Purchasing Experiences (long)

[Altezza]

I was so pissed off after my experience with a local dealership that I almost didn't want to waste the time to post a thread about it. But here goes anways. I've been involved in numerous purchases for myself/friends/family from Toyota, BMW, Lexus, and Honda. By far, this is the worst experience I've ever had. I'd go far enough to say that this will probably be the first and last Acura I'll ever consider.

Although I'll refrain from mentioning the specific name of the dealership, you'll be able to quickly and easily ascertain it from the details below. I still cannot believe how disappointed I am with the overall purchase experience of our brand spankin' new '03 3.2TL. I've already have some bad experiences with this dealership 2-3 years ago, however given that this was so long ago, I just figured they would have improved since the dealership was only relatively new at that time.

Anyways, hoping there was improvement in the dealership, we went to look at the 3.2TL. Decent car for the money since we were after an entry-level luxo highway cruiser. Salesman didn't seem to know too much about the vehicle and was feeding the usual BS during the test drive. Most of the time, I give no leniency to salespeople, but that day I kept my mouth shut for the most part this time. In short, here's a list of what went wrong in this deal:

1. Salesman jumps out of his chair and YELLS at us in a rage of fury for not accepting the counter offer and not willing to deal anymore. Continues to accuse us of playing games and wasting his time. - Pffft, nice try - we had been there for less than 40 mins including the 20 min test drive around Country Hills, Nosehill and Crowchild. :rolleyes: Even during the test drive, he spent a good portion of the time on the cell with his wife. I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt and continued speaking with him despite his "Incredible Hulk" acting debut.

2. Promise made on delivery date if we put down a deposit right away - usual sales tactic, but I'm going to hold them to the promise. New promises broken 3 times by salesman and sales manager. Condition of sale was based on the promised and GUARANTEED delivery date of NO LATER THAN 2 WEEKS.

3. No calls from the dealership after putting the deposit down for updates, thank-yous, etc in the entire 2 weeks after. We ourselves had to call regarding the status when the delivery date neared. 3 separate days, we were told we'd receive calls later that day for updates. Never ever received the calls thereafter.

4. Salesmanager is rather untruthful regarding delivery status, reasons for delay, and refuses to accept repsonsibility. They say it's not their fault - so who's is it? Mine? Screw the Salesmanager...So I sit down and have a heart-to-heart with the dealership's GM informing him that service and business practices are substandard compared to other dealerships (and yes, truthfully worse than the BMW experience). I busted this guy on his excuses and he had nothing to say or back himself up with after that. Finally he accepts responsibility after seeing all his excuses get shot down and apologizes.

5. Car finally arrives so I go check it out late at night. Car is covered in dust and dirt, but no biggie since it just got delivered and they'll probably clean it before giving it to us the next day. Go to pick up car the next morning and it's still dirty. Salesman claims it was washed and cleaned a couple of hours ago that morning. :bullshit: Salesman gets mad at me for telling him that the car wasn't cleaned and proceeds to tell us that all the dust and filth were from the smoke in the air due to forest fires. Yeah right, 2 hours of sitting outside will cover the car in dust and soot. :rolleyes: And gee, explain why it looks the same as it did the night before. :rolleyes:

6. 3M film was applied with the accuracy of 10-year old. Some areas looked like bubble wrap due to the many air and dust/dirt bubbles (HUGE). I tell the salesman to have it corrected before we take delivery. He rolls his eyes and again proceeds to insult my intelligence in his well-practiced condescending tone. He explains that all the bubbles are normal and will disappear in a day in the sun. The guy who did the 3M tells me the same. I've had 3M done recently done on the IS and seen it done to over 15+ cars...never once have I seen that many bubbles before and of that size. Ok, fine, so we tell him we'll come back 2 days later to get the car if they disappear. Well, guess what? 2 days later, I get a phone call and I'm informed the bubbles are still there and won't go away due to dust and dirt trapped underneath (no shit Sherlock, that's what I explained 2 days ago). 3M is finally completely redone at this point.

7. Hood minorly scratched during 3M process, loose mouldings, one of doors not aligned correctly - problems that were all REFUSED to be corrected by salesman since (and I quote) "No car is manufactured perfectly. I have no control over what they do at the factory Sorry, these problems are common." WTF? :guns: These were all problems that were legitimate and could easily be fixed at the dealership level. Fine, so go directly to the GM again. Items are fixed before we take delivery.

8. Get a crappy box of 5-6 cookies delivered to the house worth a whole of $2. You're too kind :rolleyes:. Drop cash at your dealership and all I get is $2 worth of cookies? Granted a TL isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but only $2 worth of cookies?? My sister got way more when she bought her Tercel years and years ago.

