Bad dealer experiences

With all this sudden influx of bad dealership stories I figgured I might add one as well. This story may or may not be real of course..

So I had this hunkering for a used 355 in addition to my stable, because I wanted an affordable and reliable car. After searching for weeks and weeks on the internet, cars.com, autotrader and ebay... I come across this ad for a $15,500 Red 3 pedal car that looks just great. The text just reads "Ncie great car. U WIL LUVIT! All maintence up too date!" So I think... Sounds legit. Most sellers only have one name "Gary". I call the guy and its a very bad phone connection and he answers all my questions in single curt answers. "Have the valves been done?"... "Yup." "Any records?"... "No say what?" "Any records?"... "yeah sure"

So I drive to the shop, past the working ladies and dealers in the decidedly bad part of town. I never stop the car nor unlock the door. I get to the lot and amongst the beaten buicks and ratty honda accords is this blue 355 with gold BBS-like wheels and some wing screwed to the back lid. I walk inside and this guy is at his desk eyeing me sheepishly. he must have just been eating a donut because he sure didn't clean the powdered sugar from the lapel of his shirt. So sloppy...

Anyway I ask him if he can start it and he says "You want to buy it?". And I say "Yeah". He says " You buy then I start it". I say no, I want to hear it run. He then says "You pay cash?" I then realize that I don't want to admit I've got 15 large on me.. so I tell him "No I'll pay with a certified check" He then tells me "cash only". And I tell him that I need to hear it run.. and then pauses eyes me up and down and says "It's not for sale anymore". And I say "what?". He then tells me it's not for sale and to go... to which I do.

Sheesh the nerve! Like he didn't want to sell me a car. Avoid no-name car lot. They're bad and so rude.

 

Wow! For a factory-authorized Ferrari dealer with no name, that was even worse service than usual.

Now, sit back and wait for all the armchair quarterbacks to make the whole bad experience somehow your fault!

 

yes...i agree

 

Of course it was my fault. I legitimately wanted to buy a car.

That story may or may not have happened... of course.

 

Actually, if you have directional tires AND different size rims front/rear it's a legitimate charge as they have to be dismounted, remounted & rebalanced.

If they are all four the same, then your gripe is fair.

 

All 4 the same...just had to pick them up off the floor and bolt on to a different location, front to rear.

They now sell Maseratis at that dealership...I bought my GTS elsewhere.
The thing that gets me is watching "stupidity" continue like a slow motion train wreck. I hate stupid people. The service manager could have said when I complained, "oh..sorry about that, just an oversight, didn't realize we didn't need to do extra work. Will take that charge off."
But even with me pointing out that they didn't do anything, all his tiny little brain could muster was, "oh...ok...we'll only charge you half."
Huh?
How is that even logical?
If you did work, charge the full price; if you did nothing, then charge nothing..what is this half charge business?
Like I said, their loss...idiots.

 

Some of these clowns are on commission so the bigger the bill, the more they make. Definitely shortsighted idiots.

 

VERY long story, here is the shorter version; I dropped my Touareg off at the dealer to do a couple of things to it last December, all clearly written out on their night drop work order form. I followed with a phone call the next morning to make sure that two particular issues be addressed - something that the front bumper had to come off for. Not a problem I was told. Got the car back and only one issue was repaired. I called them and they said the shop tech forgot to do other thing. I really couldn't drive the care safely at night until it was fixed. Problem was the guy hurt his shoulder that day and was going to be out for at least six weeks. I said, "So? Get another tech on it".

They told me that wasn't fair to them. I am not kidding, they really told me that. I had to either wait 6 weeks or pay to pull the bumper off again.

Thing is I am a golden customer. If I were them I would kill for ten more like me - and this is how I was treated. They would rather save $250 and run off a life long customer that is in every 5000 miles and OVERMAINTAINS the car in THEIR shop. Whatever.

 

in 2003, Penske of Tysons sold me a Cayenne S but gave me the wrong car. The car they gave me had $7k in extra options and I didn't notice for about 600 miles. They wouldn't let me keep it, rat bastards. Something about the VIN needing to match. Other than that, insanely great dealership. Had three Cayennes in a row, all serviced by them anyway if not purchased there. Anyway, true story. It's bothered me for a dozen years and I finally had to get it off my chest

 

Didn't you agree to pay the $35?

 

A few years ago, I had among other cars, a BMW x5. The TV screen went wrong, and it was a recall item, so I booked it in and duly delivered the car. I told them not to worry about a courtesy car, as I had a few others, but I needed a ride home. They told me to pick the car up at the end of the day, but I said not to worry, as the traffic there is really bad, I would come back the next day instead as there was no rush.

Next morning, I arrive at the dealership having had a call the previous evening to say the car is fixed. They give me the keys, make me sign the paperwork, and I am told the car is parked in the overflow car parking.

I get to the car, and it's parked in a corner out the way, I step in, start her up, the parking sensors go nuts! I walk around the car, rather than move, to check there are no rocks etc. the back of the car has been bashed, and the sensors pushed inside the bumpers from whatever impact happened, hence they a reading the inside of the bumper!

I go back inside the dealership, and they ask me where I went to crash the car!, I haven't been gone 2 minutes, and they have CCTV that shows I never moved the car. I tell them I didn't, and that I want to know how it happened, and they spend 20 minutes arguing that the is no way it happened with them as the is 'nothing at the site to hit the car at that height'?

Idiots, I grab the keys to an M5 demonstrator and walk out, telling them I will give it back when my x5 is repaired at their expense. I'm driving home, the police call me, the dealership reported I stole their car. I explain the circumstances, the cop laughs, tells me not to worry, and that he will warn the dealership about wasting their time.

A week later, the manager phones me and sheepishly asks if I will let them have their car back if they deliver the x5 to me. Absolutely disgusting service

Trouble is, that same dealership I give a chance evy few years to redeem themselves with a service, a car purchase, or some sort of work, and every time, I find they let themselves down badly..... Such a shame, as I use dealerships for all the cars I owned over the years which are a 100 miles away because of this lot as they are jus so useless.

Even a few weeks ago, I tried them again, gave them the opportunity to sell me a M3, but they were so bad and disorganised, I gave up, and bought a C63 AMG elsewhere

 

Sounds excessive suprised you didnt do it your self

 

This happened to me on the Innocenti DeTomaso I'd bought new for my wife in Paris back then.

The engine blew at around 1000 miles/2 weeks (used the car for a ski trip).

The dealership replaced the engine under warranty and then they sent me the invoice for the oil. They went so far as to involve a collection agency.

At the stage they had already spent more time/money than the cost of a couple/three oil cans I sent an angry letter to the Chairman of British Leyland (the car's importer in France) and I never heard anymore from them.

I sold the car to a friend who exploded two more engines (all under warranty). They never asked him to pay for the oil!

 

A you sure that was "powdered sugar" on his shirt? You are on the wrong side of town.