I just had a nightmare experience at my dealer. The general manager emailed me that my car was there and being prepped and to come pick it up. That was about 10AM. I called back and asked to speak to her, but got shuffled to the sales manager. He said it wouldn't be ready until 4:00. I agreed to come in at 4:00, but told them my wife would not be able to come with me, either to drive back our existing car or sign anything due to her medical condition, but that I wanted her on title. I asked if she had to be there since I was paying cash. The manager said she didn't have to come in, that I could come in and do all the paperwork, pay, and they could deliver the car to my home. He said my wife could sign a form at delivery to get put on title. So I showed up at 4:00 and it turned out the car wasn't ready. It looked like they were just beginning to prep it. There was plastic all over everything, heavily taped and there was a guy inside doing a software upgrade.They said it would take at least an hour. I was irritated but that was no biggie since they were going to deliver it that evening, they had promised. I went inside to pay. The manager had given me a final price via email and it was the fair, proper price. When I sat down with the salesman I was handed a form with that price, so no problem there. I agreed with the price, signed the price sheet, and pulled out my checkbook. He told me not to make out the check yet.
This is the same salesman who had let me take a test drive in a demo. At that time he had taken my driver's license and insurance info and knew I was scheduled to pick up my pre-order car in a few weeks. I'd also told him I'd be paying cash and he said that was fine. Today it was obvious he hadn't remembered or taken note on any of that, nor had he talked to the sales manager, apparently. They'd had weeks to do a credit check if they'd wanted one. So today at 4:00 he told me if my wife was going to be on title she had to be present. I got highly peeved and told him the sales manager had assured me just the opposite. I started to get up and leave since she wasn't there. The salesman hustled in to the manager and then they had to confer with yet another manager, the credit manager. This took what seemed like forever and they finally decided they could do just what the sales manager had told me. I had my wife's driver's license with me, so they took that and mine, and the insurance info, copied them and said they wouldn't need to do a credit check since I was paying cash, but still needed me to fill in their credit form. I did. It requested a whole lot of information they didn't really need if they weren't really doing a credit check, but I filled it all in. I'd been there 45 minutes by this time. When I'd finished, the salesman then told me that I still couldn't pay because the credit manager was with another customer and would be for another hour, but I was "up next."
I wasn't about to sit around for another hour, and then probably another hour after that while the credit manager did whatever she was to do, which was obviously running a credit check and probably trying to talk me into buying on crdit or taking a lease instead. I have outstanding credit and don't mind that considering the size of the check, but I don't like being lied to just to keep me there and upsold and don't like being lied to about the need for my wife or having the car ready for me. I felt like cussing a blue streak, but just grabbed my stuff and started out the door. The salesman ran after me calling "but it'll be ready by six". I yelled back "I won't be here. I have two weeks to cancel" and walked out.
At 6:45pm I got a call from the salesman who said the car was ready and all I had to do was come in and sign the papers. I let it go to voice mail. He asked for a call back, but I'm going to let them stew for a few days. I may even cancel the order. They're obviously either dishonest or incompetent or both. After a year and half of waiting I may have to start all over.