9. Althought not directly related to the purcahse, I took a look at some of the TSXs on the lot while I'm there. What do I notice? Hmm...tire wear on 6-8 of the TSXs parked on the lot look unmistakably familiar of being at the Race City roadcourse. Either that, or some Extremely spirited driving in the twisties was happening. Tires treads were worn, ripped, and started to peel; edges of the tires were agressively chewed and worn away almost completely; rotors showed definite signs of abuse. No plates on any of the vehicles. I ask around and they deny that the cars were ever at the track or received any aggressive driving or treatment. Yeah, sure.... :bullshit:

I know I've probably missed a few more points, but I think you generally get the idea of how miserable this purchase was. Granted, most of my dissatisfaction has to do with the salesman and the salesmanger, but still...the dealership must take responsibility for the actions/words of its employees and representatives. ISO certified dealership they brag to me :barf:

Although I'm probably sure I won't ever be buying another Acura again, I'd recommend that you head down to Macleod Trail if you're inclined to purchase any new Acura.

<end of rant>

On a more brighter note, I must say that the BEST experiences I've ever had were at Lexus and Infiniti. Always treated with respect, always cared for, always attention to detail, and always kind, professional, attentive, and courteous.

[max_boost]

Rough stuff!!!
Not only was Silverhill's service pleasant, I also got approved with subpar credit and managed to get a free tire cause the gf blew one while driving in a construction zone!!
Not to mention free oil changes for letting them fill out the consumer surveys!!!

Went in on Monday and picked up the car Thursday at noon

Man that sucks, such lack of professionalism from NW Acura! I said it for you:D

[max_boost]

I honestly would of left after point number one. No prick ass salesman is going to yell at me!!!

[Hakkola]

I can't stand bs'ing salesmen, and I really dislike it when they have little or no knowledge, when I spend 15 minutes researching a car, and they actually get paid to sell these cars yet I know more, it just doesn't seem right.

At the mcloed trail Acura it didn't seem to bad, they let us take a 3.2TL home for a night, Volvo also let us take an S60 T5 for an entire weekend, I think it's pretty important to go to a good dealership and have a good relationship with them before ordering an expensive car from someone. I'd hate to have to go through all that b.s

[Dj_Stylz]

Wow man thats a crazy story!! Those guys had no respect at all.

[1Avatar]

Yikes - I knew there was a reason I strayed from honda - I used to get the shaft when I had my integra back in the day before imports became big and they thought I was just a punk kid.

Hope you find the right amount of ammunition and rage to go deal with them through "effective" means :thumbsup: jk

I agree with you though, Lexus has been very good to me as well and the experience at infiniti when I checked out the G35 was pleasant as well.

Hopefully someone from the dealership can stumble across this and realize what a bunch of tools they are.

[AquamosH]

Originally posted by max_boost
I honestly would of left after point number one. No prick ass salesman is going to yell at me!!!

:werd: X 100

I still can't believe he actually yelled at people he's trying to sell a car to. So far the worst we've experienced at a dealership was the Service dept. at Stampede Toyota. After bringing it in a few times, they had to call the Lexus Service ppl to figure out what was up w/ our Highlander :rolleyes:

Best service we've experienced to date is High River Toyota. It really is worth the drive :D

[Altezza]

Originally posted by max_boost
I honestly would of left after point number one. No prick ass salesman is going to yell at me!!!

Haha, me on most days would have. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt...Who knew the ball would keep rolling after that...

[Kona9]

Sorry to hear you had shitty dealings. It does not matter how experienced you are at sales or any other type of business. Why the F$#@ would you yell at any client. I appreciate this thread in the fact that i will now never go there for anything. I have been there before while looking at rsx's or used Integras and even then something felt wierd. I recieved no service at all. Just so you and everyone else knows, 3M stoneguard film is only Authorized by Trim Line on 12th NE for installation. Anyone can get it and say they are good with it, but trust the pros at Trim Line. ( my aunts store )

[Weapon_R]

How much leniency did you have in negotiating the price on an Acura?

[4wheeldrift]

I had awesome experiences test driving etc with Silverhill Acura on Macleod, even though I didn't ultimately end up buying a car from them.

[kaput]

.

[RSeXy]

My family had the SAME experience at NW Acura when my mom was purchasing her RSX. As soon as we paid for the car...we didn't hear from them about the delivery date...we had to wait a whole month and some before the car finally got delivered to us. NW Acura sucks ass.

Ed..just fill out the survey form you'll be getting in a couple weeks time...if the salesman gets two poor ranking surveys he gets canned...or just b*tch and compain to HONDA Canada so to not jeopardize your free oil changes! hahaha!

[girlRACER]

:eek: OMG...I can't believe you went through all of that! They should've given you free 3M or free servicing etc. for all that you went through...as a gesture of good will!!

