Celica's, which were between $21,000-$26,000. The only new Celica GTS they had was a manual, and I was looking for an automatic, so they did not even have a new one that I liked. After 10 minutes of looking at the new cars, I told him I wanted to see the used Celica's he supposedly had. He insisted he had some in stock, but kept asking why not a new Celica? I told him once again that I wanted to see a used Celica. We went back into the showroom waiting area, and he told my boyfriend and I to wait while he went to "go check his stock". Five minutes later, he comes back with a man who introduces himself as a "manager". (I believe he was a closer.) The manager then asked why I want to see a new one, when they are having a zero down payment special on new ones. Once again, I repeated what I had told the salesman, which is I wanted to see what the price difference was between new and used ones. I also told him that I was looking at another possible car, which is the Ford Mustang GT. He said "Why would you want to buy something that's not realiable?". They went into their whole financing pitch and took out credit report papers and everything to try to get me financed into a new one! All this and I did not even get to test drive a single Celica, and there was not even one car I was interested in buying! These guys were already trying to push paperwork and financing on me when I didn't even have a car in mind! Believe me, we walked out of there in disbelief at the crap they were trying to pull. I asked once again if they had any Celica GTS's to show me, and they said they did have them in stock, but they would show me one when I was ready to buy! The next day, a woman from the Keyes Toyota dealership called me. She claimed she works directly with the owners, and wanted to know why Keyes Toyota couldn't do anything for me. I told her that within the 20 minutes I was there, they were already trying to talk about financing and all this without me having a specific car in mind or test driving a car! I also told her my experience was bad, and I did not want to deal with anything like that ever again. She apologized for my experience, and she checked her database and told me there were NO USED 2000-2001 CELICAs in stock! When she said that, I told her that even as I left, the so-called manager and the salesman were still insisting they had the used Celica's in stock, and I did not appreciate being lied to! When a woman shops for a car, the salesman are much more aggressive and much more manipulative. It is such a headache to shop for a car at a dealership. After my experience with the Keyes Toyota dealership, I decided I'm going to buy my car private party. I've had friends and family buy private party, and the experience was much better than that of dealerships. Usually private party sellers just want to get a decent price for their car, so you usually get a good deal. You don't have to deal with the bullshit that comes from the middleman (the dealer), with their salesman and managers trying to milk you for as much as they can so they can get more commission. If you buy private party, I recommend taking the car (before you buy it) to a mechanic and having him check it out to make sure the car is running good and has no problems. For the lady in Glendale, you can find lots of cars in your price range Auto Buys, Auto Trader, and Recycler. (These magazines also each have a website to look for cars.) And I'm sure you can find lots of Camry's within your price range. Financing might be a problem as you said, but I am sure you can find other options to help you. As for the guy who was venting, the lady in Glendale was just saying that she feels that she might have been treated this way because she is a woman AND ethnic. I read her letter and I can't believe that kind of treatment she received. Maybe she was treated that way because she was a woman, or maybe they just treat all people like crap. Young people at dealerships get treated like crap and not taken seriously because it is assumed they have no money to buy a car. I encountered this often when I was shopping for my first Celica; I was 18 and some of the salesman wouldn't let me test drive because they assumed I had no money to buy. And sales people can also be very prejudiced when people come in dressed a certain way. I've gone in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt looking to buy, but was treated like I was poor. Basically the only people who are treated better and taken more seriously are nicely-dressed older people.


