Seeking Wisdom

[Sunnysocal]

I dont have much experience with the process of buying a car let alone making a deposit to be on a waiting list.
I have a few concerns I hope I can get sound advice for

1. Are all deposits refundable or is it a dealership policy ?
2. How can I protect myself from being "scammed" by the dealer marking up the price.
3. Can a dealership turn away people from buying if they are previous Lexus owners?

Scenario Specific: Currently no car
I have not had a car for 1 month (totaled) I realize I need to get my self some wheels as a daily driver. How can I play this situation to my favor i.e save money (lease?) I drive to and from work a rounded total of 25 miles a day.

First Attempt:
Unfortunately, I did not have a positive interaction on my first attempt to put down a deposit. I was told it was non-refundable, which was not a total deal breaker, so I pressed on. The salesman then informed me that he has people waiting since 2022 for a totally different car. It was kind of odd that he would mention this after telling me it's non-refundable, as if that information was meant to convince or comfort me.

We began the "build" process for the car via the Lexus website. I chose the absolute basics; I just wanted Overtrail with Incognito, not that picky on the interior. He informed me that Lexus does not do custom builds. Okay? I wasn't making a custom build? He made sure I was aware that it may come with more accessories or individual options. That's understandable. I don't expect them not to try to make money by "forcing" add-ons that they claim cannot be removed from the vehicle, such as a tow hitch.

"We don't do MSRP markups." That's good, right? Next thing he says: "But we do dealership accessories that start at $9,985." He says that they come standard with all new cars for first-time owners. I am not interested in that, especially since all it was is a special type of paint protection and edge guards.

His attitude and posture to it didnt seem like he was willing to budge so I suspected a "scam" I say that lightly.

Your salesman sounds like a tool. I wouldn’t buy a newspaper from him much less a car. $10K in mandatory dealer upgrades is absurd. If you need a car now - you will likely be waiting for a while to get what you want close to the MSRP, but if you love the GX and can wait it out you may get lucky in a few months. I’ve been waiting 3 months on 2 dealer lists and I’m not even close. I’m waiting on the pearl Lux+ with saddle interior, but I’ve seen more overtrails available than any other model. Lexus of Temecula (So California) had the gold color in an overtrail on the lot just waiting for someone to buy it 2 weeks ago. They did have some dealer extras added on the price, but it’s an option if you are close or want to have it shipped to you.