HIX8

When I bought my first RX-8 back in July, one of the many hassles I went through was that the business manager did not include my $1000 down pymt when he handed me the contract to sign.

As much as I loved that car, I did the buyback in early December strictly because of the problems I had with that dealership. I ordered the exact same car from the next closest dealership (5 extra miles from me). The new car arrived yesterday and as of 6pm last night, I'm back in the driver's seat. The dealer experience was like night and day. Hassle free. It was refreshing to be treated with respect.

Oh, and they included my deposit with me not saying a word.


I was wondering if anyone else had a dealership pull the nasty "disappearing deposit trick" on them. Of course it could have been an honest mistake, but all the other games they played with me put a huge dent in my benefit of the doubt.

RX8Z

Something doesnt sound right at all.

A Buyers order is a legal contract, there is no room for errors on it. and I mean NO MISTAKES AT ALL. By Law , dealerships can be sued for any errors.

So for you to say that they didnt include the $1,000 doesnt make sense. Are you saying that you signed and bought your car without realizing how much you paying?

Anywas, Im glad that youcaught it but again, just doesnt make sense at all..

Z

HIX8

What I was saying was that when the business manager had me hand over my check at closing, he did not credit me for the $1000 down I had already paid (a full six months earlier). I had to correct him on his figure. It strikes me as inexcusable for a dealership to leave off that cash.

RX8Z

By law, ok.. a customer receives a receipt showing that the dealership has received and credit your order with that amount

In fact, assuming your dealership is a reputable one, a buyers order will be linked to any payments received by the customer by a customer id # .

Did you receive a receipt? if you did, and it clearly states that its a deposit for your vehicle showing a stock # and Vin# , you can file charges againast your dealership for fraud

because honestly, that is against the law and frankly, lets say for example you didnt catch that, and this whole time ure paying monthly payments, yourdealer just made $1000 in there pocket, along with the interest

I would be really pissed, you should do something about it ..

Z

HIX8

Yes, I got a receipt. No, it didn't have a VIN back in Jan2003. Again, the "overlooked" deposit bit was just the tip of the iceberg. I've shared the gory details elsewhere.

And the saga is far from over...

I did the buyback in early December. To date, the dealership has not refunded me for the extended warranty and gap insurance.

Also, going back to that original July purchase, I paid >$600 for LoJack but later told them that I decided against it. They told me that they would refund that money, but they never sent a check.

I posted the blow-by-blow on Usenet (http://tinyurl.com/3fjf8).

To add to the frustration, this dealership advertises on my favorite radio station so I get to hear the announcers tell me what a wonderful dealership Tom Terrell owns. I've sat down with the man in his office. I have my own opinion as to how he runs his business (the first thing he told me was that he was videotaping his conversation with me).

More info on some of the people involved:

http://www.mazdavolvoofclearlake.com...MAIN=new_staff

There may be customers out there who have had a great experience buying from them, but I have yet to meet one.

RX8Z

Wells its good, everyting is cleared with you

Dealerships like that , dont last long unless the public pays no attention to it

Truth is, its dealerships like that , that make people like myself, have such a tough job because I honestly do not blame poeple, on why they look down on a dealer

Its good you got your car, enjoy it man. take care

Z

HIX8

Used Cars are now called "preowned" cars in an effort to shake the tarnished stereotype of the Used Car Dealer. I hope we won't have to come up with some alternate name for New Cars, in a world where "clear coat" has sadly become a synonym for "snake oil". I'm sure your efforts toward building customer confidence is well appreciated.

And I'll certainly continue my enjoyment of the 8. When behind the wheel, foot to pedal, all is bliss.

RX8Z

Truth of the matter is, in all business involving product and sales, there seems to be a unspoken rule that profit is not allowed to be earn.

Its funny how poeple are so defensive about what a dealer makes on a car, where as products as simple as a cd player, or headphones have higher markups resulting in larger profit margins, but yet people will never see that

The next time you buy a car, under dealer invoice , gross is average around 500-700, would you beleive when you buy a Sony TV their gross is actually higher than that?

funny, ive yet to see any one petition against electronic stores.. go figure

Morning Wood

HORRIBLE analogy. a new sony tv is $400. a new cd is $18. it makes sense that people are more careful when spending $30K+. especially when it means they can save thousands or get cheated by thousands.