Picked car up: Love it. Hate dealership
12/17/04, 09:18 AM
#1
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OK - I ordered thru Military Car Sales, and paid cash for my car in advance. It was shipped to Walker Ford in Clearwater where it was to wait for me to pick it up this week. They got it on Nov 2nd, and I've been in contact with them continuously making sure that they knew my wishes, ie. no one drives the car, not on showroom floor etc.
I was sent pictures of the car in the storage lot and told it had 4.8 miles on it when it came off the truck.
I arrived Tuesday morning to pick it up, turned the key and the odometer read 62.7 miles. There was change in the cupholder and a visitor pass to a luxury condiminium place up the street. There are also cat hairs throughout the car. I was freaking livid. I took the pass and the change, walked into the managers office and tossed them on his desk demanding answers. The first BS answer he tried to lay on me is that since it is a new bodystyle, Ford requires the dealerships to quality test them out prior to delivering them to the customer. I then explained to him the REAL way that Ford randomly quality tests cars and how they put the sticker in the window with the odometer reading. Then he set out to find out what happened. He pretty much admitted to me that it was the OWNER of the dealership that drove the car. The freaking OWNER. He also said the owner was not available. Well, two hours later, I left with the car, there was no way I was going to leave it there. I did LOUDLY complain about the events that took place in front of other customers, actually causing one man to leave when he asked me why I was so upset and I told him aloud in the lobby. He said he didn't want to deal with a place that would do that either.
I want to file a formal complaint, it will do no good to do so at the dealership since it was the owner who did this. Can someone point me in the right direction?
By the way - the car is awesome - I love it, even if someone else put the first 60 miles on it.
Thanks to everyone here for all the great info throughout the whole process.
Keith
I was sent pictures of the car in the storage lot and told it had 4.8 miles on it when it came off the truck.
I arrived Tuesday morning to pick it up, turned the key and the odometer read 62.7 miles. There was change in the cupholder and a visitor pass to a luxury condiminium place up the street. There are also cat hairs throughout the car. I was freaking livid. I took the pass and the change, walked into the managers office and tossed them on his desk demanding answers. The first BS answer he tried to lay on me is that since it is a new bodystyle, Ford requires the dealerships to quality test them out prior to delivering them to the customer. I then explained to him the REAL way that Ford randomly quality tests cars and how they put the sticker in the window with the odometer reading. Then he set out to find out what happened. He pretty much admitted to me that it was the OWNER of the dealership that drove the car. The freaking OWNER. He also said the owner was not available. Well, two hours later, I left with the car, there was no way I was going to leave it there. I did LOUDLY complain about the events that took place in front of other customers, actually causing one man to leave when he asked me why I was so upset and I told him aloud in the lobby. He said he didn't want to deal with a place that would do that either.
I want to file a formal complaint, it will do no good to do so at the dealership since it was the owner who did this. Can someone point me in the right direction?
By the way - the car is awesome - I love it, even if someone else put the first 60 miles on it.
Thanks to everyone here for all the great info throughout the whole process.
Keith
12/17/04, 09:31 AM
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Wow Keith...... You have every right to be majorly upset. 
I've read your post a second time over, and I just am amazed that any dealership would treat a customer this way......on any car that was pre-sold, and especially one that was totally pre-paid for. YES, YES, YES.....definitely file a formal complaint with Ford Motor Co. and if they are currently a 5-star dealership (which i doubt), they certainly won't be for long.
I've read your post a second time over, and I just am amazed that any dealership would treat a customer this way......on any car that was pre-sold, and especially one that was totally pre-paid for. YES, YES, YES.....definitely file a formal complaint with Ford Motor Co. and if they are currently a 5-star dealership (which i doubt), they certainly won't be for long.
12/17/04, 09:36 AM
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Keith,
that stinks......I would have made them give the car a full valet and a full tank of gas as well. Never deal with them and get the word around (in a non-scandelous/libelous) way that they are a bag of crap!
J
that stinks......I would have made them give the car a full valet and a full tank of gas as well. Never deal with them and get the word around (in a non-scandelous/libelous) way that they are a bag of crap!
J
12/17/04, 09:43 AM
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I would demand some form of compensation. That is absolutely rediculous. My dealership didn't let anyone drive my car while they waited for me to pick it up (granted it was only there one day, but still). It has 3.1 miles on it when I got there. They wouldn't even put their feet inside while showing me the controls. I would file a complaint with every agency I could think of. Ford, BBB, and I can't think of anymore right now. Post it on complaint websites too. That makes me SO mad. That owner obvisouly doesn't care one bit about his customers. JERK. 
