- Report: #146720
Complaint Review: Bill Heard Cheverolet - Columbus Georgia
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Author Confirmed
Why?
Bill Heard Cheverolet
6499 Veterans Pkwy Columbus, Georgia, U.S.A.
Phone:
706-321-8753
Web:
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Bill Heard Cheverolet Lamest "Bait and Switch" Effort I have ever seen! Columbus Georgia
*Consumer Suggestion: Want revenge?
*Consumer Comment: Bill Heard Deceptive Advertising Practices
*Consumer Suggestion: Don't Forget Florida! Florida Attorney General's Office concerning its Orlando operation, political payoff government corruption
*Consumer Comment: Update!!! BBB has given this operation a satisfactory rating! Of course, they are a BBB member
*Consumer Comment: they shouldn't of lied to you and "bait and switched" you.
*Consumer Suggestion: There seems to be a misconception on the legality on running a credit report.
Ok. I lost my 2005 Cheverolet Colorado in an accident last month. My insurance company had settled up, so I was in the market for a replacement truck. I live in a small town with a few dealerships. They didn't have anything that caught my eye. I decided to try "Mr. Big Volume USA" Bill Heard Cheverolet in Columbus, GA on 6-10-05.
I was looking for a used truck when I got to the car lot. My father and I browsed the inventory they had. I found a 2001 Dodge Dakota and a 2002 Mazda B3000. The Mazda had a busted windshield, so that narrowed it down to the Dakota. A salesman approached us, Richard Preddy. I asked him for the price on the Dakota truck. He stated that I needed to go in and fill out a guest sheet and have my credit run, just to get a price on the truck! I then told him that I already had financing secured with eloan.com, and I didn't think a credit check was necessary.
So, we went in and filled out a guest sheet and awaited the price of the Dakota. I had done research on the values of all the "midsize" trucks on the used market. I knew the truck was worth about $11,000. After Richard Preddy went and talked to the used car manager, Josh, for about 45 minutes, he stated the price was $12,900, slashed from the original asking price of $15,900. I told both those jerks "you are f*ckin' nutz" and we headed for other dealerships in Columbus.
Well, on that guest sheet I filled out, I filled in my cell phone number. Big mistake. About 5 minutes after leaving the car lot, Josh (used car manager) calls and states that the salesman (Richard Preddy) had been incorrect and if I really wanted the Dakota, the price was $6995. I knew this was too good to be true. I talked it over with my father and phoned Josh back at the Bill Heard dealerhip to make sure I heard him correctly. He said and I quote, "We are going to sell the Dakota to you for $6995 if you buy it today".
So, I returned to the dealership and asked Richard Preddy for the keys so we could take it for a test drive. He told us to go hang out by the truck, and he'll get them for us. About 30 mins later he comes out and says the price of the Dakota is now $12,900 again, and that there has been some mistake. I go straight to Josh (used car manager) and ask him what is going on. He told us that he thought we were looking at a 1998 Dodge Durango and he was going to sell that to me for $6995. Nobody, and I mean nobody, was looking at that shot-out Durango. How could he confuse two different vehicles when one is an SUV and the other is a truck? Needless to say, I flipped Josh and Richard Preddy off and spent my money elsewhere.
I have never heard of a "bait and switch" attempt to a customer over the phone that had left the lot in disgust. I cannot believe I fell for it.
And to make matters worse, they ran my credit anyway! WTF?!?! I ran a credit report a week later, and it showed me. I wasn't going to finance with them no matter what!
Bill Heard sucks all across the nation.
Drew
Thomaston, Georgia
U.S.A.
sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
I was looking for a used truck when I got to the car lot. My father and I browsed the inventory they had. I found a 2001 Dodge Dakota and a 2002 Mazda B3000. The Mazda had a busted windshield, so that narrowed it down to the Dakota. A salesman approached us, Richard Preddy. I asked him for the price on the Dakota truck. He stated that I needed to go in and fill out a guest sheet and have my credit run, just to get a price on the truck! I then told him that I already had financing secured with eloan.com, and I didn't think a credit check was necessary.
So, we went in and filled out a guest sheet and awaited the price of the Dakota. I had done research on the values of all the "midsize" trucks on the used market. I knew the truck was worth about $11,000. After Richard Preddy went and talked to the used car manager, Josh, for about 45 minutes, he stated the price was $12,900, slashed from the original asking price of $15,900. I told both those jerks "you are f*ckin' nutz" and we headed for other dealerships in Columbus.
