Hi,
Yesterday, I started a thread seeking people's stories about their *best* experiences at an ICE dealer. And after a day, I've seen about a dozen stories. Including some that make me think that all is not lost for humanity, even that part of humanity that works in ICE auto dealerships. Not enough stories yet, and not so resoundingly good, though, that I'm anxious to go back to an ICE dealer, even one of those listed in this thread.
So... gee... let's ask about people's WORST auto dealer experiences! From time to time in this forum, across various threads, you'll find ICE dealer stories as an aside while pursuing some other topic. Let's let this thread be the place where everyone can accumulate their absolutely worst personal experiences with auto dealers.
I'm guessing that there might be a few more stories within a single day than what I have seen so far on the "best ICE dealer experiences" thread.
Please try to confine your stories to those that you *personally* experienced.
Thanks,
Alan
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And for my own contribution...
In 2000, my fianceé (now wife) was in the market for a car. She was beginning her career as a public school teacher and needed low-cost, reliable transportation. She went to a big auto dealer on route 128 here in the Boston area. She dealt with a salesman who she trusted. He was charming and sweet and seemingly quite honest, and promised her that he'd take care of her "as he would his own sister". He sold her a few-year old VW Golf, which she excitedly drove away and proudly showed me.
Of course, I immediately took the car to a trusted local mechanic for an inspection. The results of the inspection implied that that nice salesman and his family routinely practiced incest. The mechanic identified over $2000 of serious repairs required for the vehicle.
I took the car back to the dealership and of course much conversation ensued. Problems? What problems? How could they possibly trust some mechanic they've never met before? They were very busy people and would get the car into their own mechanic as soon as a slot opened up. Yadda... yadda... frickin' yadda. A couple of hours and unsubtle discussion of Massachusetts Lemon Laws later, the dealer agreed to fix every single problem my mechanic had identified, at no cost to my fianceé. Of course, I had to leave the car and return for it days later. And then I had to have the car re-inspected by my mechanic to verify the work done by the dealer.
The car ultimately went on to be quite the little high maintenance prima donna. :-( Definitely happy to get rid of it and replace it with a Toyota Prius. But at least the dealer protected me and my family from having to rely on Volkswagen, a big scary company that would've treated me horribly.
Alan
Yesterday, I started a thread seeking people's stories about their *best* experiences at an ICE dealer. And after a day, I've seen about a dozen stories. Including some that make me think that all is not lost for humanity, even that part of humanity that works in ICE auto dealerships. Not enough stories yet, and not so resoundingly good, though, that I'm anxious to go back to an ICE dealer, even one of those listed in this thread.
So... gee... let's ask about people's WORST auto dealer experiences! From time to time in this forum, across various threads, you'll find ICE dealer stories as an aside while pursuing some other topic. Let's let this thread be the place where everyone can accumulate their absolutely worst personal experiences with auto dealers.
I'm guessing that there might be a few more stories within a single day than what I have seen so far on the "best ICE dealer experiences" thread.
Please try to confine your stories to those that you *personally* experienced.
Thanks,
Alan
- - - Updated - - -
And for my own contribution...
In 2000, my fianceé (now wife) was in the market for a car. She was beginning her career as a public school teacher and needed low-cost, reliable transportation. She went to a big auto dealer on route 128 here in the Boston area. She dealt with a salesman who she trusted. He was charming and sweet and seemingly quite honest, and promised her that he'd take care of her "as he would his own sister". He sold her a few-year old VW Golf, which she excitedly drove away and proudly showed me.
Of course, I immediately took the car to a trusted local mechanic for an inspection. The results of the inspection implied that that nice salesman and his family routinely practiced incest. The mechanic identified over $2000 of serious repairs required for the vehicle.
I took the car back to the dealership and of course much conversation ensued. Problems? What problems? How could they possibly trust some mechanic they've never met before? They were very busy people and would get the car into their own mechanic as soon as a slot opened up. Yadda... yadda... frickin' yadda. A couple of hours and unsubtle discussion of Massachusetts Lemon Laws later, the dealer agreed to fix every single problem my mechanic had identified, at no cost to my fianceé. Of course, I had to leave the car and return for it days later. And then I had to have the car re-inspected by my mechanic to verify the work done by the dealer.
The car ultimately went on to be quite the little high maintenance prima donna. :-( Definitely happy to get rid of it and replace it with a Toyota Prius. But at least the dealer protected me and my family from having to rely on Volkswagen, a big scary company that would've treated me horribly.
Alan