Bad dealership

[zimbonies]

I recently purchased an 08 Legacy STi. Without going into nauseating detail, I was very displeased with the dealership. My situation was unique, so I didn't have much choice but to go to this particular dealer.

Keep in mind that I abosolutely love the car, and this is my 3rd Subaru (2000 Impreza, 2005 LGT and now this one).

 

Anyway, my question is:

Does anyone know the process when sending a "poor" survey back to SOA?

I received my car and the dust settled and I thought "I'm not going to let this rest" since it was bugging me to the point of not sleeping. I composed a 7 page letter and sent it to the GM of the dealership. Within a week, I received a phone call from my salesman, thanking me for the "insightful input" and he said "sometimes we need to get feedback like this to re-assess what and how we are doing."

I felt good about him calling me, but I was by no means happy with the experience. So, I sent the survey back with some rather negative remarks (deservedly so). Within 2 weeks, I got another phone call from the salesman. He said that he was in some "hot" water due to my responses and needed me to respond positively to a second survey (that SOA will be sending me).

 

Well, I was waiting for him to offer me something to make my response positive and he offered none, nothing, nada.

 

The bottom line is that the second survey asks "has someone from the dealership contacted you regarding your dissatisfaction?". If you check "yes", answer the second question -- which is "what is your satisfaction level after speaking with someone from the dealership?"

 

Well, as you can guess, my opinion has not changed. I'm wondering if anyone knows what will happen if I check the "unchanged" box and send it back. Will SOA contact me again? I'm sure that salesman's job is on the line so I'm sure that he'll be calling me again in the next couple of weeks.

 

What I would really like to know is if SOA will want to *talk* to me. I would love to explain to them in gorry detail what all transpired, but on the other hand, I don't want this dealership to 'go down in flames' since it's the closest one to my office (within 20 miles at least) and I do need / use their service department often.

 

Anyone have any experience with sending bad survey's back to Subaru?

 

Thank you!

Zim

 

P.S. I could post the 7 page letter, but I might run out of room! Basically the whole thing was a nightmare - from test drive to delivery to accessories was FUBAR. Like I said, I didn't have much choice in using this dealership, otherwise I would have gone to the place that I bought my previous 2 Subies. If Subaru didn't have a product that I really like, I would have gone with another manufacturer...

*sigh*

[jwho]

I recently purchased an 08 Legacy STi.

 

Really...

 

Anyways, sorry to hear about your experience. If you opinion has not changed and the saleman did not apologize to you for the poor experience, I would just state the truth...

[hondas123]

Did the dealer tell you it was an 08 Legacy STi?

[rc0032]

7 Page letter or ban!!

[meier motor sports]

[Bbc84]

i wanna see it too

[zimbonies]

Did the dealer tell you it was an 08 Legacy STi?

Sorry - I'm a bit dyslexic at times - at least if I don't get enough beer into my system...

 

anyway, it's a Legacy "2.5i", not STi.

 

Zim

[laz]

Oh man! You had me all shaking thinking you had a Legacy STi!!! BAN!!!

 

I really do not think the dealership is going out of business on one review, but I guess we all love to know what they mesed up.

 

7 pages is a long letter, so you must be really dissastified.

 

X

[zimbonies]

Here is a watered down version of the letter I sent to the dealership. I've also removed names, prices etc to protect the innocent...namely me!

 

 

I anxiously awaited January 2008 (when my Subaru lease expired) so that I could return it and possibly trade the 2006 Jeep on a new Subaru. I mentioned the previous predicament to a co-worker and he suggested that, since I only had 6 months left on the lease, that I should talk with someone to see if they (the dealer) might take my Legacy and Jeep on a trade. I sent an email to your dealership (since I work in [My Township] and had both vehicles parked in the office parking lot) with the question “Would you be willing to take my leased Legacy GT and 2006 Jeep Wrangler on a trade for a new Legacy?”

