Bad dealership experiences
- Thread starter veryHeavy
- Start date
- Status
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
(1) I wanted to testdrive a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I expected to hear "no" but the manager was very pleasant and said, "Of course! But it's in the shop getting some work done. Please come back Monday."
I returned Tuesday and there the car was sitting, waiting to drive, but the friendly manager suddenly said, "I'm sorry no." But you said I could testdrive it! "Of course you can sir.... after you buy it."
I then told him I will NEVER buy a car unless I get to drive it first, and I don't like being lied too and said, "I'm not surprised really. This is the same dealership that told me my radiator was leaking when nothing was wrong with it. Your mechanic also told me my wiper blades were "done for" when they were only 3 months old! Your whole organization is filled with dishonest people."
1 star review on yelp. Oh and I did buy a Challenger, but from a different dealer.
You need to stop by that dealership, with your new Challenger, and say "Okay, I bought a Challenger like you demanded. NOW can I test drive it?"
This! Yes! Very much this!
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
(1) I wanted to testdrive a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I expected to hear "no" but the manager was very pleasant and said, "Of course! But it's in the shop getting some work done. Please come back Monday."
I returned Tuesday and there the car was sitting, waiting to drive, but the friendly manager suddenly said, "I'm sorry no." But you said I could testdrive it! "Of course you can sir.... after you buy it."
I then told him I will NEVER buy a car unless I get to drive it first, and I don't like being lied too and said, "I'm not surprised really. This is the same dealership that told me my radiator was leaking when nothing was wrong with it. Your mechanic also told me my wiper blades were "done for" when they were only 3 months old! Your whole organization is filled with dishonest people."
1 star review on yelp. Oh and I did buy a Challenger, but from a different dealer.
You need to stop by that dealership, with your new Challenger, and say "Okay, I bought a Challenger like you demanded. NOW can I test drive it?"
This! Yes! Very much this!
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
When you vist a stealer to try and buy a car, wear a label web cam and mike, then you will have some real evidence that they lied to you, other than the salesmans lips were moving.
I bought a used Twingo from a dealer recently, BUT was silly enough not to bother getting it fully inspected up on the ramps because it had a new TUV inspection cert. I drove off only to find the front end alignment was off, so went to a nearby garage to use their ramps. I was stunned to find it must have hit a snow bank, as it was damaged underneath and needed new shocks, springs and track rods!
When someone mentions a Twingo, this is what I picture.
Looks like a golf cart.
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
When you vist a stealer to try and buy a car, wear a label web cam and mike, then you will have some real evidence that they lied to you, other than the salesmans lips were moving.
I bought a used Twingo from a dealer recently, BUT was silly enough not to bother getting it fully inspected up on the ramps because it had a new TUV inspection cert. I drove off only to find the front end alignment was off, so went to a nearby garage to use their ramps. I was stunned to find it must have hit a snow bank, as it was damaged underneath and needed new shocks, springs and track rods!
When someone mentions a Twingo, this is what I picture.
Looks like a golf cart.
The best time to shop for a new car is when you don't really need one yet.
https://www.craction.com/1123/2017-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-msrp-price- 'Oh and I did buy a Challenger,'
But, did you buy the 'HELLCAT'?
But, did you buy the 'HELLCAT'?
Originally Posted By: CKN
These bash dealership threads get tiring. Yes- everybody here knows there are bad dealerships. A BITOGism is that all dealerships are bad.
That "ism" is not true.
For me, at least about 95% true. That "ism" is quite true for me.
I've probably visited 30-40 dealerships since 1977 when looking for a lower mileage, used car to buy. In that time I was only treated well once. The other times either their tactics stunk or the vehicles I ended up test-driving or actually buying turned out to be turds. Out of approx a dozen or so cars actually bought at stealerships in my life, only my current ride (7 yrs going strong) has turned out well...and that was from a mom and pop corner used car lot, not a true stealership. All the other dealer-purchased used cars had early failures for their mileage that ended up costing me enough money that the vehicles never should have been purchased. On the 1-2 dozen used vehicles I purchased from private parties over the years, over two thirds of them turned out well, only 1 or 2 were clunkers. The problem with dealers became so obvious to me that by around the early 1990's I was consistently looking at private parties to find fresh cars, not the dealerships. I had had enough.
