Complaint Review: Bill Heard Chevrolet

My husband and I bought a car at Bill Heard in Orlando, FL a little over a year ago. We had an okay experience with them, except for taking forever to finalize our deal. We figured we would go to Vegas when we moved to Nevada and trade our car in for a truck. When you live in Nevada, you definitely need a truck. We lived in Battle Mountain, approximately 7 1/2 hours from Vegas. I had corresponded with a sales rep from Bill Heard Chevrolet over the Internet for several weeks. She was wonderful. She gave us all the information we needed, and proceeded to tell us that she could get us into a brand new, 2006 Chevy Silverado, with only $1,000 down. Shortly thereafter, we headed to Vegas to close the deal. After driving 7 1/2 hours, we arrived at Bill Heard Chevrolet. We searched for the saleswoman and finally found her working with other customers. She assigned a man to help us, although I can not remember his name right now. He worked with us to come up with a deal, and sent us to the credit manager. We signed all the papers, he told us what our monthly payment would be, and off we went, in our new 2006 Chevy Silverado. We arrived back in Battle mountain, showing off our new truck to all of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Approximately 1 week later, the credit manager called on the phone and said we needed to come back to Vegas to sign more papers. They were going to be able to get our payment dropped at least $100. They couldn't Fax the papers, as they were three-part, and we needed to be there to sign them. We didn't like the idea of having to travel another 7 1/2 hours, but we figured if our payment was going to be $100 less, it would be worth it. I told them we would come, as long as they gave us the money for our gas. They told us no problem.

Arriving in Vegas for the second time in a month, we walked in and the credit manager was not there. We were told to wait in this office and he would be arriving in a few minutes, that he was on his way. A half an hour later, a man walked in and said he was going to help us, that the credit manager was still not there. He sat down and proceeded to tell us that we needed to come up with $4,000 more as a down payment. I said, "What?!?!!? We were told on the phone that we were coming here to sign papers, and that our payment was going to be reduced by $100!"

The man told us that he could not get us financed unless we put another $4,000 down. I was livid!!! I told them that we were not told about this on the phone, that we were only told that we needed to come out here to sign papers, and that our payment would be lowered. We knew nothing about any more money down. I was so angry that I walked outside to calm down. The man came out and asked us to come back inside and try to work something out.

After talking with us for another 1/2 hour or more, trying to get us to put more money down, I told them I wanted my car back and they could stick their truck where the sun doesn't shine. Then they proceeded to try to get us to take a new car, instead of a truck. They told us they would have no problem getting us financed for a car, which seems totally ridiculous to me. I again told them no, that I wanted my $1,000 back, and my car that I was trading in. The man told me that they could not give me my $1,000 back until they were sure that it had cleared the bank. He said they would mail me a check as soon as they got the clearance from the bank. I told them there was no way that I was leaving here until I got my $1,000 back. I told them I would camp out here until that happened. The man went into the back and came out with a $1,000 check.

I went back outside while they were going to bring our car around front. As I was standing outside, one of the executives from Bill Heard Chevrolet came out and asked my husband and I to come into his office to talk to him. We went into his office, listened to all his mumbo-jumbo talk, telling us his credit manager was going to be in big trouble as soon as he came in, telling us there was nothing else that he could do. I walked out of his office and back outside to wait for our car.

They brought our car out front and gave us our keys. We had taken the license plates off when we were in Vegas the first time, so our plates were home, in Battle Mountain. By them not telling us the truth over the phone, we had no license plates for our car. Driving 7 1/2 hours without plates on your car is not a good thing. I asked the executive what we were supposed to do about this, whether they would give us temporary plates just to get home. He told me that they could not do that. He went back inside and came out with a slip of paper and told me that if we had any problems, to show this paper and it would explain everything. I told him that if we were pulled over by the police and ended up receiving a fine because of no plates that Bill Heard Chevrolet would be paying it. He handed us $100 cash and told us to go get ourselves a nice lunch on Bill Heard Chevrolet. We got in our car and left.

I just want to let people know about this company so no one else has to go through what we did. Not only was it stressful because of everything that went on, but it was also humiliating when we returned home. Try explaining to your friends, family, and co-workers why you leave with a brand new truck and come back with your old car. It's not fun. It was very embarrassing and humiliating. I think Bill Heard Chevrolet in Vegas is the worst car dealership I have ever been to. I will never step foot back into any of their dealerships, and I will tell everyone I know about them. I work for a major corporation who buys several company cars, trucks, etc. I will make sure I inform them of what happened to us, and I know they will never do business with Bill Heard Chevrolet.

Blanche
Empire, Nevada
U.S.A.

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