Purchasing Experiences (long)
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.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.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.
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?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
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....
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
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.
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jk
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!!
so not everyone is immune from having bad service. 
