Luvwine
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Stephen
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2021
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 101
- Location
- Western North Carolina
- Vehicle(s)
- 2010 Wrangler Unlimited Sport
- Thread starter
- #1
I got an email with the "Jeep Dealership Experience Survey." I gather this is important to the dealer as I had earlier gotten an email asking me to call the sales manager or general manager if I was going to give anything other than the highest possible marks to the dealer. Just looking for others' perspective regarding the issues I had to see if I am perhaps looking at this the wrong way.
On the plus side, I found the sales manager (the person I dealt with) to be pleasant on the phone and did not try to rush me. The pricing was among the most competitive around (just over 10% below MSRP on a custom order), and he did respond to my emails for status most of the time appropriately. He is a high volume dealer and there were no hidden fees or games on pricing or hard sells for extras or a warranty or what have you. I also had trouble with getting my control number from the Tread Lightly website (which really sucks) and he helped with that and solved the problem. When it came time for the vehicle to be delivered, the pricing given for delivering the vehicle to me (to save me the long trip to the dealer) was very fair.
On the negative side, the issues I had were mostly minor. He was slow at times (usually one or two days) to respond to emails and he occasionally did not respond at all. If I called him and he did not pick up, I would leave a message but don't think he ever returned a phone call, which was frustrating at times. But it was really the final paperwork/delivery that left a bad taste in my mouth though perhaps I am overreacting. He quoted me $500 to have the jeep trucked to me or he could have the jeep driven to me for $250. I asked his opinion and he told me he had no issues with his folks delivering it by driving it. I asked him about damage and he said that any damage that occurred on the way to me would be on them. So I took the driving it to me option for less money. The paperwork included an odometer statement that the jeep had only 5 miles on the odometer. I called him and told him that I thought my warranty would start with the mileage on the jeep when I took possession and that there was nearly 300 miles on the odometer and that I did not think it was right that I should have to sign a false statement that I was taking possession of the jeep with only 5 miles when that was clearly not the case. I admit I did not ask about this issue in advance, but thought that since any damage that occurred prior to delivery was on them (which he confirmed) I thought warranty would start on delivery. There was also no way for me to know what the mileage was on it prior to the trip as his delivery folks got lost (another nitpick, they were supposed to call me prior to arrival but they said they were not given my number). His position on the odometer statement was that I did not have to sign it but if I did not sign it as is (he would not change it) that they would drive the jeep back to the dealership. This is what left a bad taste in my mouth. Had I known that the miles driven by his delivery were going to be charged against my warranty and that I would have to sign an odometer statement that was false, I would have had the jeep trucked to me. Last nitpick was that I saw (in advance) that there was a "binding arbitration" clause in the contract. I asked about this and was referred to the GM of the dealership who told me that this was required but that if I did not like the result of arbitration I could file for a "trial de novo" and have a trial if I wanted. I did some research and consulted with a lemon lawyer (as those rights are what I was wanting to preserve given some folks have had to use the lemon law on 4XE vehicles) and the lemon lawyer confirmed that the arbitration clause was indeed enforceable and no "trial de novo" was available for a voluntary binding arbitration. Since the lemon law is against the manufacturer and not the dealer here, that did not matter, but I did not like being told false information by the GM (who should have known better).
Am I wrong to have trouble leaving highest possible marks on the survey given the above experience? I have not called the sales manager or GM since delivery. Appreciate any thoughts.
On the plus side, I found the sales manager (the person I dealt with) to be pleasant on the phone and did not try to rush me. The pricing was among the most competitive around (just over 10% below MSRP on a custom order), and he did respond to my emails for status most of the time appropriately. He is a high volume dealer and there were no hidden fees or games on pricing or hard sells for extras or a warranty or what have you. I also had trouble with getting my control number from the Tread Lightly website (which really sucks) and he helped with that and solved the problem. When it came time for the vehicle to be delivered, the pricing given for delivering the vehicle to me (to save me the long trip to the dealer) was very fair.
On the negative side, the issues I had were mostly minor. He was slow at times (usually one or two days) to respond to emails and he occasionally did not respond at all. If I called him and he did not pick up, I would leave a message but don't think he ever returned a phone call, which was frustrating at times. But it was really the final paperwork/delivery that left a bad taste in my mouth though perhaps I am overreacting. He quoted me $500 to have the jeep trucked to me or he could have the jeep driven to me for $250. I asked his opinion and he told me he had no issues with his folks delivering it by driving it. I asked him about damage and he said that any damage that occurred on the way to me would be on them. So I took the driving it to me option for less money. The paperwork included an odometer statement that the jeep had only 5 miles on the odometer. I called him and told him that I thought my warranty would start with the mileage on the jeep when I took possession and that there was nearly 300 miles on the odometer and that I did not think it was right that I should have to sign a false statement that I was taking possession of the jeep with only 5 miles when that was clearly not the case. I admit I did not ask about this issue in advance, but thought that since any damage that occurred prior to delivery was on them (which he confirmed) I thought warranty would start on delivery. There was also no way for me to know what the mileage was on it prior to the trip as his delivery folks got lost (another nitpick, they were supposed to call me prior to arrival but they said they were not given my number). His position on the odometer statement was that I did not have to sign it but if I did not sign it as is (he would not change it) that they would drive the jeep back to the dealership. This is what left a bad taste in my mouth. Had I known that the miles driven by his delivery were going to be charged against my warranty and that I would have to sign an odometer statement that was false, I would have had the jeep trucked to me. Last nitpick was that I saw (in advance) that there was a "binding arbitration" clause in the contract. I asked about this and was referred to the GM of the dealership who told me that this was required but that if I did not like the result of arbitration I could file for a "trial de novo" and have a trial if I wanted. I did some research and consulted with a lemon lawyer (as those rights are what I was wanting to preserve given some folks have had to use the lemon law on 4XE vehicles) and the lemon lawyer confirmed that the arbitration clause was indeed enforceable and no "trial de novo" was available for a voluntary binding arbitration. Since the lemon law is against the manufacturer and not the dealer here, that did not matter, but I did not like being told false information by the GM (who should have known better).
Am I wrong to have trouble leaving highest possible marks on the survey given the above experience? I have not called the sales manager or GM since delivery. Appreciate any thoughts.
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