Elaine

Woodland Hills,
California,
I too, hate shopping for used cars

#4Consumer Suggestion

Thu, July 04, 2002

I can identify with the lady who filled out this report. I am a young college student who is also looking to buy a car. (My car, a Toyota Celica, was totalled in an accident.) I am looking to buy a car within the next month, and have narrowed my choices to a couple of car models. My boyfriend and I went into Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys (on Van Nuys Blvd.) and told the salesman I was looking to buy a 2000 or 2001 Celica GTS. I asked him if had a 2000 or 2001 GTS, and he said they did. He asked if I wanted to take a look at the new ones, but I told him that I really would like to see a used one because that is more in my price range. He said "Just take a look at the new ones", so I figured fine, I'll take a quick look at the new ones and compare them to the used ones to see what the price difference was between new and used. He showed me the new Celica's, which were between $21,000-$26,000. The only new Celica GTS they had was a manual, and I was looking for an automatic, so they did not even have a new one that I liked. After 10 minutes of looking at the new cars, I told him I wanted to see the used Celica's he supposedly had. He insisted he had some in stock, but kept asking why not a new Celica? I told him once again that I wanted to see a used Celica. We went back into the showroom waiting area, and he told my boyfriend and I to wait while he went to "go check his stock". Five minutes later, he comes back with a man who introduces himself as a "manager". (I believe he was a closer.) The manager then asked why I want to see a new one, when they are having a zero down payment special on new ones. Once again, I repeated what I had told the salesman, which is I wanted to see what the price difference was between new and used ones. I also told him that I was looking at another possible car, which is the Ford Mustang GT. He said "Why would you want to buy something that's not realiable?". They went into their whole financing pitch and took out credit report papers and everything to try to get me financed into a new one! All this and I did not even get to test drive a single Celica, and there was not even one car I was interested in buying! These guys were already trying to push paperwork and financing on me when I didn't even have a car in mind! Believe me, we walked out of there in disbelief at the crap they were trying to pull. I asked once again if they had any Celica GTS's to show me, and they said they did have them in stock, but they would show me one when I was ready to buy! The next day, a woman from the Keyes Toyota dealership called me. She claimed she works directly with the owners, and wanted to know why Keyes Toyota couldn't do anything for me. I told her that within the 20 minutes I was there, they were already trying to talk about financing and all this without me having a specific car in mind or test driving a car! I also told her my experience was bad, and I did not want to deal with anything like that ever again. She apologized for my experience, and she checked her database and told me there were NO USED 2000-2001 CELICAs in stock! When she said that, I told her that even as I left, the so-called manager and the salesman were still insisting they had the used Celica's in stock, and I did not appreciate being lied to! When a woman shops for a car, the salesman are much more aggressive and much more manipulative. It is such a headache to shop for a car at a dealership. After my experience with the Keyes Toyota dealership, I decided I'm going to buy my car private party. I've had friends and family buy private party, and the experience was much better than that of dealerships. Usually private party sellers just want to get a decent price for their car, so you usually get a good deal. You don't have to deal with the bullshit that comes from the middleman (the dealer), with their salesman and managers trying to milk you for as much as they can so they can get more commission. If you buy private party, I recommend taking the car (before you buy it) to a mechanic and having him check it out to make sure the car is running good and has no problems. For the lady in Glendale, you can find lots of cars in your price range Auto Buys, Auto Trader, and Recycler. (These magazines also each have a website to look for cars.) And I'm sure you can find lots of Camry's within your price range. Financing might be a problem as you said, but I am sure you can find other options to help you. As for the guy who was venting, the lady in Glendale was just saying that she feels that she might have been treated this way because she is a woman AND ethnic. I read her letter and I can't believe that kind of treatment she received. Maybe she was treated that way because she was a woman, or maybe they just treat all people like crap. Young people at dealerships get treated like crap and not taken seriously because it is assumed they have no money to buy a car. I encountered this often when I was shopping for my first Celica; I was 18 and some of the salesman wouldn't let me test drive because they assumed I had no money to buy. And sales people can also be very prejudiced when people come in dressed a certain way. I've gone in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt looking to buy, but was treated like I was poor. Basically the only people who are treated better and taken more seriously are nicely-dressed older people.


