Business ProfileforFred Haas Toyota Country

A sales Bait and Switch scam! Fred Haas advertised a car at $37,719, then when i indicated that I wanted to close the deal, they increased the price by over $12,000, contrary to their current advertised price. I am interested in buying a new Toyota GR86 Trueno edition, so I stopped by Fred Haas Toyota yesterday on 249 and the salesperson, Celeste, took me to the prep garage to show me the different models they have in stock, including a red GR86 Trueno with automatic transmission. In order to solidify my intent to purchase the car, I offered to come in today and make a sizeable deposit to ensure that I had the first opportunity to purchase the car as we finalized the purchase price with regard to my trade-in, which according to the ad, I expected to be less than the $37,719 advertised. I made it known both yesterday and today that I intend to pay at least $25,000 down on the car and could come out today and make a deposit if necessary. The salesman that I talked to on the morning of March 19, 2024, assured me that tomorrow would be fine and that I could bring my Honda in at that time to be evaluated for a trade-in. This afternoon, Celeste called me and informed me that because this is a "special edition" vehicle that there would be a "Dealer Markup" on it. She started going over the numbers and gave me a final price of $49,000+ that included the advertised $37,719, plus a $10,000 Dealer Markup and the cost of the 4 options that were advertised as "included". I immediately informed her that this was a classic Bait and Switch tactic and a no-no in sales and marketing. If Fred Haas is doing this to me, they are doing it to others. It may very well be the norm in the Houston new car sales market. It should be investigated! It would be a totally different story if the "Dealer Markup" was disclosed on their web site, on the sticker on the vehicle, or upon the initial showing of the vehicle, but neither is the case here, it is being advertised at $37,719 with "incentives". I am ready, willing, and able to purchase the vehicle at the current advertised price, but not the inflated price of $49,000.