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AL Packer Ford, West Palm Beach Florida Material Misrepresentation; fraudulent sales contract; Unfair, Deceptive Advertising and Trade Practices Ripoff West Palm Beach Florida
Ford sold me a certified preowned vehicle that never actually went through the certification process.
This vehicle was sold with all the certification checklists, certification certificate and was advertised as a certified preowned vehicle. This vehicle has been in for maintenance a total of 4 times for defects that were on the vehicle prior to its sale.
1) Acid Marks from spill on Drivers Front Side Front Door -- dealership repainted the door after sale and left overspray on the inside interior
2) Vehicle was sold with 3 different plugs in 3 different tires, 4th tire was dryrotted- dealership replaced tires in December after I called corporate headquarters to complain
3) Passengers side rear window was not working - dealership corrected and replaced motor after sale
4) Key remotes for door and alarm, not working- dealership replaced remotes, motor and keys after sale
At this time there is an additional defect-This would be the 5th problem with the vehicle.
When I drove the vehicle on their lot, there was a frontal creaking sound when driving over speed bumps. I asked the salesperson about the sound and he stated he would have the technicians check the sound prior to the vehicle being released from the lot on the day of purchase. I was told that day, before I signed the paperwork that the noise was not a problem.
In December, when I had the tires serviced, I again mentioned the creaking in the front and was told that there was not a problem.
Last month I brought the explorer in for a regularly scheduled oil change. I mentioned the creaking yet a 3rd time and the technician stated it was the front boots on the vehicle that needed to be replaced. I spoke to the service manager who confirmed this with the technician and she told me that the boots were covered under the service warranty and I had a $100 deductable. I told her that was fine and we made an appointment.
Saturday, August 12, 2006 we brought the explorer in for service. About 2 hrs after I dropped the vehicle off , I get a call from the service technician, telling me that the boots in fact was not the problem with the vehicle, it was actually the driver controls in the front, that they would cost $700 to replace and it was not covered under the warranty. When I asked him why the technicians put on the last invoice that it was the boots, the service tech told me that he doesn't know where they got that from or why they would tell us that the boots were the problem. I asked the service tech if it was the current problem that was causing the creaking and he said "yes". He also stated to me that the technicians should have seen that problem before they certified the vehicle for sale under the precertification process. I spoke with 2 managers, 1 being Joanne and she told me the vehicle was completely warranteed up to 37,000 miles, I purchased the vehicle with 34,000, if they had fixed the vehicle when i purchased it, it would have been covered under the warranty. However, Because Ford didn't address the problem and fix it - even though I told them to check it before I bought the vehicle- they could not help me and I would be responsible for the full cost of fixing the vehicle. Regardless of it being their fault.
I called Ford Corporate HQ and I wasted nearly 2 hrs of my time. I found out Ford Corporate is not owned by Ford but a 3rd party independent company hired to mediate their customer service issues. I spoke to Rory and she documented the complaint and called over to Ford Service and spoke with Joanne. Rory at Corporate told me to call Joanne at 561-689-6550, as she stated Joanne was willing to resolve the problem with me and encouraged me to call her. I called and was placed on hold. Joanne answered, and she said the following to me: She acted as if she had no clue why I was calling her. Once I explained to her that I just spoke to Rory at Corporate and she told me to call her about the issue with my explorer, she stated, in a rude tone " Yes I spoke to her and I did not tell her to have you call me." she was extremely rude and I just hung up. I called Corporate back and spoke to Kate, who placed me on hold again, Kate returned to the line and stated she spoke to Joanne again who stated she was willing to drop the cost of the service by 1/3 because we are loyal customers.
I told Kate this is an unsatisfactory resolution.
All I am asking for Ford to do is fix the problem.
I feel that Ford has participated in Unfair , Deceptive Advertising and Trade Practices by selling me a vehicle that they claim was certified when it obviously never went through the Ford certification process. This is highly considered a Material Misrepresentation, which has caused a material breach and a fraudulent sales contract. Under my rights, I do feel I have the right to rescind out of the sales contract under Material Misrepresentation.
I have tried over the passed 2 days to rectify and resolve this issue with Ford and they refuse to cooperate and fix the defect on the vehicle under their expense. This is a defect that their technicians should have found during the certification process and the vehicle had never should have been sold as a precertified vehicle under these conditions.
Michelle
West Palm Beach, Florida
U.S.A.
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5 Updates & Rebuttals
Michelle
West Palm Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
Ford Replies with false repair claim of Frontal Boots and Refuses Responsibility
#6Author of original report
Sun, August 20, 2006
This is the reply I received after wasting my time on the phone with Corporate HQ and being rudely talked to by their manager at service.
