Courtesy Ford rude - unprofessional - predatory ripoff gypsy show Portland Oregon
After having been a loyal Ford customer for 25 years, and a loyal Courtesy Ford customer for some time now, I am saddened I have to write about this dealership. Don't get me wrong, I will still continue to own Ford cars and trucks; but until changes occur at this dealership I will be buying them elsewhere... as will the company I work for that maintains a fleet account with them. I HIGHLY recommend all other consumers in the Portland market take their business elsewhere as well.
During the early part of January, 2006 myself and my wife decided we were going to purchase a new vehicle. We stopped into Courtesy, which had treated us professionally in the past, and encountered the worst salesperson in our history of buying car's. A fella named Alan who apparently thinks it is 1976 and not 2006. I thought those old tired lines of 'if I could would you?' were a thing of the past for all dealerships these days. Apparently, they are currently alive and well at Courtesy Ford. If only that were the least of the problem.
After having to endure time and interaction with this very poor excuse of an individual playing at 'professional', we were led to his desk for the purpose of discussing some purchasing information. After expressing our desire to make a fair purchase for ourselves and the dealership, as well negotiate a resonable price for our trade, we were treated to a fair game of back and forth with him relaying information/pricing from his "Manager"; a short fella who kept throwing us the random scowl. Now whether the scowls were for show or intentionally rude I am not sure,all the same the effect was disconcerting coming from someone I assumed to be a legitimate professional. I rapidly learned that this whole process was anything but professional. Several times when Alan the salesman would return with a 'better offer' from his manager, the figures would prove to be nothing other than what was initially offered by the dealership- but adjusted around between the trade, the selling price and the payment in an attempt to obscure that nothing had indeed changed at all. Don't get me wrong, I understand that purchasing a car is often a neogtiating process, but this was chicanery in it's purest form. I believe in a fair pofit for the dealer, as well a good buy for me the consumer; this was endless manipulation to leave me to think I was 'getting something' when in fact I was being robbed. The only thing more offensive than the actual theatrics of it -as well it's time consumption- was the impression they must think me moronic to fall for it. All trust I had for the dealership was lost then- it was time to leave after my wife returned from a walk to cool her demeanor to this behavior.
After my wife's return we informed Alan we would be thinking about our decision for a while longer and began to leave. When we were getting into our car and attempting to drive away he came dashing out to inform us we could buy the car for much lesser prices than we were just told, and would we like to come back in to buy it. Hardly, last thing I was going to do was purchase a vehicle from someone who couldn't deal straight with me from the beginning and tried to pull one over on me using very old car salesman dramas. I wanted the good feeling I usually got when purchasing a new vehicle and the excitement that went along with it, this fella and his scowling manager with short-mans disease made me feel disgusted I had always told friends to buy from this dealership. Hell, I am the reason my company used them for fleet purchases.
The cherry on top was my wife deciding that now would be the best time to tell me what she overheard our salesperson saying to his manager. Apparently, while she was walking about and he was at the managers pedestal -with it's thronelike central placement I can see how it would breed ego issues-she overheard a bit of their conversation unbeknownst to them. I will not recant verbatim what she heard because of the vulgarity of it, and it took every bit of her convincing for me to not turn around and head back to that dealership and punch throwback Alan in the mouth. Let me just say that four letter words beginning with C and ending with T are about as derogatory as you can go.
Where you purchase your next car is your decision, but I can promise you that it will be quite some time before I step foot in that place again let alone tell friends to shop there. Not while that charade and those two wastes of oxygen still exist there.
Very displeased
portland, Oregon
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Courtesy Auto dealer ships, Chevorlet, FORD, ISUZU, KIA etc.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
educatedcarguy
Portland,Oregon,
United States of America
Understandably a Bad Experience, none of those people work here anymore and the attitudes have changed
#6UPDATE Employee
Fri, September 16, 2011
Going through these reports make me question how (a college educated, former teacher and luxury concierge) I ever got into this business. And the reason is that the business has changed, even in this short year I've worked here.
The customer is more informed, they are more time crunched, and expect more out of us salespeople. These types of situations don't exist anymore at Courtesy Ford. Those people you mentioned no longer work here.
All of our salespeople have a customer service background and strong product knowledge to deliver the best vehicles with the best service. Ford has never been in a better place than right now, and at Courtesy we pride ourselves on using our training to provide you with the BEST car buying experience. If you are dealing with a professional salesperson who listens to your needs without trying to "roll you" with an old school car guy mentality, then you will tell your friends and family you had a good experience. Portland's a small city, and 70% of our business is done through repeat customers.
