- Report: #77366
Complaint Review: Leith Ford - Wendell North Carolina
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Leith Ford
1715 Wendell Blvd Wendell, 27591 North Carolina, U.S.A.
Phone:
919-366-8000
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Leith Ford Bait and Switch RIPOFF trying to switch me to another vehicle after they told me the truck in question was already sold. Wendell North Carolina
Back in early December, I called Leith Ford to inquire about a 2000 Ford F-150 on their web site (Stock #ZU4122). When I asked about the vehicle he would not answer any information until I told him who I was, my phone number and tried to get other personal information so he could contact me later. When I at least gave him my name and number, he then told me the truck had been sold and started asking me what I wanted in a truck, color, make, model, price, etc... I then told him I needed to go and was interested in the truck they had on their web site and I hung up.
A few days later, the same sales person called back to tell me he has some other trucks in stock and proceeded to start the sales pitch with them. I told him I didn't have the time to talk and would look at their web site to see what they had and hung up.
Later on that day when I checked their web site I found that the original truck was still on listed on their web site. I called the sales department again, this time talking to a different person and asked about the same truck again, thinking maybe it had not been sold originally. He then wanted my contact information again. I told him I did not want to give it to him as I have already been talking with a sales person and I did not want to send his commision to someone else. He put me on hold for about 8 to 10 minutes and finally came back, (I think he thought I would hang up from frustration) and he told me the truck had JUST been sold.
About two weeks later, I checked their website and AGAIN the exact same truck was listed for sale on their web site and AGAIN had same experience as what just happened above.
As of this posting, January 19, 2004, the 2000 Ford F-150 with Stock # ZU4122 is STILL listed on their website, a full month and a half AFTER it has been supposedly sold. Now I am wondering if it has even been at their dealership for sale.
Just because their website has a disclaimer stating that any vehicles listed may not be for sale anymore as it might have been recently sold, it does not exonorate them from pulling the Bait and Switch which is illegal. On the Federal Trade Commision website http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/baitads-gd.htm it states that (16CFR Part 238)Section 238.0:
"Bait advertising is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want to sell. Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised merchandise, in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser. The primary aim of a bait advertisement is to obtain leads as to persons interested in buying merchandise of the type so advertised."
Leith Ford has clearly violated this by trying to switch me to another vehicle after they told me the truck in question was already sold. One and one half months is enough time for their IT person to remove the vehicle from their site. I don't believe they will stop this practice anytime soon as the truck is still listed on their website.
Art
Holly Springs, North Carolina
U.S.A.
A few days later, the same sales person called back to tell me he has some other trucks in stock and proceeded to start the sales pitch with them. I told him I didn't have the time to talk and would look at their web site to see what they had and hung up.
Later on that day when I checked their web site I found that the original truck was still on listed on their web site. I called the sales department again, this time talking to a different person and asked about the same truck again, thinking maybe it had not been sold originally. He then wanted my contact information again. I told him I did not want to give it to him as I have already been talking with a sales person and I did not want to send his commision to someone else. He put me on hold for about 8 to 10 minutes and finally came back, (I think he thought I would hang up from frustration) and he told me the truck had JUST been sold.
About two weeks later, I checked their website and AGAIN the exact same truck was listed for sale on their web site and AGAIN had same experience as what just happened above.
As of this posting, January 19, 2004, the 2000 Ford F-150 with Stock # ZU4122 is STILL listed on their website, a full month and a half AFTER it has been supposedly sold. Now I am wondering if it has even been at their dealership for sale.
Just because their website has a disclaimer stating that any vehicles listed may not be for sale anymore as it might have been recently sold, it does not exonorate them from pulling the Bait and Switch which is illegal. On the Federal Trade Commision website http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/baitads-gd.htm it states that (16CFR Part 238)Section 238.0:
"Bait advertising is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want to sell. Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised merchandise, in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser. The primary aim of a bait advertisement is to obtain leads as to persons interested in buying merchandise of the type so advertised."
Leith Ford has clearly violated this by trying to switch me to another vehicle after they told me the truck in question was already sold. One and one half months is enough time for their IT person to remove the vehicle from their site. I don't believe they will stop this practice anytime soon as the truck is still listed on their website.