Suprised with their response? Not in the least..
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Packer Ford Customer Relations Department [mailto:al627@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:33 AM
To: Michelle
Subject: Re: re:Material Misrepresentation-Your dealership sold me a certified preowned vehicle that never actually went through the certification process.
Good Afternoon Ms. XXXXX
I received your correspondence regarding your 2002 Explorer purchased from Al Packer Ford. I have fully investigated the situation and consulted with our Fixed Operations Director Rick Klotz on your concerns. Our records indicated that you took delivery of the Vehicle in September 2005.
The first time we show you in for Service was October 4th 2005 where you were provided two new and programmed remotes at no charge, and a rental vehicle was provided to you. This was arranged by your Salesperson James at your time of delivery which strongly indicates that you were aware this was to be done.
The repair order #315358 was signed by yourself and did not mention any frontal creaking sound. The next time we show you in for Service was on October 11th 2005 to repair a right rear tire, this was again repaired at no cost to you and RO# 315810 again had no indication of a frontal creaking sound.
The subsequent visit to Service was on November 8th 2005 where the vehicle was left and the information in the night drop stating "Rear drivers window is not working ,motor may be broken, spoke with service manager-under warranty." This was repaired at no cost to you and again signed by yourself, RO# 317108 with no complaint of a frontal creaking sound.
The next visit was November 29th 2005, more than two months after your initial delivery, the RO# 318339 noted that you wanted all tires checked for plugs, the used car department purchased, mounted and balanced four brand new tires for you as an act of customer goodwill. There was again no mention of a frontal creaking sound on that signed document by you.
The next visit was June 17th 2005 for an Oil and Filter Change which was complimentary, a tire rotation for which you were billed $13.00 and a complimentary multi-point inspection. This RO# 329482 was where the vehicle was diagnosed to need Front axle boots.
The Front axle boots were replaced on August 12th 2005 at no cost to you, although not covered under warranty Al Packer Ford incurred that charge. It is unfortunate that at times it is difficult to diagnose a specific problem, especially when it comes to tracking down a "noise" issue. It is not uncommon to attempt a fix several times on a vehicle in an effort to weed out what could be the issue.
It is now almost a year since you purchased the vehicle and there is no documentation whatsoever to support a claim that the vehicle has had this ongoing problem, nor were any defects apparent prior to or at your time of purchase. A Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with used car extended warranty that covers certain components of the vehicle, it is not a bumper to bumper warranty like a new vehicle would have.
Al Packer Ford has clearly gone above and beyond our Policy of Customer goodwill in providing numerous services not covered at no cost to you. You have never been charged a warranty deductible. We have even offered to reduce the cost of the currently needed service by a third. This is far more than we would typically do or than we are required to do.
Al Packer Ford is in no way liable or responsible for covering the cost of replacing the driver controls. It is very apparent that we have made every effort to resolve any issues that you had with this vehicle, despite the time lapses and lack of coverage. We have been more than fair in our dealings with you and regret that we will not cover any further costs.
Samantha Ford
Customer Relations Manager
Al Packer Ford, Isuzu, Suzuki
Al Packer Ford West
561-689-6550 x389
Not to my surprise, They make it look like I waited an entire month to bring the vehicle in for service. LOL.
The vehicle was purchased on the last weekend of September. I brought the vehicle in 3-4 days after delivery on the next available appointment. I obviously would not have signed a sales contract knowing that there was this many things wrong with a certified vehicle. Who would have?
Sadly to say, there was NO prior arrangement for any of these appointments. These appointments were made after sale, after I signed the sales contract, when the problems became apparent.
I also am not a mechanic or a vehicle technician, and regardless, the dealership is responsible for the overall condition of their certified vehicle, NOT the consumer.
When the vehicle was delivered to me, the batteries were dead in the remotes and the salesperson told me all I needed to do was replace the batteries because they didn't have the right batteries at the dealership at the time of delivery. There was NO preset arrangement for this visit- as apparently the salesperson and the technicians did not know that the remotes were working either- perhaps if they checked them and did their so called 115 point certified inspection correctly, they would have known this.
We purchased batteries and tried to program the keys ourselves. They would not program so we called the dealership and told them about the situation the following day. I was then given an appointment to bring the vehicle in for the remotes On October 4th approximately 3-4 days after the vehicle sale.
They make it seem like this service was a courtesy, that I should have been responsible for replacing the remotes myself after purchasing a certified vehicle from them a few days prior.
Addressing the tire issue, the vehicle was sold to me with 3 plugs in 3 separate tires and 1 dry rotted tire. Another problem apparently overlooked in Fords 115 pt inspection.