I've had bad experiences at Infiniti :( so not everyone is immune from having bad service.

Why does it seem, at least in my experience, that all the luxury car dealerships are snobby and treat their customers like crap whereas the other dealerships appreciate their customers and give them tons of freebies? Seems like the more expensive the car you buy, the more you're treated like crap!

I was charged for warranty work at Lonestar and was treated very rudely by the service department. On top of that, they left me stranded at the UofC while I was getting an oil change and I had to take a taxi! :banghead:

[max_boost]

For many years Lexus was ranked #1 in customer satisfaction so no surprise there. As for Mercedes and any other luxury dealer, there should be no excuse. If I'm spending that much money, they better treat me with respect or else they are going to hear about it!!!

[Luke 96 T/A]

Haha...
The Acura dealership I went to in the north west refused to deal with me after I told them I had visited Silverhill first...
Silverhill was very decent to me... Ended up buying from them...

[hampstor]

Best dealership experiences for me are at silverhill (didn't buy, just really pleasant sales guys), Sunridge and Stadium Nissan for sales, and Brasso Nissan for service (by far the best) and Sundre Motors (GM Dealership).

[Shaolin]

Silverhill's the best I've seen.. we got jacked when we bought our first car from Jack Carter.. didn't really get jacked in High River Honda, I actually jacked them, but then they jacked me back with the service.. then we got the Integra from Silverhill and had no hassle or anything.. :thumbsup:

[CRXguy]

Originally posted by max_boost
I honestly would of left after point number one. No prick ass salesman is going to yell at me!!!

No kidding! I would've poked him in the eye and walk out.

Were there no customers around while you were "negotiating"? Shoulda caused a scene. :D

[Spenser]

yo my friend got better service at a used called dealership, The car said 1000 on the window, we argued him down to 400, the salesmen preomissed my friend that all the gears work in the car, so after we take the car home, we get a flat tire, the syncros are warn out on 3 and 4 and the car died, wehn we brought the car back the next day and told him everything that went wrong, he took the car back on trade and sold my buddy a car with 1800 on the window for 200 bucks+trade, although we had to wait for about an hour for him to do the "paperwork"

And I thought we were gettting bad service......

[kenny]

My purchase experience was really good.

After putting down my deposit, I waited about 3 1/2 months until my sales guy called me to let me know that the first SLK32 to arrive in Calgary was allocated to Lonestar. I then confirmed my order (paint color, interior color, options, etc etc). After this, every week or so my sales guy would call me on my cell to update me on the progress of the order. I was called when the car began production, again when the car was done, and yet again when the car was loaded onto the ship for delivery to North America. At this time I was at the dealer every 2nd day to talk to my sales guy. Finally when the car arrived in Canada, I was called again but the car was in port for several days before it began its trek to Calgary via Rail.

On the day that it arrived, I didn't get a phone call. Instead, they called rage2 because he seemed more excited at the arrival than I did. I went there, and took a bunch of pictures of the car as it sat there still wrapped up in the shipping material. I filled out the paperwork and left for the day. Went back to the dealership the next day and it was parked in the delivery bay all clean and waxed. I was lazy and didn't get everything ready for delivery (registration, plates, insurance, etc) so my salesguy went and got the car registration, insurance and stuff all taken care of while I sat in the car and took even more pictures haha.

In terms of service at the dealership, the staff are really friendly and all but the actual service technicians could really use some better training :) Some problems just don't get fixed right away while others are fixed really quickly. I am always provided with a Mercedes loaner when my car goes into the shop. Only complaint is that they never give me an SL to cruise around in while I'm in the shop :rofl:

Compare this to the crap service I got at BMW when I was looking for a 3-series (before I went with the SLK). Nobody would even come up to ask if I needed anything. Walked around the showroom and lot for about 30 minutes and saw all the sales guy just standing around chatting amongst themselves. After this I just took off. I now make it my mission to harass all customers test driving BMW vehicles in hopes they will return the car and go shop for a car at Lonestar =)

[Boostn]

Altezza, I completely agree with you and share a bad experience. When the RSX-S first came out a few years back I initially went to NW Acura to check it out. You would not believe the hassle I went through just to get a test drive, and I was serious about buying one as well. The salesman wasn't very cooperative so I decided to go directly to the sales manager instead. This big fat loser (literally) of an asshole basically accuses me of wasting their time, telling me that this car did not need a test drive and I should just buy one. So I ask why is there a RSX-S sitting outside with dealer plates on it??? The salesmanager mumbles something to the effect that it's his demo car.. WTF?! Then he changes his story and claims that it's dealer policy to not let ppl test drive brand new high end sports cars. A RSX is high end? Give me a break! Now this guy is starting to really annoy me and he's supposed to be a sales manager. What a f&*$^in joke! So I tell him what I think of him and the dealership which surprisingly shocks him. Then I tell him I will be taking my business elsewhere. And you know what he says back - go ahead! So guess what I went to Silverhill, got a test drive and signed a deal for one the next day. SO F*&K YOU NW ACURA, you'll never get my business ever again!!!!!! The shittiest dealership ever, I've been treated better at domestic dealers. Sorry bout the long post guys, just had to share this crappy experience...

