cars.com dealer review: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Feb. 13, 2012 8:21 p.m. patgizz SuperDork

so i bought the 4x4 burb at a chevy dealership. the first thing i noticed was gas pouring out of the fuel lines. second was no brake lights. i took time from work and fixed both things the next day.

i contacted the dealer(it was sunday so i used their website "contact us" button) and let them know what was up. i told them i did not expect compensation but wanted them to know that a vehicle that left their lot, having gone through a "safety inspection" as i was told, was pouring gas out of 4 places in both fuel lines and had no brake lights. i also let them know that i fully understand i purchased an 18 year old truck with no warranty.

now, i wanted really to write up a nice review for them on cars.com because the young lady salesperson was very nice and i left the dealer with the truck i wanted for the price i wanted to pay. so i gave them a couple weeks to reply to me. i didn't have time to call during business hours because of work(out of cell coverage every day at the job i was on) but was i wrong in at least expecting a "sorry our bad we'll make sure it never happens to anyone else" reply?

so i left them a very truthful review stating how nice the young lady was, that i am happy with my truck less having to repair two problems that the truck should not have left the lot with, and that they failed to contact me back on said problems. they have 8 or 10 other reviews, all glowing, then there is mine up at the top that says their communication is poor and i would not recommend them to anyone.

is that reasonable?
Feb. 13, 2012 8:31 p.m. ThePhranc HalfDork

Sounds reasonable to me. As long as its honest thats all that matters.
Feb. 13, 2012 8:35 p.m. Datsun1500 SuperDork

I think that is reasonable. I do wonder why you did not notice it on the test drive, or when you were looking the truck over before purchase though.
Feb. 13, 2012 9:00 p.m. patgizz SuperDork

i crawled all around under the truck at the lot.... prior to the test drive. it was all dry because it apparently hadn't been run in a few days. i got a fuel smell in the lot but assumed incorrectly it was from the beat to crap rusted 83 cutlass trade-in with a 2x6 pressure treated rear bumper that was sitting next to the burb. i missed the brake light thing because i didn't back up to any glass to check them.

i was told several times though that they perform a safety inspection on all incoming trades before they sell them.

i did give credit where due. i dunno, i guess with every other review being positive i felt kinda like a dick putting up a relatively negative one.
Feb. 13, 2012 9:10 p.m. SkinnyG HalfDork

Nah. It's all about balance. It's not always sunshine, lollipops and rainbows - sometimes you have to scrape your boots.
Feb. 14, 2012 7:07 a.m. DoctorBlade Dork

The other nine could be employees, you know.
Feb. 14, 2012 7:13 a.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Sounds about right. The girl did nothing wrong so did not get dinged, the problems with the truck were directly related to the 'safety inspection' and that was so stated.
Feb. 14, 2012 10:36 a.m. integraguy SuperDork

I would say that the review was fair.

Myself? When a dealership advertises they do a "safety inspection" of all their cars (be it verbally or in print/tv ads) I assume they mean "it didn't kill anyone when we moved it from one side of the lot to the other." I was told the same thing when I bought my '73 Capri in 1988, and it had a headlight that would not turn on (turned out it was caused by a fuse or relay...I forget which) and the turn signals were out in the back (bad bulbs). I did manage to see that these problems were present before I signed any papers and the price was so low it really wasn't an issue.
Feb. 14, 2012 11:01 a.m. Datsun1500 SuperDork

patgizz wrote:

i did give credit where due. i dunno, i guess with every other review being positive i felt kinda like a dick putting up a relatively negative one.

I don't think you left a negative one, I think you left an honest one.
Feb. 28, 2012 12:57 p.m. patgizz SuperDork

well, i went back and looked. the dealer replied on the review almost immediately as it is dated on the 13th... funny since they didn't bother replying to me initially.

they said that if it was leaking gas when i left the lot i most certainly would have noticed and apologized that it happened "so soon after" i left the lot. they made no reply to the lack of brake lights. they claimed their guys give a 160+ point safety inspection - BS. rusty fuel lines don't just magically start leaking spontaneously from 4 places. they tried to turn it around and make me look bad as in my review i stated that "i was either lied to, the techs are lazy, or pouring fuel from the gas lines and no brake lights are not safety concerns" - he was like "i don't appreciate calling our techs liars blah blah blah"

and they violated the anonymity of the review system by posting my full name in their public reply. i had to report them for that because i don't care to have my name out there.

i'm kinda pissed off but know it's best for my blood pressure to just drop it and not call the sales manager, because i know i would end up flipping out and screaming obscenities at my phone with him on the other end. i'm extremely glad they are not right up the street or i'd probably drive the truck through their front window.
Feb. 28, 2012 1:05 p.m. DoctorBlade Dork

So they make you the bad guy and themselves as Saints. About average.
Feb. 28, 2012 6:53 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Whoa. Responding with their side is okay, even if it looks a little crybaby-ish, but identifying you is wrong.