Well, on that guest sheet I filled out, I filled in my cell phone number. Big mistake. About 5 minutes after leaving the car lot, Josh (used car manager) calls and states that the salesman (Richard Preddy) had been incorrect and if I really wanted the Dakota, the price was $6995. I knew this was too good to be true. I talked it over with my father and phoned Josh back at the Bill Heard dealerhip to make sure I heard him correctly. He said and I quote, "We are going to sell the Dakota to you for $6995 if you buy it today".
So, I returned to the dealership and asked Richard Preddy for the keys so we could take it for a test drive. He told us to go hang out by the truck, and he'll get them for us. About 30 mins later he comes out and says the price of the Dakota is now $12,900 again, and that there has been some mistake. I go straight to Josh (used car manager) and ask him what is going on. He told us that he thought we were looking at a 1998 Dodge Durango and he was going to sell that to me for $6995. Nobody, and I mean nobody, was looking at that shot-out Durango. How could he confuse two different vehicles when one is an SUV and the other is a truck? Needless to say, I flipped Josh and Richard Preddy off and spent my money elsewhere.
I have never heard of a "bait and switch" attempt to a customer over the phone that had left the lot in disgust. I cannot believe I fell for it.
And to make matters worse, they ran my credit anyway! WTF?!?! I ran a credit report a week later, and it showed me. I wasn't going to finance with them no matter what!
Bill Heard sucks all across the nation.
Drew
Thomaston, Georgia
U.S.A.
sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Charles
Phenix City,Alabama,
U.S.A.
There seems to be a misconception on the legality on running a credit report.
#2Consumer Suggestion
Fri, August 26, 2005
Companies inquire into our credit all the time without our knowledge. Just get a copy of your credit report and you will see the inquiries. If you give your drivers license to a car salesman so that he can make a copy of it "for insurance purposes" they use it to run your credit while you are on the test drive. If you have bad credit, you will not be treated well on your return. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Douglas
Gibsonia,Pennsylvania,
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
they shouldn't of lied to you and "bait and switched" you.
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, June 20, 2005
i got your back on this one but in ref to the credit, the sheet you put you phone number on it probably gave permission to run credit. i know this because many car dealerships have a "customer info" or "guest sheet" that you initial or sign. it is legal but they shouldn't of lied to you and "bait and switched" you.
Jim
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
Update!!! BBB has given this operation a satisfactory rating! Of course, they are a BBB member
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, June 19, 2005
Go ahead, check it out using the BBB website! The BBB has given this operation a satisfactory rating! Of course, they are a BBB member. Hey BBB.... Explain this. Also explain, what exactly is your purpose and what good are you???????????????????
Jim
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
Don't Forget Florida! Florida Attorney General's Office concerning its Orlando operation, political payoff government corruption
#5Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 19, 2005
Don't forget how Mr. Big Volume got into Big Trouble and had to pay a Big amount to the Florida Attorney General's Office concerning its Orlando "operation". Their "M. O." cost them over 300K!!!! So sad, too bad!!! Hey GM....you're so-o-o concerned about loosing market share, why not rid your dealership list of the slime in the car business??? Your name is on the building too! Oh, I see...they're independent businesses and you have no control over their practices. But I can just see the GM big shots showing up if a complaint is filed regarding price discrimination based on race or etnicity.
Kathy
Atlanta,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Bill Heard Deceptive Advertising Practices
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, June 19, 2005
Here is some additional info regarding Bill Heard. In December 2004, four local dealerships owned by Bill Heard Enterprises agreed to pay a settlement in a state of Georgia investigation of deceptive advertising practices. The dealerships agreed to pay $188,000 in a settlement with the governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, a state consumer protection agency. It's the highest fine ever levied against an auto dealership by that office, created in 1975.
Steve
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Want revenge?
#7Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 19, 2005
By running your credit without your permission (not to mention against your specific instructions) they violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Go to the Federal trade Commission web site ( www.ftc.gov ) and research the law. In the Staff Opinion letters you will find the "Gowen Letter" - it gives the exact scenario you describe and details why, in the opinion of the FTC, this is a violation. While Staff Opinion Letters aren't admissible in court as evidence, they do give a good start on your argument. I would sue the dealer for the FCRA violation for $1000 and don't let them tell you that you agreed to some phony arbitration - you never signed any contract saying so.
