Is It Normal?

[Demonic Angel]

I pick up my new Yaris on Sunday (I cant wait!) but I have just gone through a right ruckus to sort out paying for it!!

I have arranged a bank loan, which has all gone through and is in my account ready to go. I spoke to Listers Toyota who told me that I can arrange a bankers draft for the amount and pay it when I pick the car up - fair dos I thought!

So off I trot to my local bank branch to get my bankers draft - only to find they dont issue them inbranch, I have to get them from Customer Services, so I ring them and it'll be Tuesday before I get it!

Of course Tuesday isnt good enough - I need it for Sunday!

Anyway the bank advises me to speak to Toyota to arrange a debit card payment instead, as the money is in the account and all Toyota need to do is call them for authorisation for the amount and everything will be fine.

Anyway I get on the blower to Toyota who tell me they dont accept debit card payments, its a company policy to stop fraud! I've never heard of it in my life, a dealership not accepting card payments!

Anyway they have agreed to let me do it, as I need my car for Monday, so I am going there tomorrow with my debit card to pay it off. Apparently they have had to go through all the management to do this for me!

Are all other Toyota dealerships the same - this is the first car I've bought from a dealership, so I'm new to this! It just seems a bit daft when I have the money in my account, and can prove it, and they can contact the bank for authorisation, that they are reluctant to accept card payments....

[pete1984]

I got a bank loan for my matiz an paid for it on my switch card.

[yannick]

Anyway I get on the blower to Toyota who tell me they dont accept debit card payments, its a company policy to stop fraud! I've never heard of it in my life, a dealership not accepting card payments!

I don't know the situation in the UK, but it is quite normal for sales involving large amounts (say more than £2500 or so) here to be by banker's draft or bank transfer only

[jimma]

In my experience (4 dealers), Toyota Dealers are as big a cowboys as any 'back street' business, they probably just can't be ubikd to do the extra admin!

[dub_boy]

All the dealerships I have worked for accept debit cards but not credit cards as they incur a fee! However bankers draft or building society cheque is the preffered method. Reasons for this are not to do with any extra admin but sometimes it can be difficult getting authorisation if the card centre is busy & it just causes grief if for any reason it wont go through.

I have been told by the card centre to retain the customers card on more than one occasion!

[jimma]

All the dealerships I have worked for accept debit cards but not credit cards as they incur a fee! However bankers draft or building society cheque is the preffered method. Reasons for this are not to do with any extra admin but sometimes it can be difficult getting authorisation if the card centre is busy & it just causes grief if for any reason it wont go through.

I have been told by the card centre to retain the customers card on more than one occasion!

In that case, my apologies :D

[noob]

I used my Visa Debit card to pay.

[Toady]

We normally put the deposit on a credit card and get the rest on a personal cheque, can't you just write one of them from the account the money is in?

Mat

[SMW]

We normally put the deposit on a credit card and get the rest on a personal cheque, can't you just write one of them from the account the money is in?

Mat

Mat - I guess they will want to wait for a personal cheque to clear.

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I bought a Yaris by switch (debit) - £10 000. Took about 15 mins with the dealer on the phone to the bank and at one point it was handed to me and I had to speak to them (the bank) as well but it went OK in the end.

Guess they (the dealers) just want to avoid the hassle.

[john23]

I paid for my T-sport in full (minus the deposit, which I'd paid by credit card) by debit card when i picked it up - dealer didn't seem to complain.

It took about 15mins as the bank needed to speak to me to verify the transaction.

I think I paid for the car before the Yaris by debit card as well at the Great Trade Centre in London - I think most places should do it, although they tend not to be so keen on credit cards.

Perhaps this particular dealer didn't want the hassle - I suppose a bankers draft is easier for them, although they can be forged as well so its no complete guarantee...

[Viper_7]

Another reason why a lot of business don't like Credit Cards..other than the admin charge...(which is tiny by the way) is that you are better protected...and they don't like that!

If you had a problem with the car...which say that claim wasn't part of the warranty.... or a problem with any product no matter where you bought it from..then you can get you money back straight away from VISA ... and they then go to the supplier for the goods...ie toyota to get the momey back. As VISA are Huuuge they have a lot of clout, and would quite happily take companies to court.

I purchase Everything on Credit card...and always pay off the full balance each month... so no charges....no carrying cash around...and 100% protected purchases.

Take for Example Travel agents..most of these don't take credit cards now or chard you 2% for thje priviledge....again they say they are expensive to process....noncence...I know...I have connections with Visa at work...secondly...your insured for your pruchase...ie the holiday! so you automatically have free Travel insurance...but of course the travel agents want you to buy theirs!

I paid for my last holiday in Five pound notes!! totally :censor: them off big time...as they had to sit and count it...hmmm me thinks the cost in counting..would have been much cheaper than a visa transaction!!

Vipes

[Demonic Angel]

Well I eventually paid for my car on my debit card which was quick and easy, much more so than a bankers draft which would have taken days!

The bloke who put my transaction through (I think it was the finance guy, not my sales bloke) was a right muppet, he misread the invoice and put through 10,412.99 instead of 9,412.99 (I had already paid a grand deposit) so when they rang the bank to authorise they said NO!

We left to sort a bankers draft out and realised what he'd done and went back - boy did he feel like a such an incredibly beautiful persont!

After that they couldnt help me enough and my car is lovely and I'm thrilled with it! The sales guy I had was really nice but I dont think much to that finance bloke - I mean, how unprofessional can you be to not read the invoice properly!

[adam1]

What an idiot....just as well ur bank didn't authorise it...overdrafts are expensive..especially unauthorised ones.

I've been thinking of using one those 0% APR cards to pay for mine. When i bought my car I paid deposit via credit card 1000 and rest as cashiers cheque drawn on the branch.

They guy who delivered the car to my house (300 miles away) said he would ring the bank and wanted me to fax it. anway I gave the cheque to the bank to fax but they refused so i went to my local britannia BS. they were very helpful and said they had faxed cheque. However the lady was a bit careless and just copied it instead....didn't know how to use fax.....so MB rings up...we need ur fax copy....I told them i had but they came up with the car anyway.

All he needed was the cheque and the savers account book where it was taken out of which showed transaction.

The car was delivered and he took mine as PX.

If u insist they deliver since they ur are always right...u are the customer and u are KING/QUEEN.

I think i'll insist on credit card.....0% is def worth it.

[Demonic Angel]

What an idiot....just as well ur bank didn't authorise it...overdrafts are expensive..especially unauthorised ones.

I've been thinking of using one those 0% APR cards to pay for mine. When i bought my car I paid deposit via credit card 1000 and rest as cashiers cheque drawn on the branch.

They guy who delivered the car to my house (300 miles away) said he would ring the bank and wanted me to fax it. anway I gave the cheque to the bank to fax but they refused so i went to my local britannia BS. they were very helpful and said they had faxed cheque. However the lady was a bit careless and just copied it instead....didn't know how to use fax.....so MB rings up...we need ur fax copy....I told them i had but they came up with the car anyway.

All he needed was the cheque and the savers account book where it was taken out of which showed transaction.

The car was delivered and he took mine as PX.

If u insist they deliver since they ur are always right...u are the customer and u are KING/QUEEN.

I think i'll insist on credit card.....0% is def worth it.

Just so you know adam1, they were funny about me using a debit card at first, but they point blank refused a credit card!

Plus those 0% deals on cards only last a little while usually (read the small print!) and then you get a hefty apr on top - its usually cheaper long term to get a personal loan (you can get online rates from 5.9% apr)

Not trying to put you off buying or anything, just seriously think about what you'll be getting yourself in for with all that money put on a credit card......