Olly_

Same, I put it in my calendar every 5 months. When I called last month they didn't even do the usual $99 for 12 months, $49 for 6 months, put you on hold, oh how about $25 for 5 months then routine, they just went straight for the $25.

kimilseung

Sounds like the dealer has fired the first salvo of his/her negotiating tactics. What would the deposit actually be for? Depends what you sign when you pay that money.

scrubbedexpat099

Pay the deposit when you agree the price otherwise there is no point.

DexterBerkeley

I think you're right. Thanks all for the responses, I thought this approach sounded odd. I'm visiting the dealer this afternoon, could be a quick discussion if they don't want to move on this point.

Oakvillian

For sure. Your negotiating position is to move closer to the exit door if they don't stop being so stupid.

A deposit should secure the maximum price; there's always the chance that (as Lansbury experienced) there's a better manufacturer rebate when the car reaches the dealer's lot, in which case the dealer might honour that out of a sense of goodwill. But under no circumstances would I pay a deposit for a car and not know exactly how much the final sale cost would be.

BenK91

As others have said, agree the price (in writing) and then secure that exact price with a deposit.

I've been cruising round in a full size F150 for the last 10 days while my Colorado is in the shop for Hail Repair (hood is being replaced, 13 or so dents on the roof which they've managed to get out with PDR).

Should hopefully have it back this week! They managed to sneak mine in as it "wasn't that bad". Within 5 days of the hail storm they were booked up until October, so I'm pretty grateful they could sneak mine in.

scrubbedexpat099

I would have bought it for half price, how was the F150?

BenK91

It wasn't bad, I wouldn't take it over my Colorado though (which I got back last night). It was too big - it was the full size cab with the large bed which was an absolute nightmare trying to find a spot big enough if we ventured out into Boulder and Denver.

Just glad to have mine back!

scrubbedexpat099

So had the 8ft bed, always handy on a trip to HD and getting wood in. Just came back from Breck and it dumped down, must be months since I last used my windscreen wipers.

When I first came over I drove a Ranger and they now feel tiny, I know the dog would not like it.

zzrmark

Why do these bloody great trucks have such a piss poor payload rating???

Eg: Toyota Tundra 6'5" bed, takes up loads of room, overhangs standard sized parking spaces by quite a lot of feet, measly payload rating 1410lbs.

So that's 220lb for a fat bastard driver,
300lb ish of tools in the back of the cab,
58lb for two stepladders,
1920lbs in 32 60lb bags of concrete in the bed on top of
1500lbs (ish) of sand that came out of the holes that the concrete is going in.

Not quite on the bump stops but I wouldn't have wanted to put another twenty bags in the remaiming free space...

chawkins99

You forgot the tank of fuel.

These 'full size' trucks are generally termed 'half-ton' because the early ones had a payload of half a ton (1200lbs) so your 1400 is still better. My Silverado is around 1550lbs payload.

I bet she was creaking driving through them Florida mountains. I think even a duelly would have been struggling with that load.

Oakvillian

...erm... because they're piss poor vehicles fobbed off on a gullible public who don't know any better?

</runs and hides>

zzrmark

I didn't forget the tank, it was all but empty when I loaded the concrete, although I thought on the way home I might as well go full hog and fill her up - bizarrely the auto stop on the pump didn't engage for the first time I can ever remember, so after hearing that familiar whossh sound of fuel rising up the filler pipe I was somewhat surprised when it went quiet and was then spewing gas over the forecourt! So we can add another 120lbs+ for the last couple of miles.
The engine barely gave it a second thought but there may have been some explaining to do if someone had pulled that good ol Florida trick of cutting up a driver right on the red lights!

When I eventually knacker the springs I will look for a heavier duty set and beef up the brakes a tad, it might still be underrated but at least I'll able to put stuff in the bed without having to worry if it'll stop or bust a spring. The chassis on the Tundra seems to be built for heavier work than the one on my 2010 F150 despite the fact that the F150 had an extra 200lb payload capacity. The only real 'mechanical' concern would be the tires.


And yes there are some gullible fools out there, but I can't afford a duelly, or a 7.5 tonner and the sites I work on aren't that practical for trailers. Unfortunately nowadays it seems to be the thing to have a kicking sound system and a crap load capacity, worse still the Tundra missed out on the interior bling and has neither.

caretaker

My friend just bought a 2008 Tundra with 125,000 km on it, looks pretty minty.... with taxes it was $20,000 Cdn. He'll turn it into a pile of dirt in about 5 years.

Guindalf

So about $4,95 US, right?