12/17/04, 09:45 AM
#11
It is truly pathetic about how some dealers treat their customers.
He could have easily taken a demo for a spin, but took a car that somebody paid for.
If Ford Customer service does not help, I would as far as going to the local media to complain.
I would be just as angry as you are, you paid good money for a brand-new car, not one where someone too their cat to the vet and did an afternoon of shopping.
He could have easily taken a demo for a spin, but took a car that somebody paid for.
If Ford Customer service does not help, I would as far as going to the local media to complain.
I would be just as angry as you are, you paid good money for a brand-new car, not one where someone too their cat to the vet and did an afternoon of shopping.
12/17/04, 09:46 AM
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That ain't right 
then call Ford customer service and one more time just for good measure. 
I bought mine right off the truck. The salesman said he was disappointed for me cuz someone drove it from the detail shop to the front of the lot. He said he wished he had told them to leave it back there so I could say I was the only one that had ever driven it.
Had 4.5 miles on it when I drove out.
then call Ford customer service and
one more time just for good measure. I bought mine right off the truck. The salesman said he was disappointed for me cuz someone drove it from the detail shop to the front of the lot. He said he wished he had told them to leave it back there so I could say I was the only one that had ever driven it.
Had 4.5 miles on it when I drove out.
12/17/04, 10:03 AM
#13
Team Mustang Source
Keith, congrats on getting the car! Check out www.modernmustangs-na.com when you get a chance. And on the issue you're dealing with, Ford Customer Service is a start, but to be honest you'll probably get nowhere with them. Odds are, they aren't even Ford employees, but they're outsourced, like GM uses SITEL. They know next to nothing about cars, and since the dealerships are not owned by Ford, they can only serve as mediator and a mediocre one at that. IMO the most they're going to be able to do for your trouble is maybe offer a free extended service plan and that's if you push hard. Good luck and keep us posted. Congrats again on the car!
12/17/04, 10:09 AM
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What the owner did stinks especially to a person in the military. Totally agree with calling Ford. I think Ford will also send out a form for you to complete regarding the dealership. If they do, I would return it with a request for them to pay "cleaning charges". To be fair, its the owneer who should get alot of heat - hard for an employee, regardless of what level they are, to tell the owner no in this case. Since the owner is a jerk - he would probably have fired the person.
You are gonna love driving that machine along the beaches! Best of luck to you..
You are gonna love driving that machine along the beaches! Best of luck to you..
12/17/04, 10:14 AM
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Pre-paid and they drove YOUR GT!! I would've busted a blood vessel. And had a cat in the car too!! I totally freakin' and I don't even own the car.
File a complaint and speak to the owner of the dealership and ask for the keys to his personal car for about 30 minutes just to make you feel better. Its one thing if it just came in for you and you had to finance the thing, but he was joyriding/driving your paid in full property. You could always say he took it without your permission and file charges against him with the police.
I could be very cruel in that situation.
-Jason
File a complaint and speak to the owner of the dealership and ask for the keys to his personal car for about 30 minutes just to make you feel better. Its one thing if it just came in for you and you had to finance the thing, but he was joyriding/driving your paid in full property. You could always say he took it without your permission and file charges against him with the police.
I could be very cruel in that situation.
-Jason
12/17/04, 10:14 AM
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Is there nothing legal you can do about it.... you owned the car because it was paid in full. It would be the same as if you walked onto the lot, stole a set of keys and went for a 62 mile joy ride in one fo the cars that the dealer owns... or even moreso, the owner's personal car. I can't imagine that it's even legal. I'd be so pissed I probably would have crapped my pants.
Nothing says hate and discontent like a flaming bag of poo.... I think you should pay that bastard a little visit.
can someone come up with a flaming bag of poo emoticon?
Nothing says hate and discontent like a flaming bag of poo.... I think you should pay that bastard a little visit.
can someone come up with a flaming bag of poo emoticon?
12/17/04, 10:28 AM
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Man thats stinks but by law before signing the paperwork they have to give you a mileage statement as to how many miles are on the car at the time that you take ownership (in California) it is at this time that you could back out of the deal.
If however you had already signed all the doc's and took delivery of the car in absence. Then the car is now yours and should not have been driven unless you gave them specific authorization to do so.
If your car was driven after this point then upon physically receiving your car you should have checked the mileage and if the car did not have the original mileage from that stated on your doc's you should have not taken physical delivery of the car and instead refused delivery and told the dealer to immediately unwind the contract because this car is not the car that you purchased.