Just recalled the 1976 Duster I bought around 1984 from a dealer in the Hartford, CT area. A few months to a year after buying the car I found out that they sold it with the unleaded fuel system removed (now leaded) and the catalytic converter removed. I ended up forking over some big dollars to buy that mandated equipment. By the time I sold the car in 1990 I also found out it had been well-bondoed in the rear quarters as they started peeling away...lol. I had bought the perfumed pig.
These bash dealership threads get tiring. Yes- everybody here knows there are bad dealerships. A BITOGism is that all dealerships are bad.
That "ism" is not true.
For me, at least about 95% true. That "ism" is quite true for me.
I've probably visited 30-40 dealerships since 1977 when looking for a lower mileage, used car to buy. In that time I was only treated well once. The other times either their tactics stunk or the vehicles I ended up test-driving or actually buying turned out to be turds. Out of approx a dozen or so cars actually bought at stealerships in my life, only my current ride (7 yrs going strong) has turned out well...and that was from a mom and pop corner used car lot, not a true stealership. All the other dealer-purchased used cars had early failures for their mileage that ended up costing me enough money that the vehicles never should have been purchased. On the 1-2 dozen used vehicles I purchased from private parties over the years, over two thirds of them turned out well, only 1 or 2 were clunkers. The problem with dealers became so obvious to me that by around the early 1990's I was consistently looking at private parties to find fresh cars, not the dealerships. I had had enough.
Just recalled the 1976 Duster I bought around 1984 from a dealer in the Hartford, CT area. A few months to a year after buying the car I found out that they sold it with the unleaded fuel system removed (now leaded) and the catalytic converter removed. I ended up forking over some big dollars to buy that mandated equipment. By the time I sold the car in 1990 I also found out it had been well-bondoed in the rear quarters as they started peeling away...lol. I had bought the perfumed pig.
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
The best time to shop for a new car is when you don't really need one yet.
The best time to shop for a new car is when the dealership is closed.
The best time to shop for a new car is when you don't really need one yet.
The best time to shop for a new car is when the dealership is closed.
Not surprised they didn't let you drive a Hellcat. That has 707hp, so they aren't going to just let anyone drive it. We were the same way when we had GT-500s, GT350/GT350Rs, Raptors, and the Focus RS. People abuse them plain and simple. When my work was just a Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda dealer I watched a customer of the then Ford dealer up the street take a brand new Saleen Mustang for a test drive and leave 11s down the street and hand the car back. Not letting a test drive until you buy it is pretty normal for the high power cars. People that buy them tend to know exactly what they want and have the money for it as well.
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Not surprised they didn't let you drive a Hellcat. That has 707hp, so they aren't going to just let anyone drive it. We were the same way when we had GT-500s, GT350/GT350Rs, Raptors, and the Focus RS. People abuse them plain and simple. When my work was just a Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda dealer I watched a customer of the then Ford dealer up the street take a brand new Saleen Mustang for a test drive and leave 11s down the street and hand the car back. Not letting a test drive until you buy it is pretty normal for the high power cars. People that buy them tend to know exactly what they want and have the money for it as well.
Same with our ///M cars and cars over $100k. They stayed in the showroom on a battery minder until they were sold. If the buyer wasn't present at the time of sale, they were detailed and transfered to the delivery room, which was then locked until delivery.
Not surprised they didn't let you drive a Hellcat. That has 707hp, so they aren't going to just let anyone drive it. We were the same way when we had GT-500s, GT350/GT350Rs, Raptors, and the Focus RS. People abuse them plain and simple. When my work was just a Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda dealer I watched a customer of the then Ford dealer up the street take a brand new Saleen Mustang for a test drive and leave 11s down the street and hand the car back. Not letting a test drive until you buy it is pretty normal for the high power cars. People that buy them tend to know exactly what they want and have the money for it as well.
Same with our ///M cars and cars over $100k. They stayed in the showroom on a battery minder until they were sold. If the buyer wasn't present at the time of sale, they were detailed and transfered to the delivery room, which was then locked until delivery.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
(1) I wanted to testdrive a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I expected to hear "no" but the manager was very pleasant and said, "Of course! But it's in the shop getting some work done. Please come back Monday."