Art
Holly Springs, North Carolina
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Art
Holly Springs,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Rebuttal Rebute ..They KNOWINGLY advertise the same truck on their web site TWO MONTHS AFTER is has been sold
#2Author of original report
Tue, January 20, 2004
Thanks for your response. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I appreciate your response anyway. I would like to address some of the items you mentioned in your comments. 1) You mentioned that I refused to give my personal information to the sales person. That is not true, and perhaps you should re-read my first posting on the subject. I gave my contact information to the first sales person THINKING that the vehicle was there and I could actually get some REAL information from him regarding the vehicle. When I called back the second time and started to get the same thing from the second sales person, I started to realize the bait and switch and did not want to have two or more sales guys calling me with what inventory they have. And I would not have called if I was not interested in THAT vehicle, so yes, I was serious about inquiring about the said truck. Plus, why do they need my personal information when I am asking questions about the status of a SPECIFIC vehicle? If it is not what I am looking for based on what the sales person tells me, then it would be pointless to proceed any further. 2) You question how Leith Ford is trying to bait and switch me? Don't be ridiculous! They KNOWINGLY advertise the same truck on their web site (it's still there FYI)for almost TWO MONTHS AFTER is has been sold, at a great price I might add, KNOWING THEY ARE GOING TO GET PHONE CALLS ABOUT IT. When a consumer calls and they have no truck but makes an attempt to sway someone to another vehicle, THAT IS A BAIT AND SWITCH, according to the Federal Trade Commision (maybe you should re-read that section of my first posting as well). And yes, I do expect them to post pictures of every F-150 they have in stock (which is not in the hundreds as you mentioned, I have seen maybe 20 at most on their lot when I drove by, see below for my Wendell - Holly Springs issue). I don't have time to visit every single dealer in Raleigh, much less Wendell. 3) Actually, Holly Springs is about an hour or more drive to Wendell, VERY much out of the way, so if I HAD driven all the way to the dealer, that would be 2 1/2 hours of wasted time. I chose to let my fingers do the walkig both on the internet or on the phone, I find most dealers are more than willing to answer any quesion without asking for my info. However, if they choose to advertise their cars on the web, they should have it up to date (a few days here or there is acceptable to me as some may have just been sold and need to be taken off) but almost TWO WHOLE months is unaccepable. And I am not so much interested in buying from Leith Ford as I am at getting a truck (I'm not just looking at Fords) at the best possible price. In summary, I am glad that you are happy with Leith and happy about giving your money to them (which is why they are "the largest automobile conglomerate in the state of North Carolina today! " as you put it). You and Leith obviously have a great relationship, I wish you luck! You need it!
Paul Pickle
Raleigh,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Something smells fishy here!!!
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, January 19, 2004
Three things about your story do not add up. Where shall we start .... 1- How do you expect to get any service and/or a reasonable explanation from Leith Ford when (a) you refuse to provide the simple information that they request, and (b) you continually hang up on them when talking to them on the phone. Perhaps your rude, unprofessional, and uncooperative behaviour is making it difficult, if not impossible for Leith Ford to service you? How can ANY company safely and legally service a prospective customer when they cannot verify that customer's identity? If it is such an impossible chore to provide that information to the company, then why are they to believe that you are a serious buyer and not just another person asking unnecessary questions and wasting the salesman's time? 2- HOW is Leith Ford trying to bait-and-switch you into buying another vehicle? If you want an F-150 and they are trying to sell you an F-150, then what is the problem? Did you ever stop to think that perhaps the picture on the website is just there to represent the lot of F-150s that are sold by the dealer? Surely you do not expect them to post pictures of EVERY one of their hundreds of F-150s in stock, do you? Had you cooperated with the salesman on the phone instead of rudely hanging up on him, I am sure you would have received a reasonable, logical explanation. 3- Holly Springs is NOT far from Wendell. Why are you dealing with the dealer via the Internet when you are unwilling to cooperate with their requests for information (for identification purposes), and cannot effectively communicate with the dealer over the phone since all you do is hang up on them? If you really wanted to buy a vehicle from Leith Ford, why haven't you just gone straight to the dealership and meet with the salesman in person? It sounds like that route would be much more effective for you, since you are having so many issues dealing with them in your current fashion. As a resident of the greater Raleigh-Durham area, I have purchased three vehicles from Leith over the years. I have not only been pleased with my vehicles but also by the extraordinary service I have received. I have never felt ripped off or felt that I was baited and switched by the dealer. Leith is NOT in the business of baiting-and-switching -- if they were, then they would not continue to be the largest automobile conglomerate in the state of North Carolina today!