Within 90 minutes, I had a call from Mr. D. He was very attentive to my questions and stated that, yes, [Dealer] would certainly be willing to take a look at both vehicles as trade. I told him that I would be stopping by at 4:30 that day to take a look at the inventory and get an estimate on what my vehicle(s) might be worth.

 

I arrived at the dealership and asked for Mr. D. He promptly greeted me and introduced me to Mr. S. I thought that Mr. D would be my sales representative, but that was not the case.

 

Mr. S and I walked around the lot and I drove a demo 2008 (I requested a 5 speed which there was only 1 on the lot – the demonstration model). I really liked the feel of the car, but I wanted something brand new and in a different color. I did not want an automatic, but Mr. S suggested that I try and drive one of the auto-shift Legacy’s. I agreed since we needed to go back to my office to get the Jeep for an estimate on trade-in value.

I drove myself and Mr. S in the auto-shift Legacy back to my office (4 miles away), and determined that I definitely wanted the 5-speed. Mr. S drove the new car back to the dealership and I followed him with the Jeep.

While we were gone, someone had my 2005 Legacy GT out for a test drive – which is fine. I knew that they would, and I had no problems with it.

When we got back to Mr. S’s desk, we did some paperwork – he asked me what I was looking for. I told him that I was looking for a 5 speed, non Turbo, Sirius radio, auto-dimming mirror, sub-woofer, and arm-rest extension. I was looking for Silver, Gold, White or Blue. He wrote down all the information and took the paper into the finance office to see if they could find what I was looking for.

When he came back, he said “can you wait here for a minute? I have someone who wants to test drive a vehicle, so while we’re waiting, I can take her for a drive and by the time they find a car for you, I’ll be back”.

This sort of disturbed me. I’m almost a guaranteed sale, and he leaves! But I figured that he would be gone for 10 or 15 minutes, so no big deal. At this point, I thought for sure that he would offer me a soda (which most dealerships do the minute you sit down), but he was more concerned with getting the other test-drive done. I went to the cashier, got change for a $20 (that was all I had) and bought my own soda. I waited for what seemed like 30 minutes, when Mr. S finally arrives back from the test drive. He then went into the finance office, to discover that they found a gold Legacy, but it didn’t have all the accessories that I wanted. He told me that installing them would not be a problem (and would not add to the price of the vehicle) if I wouldn’t mind waiting a few days. I agreed, so we talked prices. He had asked me what I owed on the Wrangler and I estimated $w,www (which, in hindsight was a gross underestimate). He asked me what maximum monthly payment I was looking for and I told him $xxx would be the highest I could go.

He then took all the information (finance company info for both vehicles, estimated residual money owed on each vehicle etc) into the finance office. We talked for a few minutes, then the finance office called and Mr. S went to retrieve the estimate. I believe that the original estimated monthly payment was $xxx for 48 months. My eyes widened and I promptly agreed. Then I remembered that he had not called Chrysler Finance to get the actual payout on the Jeep. He called Chrysler and it turns out that I owed about $1,500 over what I had originally quoted. He then took the paperwork back to the finance office and came back with a $yyy for 54 months. We discussed this number for a few minutes – interest rates etc, but I took the blame since I underestimated the amount owed. I agreed that the $yyy would be suffice and I gave him my credit card to put $zzz down on the car (a requirement since it needed to be retrieved from another dealership). He swiped my card, we shook hands, determined that I would be able to pick up the vehicle on Saturday (21 July). I then left the dealership with a great sense of relief. I got 5 minutes away from the dealership and my cell phone rings. It’s Mr. S asking me to return to the dealership since he forgot to get my information for a credit check. I reluctantly turned around and headed back to the dealership. I filled out the requested paperwork and asked if the price would possibly drop if my credit was good. He said that it might, but possibly only pennies a month. Fair enough. We shook hands again and I left, still excited about getting a fresh start on Saturday morning.