[RiCE-DaDDy]

i was afraid this was about sivlerhill!! whew, we got our tl from silverhill no prob!


Originally posted by girlRACER
I was charged for warranty work at Lonestar and was treated very rudely by the service department. On top of that, they left me stranded at the UofC while I was getting an oil change and I had to take a taxi! :banghead:

What do you mean stranded?

You car was only gone for the day right??
So you don't get a loaner, but they should have some pickup/drop off service.

[Ajay]

I agree that NW Acura is a bunch of assholes. When I was looking at one of their used Civic hatchbacks there I had to ask for help from a salesman....no one came up to ask me if I needed help or had any questions.

When I started asking questions about the car the salesman just gave me really quick answers and more or less treated me like a chump who really wasn't going to buy the car. I asked to go for a test drive and he had a kind of disgusted look. Dude was an asshole and after the test drive my dad pretty much told him that. Was fun to see my dad bitch the dude out. Granted we weren't buying an NSX or anything from him but still....

Ended up going to Honda West and they were AWESOME....from the time I walked in to the time I took delivery of the car. The sales dude I bought my car from was awesome and took care of me really well. He even came running out of his office when I was driving the car off the lot cause my left tail light was out so he told me to take it to the service shop and get it replaced. They did it in two seconds and apologized profusely that it wasn't taken care of before I took delivery. And this all for a little hatchback!!

[04blackMAX]

yeah i went into acura also before i bought my maxima, they think there cars are sooooo great, and the salesmen act like they are fuking heart surgons for fuk sakes, i just walked in and walked out, there tools there, acura is lacking big time in customer service.

[RiceCake]

Originally posted by hampstor
Best dealership experiences for me are at silverhill (didn't buy, just really pleasant sales guys), Sunridge and Stadium Nissan for sales, and Brasso Nissan for service (by far the best) and Sundre Motors (GM Dealership).

Hmm... haven't really checked out silverhill but hear lots of great things :) I went for a TD at NW Acura and I was not impressed by their first impression. Also love Centuar Subaru too :)


Love the nissan dealerships, although at Sunridge I found a particular sales person to be too pushy. Best experience for service is Brasso Nissan, although I must go check out the new Fish Creek Nissan sometime just because that building looks damn cool!:thumbsup:

[Ben]

Dont even get me started on Calgary BMW.

[nismodrifter]

Originally posted by RiceCake

although I must go check out the new Fish Creek Nissan sometime just because that building looks damn cool!:thumbsup:

I'd wait till well...they get some more nissans :D Half of the cars there right now are other manufacturer used vehicles

good to have a nissan dealership a 2 min drive away from home..handy when it comes to needing parts

and as for service

brasso nissan - got warranty work done there and have gone numerous times for parts, they take the time to explain things to you and they KNOW what they are talking about (right down to the little parts...they know what you're lookin for) they get 2 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[92 Teg-B18A]

Originally posted by max_boost
I honestly would of left after point number one. No prick ass salesman is going to yell at me!!!
:werd:

If I were inyour situation I would complain to Acura Canada. This has more than likely not happened to just you. It's probably how that dealership runs it's self all the time.

[ninspeed]

as much as it might be a pain to you.. return that car tomorrow.. walk in, give the salesman the keys and say that becuase of their lack of respect not only towards you as a coustmer, but as a person in general... that kinda treatment is just horible, and they did not earn your sale...

[Hakkola]

Originally posted by kenny

In terms of service at the dealership, the staff are really friendly and all but the actual service technicians could really use some better training :). After this I just took off. I now make it my mission to harass all customers test driving BMW vehicles in hopes they will return the car and go shop for a car at Lonestar =)

:werd:

The older ex cop that works at bmw is an ass, doesn't seem to care very much and I just don't like him.

At mercedes I get really damn surprizingly good service. Whenever I bring the car in they come and talk to me, ask how school going and talk to me about cars and life.

When I had problems with the car about 7 months or so ago they gave me a loaner car for free for a week and my car isn't even under warrenty anymore, and whenever the car is there for more than an hour they ask me if I need a ride anywhere.

I'm really surprised they left girlracer stranded.

[girlRACER]

Originally posted by RiCE-DaDDy

What do you mean stranded?