I first found out about the first plug in the rear because, it was an exterior plug. A plug that should not be on a certified vehicle at the time of sale. I found out about the exterior plug because the tire was leaking and when we put air in it- we noticed an exterior plug. Being I just purchased the vehicle approximately a week prior -- this should not be a problem that I should have to address. What the dealership failed to state was when I brought in the vehicle, they simply removed the outer plug on that specific tire and replaced it with an interior plug- they never checked the rest of the tires.
The rearview window's motor was apparently dead at the time of sale. I am mainly the only one who drives this vehicles, I have no children, so the rear seat is not used, so the 1 time I tried to use the window, it would not go down.
I called and addressed this issue with the dealership; they again apologized and replaced the motor. Again another Goodwill Complimentary Gesture for the dealerships failure to do their job and a complete 115 pt inspection. This is the 3rd time the vehicle was in for service.
The explorer was brought to the dealerships a 4th time for 2 tires, originally which were plugged. Fords technician put the 2 tires on the wrong place. Fords technician found 2 other plugs in 2 opposite tires that I didn't even know was there. This is when the service manager who yelled at both myself and my fianc stating that there was NO more plugs and they were doing NOTHING else for us, until my fianc poked a key through the plug on the tire that was supposed to be replaced- she then changed her attitude and stated she was going to authorize the replacement of all 4 tires. This again they called complimentary and a Goodwill Gesture, because their dealership did not do their job.
I brought my explorer in for an oil change and tire rotation (normal charge is $13.00 there was no discount there!) , last month and used the free complimentary oil change certificate they gave me at the time of sale for the explorer. Funny how the manager claims in her response that it's complimentary when it was part of their vehicle sale.
It was at this time, when they told me the frontal boots needed to be replaced. I made the appointment. The technician calls me 2 hrs after I drop the vehicle off and tells me that its not the frontal boots he doesn't know why they said it, in fact it is the driver control arms which should have been checked with the 115 pt inspection and replaced before sale- the explorer only has 45,000 miles and it was purchased at 34,000 miles. The vehicle was warrantied to 37,000 bumper to bumper. Funny how they didn't find this problem and take care to fix it under warranty. The technician additionally told me that the front noise we heard would have been the driver controls, which was a problem before sale.
Anyways, I am told by their managers that these driver controls is not Fords problem and not under warranty because it wasn't addressed sooner even though it should have been caught during their pre certification process.
The relations manager in her reply letter to me claims they replaced the Frontal Boots as a courtesy to me. The frontal boots were never replaced, so it's just another false comment and claim made by their dealership.The receipt I have is blank and does not indicate those "frontal boots " were replaced either.
As everyone can see, I have been more than enough patient and have given Al Packer Ford plenty of time to address and fix this issue. Apparently they are in the back office high fiving each other for another consumer screwed over their deceptive advertising and sales techniques.
I love the vehicle, don't get me wrong, but I purchased it under the asumption that it was certified and in good working order. This was not the case. Since no one wants to address the issue and fix it. I have no other choice but to pursue this issue with an attorney; apparently this is the only way to get anyone over there to listen.
Michelle
West Palm Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
Ford Replies with false repair claim of Frontal Boots and Refuses Responsibility
#6Author of original report
Sun, August 20, 2006
This is the reply I received after wasting my time on the phone with Corporate HQ and being rudely talked to by their manager at service.
Suprised with their response? Not in the least..
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Packer Ford Customer Relations Department [mailto:al627@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:33 AM
To: Michelle
Subject: Re: re:Material Misrepresentation-Your dealership sold me a certified preowned vehicle that never actually went through the certification process.
Good Afternoon Ms. XXXXX
I received your correspondence regarding your 2002 Explorer purchased from Al Packer Ford. I have fully investigated the situation and consulted with our Fixed Operations Director Rick Klotz on your concerns. Our records indicated that you took delivery of the Vehicle in September 2005.
The first time we show you in for Service was October 4th 2005 where you were provided two new and programmed remotes at no charge, and a rental vehicle was provided to you. This was arranged by your Salesperson James at your time of delivery which strongly indicates that you were aware this was to be done.
The repair order #315358 was signed by yourself and did not mention any frontal creaking sound. The next time we show you in for Service was on October 11th 2005 to repair a right rear tire, this was again repaired at no cost to you and RO# 315810 again had no indication of a frontal creaking sound.
The subsequent visit to Service was on November 8th 2005 where the vehicle was left and the information in the night drop stating "Rear drivers window is not working ,motor may be broken, spoke with service manager-under warranty." This was repaired at no cost to you and again signed by yourself, RO# 317108 with no complaint of a frontal creaking sound.
