Complaint Review: Don Davis Honda

Went to Don Davis Honda to look at used Accord.  The one I saw online had already been sold.  Karen, the lady who was helping us, said they had another one they could show me.  Showed me a different Accord with half the miles on it (21K), but wanted 14,700 for it instead of the 12,995 they had on the other one.  Explained that was not in the range I wanted to be at.  Was getting ready to leave when another Accord became available at the body shop to repair a few dings in the side panel---nothing major.  Went to look at the car, it was OK, had 37K miles on it. Told her I had gotten an offer from a different dealer at 12,200 for a similar Accord with fewer miles on it.  She went and talked to the sales manager(Mike), and after some loud "talking" that I probably wasn't supposed to "overhear" about how I was crazy and this that and the other, she came back and said they could offer it to me for $11,900 uncertified but if we wanted it certified it would be an additional $500.  I countered with an offer of 12,200 certified, and she went back to her sales manager gain in the office as I sat in a little cubicle she had.  Again there was some loud talking I apparently wasn't "supposed to" overhear       (although it became obvious to me that I really was supposed to be hearing it), where he basically more or less talked trash about me and acted like I was an idiot and didn't know what I was talking about, as if me hearing this was supposed to intimidate me to take their price and shut up or something.  Karen comes back and claims that he had to contact the owner John Davis about that price and that he couldn't go any lower than the 12,400 he offered previously. 

I flat out told her that if he wanted to get loud and say things like he was saying in the office he should be a man and come say them to my face.  She got all defensive about the whole thing and said that was just the way he is, blah blah blah, etc.  So after another 10 minutes or so of waiting, Mike finally comes over and explains that the best he can do is offer a price of 12,995 on it being certified.  I asked what happened to the 12,400 price I was just told  15 minutes ago, and he got defensive and said "I never told you that!" When I explained that Karen had told me that, she then chimed in "I never told you that!"  Starting to see what was going on here and getting more and more irritated with them, I basically asked them WTF was going on.  He again stated that at no time did he ever say he would take that price, and he also pointed out that the place where I had signed the 11,900 offer Karen made now suddenly had "customer offer" written above it in different handwriting, when that wasn't there when she took it back to him, either time prior.  I explained it was not an offer, but her actual price she told me.  He said I must have misunderstood.  I advised him there was no misunderstanding and my wife repeated the same thing back verbatim that Karen had told us.  Karen then again denied saying this and all but called us a liar.  Then seeing how they were seemingly trapped, he offered to "lower the price" by $200 to 12,795 to be the "good guy" that he was.  I told him on principle I wasn't accepting that offer because they are liars.  He then said he doesn't want to sell us a car now because we don't trust them and he doesn't want us to be bad mouthing them.  I told him it was way too late for that, but that I wouldn't be buying a car from them ever and that noone I know will be buying one either.  I asked for his bosses phone number and he told me it was the owner, John Davis. 

I called and left Mr. Davis about a 4 minute long message detailing what had just happened, and then went to another dealer in the meantime(Fucillo's).  Those guys were completely different.  They actually seemed like they wanted our business and they laughed when I told them about what had just happened because they said they hear a lot of bad things about Don Davis dealerships.  John Davis actually called me back while I was working out terms with Fucillo's to basically tell me I didn't understand what they said, that he didn't believe me, that he believed his guys, and that he wanted me to stop back by there.  I told him to kick freaking boulders and that with his attitude and the shady practices of his employees he is lucky to still be in business.  He didn't appreciate that and then said he didn't want my business anyways and that I was just there to waste his staff's time.  This coming from a car dealer!! I wasted HIS time by trying to buy a car!!  I bought the car at Fucillo's for 12,200 and even though it wasn't certified(who really cares---its a freaking Honda) and I was losing out on a 3.9 APR rate they had as a promotion for used Accords, I didn't really care.  I would rather pay extra to someone who understands what customer service is, like the people at Fucillo's, than to pay less to a jackass like the people employed at Don Davis dealerships. 

Sorry about the longwinded report, but I have never seen a place that relies on customers the way car dealerships do be so brazen towards a customer and so wonton about whether they buy a car or not.  Basically in a nutshell, they agreed on a price, I asked for a small reduction, she came back while he trash talked me loud enough that it was obvious I could hear it, then she defended his doing so when I brought it up, and then he basically came over and told me that price was never agreed to by anyone and raised it $800.  Then stood there while she bold faced lied to him and to us after having someone else write "customer offer" above where we signed, which was the actual offer from the dealer.  Then they said they don't want our business anymore, followed up by the owner calling me back stating I was a liar, that I didn't understand what was going on and that I should come back anyway.  When I told him where he could stick it, he said he doesn't want customers "like us" anyways.  Don't ever go to Don Davis dealerships as they will try and employ shady practices, intimidation(although it backfired on him today) tactics, rudeness, and a company wide lack of customer respect that comes from the top down.

Matt