 

Friday afternoon, I get a call from Mr. S. He said that the car had arrived and it will be ready for me to pick up on Saturday. I asked about the accessories and he said that “they haven’t arrived yet, but they are on order. We will setup an appointment to install them for you next week”.

Saturday morning I arrive to see my brad-new, shiny Legacy in the parking lot. I walked in and was warmly greeted by Mr. S. We took a quick look at the car and decided that it was time to do the paperwork. He said that the accessories would be in early next week, and that we could setup an appointment for them to be installed on Tuesday. I met Mr. V from the finance department and we filled out the paperwork. I signed all the paperwork, he talked me into an extended warranty and the final price is $yyy per month for 54 months. I was so happy to get the keys! I then asked Mr. S if I could have the keys to the Jeep (I had left it in the lot so that I didn’t have to drive it back on Saturday). He had totally forgotten about it, but gave me the keys so that I could clean out all of my belongings. We went out to the 2008 Legacy and walked around it to make sure that everything was as it should be. I noted that there was a paint-chip on the front bumper and that the PZEV label was missing from the trunk. I asked Mr. S about it and he went inside and got a young guy from the finance office, and showed him what was missing or incorrect. He promptly told me that everything would be fixed when I got the additional accessories installed. I agreed, we shook hands and I drove to the back parking lot where the Jeep was parked. I emptied all the Jeep contents and proceeded to place them in the trunk of my new car. Unfortunately the trunk had grass or weeds or something in it – which is not expected of a brand new car. I loaded my belongings into the Subaru and drove to the front showroom. I gave Mr. S the keys to the Jeep and we went to the service desk where we made an appointment to have the accessories installed. I was told that most of the accessories would be there, but the Sirius radio would not be arriving for a while, and they would call me when it came in.

I drove home anticipating the accessories and Sirius radio installation.

 

Monday afternoon, I log on to my Visa statement and realize that the $zzz charge has not been removed from my credit card. I call the dealership and talk to Mr. V (Mr. S was off) and he claimed that he needed my credit card numbers again to get the charges removed. I read him the numbers and he removes the charges from my account.

 

Tuesday comes and I drop my car off in the AM to get the accessories installed. I’m fully expecting this to be the last time I appear at the dealership (other than maintenance etc). I arrive to pick up the car after work and they tell me that everything is done. The car comes around the corner, and there’s no PZEV decal and the paint-chip is still there. I promptly go back into the showroom and summon Mr. S. Him and I go to the Service Desk and ask about the touch-up paint. The person behind the counter says “Mr. S, I told you that it wouldn’t be in for another couple of days”. Much to my surprise, he seemed like he was annoyed at Mr. S. We also discussed the PZEV label and I was told that it had to be verified that the car was in fact PZEV compliant and that it had gone through, but the part had not arrived yet.

Regardless, I agreed that I could wait another week until the paint and the label arrived. I was told that they would call to setup another appointment. Never the less, I was happy to get Sirius radio, subwoofer, arm-rest extension and the auto-dimming mirror.

I waited a couple of days for the call from the service department. Mr. J calls and said that the parts had arrived. I told him that the auto-dimming mirror had mysteriously quit working and the power mirrors were non-functional as well. We setup an appointment and agreed on Tuesday, 7 August. I dropped the car off at 7:45 AM.

I got a call at noon from Mr. J saying that the mirror(s) was fixed. I asked about the PZEV and the paint-chip and he said that it’s all taken care of.

I get to the dealership and went to the cashier. She hands me a bill for $28! I said, “What is this for?” She then explained that it was for the PZEV label and the touch-up paint. I explained to her that I thought that *they* were going to fix them, free of charge. She called Mr. J and he said that “the front doesn’t tell the back what’s going on”. I promptly said that I would not pay for the PZEV (since it is part of other 2008 models), but I would pay for the touch-up paint if necessary. Mr. J then went to the parts department and somehow got the charges removed which pleased me – as much as possible seeing as how I was going to be touching up the paint and installing the PZEV label myself.

