Phantom

Here I heard that the new tC was coming out. I have a son who was headed for college and needed a good reliable, fuel economical car...voila the tC! So I go to Folsom Scion and get myself on "the list" and was also told 3 weeks for it's arrival....they asked what color preference and to choose a second. My son was bent on the dark blue only. I wrote 500 buck deposit check and all seemed well. We received one phone call that the car would be in the 3rd week of August...good timing since my son wasn't to go to school until first of September. Car was on the boat and due to dock at the port and transport 3 days after. Well, happens we don't get a call for the estimated "Saturday" it should have arrived so we go into the dealership to talk to the saleperson who seemed quite nervous but we didn't know why but then concluded it was because he had to tell us that the car had not arrived but would be arriving in 3 more weeks time!!So I demand to complain to customer service about this deception when through the window of that office I see the dark blue tC being prepped for another customer....that was the one that was meant for my son, had arrived and was sold to another customer right under our noses!!!.....This is what was happening to most of the people at this dealership ...if you walked in looking for a tC and it was on the lot, they sold it to you rather than call the person who was on the waiting list!! Needless to say, I gave them a huge piece of my mind and not in a quiet manner which they didn't like since the dealership was packed with people considering a Scion of some form.....some of those customers started to realize what the reason was for their lenghy wait. Just another tactic that dealerships pull that Scion Corp should know about!

mrtc

How did you know? Did it match a VIN they gave you?

I would normally say that I'm sure there's a good explanation, but it sounds like there wasn't. Bummer, man.

Jay4hand

The saga continues......

I went to Leith Scion again yesterday (sigh),,,, Thai Nguyen my "salesperson" hadn't returned a single one of the four messages I left for him. Mark Poindexter hadn't returned my calls either. So, I have commited myself to sneaking up on these two louses. I am so beyond my stage of volitile anger, and find their behavior so incredibly child-like. Whats the news, Mark??,,, Guess what? Its "possible" my car will be here in about two weeks!!! TWO WEEKS!!!!

That will bring my wait to about TWO MONTHS TOTAL! Did I mention before that I was told three weeks or less by my sales person when I put down my deposit?

New plan: :twisted: I am going to show up every day until my car is there and in my posession. :twisted: I'm going to remind them every day just how long I have been waiting, and just how long they said I would be waiting.

You know what,,,, I think I'm over the edge now :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

orcrist86

Reminding them everyday would be good, but I would do 1 thing first, defenitely call scion HQ and talk to a rep. Let them know whats happening and ask them to help you out. Finally, if they stall on you again and tell you itll take x more weeks, take it to the better business bureu and to the local medias fraud reporters, theyll make so much stink that the dealership wont be able to sell another car for years

Phantom

[/b]You definitely need to call Scion Corp on this one. These people need to lose their license to sell Scions. They will help you and might even get you some compensation. You are doing what I would do ...basically show up every chance to make them squirm. Especially if they have other customers loudly talk about your problem ~ that usually makes them take some positive action as they don't want "bad press" in their showroom. Good luck on getting your car....and don't be afraid to go elsewhere and find your car but make this place bring in the car you ordered and then they could get stuck with it when they can't sell it right away...they have to pay for each day it's on the lot just sitting there and it kills their business! Keep us informed of what happens...I like to hear the justice of it all.

mrtc

One question, Jay - is Leith Scion the only Scion dealership in the Triangle area?

Sure sounds like it is, from the way you've stuck with them all this time.

Jay4hand

Well I called 1-866-70SCION as per their website,, they created a case, and referred me to the regional customer relations manager, Cheryll Cook. I will contact her next, and will keep you guys posted.

And no,, Leith Scion is not the only Scion dealership in town,, but THEY HAVE MY MONEY!! And If I went to another dealership,, I will have to start this whole process over again. I cant wait any longer. I am going back to Leith today to harrass them. Do you think they'll try to put a restraining order on me? That would be pretty funny :twisted:

mrtc

You need to read MY story:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...hlight=#325910

In particular, this:

"I got my car on the second allocation for Lake City - four allocations had gone by at Kirkland without a peep."

If I'd stayed with the original dealer, I'd have waited LONGER than I did by enlisting an additional dealer. After I wised up, I had THREE different dealers trying to get a car for me, and it paid off. Deposits are refundable. Stress isn't.

