Toyota Of El Cajon False quotes during Finance, Inflated prices on Alarm package El Cajon California

Max,

Thanks for the nice post you put up.  I want you to know that I am here for you if you ever need me.  We appreciate your business.

Gary Kaminsky

Hi Gary,

Your reply here is everything I need and it truly it means a lot to see that you read these reports and are proactive about customer satisfaction. Like I wrote before, I had a really good experience outside of my interaction with the financing. I can't say enough good things about my salesman and left good feedback on the Toyota survey. I'm happy to see there are sites like this that reach people who matter and care enough to make things right. There is nothing else that needs to be done as I already had my loan fixed through some helpful people at your location shortly after I made the initial complaint. I appreciate your time and kind response. Also glad to see that your new facility has gone green.

Thanks,
Max

Max,

I'm very sorry to hear about the poor experience you had with our finance department.  If you wouldn't mind contacting me, I will take you though our procedures to try and earn back some confidence that we have lost.  My family ownes this dealership and customer satisfaction is very important to us.  If you are unhappy with any of the finance products you bought from us, I will give you your money back. 

Again, I'm sorry,

Gary Kaminsky

General Manager

Toyota of El Cajon

garykaminsky@toyotaofelcajon.com

619-270-3003

Update: To their credit, after a few phone calls to the dealership and a negative review of the experience on the Toyota phone survey, they agreed to re-do my loan w/o the inflated features. The salesperson who sold me the car was visibly upset upon hearing about how I was treated by the financing department and told me they had recently brought in more aggressive people because of the low sales (this was in the pits of the recession in 09). I hope this was an isolated case and that lady no longer works there because what she did was borderline criminal. In response to the person in post #2, "wake up." There are always bad apples and I was a victim of one. I immediately talked to the manager when I got home and had a chance to look over the numbers. It was not until I had put additional pressure on them were through outside channels were they responsive to my complaints. You and the people you know might be good people but you cannot account for everyone there. There should be video cameras in every financing agents office recording every transaction. I agree I should be ashamed of myself because I let my guard down and was manipulated - I was caught unprepared and was too trusting but never again. Fool me once...

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As a word of advice to consumers, I suggest you bring in your own voice recorder or video camera as a precaution and let them know that the conversation will be preserved. Also bring a calculator and web accessible device to check their numbers and look up the true value of any additions. Keep all scrap paper that they use to show you your prices as well. It will be useful to prove that they are either bad at math or blatantly falsifying data to trick you into thinking things cost less than they are. I honestly would say no to any additional packages.

should be available on the web.

The finance dept in an auto dealership is a large profit center for the dealership. The trick they played on you has been played on me, and countless others. It is fraud and considered a deceptive practice. Google "packing payments" and check your state's statues to see how you can go after the dealership. Or call a consumer attorney.

The way this fraud works is exactly as you describe: the payment quoted is higher than the amount necessary to amortize the loan with the interest rate quoted. The dealer 'packs' in extra expenses to use up the 'extra' amount quoted in the payment. It may not sound like much, but if you add up the $20/mth over the term of the loan its many hundreds of dollars. Multiply that by the number of loans the dealership originates and you can see where it is a big profit center for the dealership.

The best way to avoid this is to get your financing from a credit union before stepping foot into an auto dealership. This way you know what you are paying for and you have control over the cost.

Since you are in the deal already, educate yourself and go after the dealer with an attorney if necessary. Report the dealership to every agency (like the AG) etc. Good luck. If enough people fight back, then the dealers will change.

I have worked for this company for many years.  I am not only insulted by this posting but am actually embarrassed for the individual that wrote this.  This is a great company, ran by wonderful, honest and caring people!   I have never seen anything of this nature done.  I feel after reading this posting it was written by either an ex-employee or an employee that has no idea of what they are talking about.  Get the facts and don't asume!  How dare you.  You should be ashamed of yourself.  If you had or have any concerns...you should be man enough to discuss your concerns and not hide behind a fraudulent posting.  No company is perfect but I do know that the owners of this company would welcome your concerns and would work with you or towards some type of resolution.  I am remaining anonymous...FOR NOW! 

I apologize for your poor experience.  I would love an opportunity to assist you.  Please contact me at (619) 270-3195.  I feel confident that I can make this right.  I am looking forward to speaking with you and providing you with a resolution.

Sincerely,

Michelle Candelaria

Guest Relations Manager