You car was only gone for the day right??
So you don't get a loaner, but they should have some pickup/drop off service.

They gave me a ride to school and told me they could pick me up after school to take me to the dealership. Afterwards they discovered a oil leak and told me that I would have to leave the car overnight and find my own way home from the UofC. I live on the opposite side of the city. When I finally got home...I got a call 10 minutes before closing telling me they fixed my car earlier than expected so I had to take a cab and rush over to pick my car up :(

[hinggu]

I think the worst dealership I have ever been too was Stadium Nissan. The guy basically told me that I can't test drive a car because I was not going to buy the car that night... How the F#@! How the hell do I know if I am going to buy it or not if I haven't even drove the car before??? Then he tells me to go home and tell daddy and mommy to come down and talk, cuz he doesn't want to talk to a kid... give me a break. Ended up going to sunridge nissan and buying the Spec V. But Sunridges service dept. is starting to screw around with me. Might have to give Brasso a try!

[max_boost]

Originally posted by girlRACER


They gave me a ride to school and told me they could pick me up after school to take me to the dealership. Afterwards they discovered a oil leak and told me that I would have to leave the car overnight and find my own way home from the UofC. I live on the opposite side of the city. When I finally got home...I got a call 10 minutes before closing telling me they fixed my car earlier than expected so I had to take a cab and rush over to pick my car up :( :rofl: You make it sound like it was a nightmare!! It's Calgary transit, enjoy the blue limo! :thumbsup:

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by ninspeed
as much as it might be a pain to you.. return that car tomorrow.. walk in, give the salesman the keys and say that becuase of their lack of respect not only towards you as a coustmer, but as a person in general... that kinda treatment is just horible, and they did not earn your sale...

Most dealerships don't offer refunds...lol

[max_boost]

Through my past experiences, every transaction has gone very well. Consumers do hold the power, just walk away next time and go somewhere else!

[ninspeed]

Originally posted by Weapon_R


Most dealerships don't offer refunds...lol
if its with in 7 days (might be 14 now).... they dont have a choice

[benyl]

NW acura was the worst car buying experience I have ever had. The salesman acted as though he was doing me a favor by selling me the car. He refused to go into the sales manager with a lower price because he knew it wouldn't be accepted. I thought the salesmen are supposed to be working for you... not the dealership. I had a much better experience with Honda. BMW Gallery on the other hand wasn't bad... except for the completely biased salesman


The only reason we bought a car there was that the deal was too good to refuse.

[BigMass]

just to add to this post since it got my blood boiling. Stay away from East Side Dodge Chrysler Jeep. If you own a Chrysler import take it to an import shop. The mechanics at Eastside have no clue how to work on them and the service people will do anything to get out of fixing things that they messed up on.

If i were you and had the money, i would threaten to take your story to the Herald or Sun and make the biggest stink over it that they have ever seen. Also i would talk to the manager and complain about the sales person and hope he gets fired.

[B17a]

The funniest thing was when I was shopping for a Teg, I went to NW Acura for a test drive. Some 1996 Teg, anyways, the salesguy drives out first, we hit Crowchild, BTW his manual shifting skills were non-existant. So he's in 4th gear, tries to hit 5th but threw it into 3rd, the car lurches forward as the RPM's shoot up. But the funniest part is, he thought he was in 5th! He looks over at me and says (no word of a lie) "feel how smooth 5th is"! After that I said, pull over, let me drive this thing.

[Superesc]

Yea I would totally rant at Acura Canada, hopefully they will compensate you somehow, again I have pretty good experience at Silverhill, they get the job done!

[Altezza]

Originally posted by benyl
NW acura was the worst car buying experience I have ever had. The salesman acted as though he was doing me a favor by selling me the car.


That's the exact phrase I was looking for when I tried to fnd something to sum up that experience!!

The salesman was such an ass...I know he worked for Toyota before and I suspect he started at Acura cuz he got canned. I've had other salespeople fired before for poor and disrespectful service, so I might go at it again :guns: haha I got a whole whoppin 2 free servicings at Acura from the GM for the trouble. I was like, WTF?? 2 Friggin services (which probably incidentally turn out to be only oil changes) is all I get?? I would have got 5 at Silverhill for simply just buying the car.

I'm trying to find some time to put together a nice long-ass complaint letter to the dealership and Acura Canada. But for some reason I doubt Acura Canada is going to care much either. But it's worth a shot I suppose. I'm just so disappointed that I have to do up a letter for Acura, a company I used to have a lot of respect for. My uncle picked up his new MDX around the same time...I should see what his experience was like - dunno which dealership, but I suspect the same one.