The next visit was November 29th 2005, more than two months after your initial delivery, the RO# 318339 noted that you wanted all tires checked for plugs, the used car department purchased, mounted and balanced four brand new tires for you as an act of customer goodwill. There was again no mention of a frontal creaking sound on that signed document by you.
The next visit was June 17th 2005 for an Oil and Filter Change which was complimentary, a tire rotation for which you were billed $13.00 and a complimentary multi-point inspection. This RO# 329482 was where the vehicle was diagnosed to need Front axle boots.
The Front axle boots were replaced on August 12th 2005 at no cost to you, although not covered under warranty Al Packer Ford incurred that charge. It is unfortunate that at times it is difficult to diagnose a specific problem, especially when it comes to tracking down a "noise" issue. It is not uncommon to attempt a fix several times on a vehicle in an effort to weed out what could be the issue.
It is now almost a year since you purchased the vehicle and there is no documentation whatsoever to support a claim that the vehicle has had this ongoing problem, nor were any defects apparent prior to or at your time of purchase. A Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with used car extended warranty that covers certain components of the vehicle, it is not a bumper to bumper warranty like a new vehicle would have.
Al Packer Ford has clearly gone above and beyond our Policy of Customer goodwill in providing numerous services not covered at no cost to you. You have never been charged a warranty deductible. We have even offered to reduce the cost of the currently needed service by a third. This is far more than we would typically do or than we are required to do.
Al Packer Ford is in no way liable or responsible for covering the cost of replacing the driver controls. It is very apparent that we have made every effort to resolve any issues that you had with this vehicle, despite the time lapses and lack of coverage. We have been more than fair in our dealings with you and regret that we will not cover any further costs.
Samantha Ford
Customer Relations Manager
Al Packer Ford, Isuzu, Suzuki
Al Packer Ford West
561-689-6550 x389
Not to my surprise, They make it look like I waited an entire month to bring the vehicle in for service. LOL.
The vehicle was purchased on the last weekend of September. I brought the vehicle in 3-4 days after delivery on the next available appointment. I obviously would not have signed a sales contract knowing that there was this many things wrong with a certified vehicle. Who would have?
Sadly to say, there was NO prior arrangement for any of these appointments. These appointments were made after sale, after I signed the sales contract, when the problems became apparent.
I also am not a mechanic or a vehicle technician, and regardless, the dealership is responsible for the overall condition of their certified vehicle, NOT the consumer.
When the vehicle was delivered to me, the batteries were dead in the remotes and the salesperson told me all I needed to do was replace the batteries because they didn't have the right batteries at the dealership at the time of delivery. There was NO preset arrangement for this visit- as apparently the salesperson and the technicians did not know that the remotes were working either- perhaps if they checked them and did their so called 115 point certified inspection correctly, they would have known this.
We purchased batteries and tried to program the keys ourselves. They would not program so we called the dealership and told them about the situation the following day. I was then given an appointment to bring the vehicle in for the remotes On October 4th approximately 3-4 days after the vehicle sale.
They make it seem like this service was a courtesy, that I should have been responsible for replacing the remotes myself after purchasing a certified vehicle from them a few days prior.
Addressing the tire issue, the vehicle was sold to me with 3 plugs in 3 separate tires and 1 dry rotted tire. Another problem apparently overlooked in Fords 115 pt inspection.
I first found out about the first plug in the rear because, it was an exterior plug. A plug that should not be on a certified vehicle at the time of sale. I found out about the exterior plug because the tire was leaking and when we put air in it- we noticed an exterior plug. Being I just purchased the vehicle approximately a week prior -- this should not be a problem that I should have to address. What the dealership failed to state was when I brought in the vehicle, they simply removed the outer plug on that specific tire and replaced it with an interior plug- they never checked the rest of the tires.
The rearview window's motor was apparently dead at the time of sale. I am mainly the only one who drives this vehicles, I have no children, so the rear seat is not used, so the 1 time I tried to use the window, it would not go down.
I called and addressed this issue with the dealership; they again apologized and replaced the motor. Again another Goodwill Complimentary Gesture for the dealerships failure to do their job and a complete 115 pt inspection. This is the 3rd time the vehicle was in for service.
The explorer was brought to the dealerships a 4th time for 2 tires, originally which were plugged. Fords technician put the 2 tires on the wrong place. Fords technician found 2 other plugs in 2 opposite tires that I didn't even know was there. This is when the service manager who yelled at both myself and my fianc stating that there was NO more plugs and they were doing NOTHING else for us, until my fianc poked a key through the plug on the tire that was supposed to be replaced- she then changed her attitude and stated she was going to authorize the replacement of all 4 tires. This again they called complimentary and a Goodwill Gesture, because their dealership did not do their job.
