Gwinnett Place Dodge ripoff Bait and switch scheme used to sell cars Duluth Georgia
Late in August of 2003 I was contacted by Gwinnett Place Dodge regarding a truck I wanted to purchase. I responded and told the internet sales manager, Adam Jackson, what kind of deal I was looking for.
I told Adam I had a 2001 PT Cruiser that I wanted to trade in on a 2004 Ram 1500 Quad Cab. Considering I was 3K upside down in my loan and the 11K incentives that Dodge was offering I would be able to get the a $350.00 to $400.00 monthly payment I was looking for. I also informed him in order to reach this I would need the blue book value for the trade in and the reduced financing. I currently have financing through Chrysler and since I have an excellent credit rating with them I was told that it wouldn't be a problem to get both the incentives and the 2.9% financing.
When I arrived at the dealership it was an entirely different story. Not only did they refuse to give me the reduced financing but they only offered me 6K on my trade in. The blue book value was 10K. Also they gave some lame excuse about needing to keep me at my current 6.9% rate that I was paying with Chrysler.
I got the impression that the only desire of the dealership was to see how much money they could make on this one deal. I had been a loyal Chrysler / Dodge customer for several years and I was very disapointed to see the unsavory business practices they exhibited.
To add insult to injury, one week after I was at the dealership, Dodge started to run a new add with a 0% finance rate in addition to the previously advertised incentives. I know if I'd been given that financing we could have met the criteria I was looking for.
Bottom Line: Don't believe anything a dealership tells you. They are not in the business of making lifetime customers. They are in the business of making one time deals......or should I say rip offs.
Raymond
Buford, Georgia
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Larry
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Right on! You are not his neighbor; you are his prey.
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, September 18, 2004
I want to second Jim's response. Walking away from a lying salesman is the best defense against being ripped off.
One of my friends once told me that almost all sales involve some degree of lying or misrepresentation sooner or later. He also noted that once a salesperson starts telling lies that he is not suddenly going to become honest again. So the sooner that a salesperson starts lying, the more lies will be told and the lies will get bigger and bigger.
One of the problems with many car dealers today is that they are no longer owned and operated by someone from your community. They are owned by corporations located somewhere outside of your area. The president of that corporation has no fear that he will ever come face-to-face with you at church or in the grocery store. You are not his neighbor; you are his prey.
Jim
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
Excellent! Everybody Read This!
#3Consumer Suggestion
Sat, September 18, 2004
Ray:
Your posting made me happy! Apparently you WALKED OUT! That's fantastic!
Just read thru these reports and you'll see a common theme...the dealership treats the customer like dirt, sometimes they perpetrate obvious criminal fraud/deception on the customer and the customer plays the role of DOORMAT, completes the deal and REWARDS the dealer. Its absolutely incredible!
But NOT you Ray! You were smart. You used the most powerful tool you have...your feet!
As you go looking for another dealership, remember one thing...a dealer that attempts to hit you with a PHONEY-BALONEY dealer fee or double dip you for "DEALER PREP" is one to stay away from. The PHONEY-BALONEY dealer fee is simply a FRAUD! Its an attempt to advertise the cost of the vehicle with a FALSE PRICE because the REAL PRICE is the vehicle's cost PLUS their PHONEY-BALONEY dealer fee. They are LYING to you UP FRONT!
Don't bite on that SCAM.
Good luck!!!