[Altezza]

Originally posted by girlRACER
:eek:
On top of that, they left me stranded at the UofC while I was getting an oil change and I had to take a taxi! :banghead:

WHAT?!?! Stranded? I'd rip into the service manager if that ever happened to me. They gave me an ES300 to use at my first servicing. Second time around, I was going to be late if I waited for the shuttle guy so the service rep offered to give me transit fare and drive me in her own car to the c-train if needed (such a nice lady!). Since I'd run even later going that route, she gave me a brand spankin new 4Runner V8 Limited for the day (awesome car, BTW if anybody is looking at one). On top of that, it was my own fault that I was late anyways. Last time, they shuttled me around in the RX330 (That car is sweet too!). Everytime they seem so concerned about me being able to get around. At Honda, it was like...you're on your own buddy...

[Superesc]

hmm I just priced out a is300... seem affordable enough :D

[RSeXy]

Originally posted by Altezza
Everytime they seem so concerned about me being able to get around. At Honda, it was like...you're on your own buddy...


Loughheed Acura in Vancouver has an AWESOME salesguy!! His name is Henry (i think)..he picked Sam and I up at the airport which was 45 mins away from the dealership and THEN drove us to Robson Street so that I could do some shopping!! He then offered to take us out for good sushi next time we were in the city! :thumbsup:

[redline]

Originally posted by Altezza


: haha I got a whole whoppin 2 free servicings at Acura from the GM for the trouble. I was like, WTF?? 2 Friggin services (which probably incidentally turn out to be only oil changes) is all I get?? I would have got 5 at Silverhill for simply just buying the car.



hahah the first two services are PAID BY ACURA ON ALL NEW Acuras since 2001.

On my RSX-S, I got the first two oil changes from Acura, then six more from Silverhill Hill.

[googe]

We should keep running blacklists/whitelists of dealers to avoid and dealers to shop at. Hopefully their reputation will start to carry a little weight. Probably not, but oh well. I havent run into anything as bad as what I hear NW Acura is pulling, but then again I havent bought many cars.

Id recommend avoiding Ed at Shaganappi Chev though. First he kind of ignored me until he started to think that I was actually going to buy the car (and I was), then he was all friendly, except for the lies he kept dropping, like (Oh, the manager said we just had a price increase, but good news for you, you were talking to me before the price went up so if you buy before the end of the week you can have it for the lower price) and numerous other "incentives" for me to take it by the end of the week (coincidentally the end of the month - he was trying to get the sale under his belt for the numbers that month). It was actually an awesome deal, but he was a pretty dishonest guy, then when my deal was approved only if I got a cosigner (and I didnt get one) he said he couldnt give me deposit back. I kept calling sales managers and they said that wasnt right and they would sort things out with him and get him to call me back, he avoided me for a good 3-4 months before I finally got the deposit.

Someone I would recommend though if you are in the NW and looking for a chev, talk to Paul Lawtey at Shaganappi. He is a good guy, he gave me alot of help even when he knew the sale had nothing to do with him and he wouldnt be getting any credit for it, just from general conversation you could tell he was honest too.

Terry Bahrti (sp?) at Subaru of Calgary was pretty good to deal with too.

[Altezza]

Originally posted by redline

hahah the first two services are PAID BY ACURA ON ALL NEW Acuras since 2001.


Well, well, well...lets add that to my letter - GM attempts to rectify the situation by offering the initial 2 services for free, which are incidentally already included in every new vehicle purchase.



Originally posted by googe

Terry Bahrti (sp?) at Subaru of Calgary was pretty good to deal with too.

haha, yeah, he's cool. I walked in and asked if there was a WRX wagon around that I could look at. His reply was, "yup, wanna take it for a spin?" He gave me the keys, gave me the dealer plate, pointed to the back of the lot and says, "It's the black one at the back. Come back in 20-30 mins. Try not to break the sound barrier." I was the dealership for no more than 2 mins tops and I was already on my way out for a test drive on my own. He was really cool to chat with afterwards and he followed up.

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by ninspeed

if its with in 7 days (might be 14 now).... they dont have a choice


So if I bought a car and returned it within 7 days, they would have to give me the purchase price?

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Weapon_R



So if I bought a car and returned it within 7 days, they would have to give me the purchase price? I thought Saturn was the only company that allows you to return the vehicle within 30 days no questions asked?

A different kind of car, a different kind of company:bigpimp: :rofl:

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by max_boost
I thought Saturn was the only company that allows you to return the vehicle within 30 days no questions asked?

A different kind of car, a different kind of company:bigpimp: :rofl:


I have an uncle who is a manager at ford, and under no circumstances will they take back a car without making you pay through the ass for it.