 

 

So, the bottom line is that there were many items that I am displeased with. Namely ~

• Mr. S took another potential customer on a test drive while I waited for a quote
  
• I was not offered a soda while I waited
  
• I had to return to dealership for the credit check
  
• The Jeep payoff was not determined before giving me an estimated monthly payment
  
• The extra accessories weren’t ready when expected / promised
  
• The $yyy down payment charge was not removed from my credit card until I contacted the dealership
  
• Service personnel was mean to Mr. S in front of the customer
  
• Touch-up paint and PZEV needs to be installed by me
  
• I would have been charged for accessories agreed upon (touch-up and PZEV)
  
• Dirty trunk and windows
  
• Multiple trips to get all accessories installed

[laz]

My only advice for future car purchases would be to not take delivery of any car and do not sign any paperwork until everything that has been promised is done.

 

They did give you all that you wanted in the end correct? All sorts of people work at dealerships, and unfortunately some are nicer than others.

 

I have some nightmare stories about dealerships as well, and my brother in las is a salesman for BMW. You do not want to hear some of his stories!

 

X

[rc0032]

Name the dealership please

[zimbonies]

My only advice for future car purchases would be to not take delivery of any car and do not sign any paperwork until everything that has been promised is done.

 

They did give you all that you wanted in the end correct? All sorts of people work at dealerships, and unfortunately some are nicer than others.

 

I have some nightmare stories about dealerships as well, and my brother in las is a salesman for BMW. You do not want to hear some of his stories!

 

X

 

In hindsight, you are correct that I should not have signed until everything was done correctly. However, the part that I left out of the "letter" is that I'm recently divorced and needed to get rid of two car payments (and all the emotional baggage that comes with divorce). All I wanted was a fresh start with a new vehicle.

 

They did give me everything I wanted, but the fact that I had to do certain items myself bothers me. Each one of these items by itself would not be a problem and I probably wouldn't have commented at all, but all things combined made me more angry...to the point of writing the letter.

 

I'm sure that I may have over-reacted somewhat, but when I'm spending the next 56 months paying off this vehicle, they should give me their utmost attention. I don't consider myself a complainer and I do not expect the earth, moon and stars, but I do expect some consistancy. Keep in mind that the other dealership where I bought my previous 2 subies was an awesome experience. They treated me like I was royalty. Maybe I was spoiled by them, but either way, I was dissapointed with this transaction.

 

 

 

Zim

[zimbonies]

Name the dealership please

 

Not sure if I want to - since "they" might be reading this forum also. Keep in mind that I still need to use their service department in the future...

 

Plus, will the mod's blast me if I post the name of the dealership? I don't want to get "banned"! *grin*

 

 

Zim

[Bdubs]

Alot of dealerships try and bribe you with something if you give them all 5's or Greats on the car company's surveys. Why? because all those great reviews earn them the ranks of stellar service and stuff from Subaru. I frown upon this, and think it is really dishonest.

When I bought my car, they mentioned bringing my survey in to "go over" it when I got it in the mail, and said they will give me a free oil change. I said no thanks. They didn't have a problem with that, but I knew what they wanted.

My uncle is a GM of a car dealership, they try and get people to bring in their surveys all the time. It works most of the time, which is sad.

[ur a bus]

The whole sales experience was badly bungled by the dealership when we bought our other car. When I got the glowing e-mail from the dealership, I wrote them back and told them that I would never buy another car from them and to stop spamming my in-box. In return for my honesty, they submitted a change of address to Mazda so that our first survey would not reach us. Really. It was a trick that I saw many times when I worked for two Ford dealerships in the 1980s-90s. I suspected as much, so I called Mazda after about 6 months and asked why there was no 90 day survey. She wouldn't tell me the address they had on file, but confirmed that it wasn't the correct one. The GM of the second Ford store I worked for would change "heat" customers' addresses to his own, so when Ford sent survey he would get them. They would get filled out as "perfect" and mailed back in.