I brought my explorer in for an oil change and tire rotation (normal charge is $13.00 there was no discount there!) , last month and used the free complimentary oil change certificate they gave me at the time of sale for the explorer. Funny how the manager claims in her response that it's complimentary when it was part of their vehicle sale.
It was at this time, when they told me the frontal boots needed to be replaced. I made the appointment. The technician calls me 2 hrs after I drop the vehicle off and tells me that its not the frontal boots he doesn't know why they said it, in fact it is the driver control arms which should have been checked with the 115 pt inspection and replaced before sale- the explorer only has 45,000 miles and it was purchased at 34,000 miles. The vehicle was warrantied to 37,000 bumper to bumper. Funny how they didn't find this problem and take care to fix it under warranty. The technician additionally told me that the front noise we heard would have been the driver controls, which was a problem before sale.
Anyways, I am told by their managers that these driver controls is not Fords problem and not under warranty because it wasn't addressed sooner even though it should have been caught during their pre certification process.
The relations manager in her reply letter to me claims they replaced the Frontal Boots as a courtesy to me. The frontal boots were never replaced, so it's just another false comment and claim made by their dealership.The receipt I have is blank and does not indicate those "frontal boots " were replaced either.
As everyone can see, I have been more than enough patient and have given Al Packer Ford plenty of time to address and fix this issue. Apparently they are in the back office high fiving each other for another consumer screwed over their deceptive advertising and sales techniques.
I love the vehicle, don't get me wrong, but I purchased it under the asumption that it was certified and in good working order. This was not the case. Since no one wants to address the issue and fix it. I have no other choice but to pursue this issue with an attorney; apparently this is the only way to get anyone over there to listen.
Michelle
West Palm Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
Ford Replies with false repair claim of Frontal Boots and Refuses Responsibility
#6Author of original report
Sun, August 20, 2006
This is the reply I received after wasting my time on the phone with Corporate HQ and being rudely talked to by their manager at service.
Suprised with their response? Not in the least..
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Packer Ford Customer Relations Department [mailto:al627@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:33 AM
To: Michelle
Subject: Re: re:Material Misrepresentation-Your dealership sold me a certified preowned vehicle that never actually went through the certification process.
Good Afternoon Ms. XXXXX
I received your correspondence regarding your 2002 Explorer purchased from Al Packer Ford. I have fully investigated the situation and consulted with our Fixed Operations Director Rick Klotz on your concerns. Our records indicated that you took delivery of the Vehicle in September 2005.
The first time we show you in for Service was October 4th 2005 where you were provided two new and programmed remotes at no charge, and a rental vehicle was provided to you. This was arranged by your Salesperson James at your time of delivery which strongly indicates that you were aware this was to be done.
The repair order #315358 was signed by yourself and did not mention any frontal creaking sound. The next time we show you in for Service was on October 11th 2005 to repair a right rear tire, this was again repaired at no cost to you and RO# 315810 again had no indication of a frontal creaking sound.
The subsequent visit to Service was on November 8th 2005 where the vehicle was left and the information in the night drop stating "Rear drivers window is not working ,motor may be broken, spoke with service manager-under warranty." This was repaired at no cost to you and again signed by yourself, RO# 317108 with no complaint of a frontal creaking sound.
The next visit was November 29th 2005, more than two months after your initial delivery, the RO# 318339 noted that you wanted all tires checked for plugs, the used car department purchased, mounted and balanced four brand new tires for you as an act of customer goodwill. There was again no mention of a frontal creaking sound on that signed document by you.
The next visit was June 17th 2005 for an Oil and Filter Change which was complimentary, a tire rotation for which you were billed $13.00 and a complimentary multi-point inspection. This RO# 329482 was where the vehicle was diagnosed to need Front axle boots.
The Front axle boots were replaced on August 12th 2005 at no cost to you, although not covered under warranty Al Packer Ford incurred that charge. It is unfortunate that at times it is difficult to diagnose a specific problem, especially when it comes to tracking down a "noise" issue. It is not uncommon to attempt a fix several times on a vehicle in an effort to weed out what could be the issue.
It is now almost a year since you purchased the vehicle and there is no documentation whatsoever to support a claim that the vehicle has had this ongoing problem, nor were any defects apparent prior to or at your time of purchase. A Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with used car extended warranty that covers certain components of the vehicle, it is not a bumper to bumper warranty like a new vehicle would have.