[T5_X]

Originally posted by Hakkola

At the mcloed trail Acura it didn't seem to bad, they let us take a 3.2TL home for a night, Volvo also let us take an S60 T5 for an entire weekend, I think it's pretty important to go to a good dealership and have a good relationship with them before ordering an expensive car from someone. I'd hate to have to go through all that b.s

Was that valentine? I've never been to thier retail section, but for any volvo owners out there, I can tell you a story that will make you NEVER want to get your car serviced there. Fucking thieves :thumbsdow

[girlRACER]

Originally posted by googe
We should keep running blacklists/whitelists of dealers to avoid and dealers to shop at. Hopefully their reputation will start to carry a little weight. Probably not, but oh well. I havent run into anything as bad as what I hear NW Acura is pulling, but then again I havent bought many cars.


Actually now that I think about it...my bad experience with Lonestar has mainly been in their service department. In terms of their sales and parts department they have always been really friendly and helpful.

I think the same goes for a lot of other dealerships. Many problems are at the service departments. I heard that the service department at Calgary BMW and Northland Volkswagen have very bad service.

[girlRACER]

Originally posted by Altezza

I'm trying to find some time to put together a nice long-ass complaint letter to the dealership and Acura Canada. But for some reason I doubt Acura Canada is going to care much either. But it's worth a shot I suppose. I'm just so disappointed that I have to do up a letter for Acura, a company I used to have a lot of respect for.

I think that Acura Canada WILL care. When I was charged for warranty work I called MBCanada and they told me that I should go back to the dealership and get my money back. When I went to the dealership the service person told me that nothing could be done about it despite what the rep from MBCanada said.

So I made another phonecall to MBCanada and the rep was very mad with what the service person at the dealership told me. MBCanada contacted both the service manager, and general manager at the dealership who in turn apologized and gave me my money back.

I think that the headquarters is looking out for the best interest of the customer and sort of acts as a mediator between dealership and customer.

[4wheeldrift]

Originally posted by googe
Terry Bahrti (sp?) at Subaru of Calgary was pretty good to deal with too. Nothing but good experiences at Subaru of Calgary, both on the sales and service side.

[ninspeed]

Originally posted by Weapon_R



So if I bought a car and returned it within 7 days, they would have to give me the purchase price?
i know on used cars it is (lemon laws)... pretty sure it covers new ones too

[max_boost]

Originally posted by ninspeed

i know on used cars it is (lemon laws)... pretty sure it covers new ones too Canada doesn't have lemon laws though....

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by Ben
Dont even get me started on Calgary BMW.

Don't even get ME started on Calgary BMW!! :guns: :guns:


My dad and I had one experience with Northwest Acura and it was bad as well. We were in the market for a 2nd hand Jetta which they had on their lot. We went for the test drive and everything, and that was actually pretty pleasant. Salesman was very polite and helpful, possibly because he had only been working there a week. Anyways, we were actually in the process of working out the paper work with the sales manager when my dad brought up the subject of the broken windshield. He wanted to have that replaced and the price included in the purchase. He absolutely refused. So then he wanted them to warranty it, so if it split (which you could tell it would've), that they'd replace it. Again, he refused. So my dad came up with another compremise... They'd go 50/50 on the price of a new windsheild: $100 from Northhill Acura, $100 from my dad. They agreed and he put a down payment on the car and the rest would come the following work day (since it was during the weekend), but when my dad got the paperwork for the car the next day, the fucken weasels tried to pull a fast one on him by charging him a $100 "administration fee". :rolleyes: Needless to say, we didn't get the car.

My experience with a friend at the Volkswagen dealership near Marlborough mall was kinda funny. My friend was in the market for a Jetta and we were working out financing information and the salesman wasn't sure about something, so he went to ask the sales manager. The fucken prick basically stole the (potential) sale from the salesman! The sales manager literally said he was going to kick the salesman in the ass in front of everyone, including the salesman! Fucken crook....

[nickyh]

The problem with complaining to Honda Canada / Acura directly is they do not take responsibilty for their dealerships who sell their products.
It must be something about the two import dealers there (not Toyota). I regretably bought my 00 Lude from them (long since sold) - the buying experience from Village was amazing, i had the best sales guy and if he moved to another Honda dealership I would buy again from him. The problem was with the service dept and the dumb ass bit@% who runs it - she must sleep with someone there to be still the boss.
To get to the point - when my car was broken into i had it towed there (could have and should have taken it to Calgary Honda) and eventually 3 weeks later after repairing my fuses and passenger door handle I get my car back BUT I had 350KM extra on my car :eek: WTF - did they get it fixed in Red Deer? No, the body shop was only 14km away.
Complained to everyone at the dealership, no one cared, wrote a hateful letter to the GM, he never responded even though he and I had an major issue to deal with about my car earlier.... complained to BBB, AMVIC, and Honda Canada who promplty stated "We have no control over these matters at our dealership" So now i boycot Honda.
NW Acrura is owned by the Hyatt Group - same as the VW dealership i bought my current car from (OMG More issues here) and I will research who owns the dealership before my next purchase. Hyatt Group suck big time in this city, they have a really bad rep and from reading the cover story it seems that at the end of the day the word is not getting out enough about them.

