Complaint Review: Waldorf Ford

I negotiated a price for a 2012 Ford Expedition over the phone and email and I have to admit, while it was a tough negotiation, I did not feel they were being dishonest.  We agreed on a number for both their vehicle and my trade.  Since I live one state over, they offered to deliver the vehicle to me.

When we got into the financing, I explained to the salesman that I was going to use my bank because of a particular practice that allows me to pay extra for several months, and then pay lower than the payment in a few months, since my income is more seasonal.  Most banks will only apply an extra to the principle.  The salesman agreed and everything was good to go for delivery today at 11 am.

At 8:30 last night, their finance person called my home and insisted he could "save me a thousand dollars".  When I explained to him about the one bank practice that my bank did, he assured me that his option would do the same practice and be $15 a month lower.  At that point I agreed to finance with his bank (which earns him a commission). 

I thought about it over night and called the financial institution the finance guy was using, and they said that they do not do that.  I immediately called the original salesman very upset.  He agreed with me that I had been very clear about my reasoning for my bank and he did not understand why his finance guy would commit fraud in order to get a deal.

I decided to go ahead with the deal, but informed the salesman that I would be going through the paperwork with a fine tooth comb. 

The vehicle was delivered and it was definitely what I wanted.  We sat down at my kitchen table and started doing all of the paperwork.  We got to the very last form and they required me to agree to arbitration with a company 1,000 miles away if there was ever to be a dispute.  When I asked them why I would ever agree to give them over $40,000 and then sign away my rights, they said it was a mandatory form.  I have  friends that sold their dealerships right before the economy turned South and called both of them.  Both of these very experienced people said they never had such forms in their dealerships.

At that point, I refused to sign the form and the dealership refused to sell me the vehicle.  So here is my summation.  They tried to fraudulently do the financing, and when they got caught, they would only sell me the car IF I agreed not to sue them if I later caught them doing something else.

I should have checked this site before I decided to do business with this company.  I believe this is the 10th complaint about them.  Not a company I would go back to ever again.