Hi sweetie,
Where are you when I need you? That experience at Toyota was horrendous and I?m not sure we?ll get this house. The bankruptcy and foreclosure really hurt us.
I thought the Toyota people would be nice and understanding, especially considering my circumstances. I told the guy, Ron, what I wanted, what my financial situation was and all that so when I went in, I expected to be spending no more than $25,000.
I got there with the kids around 7 and this guy was with someone else so we looked at the cars that were available. All three vans were up there, between 28-30,000 and then tax?I thought, hum, where?s the base model? It turns out?Ron said?that the only models they had left were these two loaded vans from 2001 and one from 2002. I looked at the price and said, I can?t afford that. He said, oh no no no you?re going to get a discount, you?re a referral.
I felt relieved ? until I saw his first offer. His idea of a discount was to offer 28 something. I said no way, that?s more than I expected to pay. I was looking to pay 25,000 and he acted horrified. That would mean NO profit for the dealership and look at all the stuff this car came with. He asked what if he could get the manager to go to 28? I said that?s still too much. He got up and went to talk to the manager. Heidi was saying, if it?s too much, we should just go. Shoulda listened to her.
Anyway, now he comes back and the offer is 28,300 something with ?Happy Customer? written on the page. I saw a little red at that. I was NOT happy and NOT happy with the attitude that I should be happy. We went back and forth and forth and back and eventually he came down to 27,300. I still didn?t like it but I felt considerable pressure and began caving in.
I talked to Anthony, the young man who arranged financing and I told him I was not happy, told him that I wasn?t sure I could afford it, etc., and he just plowed along like he was deaf. He kept saying that this would be the best way to build my credit back up and so on and so forth. He came back telling me my payments would be $560 a month. I was having heart failure. I wasn?t sure I could afford that. I told him I?d need to think about it and let him know tomorrow. It was just as well that they couldn?t let me leave with the car because they needed the deposit of $12,000 and wouldn?t take the check I had. Hartford established a checking account for me but that wasn?t good enough.
Anyway, we went to the car and damned if it wouldn?t start! I was so embarrassed. I went in to ask RonW to use the phone, and he looked at me like I was some kind of pest. His phone didn?t work so I went to use the cell phone. I called Janet and asked her to come and pick me up. Meanwhile, people are leaving the dealership. There was one woman who asked if I needed a jump-start and I said I didn?t think so. No one else offered to help?and you?d think Ron would be out the door asking what he could do for me?especially if he wanted my money that much. Janet asked me the same thing.
I was so upset I was up until almost two in the morning, stewing over all this. Well, first thing the next day I called and talked to Anthony and told him the deal was off. I didn?t want the car. He said that he would see what he could do for me, and I said no no no I don?t want the car. Too expensive. He said come see him when I came down to have my car towed (I told him no one offered to help me). So I took a cab to Budget Rent A Car. Just before I did that I printed out a copy of the Sienna that I wanted to show Anthony. I rented a Ford Tempo and drove to the Toyota dealership again. Anthony came out and said he?d done a couple things and knocked the price down to $25,000, more like $436 a month or something.
The other thing I found out that pissed me off was that they could have called around and gotten another model of the Sienna from another dealership. Now I really was annoyed. I was pleased with what Anthony was doing, though, and thought, well, I could swing it if I?m careful. I don?t have to spend $800 a month on food. So?anyway, I let Anthony make the deal. The only thing holding it up now was the $12,000 and I called AXA (where Steve put my money) go get the money fedexed. Anthony is supposed to meet me at the Budget Rent a Car and take me to the dealership to finalize everything. Okay, so far so good.
Next thing that happens is that Cathy calls with the bad news that the owners of the nice place we looked at won?t take Amber. So oh well, I said, that?s that. We were getting ready to leave for bereavement when Cathy called back and said they were also concerned with the bad credit. They wanted reassurances that I?d be able to pay. So I offered extra security and I also said I?d contact Susan, the CPA, and Steve, the advisor, to reassure the owners. Susan appeared not to want to talk to the guy and I don?t know about Steve but I went ahead and faxed the man my checks, proof of income from SSA, my bank statements back to April and I figured it it?s not enough to convince him the hell with it.
