Granted, my credit is poor, but the disrespectful treatment I received at Toyota of Glendale is inexcusable. After filling out the credit application for a 2002 Echo (listed at only $10K) the finance manager said I could not buy a new car, that I was approved for only $10K, and the total must include tax and license, therefore, it would have to be a used car. He said I could not buy the new car, because when the tax and license was added, it would go over the $10K.
So, I walked across the street to look at the used cars, but the nicer one's (Toyota or Honda) were not acceptable for one reason or another. The finance manager's excuses were that they had too many miles or they were too expensive. The only acceptable car on the lot was a Daewoo Nubira. I took it for a drive, and told him I would bring my daughter back to see it, as she would be a second driver. She hated the car. They said the only other car on the lot in my price range was a Chevy Geo. We took it for a test drive, but it was so small, my daughter, who is 5' 10" tall, could not get the seat back far enough to be comfortable. So, we left and forgot about buying a car for a couple of weeks.
I decided to call the salesman to see if they might have an older Camry that would fall within the $10K price range, and he said a 1996 was just turned in the day before. I asked him to check with the finance manager to see if the cost was within the previously approved amount and he said, Yes, and to come on over.
When we arrived, the salesman let us take it for a drive and my daughter and I both loved it. We went inside to make arrangements to sign the paperwork and make the down payment, when the finance manager came over and said I needed to fill out the loan application again as he had cleaned out his briefcase and discarded my application. I told him before I did, I wanted to know how much my payments would be and get the price settled. He left us (as they always do), and went over to talk with some other customers. We waited at least 20 minutes and the salesman was obviously annoyed with the length of time it was taking. He went over to talk with the finance manager, and I saw him send the salesman over to another manager.in about 5 minutes he returned and informed me that I could not buy the car because it was too old and it had too many miles on it! I told him I wanted to speak with the finance manager. After we waited another 20 minutes, he came over and informed me I would have to buy a newer car with fewer miles on it, and the Daewoo was still available. I told him I did not want a Daewoo, I wanted to buy a used Toyota, and he literally told me I could not buy a Toyota, that I needed to start off small and then move up, and there was a Ford Tempo I might like.
I happen to be African American and a woman, which I understand gives me two strikes to start off. I did not see another Black person in the dealership, and the salesman told me they did not get much Black business that their business was primarily Philippino, Armenian, Asian, and Hispanic. I told him it was clear to me that my business was not wanted.
Alana
Pasadena, California
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