Quote:
Originally Posted by bestwheelbase
Someone here who has spoken to the regional rep (from the manufacturer) will probably PM you their contact info. Seems like this should be easy to sort out. If you know what you want, any dealer should be able to get it and sell it to you.
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Thanks for your response. It really DOES seem like an easy thing to figure out, which is why it's driving me nuts. I know what I want, have found a few acceptable cars via the inventory search, but when I ask dealerships about them, the convo always goes something like this:
Me: Hi, I used your inventory search and found a car I like. [Describe car and give last few VIN digits.] I know it's somewhere in the SE, but the particular dealership isn't listed. Can you help me out?
Dealer: Oh, these cars are really rare, there are only X amount [usually 1] of the car you're looking for with those particular options in the ENTIRE REGION!!!1
Me: Um, I know...but there IS one listed - the one I just described to you. And really, I'm only in the market for one car right now, so it's actually perfect.
Dealer: Oh. Well, that dealer is not willing to trade us the car.
Me: That's OK, I'll drive to that dealership if it's within 200 or so miles.
Dealer: It's just so hard to get these, a lot of them are pre-ordered. Would you like us to pre-order one for you just the way you want? Or put you on a wait list? Or are you interested in the one we have on the lot?
Me: Possibly, but I'd like to check out the one that is available
right now before ordering and waiting. Couldn't you just tell me where that car is located?
Dealer: No, Toyota/Scion will not allow me to release that information.
Me: So my only option is to directly contact the dozens of dealerships in the SE region to see which one has the car I'm looking for?
Dealer: I guess so.
A Scion rep refused to release the contact info for the regional manager.