Al Packer Ford has clearly gone above and beyond our Policy of Customer goodwill in providing numerous services not covered at no cost to you. You have never been charged a warranty deductible. We have even offered to reduce the cost of the currently needed service by a third. This is far more than we would typically do or than we are required to do.
Al Packer Ford is in no way liable or responsible for covering the cost of replacing the driver controls. It is very apparent that we have made every effort to resolve any issues that you had with this vehicle, despite the time lapses and lack of coverage. We have been more than fair in our dealings with you and regret that we will not cover any further costs.
Samantha Ford
Customer Relations Manager
Al Packer Ford, Isuzu, Suzuki
Al Packer Ford West
561-689-6550 x389
Not to my surprise, They make it look like I waited an entire month to bring the vehicle in for service. LOL.
The vehicle was purchased on the last weekend of September. I brought the vehicle in 3-4 days after delivery on the next available appointment. I obviously would not have signed a sales contract knowing that there was this many things wrong with a certified vehicle. Who would have?
Sadly to say, there was NO prior arrangement for any of these appointments. These appointments were made after sale, after I signed the sales contract, when the problems became apparent.
I also am not a mechanic or a vehicle technician, and regardless, the dealership is responsible for the overall condition of their certified vehicle, NOT the consumer.
When the vehicle was delivered to me, the batteries were dead in the remotes and the salesperson told me all I needed to do was replace the batteries because they didn't have the right batteries at the dealership at the time of delivery. There was NO preset arrangement for this visit- as apparently the salesperson and the technicians did not know that the remotes were working either- perhaps if they checked them and did their so called 115 point certified inspection correctly, they would have known this.
We purchased batteries and tried to program the keys ourselves. They would not program so we called the dealership and told them about the situation the following day. I was then given an appointment to bring the vehicle in for the remotes On October 4th approximately 3-4 days after the vehicle sale.
They make it seem like this service was a courtesy, that I should have been responsible for replacing the remotes myself after purchasing a certified vehicle from them a few days prior.
Addressing the tire issue, the vehicle was sold to me with 3 plugs in 3 separate tires and 1 dry rotted tire. Another problem apparently overlooked in Fords 115 pt inspection.
I first found out about the first plug in the rear because, it was an exterior plug. A plug that should not be on a certified vehicle at the time of sale. I found out about the exterior plug because the tire was leaking and when we put air in it- we noticed an exterior plug. Being I just purchased the vehicle approximately a week prior -- this should not be a problem that I should have to address. What the dealership failed to state was when I brought in the vehicle, they simply removed the outer plug on that specific tire and replaced it with an interior plug- they never checked the rest of the tires.
The rearview window's motor was apparently dead at the time of sale. I am mainly the only one who drives this vehicles, I have no children, so the rear seat is not used, so the 1 time I tried to use the window, it would not go down.
I called and addressed this issue with the dealership; they again apologized and replaced the motor. Again another Goodwill Complimentary Gesture for the dealerships failure to do their job and a complete 115 pt inspection. This is the 3rd time the vehicle was in for service.
The explorer was brought to the dealerships a 4th time for 2 tires, originally which were plugged. Fords technician put the 2 tires on the wrong place. Fords technician found 2 other plugs in 2 opposite tires that I didn't even know was there. This is when the service manager who yelled at both myself and my fianc stating that there was NO more plugs and they were doing NOTHING else for us, until my fianc poked a key through the plug on the tire that was supposed to be replaced- she then changed her attitude and stated she was going to authorize the replacement of all 4 tires. This again they called complimentary and a Goodwill Gesture, because their dealership did not do their job.
I brought my explorer in for an oil change and tire rotation (normal charge is $13.00 there was no discount there!) , last month and used the free complimentary oil change certificate they gave me at the time of sale for the explorer. Funny how the manager claims in her response that it's complimentary when it was part of their vehicle sale.
It was at this time, when they told me the frontal boots needed to be replaced. I made the appointment. The technician calls me 2 hrs after I drop the vehicle off and tells me that its not the frontal boots he doesn't know why they said it, in fact it is the driver control arms which should have been checked with the 115 pt inspection and replaced before sale- the explorer only has 45,000 miles and it was purchased at 34,000 miles. The vehicle was warrantied to 37,000 bumper to bumper. Funny how they didn't find this problem and take care to fix it under warranty. The technician additionally told me that the front noise we heard would have been the driver controls, which was a problem before sale.
Anyways, I am told by their managers that these driver controls is not Fords problem and not under warranty because it wasn't addressed sooner even though it should have been caught during their pre certification process.
The relations manager in her reply letter to me claims they replaced the Frontal Boots as a courtesy to me. The frontal boots were never replaced, so it's just another false comment and claim made by their dealership.The receipt I have is blank and does not indicate those "frontal boots " were replaced either.
