We found a car online we were interested in and liked everything we saw on the dealer's website. Before making the 200 miles drive to Fort Worth we negotiated a lower price and said we would take the car, if it looked like it was described on the website.
Once we saw the car it was all as described. The dealer had called out everything in their listing from cracks in dashboard to normal wear you can expect with a 7 year old car. Up to that point we loved every aspect of the experience we had with the dealership. Only thing we called out was that the DVD system seemed to at least miss a remote control, as we could not get the sound work at all and only very simple buttons are on the actual unit, plus we also asked were the floor mats were. Sales person said they were not all floor mats in the car and he would check for the floor mats and remote control for the DVD.
With two little kids in tow we signed all the paper work and also saw on the bill of sales and called out by the sales agent we had 24 hours from receiving the vehicle to report any missing and non working items. This is where the nightmare started and the dealership started to be very dubious.
During our 200 mile trip back we found out that the heated seats don't get warm at all. At home I checked the listing again and it stated under included optional equipment that the car comes with a preferred accessory package incl front and rear floor mats. My research and the initial car sticker even showed that this package included floor mats, cargo net and first aid kit. None of these things were in the car. Also the sound for DVD player never worked and based on my research it was supposed to come at least with a remote control.
So the next morning I called the salesperson to report these items and he said he would get with his manager and let me know. The closer we got to the 24 hour mark and after not hearing anything plus the sales person not picking up my calls I started to get really nervous. I got through on the main line and happened to talk to the manager. All he asked me was, if I had read my email. After telling him I had no access at the moment and what he wrote, all he said was that he had calls waiting and cannot talk to me. Right after that he got off the phone.
Little later I checked my email and all he said was that the issues I reported are "mouse hair issues" and the discounted price well makes up for what I reported back to them. We also purchased the car as is and the clause in the bill of sale is only for online purchases, when customers do not get a chance to see the vehicle first. He also stated that us not making a deposit did not give them the proper time to prepare the car.
None of that is called out in the actual bill of sale and we had been in touch with the sales person for more than two days and over 48 hours from the time we told him we want to see the car and will take it when it is as described. I called out all these facts in my response and all I got back from the manager was that every listing states that things like floor mats are only included, if they were left in the car by the previous owner.
Now the fun part really started. The day I reported the open issues the dealership changed the listing and removed the advertised package that included the floor mats (good thing is that I made a copy of that website before the changes were made) and the next day I looked closer at the posted pictures and all interior pictures showed floor mats. Not just some floor mats, but all of them.
Based on what I found I called them back Monday morning and basically the rudeness continued. Although I stated very clearly at the beginning of my call that I want to state some facts to make sure we are on the same page I got interrupted when I brought up the fact about the changes on the website and the manager stated they never change listings once they are posted. All I told the manager was that I have a copy before the changes and then he said if you do not let me talk this conversation is useless. He just hung up on me. I called back the dealership and told another person that I would let him talk, but they hung up on me as well.
Little later that day my wife tried calling and the only person she got by chance was the initial sales person. Explaining everything again (although he was on all previous emails) he said he would check for the floor mats and DVD accessories. After a while he reported back that he found the floor mats in a pile and two IR headsets. Since then I sent them a simple list of things on the three open issues I need answers to. They will not respond to everything and this is the last email I received from them.
"The reason I hung up is simple. The customer wants to be in control and in charge. I have a lifetime career of being helpful and accommodating to customers and even going the extra mile, beyond all reasonable expectations. He refused to let me speak and was demanding ridiculous things, arguing about mouse hair issues, option packages and things of no importance. It isn’t going to work that way. He is not broke and since he wants to be difficult I can assure you that we will do it precisely the way I order at this point. I frankly feel I owe nothing due to his hostile and demanding ways. My best recommendation would be to take it to the local Toyota dealership and have the heated seats diagnosed. The problem may well be a few dollars, much less than it will cost him to drive up here and spend a day or 2 while we repair it. This entire matter could have/should have been handled in a civilized manner, but his obstinacy kept him from getting the 4 star service we always provide our customers."
Funny enough that on my very first conversation with him he cut me off and would not let me speak, and in his very first emails expressed that the issues I had are minor and the discount I got well make up for it. Guess that is the 4 star service he talks about and the extra mile he went. Plus without being stubborn they would not have looked for the floor mats and mysteriously found them, although that could have already been done on the day we picked up the car.
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