ShadyEye16

I agree that if that happened it should be reported and is totally unethical. What is more likely however, is that that Blue tC was the one that you were promised by your salesman, but it was really a car that someone else had ordered before you. Your salesperson probably saw the car on his list of inbound cars and didn't notice that it was reserved (or their Scion manager forgot to put a name on it) and went ahead and told you that the car was available thinking that it was. Stupidity is not an excuse but maybe its a little consolation that they were not trying to screw you over; they're just dumb

Phantom

I originally thought the same as you did until I was shown the listing on their computer of who was getting what when and my name was the right there for that car....my name was technically reserving that car that came in. I was later apologised to by the head manager who told me that this happens all the time and that he was trying to put a stop on this kind of tactic especially when money deposits were on the cars and should be reserved. Apologies didn't get me a car nor did it secure referrals to this dealership either and it forced me to go ahead look elsewhere. Their loss.

mrtc

Phantom, you should really send an e-mail to your state's Attorney General. It's too late to get action from this dealer, but it will let the dealer know that they're being watched.

Your AG probably has a website for you to send complaints.

Phantom

The dealer feels that they did the "right" thing by giving me my check back when I asked and apologizing at the time. I'm sure they don't think that any damage was done. They were one of the dealers that had truckloads coming at a time instead of the one or two that the smaller dealers had coming. I feel comforted in knowing that word travels fast and when bad press spreads and no "good" recommendations are given they will "feel" it eventually. I don't see what power the district attorney has but I did give Scion Corp a heads up on what had gone on.

KingofScion

What incentive would the dealership have to sell the Scion to someone other than you?

a. money- sales person/manager chose to sell it to someone got more featur/ provided more profit than you. (intentially screwed you and unethical)
b. dealers inventory never showed vehicle sold. (unintentially screwed you and disappointing)

Either way, you did get scewed.

Bring Scion into it if you need to, but bringing the State Attorney will not accomlish anything. There is nothing *illegal* for a dealership saying a car would take 8 weeks, and then say oops we sold it we can order you another one, getting the states attorney would be a waste of time. Call the Scion customer service in CA, they MAY issue you something to help resolve the matter. It would be illegal if they KEPT your moeny.

Jay4hand

I did call Scion, and they didn't make me feel any better. They said they created a case, but that that didn't really mean anything. Calling Scion is a waste of time in my opinion. They are very informed that situations like these are arising right and left, but they either dont have the power to do anything about this crap, or don't care. Why should they care anyway? They're selling every car they ship over, its like the whole "Cabbage Patch Kid" syndrome all over again! So, whatever, just give me my freaking car, and let me get on with my life. I'm just tired of this bullcrap! If I dont have my car by the end of this week, I'll just buy something used, and not made by Toyota!

BoomBox757

dude, go do burn outs in the parking lot, and peel out at every stop light, so that when you bring the car back it has no tires. :twisted: oh and take it up to the redline as much as possible, so the oil is burnt when the change it, :twisted: and rack up the miles, see if you can get a good 5k on it before you give it back :twisted: :twisted: muhahahaha :twisted: :twisted:

mrtc

I think both of you misunderstand the role of the state Attorney General. That office provides, among other things, consumer protection from mediating individual claims to fining and suing companies with a record of consumer problems.

http://www.consumeraction.gov/state.shtml

What you do is to file a complaint. Even if no direct action is to be taken on your complaint, the AG keeps a record of complaints and if a pattern emerges, can take action against the business.

Phantom was allocated a specific car with his name associated with the VIN. If the dealer has a habit of, for example, pulling cars allocated to customers and selling them to friends/spouses or (worst-case) customers lower on the list but who want to spend much more in options and additional services, the state can take action.

But no one will know if the business is crooked or not unless complaints are filed.

George

In most cases, the reason is probably choice "a", but the excuse given to the customer is invariably choice "b".

Few dealer "mistakes" favor the customer!

Paul

While I agree that you have been treated very poorly, my one question is why you sold your original vehicle prior to having 'eyes on' your replacement. Had you not done that, you could have saved yourself weeks of frustation and some out-of-pocket expenses by simply going to a different dealership.

Jay4hand

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
MUHAHAHA Thats what I have been doing!!! Car had 120 miles on it when I got it,,, Now has a little over 2k!! LOL and I discovered this nice little button that disables overdrive,, wow, I had no idea a little 1.5 liter could move so fast!!!! Did I mention I deliver pizza's?

Jay4hand

By the way,, what is that little blue indicator that lights up all the time? Its kinda annoying, so Ill ignore it till their car goes away! MUHAHAHAHAHA!