Worried over giving the car to dealership without receiving a check

So they made me sign the paperwork. They told me that they will pay off the car and wait for the bank to send them the title, and then they will either mail me my check or I could pick it up from them myself. Initially they said it will take 4 weeks, but then they said it may get done in 2-3 weeks.
Should I be worried? Is this usual for dealerships to hold your money till they get the title? Althought it is a big Toyota dealership, but what can I do if they try to screw me?
Thanks!

 

Thanks. The good thing is that they gave me photocopies of the signed documents which mention the sale price and how much is owed to the bank. The difference is my money.

 

This is why I sold my truck to CarMax instead of a dealer. They paid me on the spot.
Their check for $26k cleared the next day.

Two dealerships gave me that same story that you got. Plus the old "it could take two weeks for the check to clear". What I think they are doing is a no risk to them shady deal. They can delay paying you until they sell your car to somebody else. "Oh, we're waiting for the title" scam.
Their explanation was that they assume that the vehicle doesn't have a clear title and keeping the vehicle until they get the title protects them from buying a vehicle that they can't title. I called BS on that and CarMax proved me right.

 

I have no problem waiting 4 weeks but I want my money. If they don't give me my money and force me to hire a lawyer then they are really evil.
BTW, this is the same dealer which took $1000 deposit from me for 2022 4R. I didn't like the grill, and called them and within two weeks my $1000 was put back on my credit card, no questions asked. That's why I trusted this dealership.

 

The two dealerships I talked about are in the same auto group. I bought that truck from one of them and eight vehicles from the other and they still didn't trust me to sell them a truck with a clean title.

 

I am fine if they don't trust me. I have no problem with that. Like I said, I am a poor man in need of my money. As long as they give it to me, I am perfectly fine. Dealerships are supposed to be more trustworthy, I mean they are a Toyota dealership. How can they hurt their reputation over a few thousand dollars. If I hire a lawyer, they will have to hire a lawyer too. Not worth it for them IMO.

 

It'll be fine, dude.

Stop overthinking every fucking thing.

The dealer and bank and others in this equation do this all the time, and if they made a habit of fucking customers then they'd be out of business and there'd be enough negative word of mouth surrounding them that you'd have heard something before you ever set foot in there.

More importantly, they trusted you with a vehicle you hadn't paid for, only a signature to attest that you'd follow through with payments. And they were trustworthy enough to refund your initial deposit upon your request. Give them the same courtesy of trusting them.

If you financed through TFS or a local credit union that holds the title in house the title will be released in about 2 weeks, both are pretty fast. Figure another ten days for dealer clerks to get to it, cut a check to you.... So I'd say in three weeks you should be whole. Probably slightly longer if you used a bank.

 

Thank you. My mind is all over the place these days. I will take some deep breaths and things will be fine. Thank you once again.

 

Word of advice after dealing with a super complex situation with a dealership recently...

Unless you are dealing with one point of contact, explain the entire situation in detail to every single person you talk to, so that way they have the full picture and can best help you.

The last situation I was in I realized no employee was giving any other employee the full picture and there were a lot of assumptions and misunderstandings.

 

Relax some more. Do some Yoga or something. You've got copies of your documents. Dealerships have to process these things and it can take a little time.

Follow the advice listed above: Check with the dealer at 2 weeks, then weekly.

 

If you were buying a car outright from an individual, would you hand over the cash before you had the title in hand?

When you purchased the vehicle new, it took time for the title to be generated, then sent to the financial institution. Same applies to getting the title back from said institution - it takes a bit of time.

 

Useful

I have always been super annoyed when someone just starts talking to me like I already know the backstory. If you want me to help you, assume I know shit because communication always breaks down behind the scenes, and fill me in accordingly. Then when I have all the info, I can fix your shit. Just because you talked to Billy Bob who also works here over a poker game at your cousins' house three weeks ago doesn't mean I know what you told him...

Regrettably, I have literally had people call me to check into something about a murder or other heinous crime and they just start talking like this is the only criminal action the department has ever investigated. Slow down, champ. Who got murdered again? Was that the quadruple homicide? Oh, no, just one guy who got disemboweled and hung in a tree?... okay, let me get back to you, it's not ringing a bell...

 

I'm sure you signed paperwork, that's your receipt so if in the very slim chance they screw you, you have legal paperwork. Your paperwork does say something along the lines of they owe you money correct?

 

Flip that around for the dealer. They give cars every day to people who not only don't have cash in hand but honestly probably aren't even sure they can afford that particular vehicle and just sign saying they promise to pay...

I've never been fucked either way by a dealer. One thing they have down pat is buying and selling cars with money to be delivered later. They might be shady in the oil change tire rotation stripping skid plate bolts department, or gouge you on price, or fuck you on trade (but you know that going in and are choosing to be fucked) but it is a rare "big company" dealer that screws with the financials or doesn't deliver a title or a check as promised.