There are always two sides to a story. The dealership may have been extremely careful about who they let test drive a vehicle, and they have every right to turn down someone they have doubts about or deem to be sketchy.
(1) You are 100% correct. They didn't want any miles on the car, which I can understand. The annoying part is the LYING by the manager and saying, "Sure you can testdrive it," when he knew I was not allowed. That's as bad as the salesman who lied, "Here's a base model Fiesta S" when it was actually the SE version.
(2) The place that lied about needing new wiper blades & radiator was in Irvine. The place with the Challenger was Tustin..... in my mind I was thinking "different dealer" even though it isn't.
(3) Nobody would get fired. I did complain about the fake Ford incident, and the saleman's lying to me, but the GM literally shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care. He's from Southern California (which is like dealing with a car salesman from Manhattan).
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
(1) I wanted to testdrive a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I expected to hear "no" but the manager was very pleasant and said, "Of course! But it's in the shop getting some work done. Please come back Monday."
There are always two sides to a story. The dealership may have been extremely careful about who they let test drive a vehicle, and they have every right to turn down someone they have doubts about or deem to be sketchy.
(1) You are 100% correct. They didn't want any miles on the car, which I can understand. The annoying part is the LYING by the manager and saying, "Sure you can testdrive it," when he knew I was not allowed. That's as bad as the salesman who lied, "Here's a base model Fiesta S" when it was actually the SE version.
(2) The place that lied about needing new wiper blades & radiator was in Irvine. The place with the Challenger was Tustin..... in my mind I was thinking "different dealer" even though it isn't.
(3) Nobody would get fired. I did complain about the fake Ford incident, and the saleman's lying to me, but the GM literally shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care. He's from Southern California (which is like dealing with a car salesman from Manhattan).
No I didn't like the Hellcat supercharger noise.
I choose the 6.4 liter version which still has 500 hp.
Another dealer who lost a sale (about 4 years ago) was a Toyota dealer. They let me testdrive the Prius, but refused to let me take it on the interstate..... "but I spend 99% of my life on the interstate". Sorry no, the salesman said a customer just wrecked a prius, so it's no longer allowed.
So I walked away. Later when I rented a Prius I learned it does random "jinks" at highway speeds. That's why testdrives are important.
I choose the 6.4 liter version which still has 500 hp.
Another dealer who lost a sale (about 4 years ago) was a Toyota dealer. They let me testdrive the Prius, but refused to let me take it on the interstate..... "but I spend 99% of my life on the interstate". Sorry no, the salesman said a customer just wrecked a prius, so it's no longer allowed.
So I walked away. Later when I rented a Prius I learned it does random "jinks" at highway speeds. That's why testdrives are important.
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
No I didn't like the Hellcat supercharger noise.
That's got to be the most pathetic thing i've ever seen typed out here.
No I didn't like the Hellcat supercharger noise.
That's got to be the most pathetic thing i've ever seen typed out here.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
No I didn't like the Hellcat supercharger noise.
That's got to be the most pathetic thing i've ever seen typed out here.
James May didn't like it either.
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
No I didn't like the Hellcat supercharger noise.
That's got to be the most pathetic thing i've ever seen typed out here.
James May didn't like it either.
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
Oh and I did buy a Challenger, but from a different dealer.
Hey, post a picture of this beast.
Oh and I did buy a Challenger, but from a different dealer.
Hey, post a picture of this beast.
Goes right along with the story from a friend of mine who tried to test drive a Lexus. Salesman laughed at him and told him to go to the Toyota dealer down the road because he wasn't dressed like someone who could afford a Lexus (he wore a raggedy t-shirt and jeans). The other Lexus dealer in town was happy to let him test drive and made the sale.
Sounds like my old boss. Dressed in jeans, boots, a flannel shirt, and a ragged peacoat, nobody would even look at him. He went to a different dealer, found the youngest salesman...and bought a new wrecker for cash.
He has bought one new wrecker, one used wrecker, a Grand Marquis, and an Excursion there...his son has bought an F150 and a Mustang.
He has bought one new wrecker, one used wrecker, a Grand Marquis, and an Excursion there...his son has bought an F150 and a Mustang.
- Status
