No, I didn’t go in there blazing mad or ready to scream and shout. I arrived at the dealership and walk to the plexi-glass window which separates the customers from the office staff. I even manage a cheerful smile.
“Hello, I would like to speak with your CEO, President.”
Happy, smiling blonde girl: “Can I tell him what this is regards to?”
“It is regarding a sale.”
“Can I tell him who is calling on him?”
“Yes, ….MommasWorld.”
All six of the girls seated behind the plexi-glass gasp. I hear whispers of “that’s the lady.” I almost let out a laugh. Wow, they are all afraid of me? Weird.
Blonde girl’s smile and cheerful attitude quickly vanished. “I’m sorry but he is in a meeting and we have no idea how long he will be. You can wait right here in the sitting area until he is finished. Well, if you really must speak to him.”
Great, I am getting the brush off. Just what I needed on top of everything else. I sit for a few minutes but with each passing minute my anger grows. I decide to walk around a bit and get rid of some of this energy building up inside.
Before I knew it I was walking around cars in the show room. Sean (my sales guy) comes up all smiling and super cheerful “Hey! How’s it going?” That is all it took.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HOW’S IT GOING?
I BOUGHT A CAR FROM YOU GUYS AND I CANNOT DRIVE IT!
THE REGISTRATION EXPIRES TODAY!
THE TAGS EXPIRE TODAY!
THE WARRANTY I PAID FOR NEVER WENT INTO EFFECT!
THIS DEALERSHIP POCKETED THE TWO-THOUSAND-THREE-HUNDRED-FOURTY-FOUR DOLLARS AND DECIDED NOT TO TELL ME!
YOU SOLD ME A CAR WITHOUT A TITLE!”
As I take a moment to catch my breath I look around me and wonder…where did everybody go? All of the customers ran out of there. The only people left in the show room were sales people.
I think Andrea heard me way back in her office behind the plexi-glass. She comes out to the show room and says this…exactly this
“Because you think you are too good to drive on expired tags. {pause for her eye-rolling} We are going to give you a dealer tag.”
Oh. No. She didn’t!
“Me? I think I am too good?! Too good?! HOW ABOUT IT’S FREAKEN ILLEGAL! IL-LE-GAL!”
Every muscle in my body constricted and I was to the point of actually standing on my tip toes while yelling. I have seen this in movies but never in my whole life experienced anger to this extreme.
A quiet voice from beside me says “Um, you can’t tell her to do that. It IS illegal.” That was Sean, my sales guy. He couldn’t believe what Andrea had just said either.
Some where near the back of the show room a young salesman says to the guy next to him “I think she is Italian. Doesn’t she look Italian?”
“NO! I AM NOT ITALLIAN! IRISH! YOU’VE GOT MY IRISH UP!”
“Dude, she heard me.” And then he runs off to hide in the back with the vending machines.
Ok, now I am really starting to scare people and that is frightening for me. A few of the sales guys and I walk outside. Some are holding on to my hands and some just have their hand on my back for support all the while saying things like… “Don’t let them work you up like this.” “This dealership brings on it’s own problems” “I can’t believe how they so royally screwed you. That is just messed up.”
I walk around the dealership lot and eventually calm down enough to go back in the waiting room to wait for the President.
I am trying to relax my muscles but they are not cooperating. My stomach feels like something exploded inside and then was set on fire. Is this what people mean when they say “bust a gut”? After an hour and no change in my muscles or stomach I decide to run out for Pepto-Bismol. Tony says he will put the dealer tag on for me right away.
Out of nowhere here comes the President. He immediately starts shaking my hand and saying something to the effect of ‘Sorry to keep you waiting and oh, you are on your way out. Maybe we can chat next time.’
Not so fast buster. “No, I am not leaving. I have time for you.”
He reluctantly lead me to his office where he explained everything they have done up to this point is “Normal.” “Nine times out of ten this is how things work out.” Yes, I met the king of stupid. He even backed up his employees saying they were right to tell me to drive on expired tags and registration. “I don’t understand why you think it is such a big deal. This is a minor problem which we are already helping you with.” Yeah, as if I was the one who caused the problems!
I listen to him try to put the best spit and shine on this whole situation and I see that he clearly admits they messed up ALL of my paper work. He also refuses to apologize or make it sound like they were in the wrong…for any thing.
He keeps talking and I keep listening. He looks at me quizzically from time to time. I imagine the thought going through his head was “Why isn’t she smiling and thanking me profusely yet?”
Finally, I have had enough. As I am leaving the President explains that the title and tags are in their name just for a little while. During which time their insurance covers the car. I give up on educating the office staff about the law and how to apologize.
Around 9PM my body is finally back to normal. My stomach is no longer on fire and my muscles have stopped trying to squeeze me to death.
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5 comments:
You ARE a saint.
My husband has drug me out of dealerships by the collar just during the buying process with me hurling near obscenities and frothing at the mouth because of the insults to my intelligence. And for some reason it happens statistically more often in Toyota dealerships. Don't know why, just an observation.
But I guess assault and battery wouldn't look too good next to driving with an expired tag offense either....
:o) We're with ya'
I stood up, hands on my desk, and almost yelled at a car sales lady, but instead said something to the effect of:
"If you can't get this payment down to this amount, we are walking out RIGHT NOW, because we don't NEED this car and that's that..."
She had been simpering on as though I was an idiot for about an hour.
Now, I REFUSE, I mean RE FUUUSSE to go with my husband when he buys his vehicles. And if it's my vehicle, well, shoot, I am not due to buy a new vehicle for a few years but when I do, I will know exactly what I want and probably go in with a bank loan. I just can not HANDLE them....
....
so i relate.
Totally.
Are you angry enough to contact the better business bureau? lol.
ARGHHHH
so with you.
and drive on expired tags? OMIGOSH. Don't you wish just for that moment, you were a state trooper or local cop?
I vote for the BEtter Business Bureau and even perhaps the state's DOT, regarding the expired plates and no title.
BOB, and try ripoffreport.com, too!
You're lucky that all you do is clench up. My face turns red and I start to spit when I yell when I'm very angry. Sometimes, I just stop making sense. It's just a loud mess of syllables and swear words.
I am going to report them to B.O.B this afternoon.
D.O.T. Knows exactly how the paperwork was screwed up that is why they wouldn't jump when the dealership asked them to expidite my paper work...for the THIRD time.
The Dealership apparently put the wrong name on the title..THREE Freaken times!
When Snow White gets really angry the viens in her head turn deep red and her skin becomes some what transparent. It is a scary thing to witness. I hope she out grows this.
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