Complaint Review: Bill Heard Chevrolet - Columbus Georgia

What is wrong with this picture? Has Bait and Switch gone to a new level- after the sale? At what cost do you lose good customers?

On Saturday, January 18th 2003, we went to Bill Heard Chevrolet in Columbus with a newspaper ad for a 2003 Silverado Truck. It was a great-advertised price and the details of the deal seemed clear. We asked to see one of the 30 available trucks. After searching the lot in 38 degree weather the salesman wrote down a couple of invoice numbers. We went back to his office and he looked them up.

He said that he couldn't sell us one for that advertised price. I understood because he was a commercial vehicle salesman, not a new car salesman. We then went to the new car sales area upon which another salesman began to help us.

I gave him the specifics again about the ad and wanted to see some of the trucks for this price. Out to the lot again we went for another tour. We did not find any this time either. We walk back inside, upon which this salesman hands us off to another salesman. He said he was a used car salesman and was handing us over to a new car salesman. Again, I give the new car salesman the specifics. We go for another tour of the lot looking for these trucks for that price.

He writes down a few invoice numbers and we return to his desk. He checks the invoices and says he can't sell any for that price. I ask since the ad states specific options for a specific price, legally you have to sell me a truck for this price? He asks his manager. The manager said 'yes you can sell a pickup for the price in the ad if the invoice date is prior to October 2002'. We searched the lot again in cold weather and found six trucks that meet the criteria.

Of the six we picked out, two had an invoice date prior to October 2002 and the salesman said they qualified for the deal. All of this took about three hours. We wanted to think about it so we left and came back on Monday, the 20th, to buy the truck we had picked out. The salesman brought the truck around for us to drive and look over more thoroughly. We began the sale process. We completed the credit check, did the financing and final checkout (received the keys, owners manual, etc). After spending another three hours, all of this was done with thank you's and handshakes.

The salesman then said they would clean up the truck and we could come back and pick it up in a couple of hours. He called us and said there was a slight problem, but it should be workable. When we went back to pick up the truck it was nowhere to be seen. He asked us to go to the manager's office. The salesman left the office and closed the door behind him. This was not a good sign. The manager proceeded to tell us that our deal was invalid and he couldn't sell us the truck at our agreed price. The truck that we had just bought! He said the salesman did not get his approval for this particular truck and that we would have to pay $800 more dollars because it was a sport side bed. He said the paperwork was not signed by a manager therefore the deal was invalid.

The ad nor the salesman ever said anything about a sport side being extra. Things got heated because he was trying to make us pay for the mistake between himself and the salesman after we had spent over six hours buying this truck.

He blamed the salesman completely for the error. Of course the salesman was not there to defend himself. I personally saw the salesman go in and ask for approval on Saturday before we went back to the lot. We asked the manager, 'You are telling us we are not leaving with the truck we just bought?' He said yes. We asked for our down payment check back, returned the keys and owner's manual. We walked out...never to return.

This appears to have been a deliberate tactic to see how much extra money they could try to draw out of us.

This is not an isolated incident. I have firsthand knowledge of a similar incident occurring only months before.

All we lost was six hours of time. Our anger and frustration was beyond description. The salesman, Brad Danielson, was apologetic but to no avail. He was very courteous and professional with us. We will buy another truck. We will even be willing to pay more to be treated with honesty and integrity and insure a lasting relationship. You can be assured that we will never set foot in Bill Heard Chevrolet again and we will share this nightmare with our many friends and co-workers at AFLAC and TSYS and via Internet. I hope $800 is worth losing a lifetime customer and whomever else we can convince to buy elsewhere.

Bottom line: The deal was complete and you should honor it at any cost to earn business and retain a good customer. It was your mistake. It is obvious that one customer means nothing to you. A handshake and thank you for your business used to mean something. This is the very reason car dealers have such a bad reputation. False advertising should be illegal.

Dave

Midland, Georgia
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Bill Heard Auto Dealers