At which point I am sure the dealer would have made things right and probably just issued you a check in some amount for your troubles.
Dealership owners take lot cars home, not other peoples vehicles who are waiting to pick them up and the doc's have already been signed.
But since you took physical possession of the vehicle already it will almost be impossible to hold the dealership to any sort of misconduct because it will be a matter of he said, she said in court. The dealer can simply deny that the car was driven.
If however you had already signed all the doc's and took delivery of the car in absence. Then the car is now yours and should not have been driven unless you gave them specific authorization to do so.
If your car was driven after this point then upon physically receiving your car you should have checked the mileage and if the car did not have the original mileage from that stated on your doc's you should have not taken physical delivery of the car and instead refused delivery and told the dealer to immediately unwind the contract because this car is not the car that you purchased.
At which point I am sure the dealer would have made things right and probably just issued you a check in some amount for your troubles.
Dealership owners take lot cars home, not other peoples vehicles who are waiting to pick them up and the doc's have already been signed.
But since you took physical possession of the vehicle already it will almost be impossible to hold the dealership to any sort of misconduct because it will be a matter of he said, she said in court. The dealer can simply deny that the car was driven.
12/17/04, 10:39 AM
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Originally posted by afcop13@December 17, 2004, 10:21 AM
OK - I ordered thru Military Car Sales, and paid cash for my car in advance. It was shipped to Walker Ford in Clearwater where it was to wait for me to pick it up this week. They got it on Nov 2nd, and I've been in contact with them continuously making sure that they knew my wishes, ie. no one drives the car, not on showroom floor etc.
I was sent pictures of the car in the storage lot and told it had 4.8 miles on it when it came off the truck.
I arrived Tuesday morning to pick it up, turned the key and the odometer read 62.7 miles. There was change in the cupholder and a visitor pass to a luxury condiminium place up the street. There are also cat hairs throughout the car. I was freaking livid. I took the pass and the change, walked into the managers office and tossed them on his desk demanding answers. The first BS answer he tried to lay on me is that since it is a new bodystyle, Ford requires the dealerships to quality test them out prior to delivering them to the customer. I then explained to him the REAL way that Ford randomly quality tests cars and how they put the sticker in the window with the odometer reading. Then he set out to find out what happened. He pretty much admitted to me that it was the OWNER of the dealership that drove the car. The freaking OWNER. He also said the owner was not available. Well, two hours later, I left with the car, there was no way I was going to leave it there. I did LOUDLY complain about the events that took place in front of other customers, actually causing one man to leave when he asked me why I was so upset and I told him aloud in the lobby. He said he didn't want to deal with a place that would do that either.
I want to file a formal complaint, it will do no good to do so at the dealership since it was the owner who did this. Can someone point me in the right direction?
By the way - the car is awesome - I love it, even if someone else put the first 60 miles on it.
Thanks to everyone here for all the great info throughout the whole process.
Keith
OK - I ordered thru Military Car Sales, and paid cash for my car in advance. It was shipped to Walker Ford in Clearwater where it was to wait for me to pick it up this week. They got it on Nov 2nd, and I've been in contact with them continuously making sure that they knew my wishes, ie. no one drives the car, not on showroom floor etc.
I was sent pictures of the car in the storage lot and told it had 4.8 miles on it when it came off the truck.
I arrived Tuesday morning to pick it up, turned the key and the odometer read 62.7 miles. There was change in the cupholder and a visitor pass to a luxury condiminium place up the street. There are also cat hairs throughout the car. I was freaking livid. I took the pass and the change, walked into the managers office and tossed them on his desk demanding answers. The first BS answer he tried to lay on me is that since it is a new bodystyle, Ford requires the dealerships to quality test them out prior to delivering them to the customer. I then explained to him the REAL way that Ford randomly quality tests cars and how they put the sticker in the window with the odometer reading. Then he set out to find out what happened. He pretty much admitted to me that it was the OWNER of the dealership that drove the car. The freaking OWNER. He also said the owner was not available. Well, two hours later, I left with the car, there was no way I was going to leave it there. I did LOUDLY complain about the events that took place in front of other customers, actually causing one man to leave when he asked me why I was so upset and I told him aloud in the lobby. He said he didn't want to deal with a place that would do that either.
I want to file a formal complaint, it will do no good to do so at the dealership since it was the owner who did this. Can someone point me in the right direction?
By the way - the car is awesome - I love it, even if someone else put the first 60 miles on it.
Thanks to everyone here for all the great info throughout the whole process.
Keith