…or “Unintelligent Move” or some other witty comment that relates the opposite of their slogan.
I bought a used car from Towne Auto about 2 months ago. It was a very unpleasant experience. I went to look at a sentra se-r, but when it wouldnt start (after it had a fresh inspection sticker, and was just “looked over mechanically”), i started looking around the lot. I had already emailed the salesman a list of cars i was interested, and he knew that it had to be a standard transmission. I found a IS300, which was on my list. I assumed it was auto since he never mentioned it, but it was a standard.
He proceeded to find out about the car, and another salesman told me i was lucky because he had just put brand new tires on it, and they were $200 each. The tires are 215/45r17 Nexen N3000. I used to work at a tire store (still do part time), and these tires sell for about $70 each, still making a decent profit. I told him this, and said he was either lying or he got raped. He just said that would be my price cause i worked there. Whatever i dismissed it. Ok so i buy the car, on the way home, im shuffling through the glove box and find a receipt for the tires for $99 a piece. So he was lying, and he got raped!
Everything is fine until I realize that my temporary registration expires in a week, and i still havent received my official one. I call them and they dont know anything about it. I call the salesman i dealt with and he says they are running behind, and misplaced a form, and it will be there for me to pick up the next day. I stop by the next day and he tells me the exact same thing. Meanwhile he also tells me that they havent gotten the paper work to the bank yet, so i should bring a check payable to the bank for them to send with the paperwork. So the next day i stop to get my reg. and drop off the check, and the registration isnt there. They assure me it will be there tomorrow by noon or they will drop it off to my house. I get off work at 4, and still no sign. I stop by, no one knows anything, no one i talked to is there. So the next day is friday, i stop by, by this time im pissed, cause the registration expires Sunday, and im going out of town. Its still not there. The clerk is going on maternity leave, and someone else is supposed to take care of it, and she’ll be in monday. When i ask what im supposed to do meanwhile, she tells me in these exact words, “Well, chances are, you wont get pulled over.” That screams professional. Monday i stop by and to my surprise, the replacement clerk has my registration, with my refund check (cause i overpaid for the registration when i signed everything). She apologized for everything even though she had nothing to do with it, and is the only one who did her job. I didnt catch her name, but she should be working somewhere else.
I thought everything was over until today i finally get my coupon books for the loan, and the 1st payment was never made. I call the salesman, he doesnt know anything, tells me to call him tomorrow. I call the bank, and no other payments have been made, and the first payment is due on monday. The check i gave to the dealership has not been cashed yet, but its no where to be found. Im going to make the payment, and if the other one goes though, ill have made 2 payments. i dont really care. but this is the 1st time ive bought a car at a dealership, and it was a nightmare. My few problems werent that big of a deal but it was the customer service that was terrible.
CliffNotes:
Towne Hyundai/Mazda/Ford dealership has terrible customer service, and doesnt know how to run a business, seeing that routine processes such as registering a car, are a chore.