I wanted to write this to "bury the hatchet" because I truly take pride in where I work. You can bet if my wife got treated like that I would never go back, but never is a long time, and we truly can give you the best price in town. It sounds like you like Ford products. If you come down here I will guarantee you a positive experience, and make it fun for you and your family!
Thanks for reading,
Jason Boursier
Bo
Portland,Oregon,
U.S.A.
"Ron" obviously has me confused...... I repeat. I have not purchased a vehicle from your dealership since 2003
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, January 25, 2006
I can appreciate your reply to my initial report, Ron. But unfortunately for you I am not a customer who returned and purchased a car from you. I wasn't even shopping for a Mustang. I feel for the poor people you have me confused with though. Assuming you posted accurate information that is; after the mirror show your dealership put on for me I have little trust in your word.
My wife is neither deaf nor a liar. She clearly overheard the comment made. Now it is possible it was made in reference to another individual and not us, or was just a vulgar exchange between your salesperson Alan and his manager. Regardless, I take offense that you would attempt to mask it as a non occurrance. Says much about your integrity (or lack of) to not be able to admit error on your dealerships part.
That is probably the saddest thing about all of this. Not once did you offer to invite me back to settle this matter, or even offer an apology for the disrespectful manner your salesperson and manager showed us. Let alone own up to the negotiating charade.
Instead you hoped to pass me off as someone who returned and purchased something I didn't, to claim innocence of all allegations brought, and then use this forum for plugging your dealership:
" We don't mind giving big discounts, that's what keeps us one of the largest volume Ford dealerships in the country."
I repeat. I have not purchased a vehicle from your dealership since 2003(which by the way was a very fine transaction)and until things change there neither I nor my company will be doing business with ANY aspect of your dealership.
You're welcome to run your business however you please, thats up to you. Just as it is up to me to take my business to a dealer that doesn't employ theatrics and the people who perform them.
D
Naples,Florida,
U.S.A.
Ron, ..And how did you know which car they were wanting to buy.
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, January 24, 2006
How are you sure that this the couple that wrote the report since they signed it "Very Displeased" and NOT someone else you had tried to rip off? And how did you know which car they were wanting to buy. Please respond.
Ron
PORTLAND,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Yes, You Did Do The Right Thing!
#6REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, January 24, 2006
Before we finish this reply, we should preface it with the fact that the customer returned and purchased the car from us. Courtesy Ford is one of the largest volume Ford Dealerships in the Northwest and the only one to receive Ford's Presidents Award for exemplary customer satisfaction for 3 consecutive years. We take a lot of pride in treating our customers right. We highly recommend Edmunds.com and KBB. While they both recommend that a 2006 Mustang which is the highest demand vehicle Ford builds, should sell from a few hundred dollars over invoice to MSRP depending on equipment, we offered this vehicle to these customers for several hundred dollars under invoice. They didn't believe us and argued that we were robbing them! After leaving and shopping numerous other dealerships, they found out that the price we offered truly was the best price available. They returned and purchased the Mustang. We made no derogatory remarks about this couple. We don't do that. We respect all of our customers. We're glad they returned. We don't mind giving big discounts, that's what keeps us one of the largest volume Ford dealerships in the country.
B.
Anytown,Delaware,
U.S.A.
You did the right thing
#6Consumer Suggestion
Fri, January 20, 2006
I applaud you for doing the right thing: You felt uncomfortable dealing with a slimy, stuck in the 70's, "reading-from-a-sales-script" dealer. So you stood up, walked out the door, and left. Bravo. If everyone did the exact same thing, then less dealers would pull the kind of nonsense that you describe.
The only thing I might suggest that would make it a bit easier the next time, is to go to Edmunds.com and get the invoice price of the exact vehicle model you are interested in. (heck, print it out and take it with you). Offer a reasonable deal -- which can range from invoice or even a little below for a slow-seller, to $500 or $600 above invoice for an average selling car or SUV...all the way up to close to MSRP if you have to have the latest, greatest, fat daddy, can't get 'em, can't find 'em vehicle of the day
(think new Toyota FJ Cruiser when they come out next month! Yota is only making 46,000 of them, and there is going to be a heckuva demand for them...so they will sell at or next to MSRP for quite a while)
But I digress....Again, bravo and good job for getting up and walking out on a ridiculous dealer.