Elaine

Woodland Hills,
California,
I too, hate shopping for used cars

#5Consumer Suggestion

Thu, July 04, 2002

I can identify with the lady who filled out this report. I am a young college student who is also looking to buy a car. (My car, a Toyota Celica, was totalled in an accident.) I am looking to buy a car within the next month, and have narrowed my choices to a couple of car models. My boyfriend and I went into Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys (on Van Nuys Blvd.) and told the salesman I was looking to buy a 2000 or 2001 Celica GTS. I asked him if had a 2000 or 2001 GTS, and he said they did. He asked if I wanted to take a look at the new ones, but I told him that I really would like to see a used one because that is more in my price range. He said "Just take a look at the new ones", so I figured fine, I'll take a quick look at the new ones and compare them to the used ones to see what the price difference was between new and used. He showed me the new Celica's, which were between $21,000-$26,000. The only new Celica GTS they had was a manual, and I was looking for an automatic, so they did not even have a new one that I liked. After 10 minutes of looking at the new cars, I told him I wanted to see the used Celica's he supposedly had. He insisted he had some in stock, but kept asking why not a new Celica? I told him once again that I wanted to see a used Celica. We went back into the showroom waiting area, and he told my boyfriend and I to wait while he went to "go check his stock". Five minutes later, he comes back with a man who introduces himself as a "manager". (I believe he was a closer.) The manager then asked why I want to see a new one, when they are having a zero down payment special on new ones. Once again, I repeated what I had told the salesman, which is I wanted to see what the price difference was between new and used ones. I also told him that I was looking at another possible car, which is the Ford Mustang GT. He said "Why would you want to buy something that's not realiable?". They went into their whole financing pitch and took out credit report papers and everything to try to get me financed into a new one! All this and I did not even get to test drive a single Celica, and there was not even one car I was interested in buying! These guys were already trying to push paperwork and financing on me when I didn't even have a car in mind! Believe me, we walked out of there in disbelief at the crap they were trying to pull. I asked once again if they had any Celica GTS's to show me, and they said they did have them in stock, but they would show me one when I was ready to buy! The next day, a woman from the Keyes Toyota dealership called me. She claimed she works directly with the owners, and wanted to know why Keyes Toyota couldn't do anything for me. I told her that within the 20 minutes I was there, they were already trying to talk about financing and all this without me having a specific car in mind or test driving a car! I also told her my experience was bad, and I did not want to deal with anything like that ever again. She apologized for my experience, and she checked her database and told me there were NO USED 2000-2001 CELICAs in stock! When she said that, I told her that even as I left, the so-called manager and the salesman were still insisting they had the used Celica's in stock, and I did not appreciate being lied to! When a woman shops for a car, the salesman are much more aggressive and much more manipulative. It is such a headache to shop for a car at a dealership. After my experience with the Keyes Toyota dealership, I decided I'm going to buy my car private party. I've had friends and family buy private party, and the experience was much better than that of dealerships. Usually private party sellers just want to get a decent price for their car, so you usually get a good deal. You don't have to deal with the bullshit that comes from the middleman (the dealer), with their salesman and managers trying to milk you for as much as they can so they can get more commission. If you buy private party, I recommend taking the car (before you buy it) to a mechanic and having him check it out to make sure the car is running good and has no problems. For the lady in Glendale, you can find lots of cars in your price range Auto Buys, Auto Trader, and Recycler. (These magazines also each have a website to look for cars.) And I'm sure you can find lots of Camry's within your price range. Financing might be a problem as you said, but I am sure you can find other options to help you. As for the guy who was venting, the lady in Glendale was just saying that she feels that she might have been treated this way because she is a woman AND ethnic. I read her letter and I can't believe that kind of treatment she received. Maybe she was treated that way because she was a woman, or maybe they just treat all people like crap. Young people at dealerships get treated like crap and not taken seriously because it is assumed they have no money to buy a car. I encountered this often when I was shopping for my first Celica; I was 18 and some of the salesman wouldn't let me test drive because they assumed I had no money to buy. And sales people can also be very prejudiced when people come in dressed a certain way. I've gone in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt looking to buy, but was treated like I was poor. Basically the only people who are treated better and taken more seriously are nicely-dressed older people.


ROBERT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA,
California,
HERE WE GO AGAIN

#6Consumer Comment

Tue, July 02, 2002

I ACTUALLY WAS FEELING BAD FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE EXPLAINING YOUR SITUATION WITH THE CAR DEALER BUT THEN YOU JUST HAD TO THROW IN HOW NOT ONLY YOU ARE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN BUT YOU ARE ALSO A WOMAN. BOO h*o I AM SO TIRED OF THIS CRAP. DO YOU KNOW THAT A BLACK PERSON (OR ANY MINORITY, FOR THAT MATTER)HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING INTO COLLEGE WITH GRANTS ETC. ITS TOO BAD IM A WHITE MALE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BECAUSE I DONT GET ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT A "MINORITY" GETS. BY THE WAY TECHNICALLY IM A MINORITY THANKS TO ALL OF THESE BORDER HOPPERS WHO HAVE BETTER MEDICAL BENEFITS THAN I HAVE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A GOOD JOB IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY... WHICH A WOMAN BY THE WAY HAS A MORE SECURE JOB THAN ME BECAUSE COMPANIES ARE AFRAID OF SEXUAL HARRASSMENT LAWSUITS. ANYWAY NOW THAT IM ANGRY ILL CLOSE BY SAYING THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD PAY YOUR BILLS AND STOP BUYING THINGS YOU CANT AFFORD THEN YOULL HAVE DECENT CREDIT AND CAN BE TREATED THE WAY YOU'D LIKE BY CAR SALESMAN/ FINANCE MANAGERS ETC.BY THE WAY CALIFORNIANS, WHERE ARE MY EXTRA BENEFITS?I AM ANOTHER WHITE MINORITY. ALSO WHERE WAS JESSE JACKSON WHEN THAT BLACK LADY (IN A STATE I CANT REMEMBER) HIT THAT HOMELESS (WHITE MAN)AND WATCHED HIM DIE IN THE WINDSHIELD OF HER CAR IN HER GARAGE, AFTER A FEW DAYS....IMAGINE IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED

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