I went into Toyota of Harlingen simply wanting to test drive a few vehicles and figure out what I liked. Alexis was the salesman helping me, and I believe Sergio was the manager who later came over to try to finalize a deal.
I originally went in expecting to like the 4Runner, but completely changed my mind after seeing and driving the Grand Highlander. I loved it. However, I was very clear from the beginning that I was NOT in a rush to buy a new vehicle. My current RAV4 AWD has been great to me, is paid off, and I have absolutely no reason to settle on color, trim, drivetrain, or anything else just to make a deal that day.
Unfortunately, I felt incredibly dismissed throughout the process. I came into the dealership alone as a young woman, and after repeatedly having my preferences and decisions brushed aside, it was hard not to feel like what I was saying simply wasn’t being taken seriously.
My interaction with Sergio was also off-putting from the beginning. He started our conversation talking about how he likes to go out drinking and dancing and then asked whether my husband liked doing those things. It felt oddly personal and had absolutely nothing to do with me purchasing a vehicle.
I repeatedly explained that AWD was non-negotiable. I previously owned a 2WD Jeep and had a terrible experience getting stuck in the snow, and I also explained that I may eventually move back to Washington, where AWD is important to me. They continued trying to get me to agree to a FWD Grand Highlander anyway. Sergio even told me that I wasn’t going to move and that I would stay here.
That comment was incredibly dismissive. Whether or not I move is obviously not something a dealership gets to decide for me. More importantly, I shouldn’t have needed to justify it at all. I said I wanted AWD. That should have been enough.
The same thing happened with the color. I repeatedly said I preferred the darker color and did not want to settle, yet they continued trying to make a deal on the lighter-colored vehicle they had. I kept explaining that I wanted to wait until I found the exact color, trim, and drivetrain I wanted. Again, I am driving a perfectly good, paid-off vehicle. There was absolutely no reason for me to compromise just so they could sell me what they had available that day.
What really turned this experience into one I will not repeat was how difficult it became to simply leave. At the beginning of the visit, they insisted on taking my RAV4 for a test drive and appraisal before giving me a trade-in value, so they had possession of my keys. I told them over and over that I needed to think about everything, that I was not purchasing that day, and that I would come back the following week. I easily said this a dozen times.
Eventually, after I don’t even know how many times I had said no and tried to end the conversation, I finally had to say, “You have my keys. I need to go home.” At that point, they wouldn’t make eye contact with me, got on their cell phones, and made the entire interaction extremely awkward and uncomfortable.
There is a difference between being a salesperson and being so persistent that a customer feels like their repeated “no” and requests to leave are not being respected. I should never have had to repeatedly ask to leave while the dealership was still holding my keys.
I came in excited to explore my options and left knowing I would never step foot in this dealership again.
Ironically, I did decide on a Grand Highlander. I went to a dealership in the next town over, found exactly what I wanted, placed a deposit, and have already ordered my vehicle. Toyota of Harlingen could have earned my business simply by listening to me, respecting my decisions, and understanding that I was willing to wait for the right vehicle. Instead, they ensured my purchase would be made somewhere else.