What does a dealer need?

[truckasaurus]

It might seem like a simple question but by paying cash, offering my US social insurance number and a cover note from my insurer (State Farm Canada) what else would a dealer need from me?

I want a truck with title, a bill of sale and a recal clearance letter (from Toyota or the dealer) and I'll be on my way.

I checked the state DMV site and can register the truck in the same state I buy it in as a non resident.

Could some one, maybe a dealer, let me know what is involved please?

[stuball]

My U.S. dealer is going to arrange for a state permit (I think it is good for 30 days) and I will be arranging all the insurance and liability needs for my vehicle from my insurer in Canada. Also, I will be getting travel insurance for myself. That will get me to the Canadian border.

Stuball

[Cliffy1]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

It might seem like a simple question but by paying cash, offering my US social insurance number and a cover note from my insurer (State Farm Canada) what else would a dealer need from me?

I want a truck with title, a bill of sale and a recal clearance letter (from Toyota or the dealer) and I'll be on my way.

I checked the state DMV site and can register the truck in the same state I buy it in as a non resident.

Could some one, maybe a dealer, let me know what is involved please?

Insurance, proof of identity and money should be all you need. Make sure the dealer knows exactly what is going on. This is important for a couple of reasons. Buying as a Canadian is not very simple. I'll explain a few of the pitfalls below.

First is the issue of taxes. Tax on cars is not a function of where they are sold, but rather, where they are registered/titled. If a Maryland resident buys from me, we title the car in MD and charge them the 5% tax, even though I am in Virginia. If a California resident buys from me and pays cash, I don't charge any tax because we don't title the car. We give the customer a "Certificate of Origin" and a buyer's order and they pay the tax to CA when they title/register it.

Many states do not allow a car to be titled by a non-resident. Virginia used to allow anybody to title a vehicle, regardless of residence. Because several of the 9/11 terrorists used VA driver's licenses, our legislature tightened up all rules regarding the DMV and showing proof of residence. There may be states the allow it, but I can't advise you about that.

Why couldn't you just pay with certified funds and get the CO from the dealer? Well, technically you could. Most dealers are smart enough not to do this. If we sell a car that is never titled in the US, we get what is called a "mis-match RDR". That creates a number of problems. We loose credit for the sale and it affects our future allocations. Its worse than not selling a vheicle in the first place. It counts as a negative unit sold and generally annoys TMS.

Some dealers will willingly sell a vehicle they know will be leaving the country as long as its registered first. There is a catch to that, but many dealers don't know about it. Within 6 months of the sale, Toyota will compare vehicle registration lists from RL Polk to the sales reports. When your car leaves the country, it becomes un-registered in the states. That makes for a mis-match on the Polk data. This still comes back to haunt the dealer.

I hope this helps. Make sure your dealer is aware of what you are doing. If they don't, you're likely to get there and have a manager suddenly figure it out and put a stop to the sale. They do have the right to do that.

[SFTundraMan]

Originally Posted by Cliffy1

Insurance, proof of identity and money should be all you need. Make sure the dealer knows exactly what is going on. This is important for a couple of reasons. Buying as a Canadian is not very simple. I'll explain a few of the pitfalls below.

First is the issue of taxes. Tax on cars is not a function of where they are sold, but rather, where they are registered/titled. If a Maryland resident buys from me, we title the car in MD and charge them the 5% tax, even though I am in Virginia. If a California resident buys from me and pays cash, I don't charge any tax because we don't title the car. We give the customer a "Certificate of Origin" and a buyer's order and they pay the tax to CA when they title/register it.

Many states do not allow a car to be titled by a non-resident. Virginia used to allow anybody to title a vehicle, regardless of residence. Because several of the 9/11 terrorists used VA driver's licenses, our legislature tightened up all rules regarding the DMV and showing proof of residence. There may be states the allow it, but I can't advise you about that.

Why couldn't you just pay with certified funds and get the CO from the dealer? Well, technically you could. Most dealers are smart enough not to do this. If we sell a car that is never titled in the US, we get what is called a "mis-match RDR". That creates a number of problems. We loose credit for the sale and it affects our future allocations. Its worse than not selling a vheicle in the first place. It counts as a negative unit sold and generally annoys TMS.

Some dealers will willingly sell a vehicle they know will be leaving the country as long as its registered first. There is a catch to that, but many dealers don't know about it. Within 6 months of the sale, Toyota will compare vehicle registration lists from RL Polk to the sales reports. When your car leaves the country, it becomes un-registered in the states. That makes for a mis-match on the Polk data. This still comes back to haunt the dealer.

I hope this helps. Make sure your dealer is aware of what you are doing. If they don't, you're likely to get there and have a manager suddenly figure it out and put a stop to the sale. They do have the right to do that.

the other issue not mentioned is whether you plan on driving the car from that state or shipping the car out of the state. Huge difference between taxes and registration. And every rule varies by state.

[truckasaurus]

Thanks guys, very usefull info. I found two dealers, thanks Stuball, who are willing to sell at MSRP.

Yesterday I went into a local dealer just to see what was the best a Canadian dealer could do for me. After all, I would like to support local traders, even if it's not a local product. $2K off list and an OK trade in $. Toyota is really letting down their Canadian dealers, not even a factory rebate, nothing.

[stuball]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

Thanks guys, very usefull info. I found two dealers, thanks Stuball, who are willing to sell at MSRP.

Yesterday I went into a local dealer just to see what was the best a Canadian dealer could do for me. After all, I would like to support local traders, even if it's not a local product. $2K off list and an OK trade in $. Toyota is really letting down their Canadian dealers, not even a factory rebate, nothing.

I sent you a PM (private message).

Stuball

[SFTundraMan]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

Thanks guys, very usefull info. I found two dealers, thanks Stuball, who are willing to sell at MSRP.

Yesterday I went into a local dealer just to see what was the best a Canadian dealer could do for me. After all, I would like to support local traders, even if it's not a local product. $2K off list and an OK trade in $. Toyota is really letting down their Canadian dealers, not even a factory rebate, nothing.

Just wondering , do the Canadian dealers just have them sitting on the lots collecting dust or are the moving product up there?

[truckasaurus]

I don't know the answer to that, however there is an eerie silence in the 3 three dealerships I visited....Maybe some of the sales staff have taken "vacation time" to pick one up for themsleves?

[Big Steve 63]

Originally Posted by SFTundraMan

Just wondering , do the Canadian dealers just have them sitting on the lots collecting dust or are the moving product up there?

The nearest dealer to me in Canada is 2 hrs away. I usually am in this city once a month. It is a city of 200,000, and they usually have 3-5 on the lot, and they are usually different (colors) every time.

[SFTundraMan]

Originally Posted by Big Steve 63

The nearest dealer to me in Canada is 2 hrs away. I usually am in this city once a month. It is a city of 200,000, and they usually have 3-5 on the lot, and they are usually different (colors) every time.

so it sounds like they are moving. Just curious