| vip9 |
For the last 6 years I was at-times-happy and at-times-disgruntled MDX owner. I had a very smooth buying experinece at the time when many charged $5K+ over list. And, once the dust settled and local mechanics got some training, service was not bad either.
So it was a no brainer that I was looking forward so much to an '07 or '08 MDX. And where else would I go if not to my trusted local dealer!
Well, I was not really impressed by '07.
However, when a promotional email arrived offering a 1-time super-special sale on the 07 MDX for $33K+ I was intrigued! There it was, a picture of the 2007 MDX, the caption and all the rest! I immediately called the phone # on the email, set up an appointment with "the sales manager" for next evening. I was warned that this was a one-time non-negotiable deal. Who cares!!! For that price I'd take 2!
I slept on it and realized that something was wrong! I read the email again. 2007 MDX T O U R I N G ! ? ! ? Oh-oh! Must be a typo. The offered price is exactly $7K off 2006 MDX touring... Looks fishy. I called the dealership again asking to talk to the sales manager. All I wanted was to either confirm the email or hear from the "HORSE'S MOUTH" that this was a mistake. I did not want to waste 2+ hours of my evening going there for nothing.
Well, at 10 AM the manager was "busy with customers." His secretary took a message. At 3 PM (no call back!) he was in the service area. The secretary "remembered" me and would surely relay the message "again" to her boss. She couldn't confirm the validity of the email.
Well, with no call back, I showed up for the scheduled and supposedly-twice-confirmed appointment.
The guy (new manager, the one I dealt with 6 years ago had sadly passed away not long ago :( ) NEVER HEARD OF ME! When I showed him the email, his first response was to take it from me and go away for 10-15 minutes. My presumption - to "fight" with their internet department.
When he was finally back telling me that the advertizing agency "would work for them for free for the forseeable future" for this blunder, I asked him why he did not return the call...
He said he was off that day and just came in recently to have dinner with the owner! He never received my 2 messages.
There was never an offer of a test-drive. Never an offer to sit down and discuss "the real price" He never asked me if I was an Acura (or his dealership's) customer in the first place and why I was on their email list. He literally laughed in my face when I DARED to ask if he would honor the price.
What a waste of time! What a joke!
I never felt so humiliated and insulted. I felt like a street beggar who finds a wallet and asks for "ransom" to return it while the rightful owner tries to retrieve his possession.
Needless to say that both the dealership management and the Acura hotline got an earful from me. They sent a "corrected" email out a few days later. BFD!
I took my business elsewhere.
:mad:
Sorry for such a long rant. I really had to watch my fingers to try to maintain a high class of this forum. The dealership's management's ears were not as lucky! |
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| crmsnidol |
| What dealership? |
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| vip9 |
quote:
Originally posted by crmsnidol
What dealership?
My local dealership. No names at this time :rolleyes: |
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| dipersp |
Why wouldn't you include the name? If you had a bad experience with them, others should know.
The ONLY way dealerships eventually LEARN to treat their customers properly is when the customers stop showing up. . . |
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| deejay |
| if he lives in nyc, i can do a check on it, and prob narrow it down to 2 or so. :) |
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| vip9 |
My post is not about a dealer's name. It's more for justifying why I chose to go with another brand.
I definitely named both the dealership and myself to the Acura hot-line and obviously to the dealership management.
Besides, it is quite easy to "deduce" the dealer name from all the info provided in the post and my signature. Any local customers reading my post would easily guess that I am talking about Acura of [my hometown] dealership :)
BTW, I am not sure if it is obvious from my post or not... I am NOT upset about not getting the 'X for $33K. Would be nice, but that's not an issue.
A total lack of service and respect is! |
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| crmsnidol |
quote:
Originally posted by deejay
if he lives in nyc, i can do a check on it, and prob narrow it down to 2 or so. :)
Should be easy to narrow down because the poster said the manager he had previously worked with on his deal at the dealership recently passed away. Assuming he was still working there at the time of his death a quick phone call would end this mystery. |
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| dipersp |
quote:
Originally posted by vip9
My post is not about a dealer's name. It's more for justifying why I chose to go with another brand.
I definitely named both the dealership and myself to the Acura hot-line and obviously to the dealership management.
Besides, it is quite easy to "deduce" the dealer name from all the info provided in the post and my signature. Any local customers reading my post would easily guess that I am talking about Acura of [my hometown] dealership :)
BTW, I am not sure if it is obvious from my post or not... I am NOT upset about not getting the 'X for $33K. Would be nice, but that's not an issue.
A total lack of service and respect is!
I understand completely and agree with you, at least on the buying an X for $33k. Can't expect the WORLD! But the lack of customer service and respect has gone on too long, mainly because nothing is ever done about it. Calling Acura corp is a good step, but I DOUBT anything will come of that either.