 

I was true to my word. The stinky dealer sells Mazda-Subaru, and I didn't bother shopping there when I bought the LGT.

 

-- Steve

[zimbonies]

Alot of dealerships try and bribe you with something if you give them all 5's or Greats on the car company's surveys. Why? because all those great reviews earn them the ranks of stellar service and stuff from Subaru. I frown upon this, and think it is really dishonest.

 

I agree with the bribery comment, but this dealership (knowing that I was not satisfied) offered me nothing to give them all 5's. As a matter of fact, on the day of the sale, the salesman (Mr. S) told me - "if you don't want to give us high marks on the survey, throw it away".

 

I don't necessarily agree that it's dishonest to give perks, because this dealership could have made my survey results better by offering me something extra - maybe a free car wash, or free oil changes for the first year. Something. But they offered me zilch. Even after I called the salesman this week, he said "you can get me out of hot water if you answer the 2nd survey positively". *Make* me respond in a positive manner by giving me something other than begging or a "thank you".

 

BTW, I sent the second survey in today with an "about the same" checked...we'll see where it goes. I'll probably get another call from Mr. S saying that he's homeless, eating at soup kitchens and begging for spare change at sport-stadium parking lots!

 

 

Zim

[zimbonies]

...In return for my honesty, they submitted a change of address to Mazda so that our first survey would not reach us. Really. It was a trick that I saw many times when I worked for two Ford dealerships in the 1980s-90s.

 

Wow! Thanks for the heads up! If I don't get a 90 day survey, then I'll know what happened. B*stards...

 

It's a shame because if they treat you right in the first place, then it's a non-issue.

 

 

The deeper this thread goes, the more I'm starting to despise the industry...It's a shame we can't buy Subies directly from the internet without having to go through a dealership! hmmmmm...interesting concept (think-bubble forming above my head)

 

 

Zim

[hamhock]

I've learned that some dealers are worth making the extra trip to. When I lived in south Florida(east coast), the closest good dealership was 3.5 hours away over in Tampa(Mastro). I should have gone to them to 1:buy my car and, 2:return for warranty issues. I didn't. I went to the closer dealership, and they sucked.

 

 

 

 

Mika

[BigBad]

You can't have it both ways and not hurt someone in the process if you had a bad experience. Make a choice and don't look back.

[shadowsports]

Zimbonies,

Sorry to hear of your bad luck. Its not cool getting jacked around. My new Subaru didn't arrive in perfect condition either, BUT my salesman and dealership has done everything except for coming to my house to make things right. I've been back a few times, but the car is now perfect.

 

I'd have to agree with Laz, stating not to take delivery of a less than perfect car. However, you can take the car and get protection in the form of a "Do Bill" which means the dealership is legally obligated to fix or supply the items outlined in order to fulfill their portion of the contract. If they don't there is no deal and you have recourse, which includes giving them the car back.

 

You should never be afraid to walk away from a deal. There will always be another. Me personally, I never talk trades, or monthly payments. There is only one price. The amount you will pay for the car. Not how much they will give you for your Jeep or how much you want to pay a month. Sure, you need to know what these things are in your own mind. Dealer Financing - unless you are loaded and paying off a loan in 36 months or less, dealer financing is rarely a good deal. You gave up all your aces talking trade and monthly payments. I realize you wanted out early and this played against you as well.

 

I feel for you, divorce is not fun. I admit I don't know of this first hand, but have helped others through it.

 

At this point you are in this for the long haul. I would recommend that you continue to work with this dealer. Make a list and work with them to get it resolved. Be done with it. Everyone's time is money. You know best what yours is worth. Good luck with it.

[shadowsports]

You can't have it both ways and not hurt someone in the process if you had a bad experience. Make a choice and don't look back.

 

 

BigBad - You said it all.