Also went out on a limb and told the Landlords that I wanted a place where I could have a cat.
Then I went to bereavement with the girls and ended up talking a lot at the rap group. I talked about your birthday party and what we did (and I cried); I talked about what happened at Toyota (everyone thinks I should NOT take the car from Anthony?now I?m really confused). People here think that I should shop around and see if someone can offer me a better deal. Boy am I confused!
Rich, what should I do?
I love you. I really miss being able to lean on you and talk these things over with you. Heidi said I got all the screaming out of my system and got the guy to come down to $25,000 but I think, DO I need a van? The people at work think I should look at Accords?oh I am so confused.
Please help me Rich, help me think straight before I go home and have to make a decision!
Love you,
Me
Widow Support Board:
Rich died on May 23, 2001, a date which has no other meaning to me at all.
Our special number was 19. Got married on October 19, my birthday is
December 19, older daughter's birthday is September 19.
The only significance May has to me is that it has always sucked for Rich
and me. That's when we've had our worst financial times. So it goes.
***********************
posted 08-09-2001 11:17 AM
This is still about the Toyota. I called the dealership and talked to the
finance guy, Anthony, who was there the other night when I had my bad
experience. I said to him, I don't want the car, it's too expensive and I
explained how I felt pressured AND how NO ONE helped me after my car broke
down. Anthony acted horrified and aplogized and said if the car I wanted
wasn't there, they could contact another dealer...I asked WHY didn't Ron
(the salesman say so when I was protesting I couldn't afford the car?).
Anthony said, come talk to me, I'll help you.
I wasn't sure about it but I had to go there anyway to get my car towed. So
I rented a car and went to the dealership. Anthony met me outside and said I
shouldn't deal with Ron anymore, he'd reworked the figures, removed a lot of
the cost of the bells & whistles plus Ron's commission, etc. and could now
give me the same loaded van for like $25,000-something. Now I'd told Ron
that was the highest I wanted to go and he wouldn't present the offer to the
manager. So I was cranky but let Anthony go ahead and process the paper
work. I would save about $120 a month if I finance and pay on the loan a
year and rebuild my credit (which is in tatters). I was to have a check sent
down overnight that I could turn over to Toyota and Anthony said he'd have
someone from Toyota meet me at the rent-a-car place and then take me to the
dealership.
Then I went and told my story to the parents' rap group at bereavement and
to my co-workers at lunch. They all think I should have NOTHING to do with
this dealership and take my business elsewhere, shop for an even better
deal, etc...
I signed papers again but left no money.
I am so confused. Normally I would talk this over with Rich and eventually
we'd figure out the right thing to do...if my car hadn't died I would not
try to make such a major decision so soon but I can't keep pouring money
into this Fix Our Repairs Daily vehicle. I've already wasted $1000 on it
since Rich died.
I sure would appreciate some more input, you all were really helpful
yesterday.
Thanks in advance,
Me
*****************************
posted 08-09-2001 11:21 AM
((((((((John)))))))))
You're in good company today, John. I miss Rich's smile, his signed "I love
you" goodbye, his level-headed advice...especially the advice today. I am so
confused. I miss his arm around me when we slept...and he looked like a baby
too when he slept. It's not easy, we just have to go minute by minute
sometimes.
And (((((((Michelle)))))) The special days are *really* hard. Just
'celebrated' Rich's birthday on Saturday (he would have been 41). And we did
sorta celebrate with a BBQ and balloons. I wanted people to remember how
much fun Rich was and how nice he was and I think we did that. But oh how I
miss him! :-(
*******************
posted 08-09-2001 12:25 PM
Okay, there are some things I don't miss...
I don't miss Rich's impatience. I am not sure whether it was lack of sleep
or stress or pain but he lost his temper frequently and easily. I don't miss
the yelling.
I don't miss the power struggles between him and the kids.
I don't miss our shouting matches (very childish, looking back on it).
I don't miss his condescending attitude if I misplaced my keys.
if I think of anything else I'll post it...