As everyone can see, I have been more than enough patient and have given Al Packer Ford plenty of time to address and fix this issue. Apparently they are in the back office high fiving each other for another consumer screwed over their deceptive advertising and sales techniques.
I love the vehicle, don't get me wrong, but I purchased it under the asumption that it was certified and in good working order. This was not the case. Since no one wants to address the issue and fix it. I have no other choice but to pursue this issue with an attorney; apparently this is the only way to get anyone over there to listen.
Michelle
West Palm Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
Ford Replies with false repair claim of Frontal Boots and Refuses Responsibility
#6Author of original report
Sun, August 20, 2006
This is the reply I received after wasting my time on the phone with Corporate HQ and being rudely talked to by their manager at service.
Suprised with their response? Not in the least..
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Packer Ford Customer Relations Department [mailto:al627@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:33 AM
To: Michelle
Subject: Re: re:Material Misrepresentation-Your dealership sold me a certified preowned vehicle that never actually went through the certification process.
Good Afternoon Ms. XXXXX
I received your correspondence regarding your 2002 Explorer purchased from Al Packer Ford. I have fully investigated the situation and consulted with our Fixed Operations Director Rick Klotz on your concerns. Our records indicated that you took delivery of the Vehicle in September 2005.
The first time we show you in for Service was October 4th 2005 where you were provided two new and programmed remotes at no charge, and a rental vehicle was provided to you. This was arranged by your Salesperson James at your time of delivery which strongly indicates that you were aware this was to be done.
The repair order #315358 was signed by yourself and did not mention any frontal creaking sound. The next time we show you in for Service was on October 11th 2005 to repair a right rear tire, this was again repaired at no cost to you and RO# 315810 again had no indication of a frontal creaking sound.
The subsequent visit to Service was on November 8th 2005 where the vehicle was left and the information in the night drop stating "Rear drivers window is not working ,motor may be broken, spoke with service manager-under warranty." This was repaired at no cost to you and again signed by yourself, RO# 317108 with no complaint of a frontal creaking sound.
The next visit was November 29th 2005, more than two months after your initial delivery, the RO# 318339 noted that you wanted all tires checked for plugs, the used car department purchased, mounted and balanced four brand new tires for you as an act of customer goodwill. There was again no mention of a frontal creaking sound on that signed document by you.
The next visit was June 17th 2005 for an Oil and Filter Change which was complimentary, a tire rotation for which you were billed $13.00 and a complimentary multi-point inspection. This RO# 329482 was where the vehicle was diagnosed to need Front axle boots.
The Front axle boots were replaced on August 12th 2005 at no cost to you, although not covered under warranty Al Packer Ford incurred that charge. It is unfortunate that at times it is difficult to diagnose a specific problem, especially when it comes to tracking down a "noise" issue. It is not uncommon to attempt a fix several times on a vehicle in an effort to weed out what could be the issue.
It is now almost a year since you purchased the vehicle and there is no documentation whatsoever to support a claim that the vehicle has had this ongoing problem, nor were any defects apparent prior to or at your time of purchase. A Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with used car extended warranty that covers certain components of the vehicle, it is not a bumper to bumper warranty like a new vehicle would have.
Al Packer Ford has clearly gone above and beyond our Policy of Customer goodwill in providing numerous services not covered at no cost to you. You have never been charged a warranty deductible. We have even offered to reduce the cost of the currently needed service by a third. This is far more than we would typically do or than we are required to do.
Al Packer Ford is in no way liable or responsible for covering the cost of replacing the driver controls. It is very apparent that we have made every effort to resolve any issues that you had with this vehicle, despite the time lapses and lack of coverage. We have been more than fair in our dealings with you and regret that we will not cover any further costs.
Samantha Ford
Customer Relations Manager
Al Packer Ford, Isuzu, Suzuki
Al Packer Ford West
561-689-6550 x389
Not to my surprise, They make it look like I waited an entire month to bring the vehicle in for service. LOL.
The vehicle was purchased on the last weekend of September. I brought the vehicle in 3-4 days after delivery on the next available appointment. I obviously would not have signed a sales contract knowing that there was this many things wrong with a certified vehicle. Who would have?
Sadly to say, there was NO prior arrangement for any of these appointments. These appointments were made after sale, after I signed the sales contract, when the problems became apparent.
I also am not a mechanic or a vehicle technician, and regardless, the dealership is responsible for the overall condition of their certified vehicle, NOT the consumer.