I guess I'm just sick of the customer service I get for everything. From buying computer servers for $4-7k and getting crappy service (But if you want to buy a contract, we'll give you better service, my ass), to buying a $40k car and getting bad service. What has the world come to? It's just like movie stars and athletes - if their salary depended on me, they'd be making $50k a year while our nurses and teachers would make a boatload. Unfort., that won't change until people stop buying movie tickets for $10 and sports tickets for $100! I won't hold my breath.
Sorry, off my rant box now! |
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| fatass |
While I understand the reason for your anger and dissapointment with the customer service you received I feel that there are a few things that can be pointed out here.
In my opinion it's difficult to blame Acura directly for the type of customer service you received. The car company maintains direct quality control over the vehicles they produce, but unfortunately not so with who sells their cars.
Also, I hate to say it but if you didn't want to waste your time chasing a rabbit, you probably shouldn't have shown up for an appointment in regards to the email which anyone's spidey sense would have told them was a misprint.
I do wish you better luck next time! |
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| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by vip9
My post is not about a dealer's name. It's more for justifying why I chose to go with another brand.
I definitely named both the dealership and myself to the Acura hot-line and obviously to the dealership management.
Besides, it is quite easy to "deduce" the dealer name from all the info provided in the post and my signature. Any local customers reading my post would easily guess that I am talking about Acura of [my hometown] dealership :)
BTW, I am not sure if it is obvious from my post or not... I am NOT upset about not getting the 'X for $33K. Would be nice, but that's not an issue.
A total lack of service and respect is!
Why do you feel that you need to make a post on this forum to justify buying a different brand? Just never say anything and no one will ever know that you now own another marque.
Why did you make this post?
G |
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| vip9 |
G, you are right. "Justifying" is a wrong word. I do not need to prove anything to anybody.
I know that Acura most likely will not or maybe cannot do much about individual customer service complaint against a particular dealer. However, any company has a bad business plan if they allow their representatives to turn away potential customers, especially LOYAL customers.
Misprint or not, the dealership (or telemarketing) rep TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE the info was correct. By the time I was going to the dealership for this ill-fated appointment I was 75%, maybe 85% certain that was a bogus ad. But that 15% doubt... I'd be kicking myself for wasting such a golden opportunity. 15% are much better odds than any lottery :)
It's the treatment I got while at the dealer, the silly excuses the manager came up with to justify not returning my calls, total lack of "salesmanship" - no discussions, no offer to test drive, etc...
For the sake of myself possibly shopping there again when my lease is up I wanted something said and done.
Hopefully there will be changes. |
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| dipersp |
quote:
Originally posted by fatass
The car company maintains direct quality control over the vehicles they produce. . .
Let's not get COMPLETELY out of hand here! :2: |
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| maddawg995 |
| Sounds to me like a bait and switch tactic that didn't get executed too well. ALL dealerships do it to some extent. Even if they issue and apology of some sort and some small compensation, will you still go back to the same dealer for your next Acura? I really don't see a point trying to cause a big stink over this. Just file a complaint and go enjoy your Q7. |
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| td284 |
First, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't (especially an email offer!).
Second, it's from a car dealer. Need I say more? Acura or other, they're all pretty much the same. But they got you to the showroom, right? And the agency that sent them out can claim a success rate of responders who made a showroom visit from the email. |
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| Blackura |
I absolutely *do* understand why you posted, and I'm glad you did.
The total lack of respect shown by this dealer is the wrong way to treat anybody, and especially wrong to a loyal customer who drives many miles to accept their advertising offer.
Sure, mistakes are made everyday. I make them, you make them too. But... we don't laugh in the face of a good customer and we don't lie to him/her repeatedly on the phone and again in person. We don't make them stand there waiting 15 minutes either. No, instead, we apologize and explain politely that it was a misprint or an error on the part of the ad agency. And who proofed dealer's ad before it ran? They *are* responsible for their own ad, and they should not put 100% blame on the poor overworked shlubs at the agency.
Two words: Attorney General.
A letter to your state's AG will A) stop future "bait and switch" shady advertising by these guys, if in fact that what it was, and B) it'll wipe the stupid disrespecting laugh off their faces. Hey, you may even get the deal, but don't hold your breath on that part.
There are some excellent Acura dealers out there. Yours is not one of them, and they give the good guys a bad name.
Thanks for your post, and good luck to you whatever you decide. |
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| shootist |
You have areally strong complaint with the NYS Attorney General's office. They itch to take on cases like this, 'cuz it's so easy.
He has a whole department to take on car sales and service. THey hold the ultimate power- the ability to pull the dealers' license to sell cars.
Even if you've already bought another car, you may want to drop him a letter.
I'm disappointed in Acura of Manhattan, if that's your local dealer. I bought two MDX's from them. The dreaded finance person almost lost both sales for them, but I perservered. |
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