Complaint Review: Toyota

We went to buy a new car, it was listed on the lot at $20,100. We agreed to put down $3,000 now, $500 in two weeks and monthly payments of $400.

The dealer would not take a postdated check said it was "against the law" but agree to HOLD the check for two weeks, the finance guy even showed us the stamp he would use. Then the dealer asked us to sign over a $1,000 rebate, and effectively raised the price $1,000. We were told the $1,000 rebate lowered our payments over 72 months to the $400; however, we were not told until the last minute at signing. I think they intentionally waited until the deal was done to grab $1,000 for themselves. Then they deposited all the checks, of course, they all bounced and then only the smallest ones went through.

We put a stop pmt on $1,000 in order to get the contract cancelled for fraud and were surprised when the customer service manager not only would not help us, she told us we were wrong and if we didn't come into the dealership with $1,000 cash, she would report us to the police. Unfortunately, one of us is not a native english speaker and so their trick worked.

We should have been able to cancel the original contract based on the fraud and deception about the postdating of the check and the "phony" rebate (the manager herself told us they are rarely ever turned over to the customer). Keyes refused to re-write the contract, which would have netted us back at least the $1,350 warranty and the $1,000 rebate, instead threatening us with arrest for bouncing a check. The checks would not have bounced if Keyes had not FORCED us to date them all the same date. I still have the postdated check they would NOT accept. I also have the MSRP sticker with the $20k price.

Here's another website with a complaint about the same dealer: www.badbusinessbureau.com/Auto-Dealers/Keyes-Toyota/keyes-toyota-after-two-weeks-o-9DP92.htm

Rafael
Van Nuys, California
U.S.A.