When the vehicle was delivered to me, the batteries were dead in the remotes and the salesperson told me all I needed to do was replace the batteries because they didn't have the right batteries at the dealership at the time of delivery. There was NO preset arrangement for this visit- as apparently the salesperson and the technicians did not know that the remotes were working either- perhaps if they checked them and did their so called 115 point certified inspection correctly, they would have known this.
We purchased batteries and tried to program the keys ourselves. They would not program so we called the dealership and told them about the situation the following day. I was then given an appointment to bring the vehicle in for the remotes On October 4th approximately 3-4 days after the vehicle sale.
They make it seem like this service was a courtesy, that I should have been responsible for replacing the remotes myself after purchasing a certified vehicle from them a few days prior.
Addressing the tire issue, the vehicle was sold to me with 3 plugs in 3 separate tires and 1 dry rotted tire. Another problem apparently overlooked in Fords 115 pt inspection.
I first found out about the first plug in the rear because, it was an exterior plug. A plug that should not be on a certified vehicle at the time of sale. I found out about the exterior plug because the tire was leaking and when we put air in it- we noticed an exterior plug. Being I just purchased the vehicle approximately a week prior -- this should not be a problem that I should have to address. What the dealership failed to state was when I brought in the vehicle, they simply removed the outer plug on that specific tire and replaced it with an interior plug- they never checked the rest of the tires.
The rearview window's motor was apparently dead at the time of sale. I am mainly the only one who drives this vehicles, I have no children, so the rear seat is not used, so the 1 time I tried to use the window, it would not go down.
I called and addressed this issue with the dealership; they again apologized and replaced the motor. Again another Goodwill Complimentary Gesture for the dealerships failure to do their job and a complete 115 pt inspection. This is the 3rd time the vehicle was in for service.
The explorer was brought to the dealerships a 4th time for 2 tires, originally which were plugged. Fords technician put the 2 tires on the wrong place. Fords technician found 2 other plugs in 2 opposite tires that I didn't even know was there. This is when the service manager who yelled at both myself and my fianc stating that there was NO more plugs and they were doing NOTHING else for us, until my fianc poked a key through the plug on the tire that was supposed to be replaced- she then changed her attitude and stated she was going to authorize the replacement of all 4 tires. This again they called complimentary and a Goodwill Gesture, because their dealership did not do their job.
I brought my explorer in for an oil change and tire rotation (normal charge is $13.00 there was no discount there!) , last month and used the free complimentary oil change certificate they gave me at the time of sale for the explorer. Funny how the manager claims in her response that it's complimentary when it was part of their vehicle sale.
It was at this time, when they told me the frontal boots needed to be replaced. I made the appointment. The technician calls me 2 hrs after I drop the vehicle off and tells me that its not the frontal boots he doesn't know why they said it, in fact it is the driver control arms which should have been checked with the 115 pt inspection and replaced before sale- the explorer only has 45,000 miles and it was purchased at 34,000 miles. The vehicle was warrantied to 37,000 bumper to bumper. Funny how they didn't find this problem and take care to fix it under warranty. The technician additionally told me that the front noise we heard would have been the driver controls, which was a problem before sale.
Anyways, I am told by their managers that these driver controls is not Fords problem and not under warranty because it wasn't addressed sooner even though it should have been caught during their pre certification process.
The relations manager in her reply letter to me claims they replaced the Frontal Boots as a courtesy to me. The frontal boots were never replaced, so it's just another false comment and claim made by their dealership.The receipt I have is blank and does not indicate those "frontal boots " were replaced either.
As everyone can see, I have been more than enough patient and have given Al Packer Ford plenty of time to address and fix this issue. Apparently they are in the back office high fiving each other for another consumer screwed over their deceptive advertising and sales techniques.
I love the vehicle, don't get me wrong, but I purchased it under the asumption that it was certified and in good working order. This was not the case. Since no one wants to address the issue and fix it. I have no other choice but to pursue this issue with an attorney; apparently this is the only way to get anyone over there to listen.
Skip
West Palm Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
These Guys Are The Pits
#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, August 14, 2006
I worked at this dealership for three or four weeks back in the late 90's as a new car salesperson. I was released because I wouldn't do all of the low down tricks they expected their salepeople to pull on car buyers. The managers in the new car side were just awful. They'd browbeat and try to humiliate everyone who worked there. On the used car side, they sit in the back office and high five each other everytime they screwed a buyer. Anyhow, the dealer principal was Mark Packer and the general manager was a guy named Don (I don't remember his last name). They both had offices just behind the new car showroom off the walkway that will take you back to service. If Don is still there, he will listen and try to remedy your problem. Mark Packer never opens his office door when he's there, so he's pretty much unreachable for a customer.