Next purchase: maybe Toyota. Would love a Maxima but Brasso never seem to take care of me there , really awesome service dept :thumbsup:

[Hakkola]

Originally posted by T5_X


Was that valentine? I've never been to thier retail section, but for any volvo owners out there, I can tell you a story that will make you NEVER want to get your car serviced there. Fucking thieves :thumbsdow

Yeah, I think it was Valentine, the one that's just off glenmore by mrc.

I wanna hear your story.

[BlaCkPlaGUE]

Man Im just reading through these one by one, and its amazing at how amazingly shitty service can get in the car industry. Where i work, service is so important, and you can see the benefits of your work. If you help someone out, remain honest and give an effort, they always come back. Even when you tell them where to find something at another store that you cannot get on time, or for a reasonable price from that of the competitor, they come back becuase they know that you helped them out a shitload.


I've never bought a car before, so I guarentee if I walked on the lot, I'd get my ass owned fast with bullshit tactics and false promises. This thread is pretty damn awesome becuase it tells me what to look out for and what to avoid, wicked info guys.
thx

[benyl]

Originally posted by 4wheeldrift
Nothing but good experiences at Subaru of Calgary, both on the sales and service side.

OMG... I couldn't believe how I was treated there!!!

Last October I went in there with a friend of mine because she like the look of the Legacy GT. We walked in and nobody said anything. She has a sweet tooth for expensive cars, so we went over to the Jaguar side of things. Sat in the S-type R:drool:

Then looked at the X-type as it was in her price range too. The salesman talk about the car for 3 minutes (no shitting) and then said, take if for a test drive. "Nothing I can say will sell you this car, but if your drive, you just might buy it." He said take it for an hour if you like! Now that is what I am talking about!

So we come back after a lengthy test drive, but we were not impressed by the 2.5 motor. The 3.0 was out so we couldn't drive that.

We then decided that we had time to look at the Legacy. This larger lady comes up to us and asks us how we are doing. We say we are interested, but want to know the differences between the 2002 and the 2003. She said that there were none. But when you look at them, the lower bumper was different. So we ask if we can look at one (as there weren't any in the show room). She says ok, there is one in the lot. She hands us the keys (there was a house key on the ring). We go out... press the keyless entry and this car starts flashing. Confused, I look at the plate, and it isn't a dealer plate, just a regular one. We look at the car, it is obviously a 2002. We get inside, the car is filthy and there are coffee stains all over the place and a coffee mug in the cup holder.

I got pissed off and said fuck this. I am interested in a new car and you show me a dirty old used car. She didn't have the decency to come outside with us and try to sell the car. Needless to say, I am never going back there again.

[googe]

Originally posted by benyl


OMG... I couldn't believe how I was treated there!!!

Last October I went in there with a friend of mine because she like the look of the Legacy GT. We walked in and nobody said anything. She has a sweet tooth for expensive cars, so we went over to the Jaguar side of things. Sat in the S-type R:drool:

Then looked at the X-type as it was in her price range too. The salesman talk about the car for 3 minutes (no shitting) and then said, take if for a test drive. &quot;Nothing I can say will sell you this car, but if your drive, you just might buy it.&quot; He said take it for an hour if you like! Now that is what I am talking about!

So we come back after a lengthy test drive, but we were not impressed by the 2.5 motor. The 3.0 was out so we couldn't drive that.

We then decided that we had time to look at the Legacy. This larger lady comes up to us and asks us how we are doing. We say we are interested, but want to know the differences between the 2002 and the 2003. She said that there were none. But when you look at them, the lower bumper was different. So we ask if we can look at one (as there weren't any in the show room). She says ok, there is one in the lot. She hands us the keys (there was a house key on the ring). We go out... press the keyless entry and this car starts flashing. Confused, I look at the plate, and it isn't a dealer plate, just a regular one. We look at the car, it is obviously a 2002. We get inside, the car is filthy and there are coffee stains all over the place and a coffee mug in the cup holder.

I got pissed off and said fuck this. I am interested in a new car and you show me a dirty old used car. She didn't have the decency to come outside with us and try to sell the car. Needless to say, I am never going back there again.

Hahahaha.

You poor thing.

[benyl]

Originally posted by googe


Hahahaha.

You poor thing.

WTF is that supposed to mean? :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

[teamdsr]

hahahaha...U guys just look getto...... thats why u get that kind of treatment..hahahahaa