Toyota "certified used vehicles" transfer btwn dealerships?

[Traveler]

I'm shopping around for a 2005 T4R, V8, 4WD, likely a Limited but I'm open to a Sport.

Browsing Toyota.com I can search for "certified used vehicles". Plenty that I might be interested in will pop up, but they're always hundreds of miles away, with many in the Dallas area. (I'm in Amarillo, TX, about 5 hours from Dallas. I believe it's all Gulf States Toyota.)

In ideal world, they could do a dealer transfer much like they do with new cars. (i.e. "no we don't have that trim level in the color you want, but we can have one here in 3 days transferred from another dealer.") Will dealerships transfer used vehicles? I know they do it all the time with new cars, but a "certified used vehicle" somehow I doubt. Anyone know?

 

[Jeff Kleb]

I know that CarMax does transfers between locations. I know that they describe some as "no fee" and others as "small fee" in their advertisements; but do not know if they credit that fee towards the purchase price if you buy the vehicle.

If CarMax (huge network here on the East Coast) does it, I reckon that other used car dealers do as well. Try doing an Internet search from the Toyota web page, and it should connect you with any affiliated franchised Toyota dealers and their individual web pages. You can probably get more information there.

To me, it would seem to me that they would want to earn your business and work with you -- especially if you already know the year, make, model, color and trim level of the vehicle(s) in which you are interested.

Good luck!!!!


Here are some related sites that might help you:

http://www.carmax.com

http://www.edmunds.com

http://www.traderonline.com

http://www.kbb.com

http://www.ebaymotors.com

http://www.carfinder.com


NOTE: The aforementioned information is strictly my personal opinion and is simply non-certifiable friendly advice. No independent verification of its content, any factual data, absolute truth, accuracy in pricing or product warranty of any type is either expressed or implied.

 

[ASUMTNEER]

I'm almost certain they won't transfer a used vehicle. I'm sure you could buy it and have it shipped to you though. The dealerships own the used cars on the lot but "rent" the new cars from Toyota, that's why they can transfer new ones.

 

[meder24]

I tried this before through another brand and they would not do so. The only way they would have agreed to do it was if I would have paid for the vehicle upfront, so that they were not buying the car on their own dime and taking the chance you end up not wanting it once it arrives to their dealership.
I was not interested in buying a vehicle without actually seeing it in person first.

 

[Sungod]

I am sure they would transfer it, but it will cost you more than what it is worth. It wouldn't exactly be a transfer, but your dealer would have to buy it from the other dealer then pay to have it transported.

If you are serious about buying then make the drive. 5 hours for something that you will be driving around for the next 5-10 years isn't a huge investment.

 

[blind squirrel]

It depends on the owner of the dealerships involved. Remember, toyota is just the brand not the owner of the dealers. Take Hendrick automotive group for instance. He has something like 30 dealerships nation wide. When I worked at the local Lexus store we would transfer used cars between Hendrick dealerships all the time. If the car was in inventory for 30 days or more, the dealership with the car had to sell it to the other dealership for cost. If it was less than 30 days, the dealership could buy it for 1k above cost. If we tried to do this with a dealer outside of the Hendrick group, it didn't work out well for the customer. We would frequently have people fly in and drive their car home instead of paying a trucker to ship the car to them.

Like meder says, we made the customer pay for the car and do all the paperwork before the car was shipped. If the car showed up with anything wrong with it we would fix it for free. Then charge the dealer we got it from.