Complaint Review: Triangle Auto Center Toyota Of Hollywood

Florida, January 22, 2008

WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Triangle Auto Center Inc.
DBA Toyota of Hollywood
1841 N.State Road 7
Hollywood FL 33021
Attn: Mr. Craig Zinn

Re: Complete Dissatisfaction with Customer Service-Toyota of Hollywood Florida.

Dear Sir:
I am sure that you will never get to read this letter but.

On December 30th 2007, I was on my way to Gunther VW to buy a VW Eos. As I was driving, I passed by Toyota of Hollywood and decided to stop in to take a look at another car that I was considering-a Solara SLE Convertible 2008.

I was greeted by a saleswoman to whom I mentioned what kind of car I was looking for-the Solara SLE Convertible 2008 fully equipped. I had already decided on a color but the color was not available with the options that I wanted. It did not have a GPS nor Satellite radio. The saleswoman was able to find a car in a different color which apparently fully equipped including GPS and Satellite radio ready. I was satisfied with the package, so I decided to buy the car.

I also needed some explanations on different items such as: What is the difference between SLE and SE etc? At three different times I asked her if the satellite radio was ready to go. She says yes and I asked her again just to be sure and she told me that she was going to check. She climbed into the car and showed me the button SAT on the radio and she explained that I would be responsible for getting it initialized.

I also inquired about insurance. I was told that someone would assist me in acquiring insurance which they did after insisting. My visit to your dealership lasted approximately 5 hours and I couldn't understand why everything was getting so long. I soon realized that the saleswoman was new on the job and did not have any training or albeit, very little. I am well aware that it takes time to acquire experience , but if she was incapable of answering my questions or helping me adequately, she should have gotten some assistance from someone else.

Needless to say, my patience was wearing thin and I was ready to go somewhere else since she did not seem to have answers to my questions and did not seem to know much about the car that I was buying.

When the deal was finalized, I met with Mr. Alfonzo as well as the saleswoman to fill out the appropriate documents. I was asked how I would pay for the car. I replied that I would pay by check but I would have to transfer some money from a Canadian bank, which normally takes a minimum of five days. He told me that it shouldn't be a problem because I have up to 45 days to pay for the car.

He started to fill out the sales contract and a credit contract. I asked him why he was filling out a credit contract. He explained that due to the fact I was leaving with the car without having paid in full, he had to fill out a credit contract as a formality. He further explained that when the money was transferred, I would have to come back to have the contract cancelled. It would be okay because it would still be within the 45-day period.

I also want to mention that the car was cleaned before I picked it up; the windows were not cleaned on the inside. I mentioned it to your employee at the service counter and his answer was we sell so many cars, that this is bound to happen occasionally.

As I drove out of your dealership, I soon realized that the radio was not working. I returned to the garage and asked the saleslady if she could verify the radio. Then she asked one person to verify the radio, then another to verify the radio. No one was able to give me an answer. I was told to come back first thing Monday morning.

On Monday morning, I went back. I had to leave by 11:30 so the service people had ample time to find the problem but unfortunately, they still could not find the trouble. They told me to come back on Wednesday morning. In the meantime, they would contact the company that manufactured the radio. 3 hours later. I was told that the amplifier had to be replaced and it would take 3 days to order and I would be contacted when they receive the radio. Eventually, someone realized that the car was not equipped with a satellite radio. I was appalled! I purchased the car on the basis that it was equipped with a satellite radio, as I was confirmed by the salesperson. I was then transferred to Mr. Martinez, who would handle this situation for me.

When I spoke to Mr. Martinez, he informed me that the cost of the radio was $499.00 but he would sell it to me for half price. Again I was furious and felt that I was being taken advantage of. When I got home, I decided to visit your website and saw the radio advertised at $449.00 and not $499.00. As far as I am concerned, when I negotiated the price for the fully equipped vehicle, the price included the satellite radio. I even opted for a different color than the one I had originally chosen, so I can get a package that included the sais radio.

On January 11, 2008 (8:30 AM), I took my car back to the dealership to have the radio amplifier replaced. I asked to see Mr. Alfonzo in order to pay for the car. I was told by the receptionist that he was in a meeting and would be back shortly. One hour later, I asked her again and the answer was still the same. At 11:15, I asked but she could not find Mr. Alfonzo. I told her Is there anybody here in this place that can take care of this matter so I can leave? She then introduced me to his assistant.

After looking at his computer, the assistant tells me that the money had to be sent to Toyota Finance in Alabama. This was the first time that I heard of Toyota Finance. I had no document indicating this except the credit contract. I demanded to know to whom I should send payment to and again, it seemed that he did not know the answer. His reply was I did not get involved in this transaction. I asked to try to find Mr. Alfonzo immediately. He told me that Mr. Alfonzo was off today. I was baffled to think that the receptionist was not even aware that it was Mr. Alfonzo's day off. There is obviously No communication in your operation and the employees are completely incompetent!

The assistant asked me to wait in a small office while he tried to find someone else that could help me. 15-20 minutes later, still sitting in a small office waiting. I went back to the receptionist and explained what happened. She paged the assistant twice. No response. Needless to say, I was furious! I had wasted 3 hours in your store and got absolutely no service!

On Sunday, I finally met with Mr. Alfonzo. He said that he only had 5 minutes for me. I explained the situation as far as the credit application was concerned. I also mentioned the problem that I had last Thursday with his assistant. I also mentioned that I just received some documents from Toyota Finance and they were charging me fees of $120.40 to open a credit application. Again, this contract was supposed to be a formality. Mr. Alfonzo mentioned that he will discuss this matter with his boss and would call me back on Monday morning.

On Thursday, Mr. Alfonzo called me and left a message on my answering machine saying that there is nothing he can do but to pay the $120.40 .Suffice to say, I am completely and totally dissatisfied with the service that I received at the Toyota dealership in Hollywood Florida and I am appalled by the lack of professionalism and lack competency. I will definitely not recommend your dealership to anyone.

Marcel
Pembroke Park, Florida
U.S.A.