I bet I've owned fifty cars in my life. Almost all of those were dealer bought, most traded back in, some sold outright to dealers... I've not once had to involve an attorney or even think about an attorney, and I bet I've only ever had to make like 2 or 3 calls to check in on things after a few weeks, and in every one of those instances I was just being impatient, the wheels were already in motion, and within days everything was in hand.

Honestly I have had some downright great experiences at dealers where they knew full well they could have screwed me and didn't. As an example and an attaboy, Lithia Toyota in Klamath Falls Oregon bought my "old" 2017 4 Runner from me several months ago. I then bought in a separate transaction a 2021 Tacoma. They knew I was moving to Ohio weeks later, and they could have fucked me hard... what was I gonna do, come back across the country to fight them? They not only paid me like they said they would, they also registered the truck at my new address in Ohio (not in California, where we lived at the time; which was awesome because 1) fuck California and 2) major tax savings for me), overpaid the title fees, and literally had the new Ohio title waiting on me at the clerk of courts at our new home county before we had even moved. I got a call like 12 days after I bought the truck from the Ohio county clerk telling me I had a title waiting on me and they couldn't mail it to me because they also had to cut me a check for the dealer's overpayment and they had to look at the truck VIN for validation before the title could be released.

 

You're correct in how dealers work on buying and trading in. My point was buying from an individual, which is what this transaction boils down to. You wouldn't hand over the money until you had the title in hand, which is what everyone agreed to.

If Carmax hands you a check on delivery, that's them trusting they will eventually get the title.

 

Understood - but he sold to a dealer... so....?

 

Not so much who he sold it to, as it is them buying from an individual IMO.

It boils down to if you deal with a dealer, you have to accept their process.

 

Fair

 

The internet is a bad place to look for this type of advice after the fact. Here's some things to help.

1. You signed paperwork, you don't own the vehicle any more. They legally do not have to give you the car back, it's theirs. I imagine one of the things you signed was a Power Of Attourney in order to obtain title and other things from the lienholder.
2. Be patient and let the process work. They said 4 weeks, I'd call back in 2 and ask for an update. Remind them you're not demanding anything but rather ensuring the process is flowing. Demanding something without any legal right to do so will just make sure they don't prioritize you. They will help someone else before you. However, explaining you are waiting so you can help your family might garner sympathy, or at the least, do no harm.
3. Do not threaten legal response, that gives them a heads up. If you really plan to take that action, NEVER TELL THEM BEFOREHAND.

I think you will be ok, I did something similiar and I got my check, and it was directly for a somewhat questionable dealer too. The bad business they would receive doesn't outweigh a few bucks they can rip someone off for.

Finally, your most powerful tool is social media, review sites, and possibly the BBB/Chamber of Commerce if they are a member. They likely are. Reaching out to those groups might provide a solution.

However, I'll stress patience. If you agreed to 4 weeks and go demanding your check a day later, it makes you look like the jerk, not them.

 

Unrelated but worthy of mention about this comment.

A dealership is represented by a person, an owner. They are guilty of being as human as the rest of us. A Toyota dealership might have some guiding principals they are required to follow by Toyota Corporate but make no mistake, each Dealership is owned by a different human, and humans make the difference in your experience.

A smart, business-minded, ethical and trustworthy owner can own a Chevy dealership and treat people fairly, even though I dislike their vehicles.
A lying, stealing, morally depraved person could own a Toyota dealership and screw customers daily, even though I like their vehicles.

Separate the people from the assumption a Brand is the experience. The experience at a Dealership is the people running it. An experience of the 4Runner itself is the Toyota corporation making it.

 

This. ^^

Don't worry until and unless something bad happens. Several of us advised you to check out CarMax or similar. That's how I would have sold it. I sold a car recently to them and the process took two hours and had the check on the spot. But selling to the dealer is fine too. The price seems reasonable. Just chill. And let us know how it turns out when all is said and done.

 

My buddy waited 3 weeks for his check to come in. Just be patient.

 

I mean using the same argument as OP if you have a job you should be paid daily. Hell, paid every fifteen minutes for that most recent quarter hour of work. Waiting 2 weeks or a month for a paycheck.... what if they screw you?

 

Also remember that most banks will put a hold on the check for 7 to 10 days to make sure the check clears. They don't want to be forced to make you pay the money back.

 

The paperwork shows the whole sale price and the money owed to the bank. So indirectly it means the difference is mine. No?

 

Thanks. I shouldn't freak out only after a day. I will contact them in two weeks and see what they say.
Thanks everyone

 

Sounds like they're potentially using your money to floor the truck. Any idea when they cut a check to your finance company? Every day they have it and you don't, you could still be paying for it, if they have not issued a pay off check. While it may or may not be crooked, it's not right of them if they're doing it.

just thinking out loud, but a little proof of payment by them to the lender seems like a reasonable request. If you get snaked oiled there.....it could foretell what your future dealings with them could look like?

Again, just thinking out loud.

 

Thank you, I'm going to call Toyota Financial on Monday and ask them whether they received the payment or not

 

If the answer is no. Ask them if they've had an inquiry by the named dealership for payoff.

 

Sir, Toyota Financial automatic system on the phone says my account is closed. So they means they got their money from the dealer?