Backing up right quick: Yesterday I was seriously stressed out and in frustration tears from dealing with this dealership. If you're interested, this is the review I plan to post about Atlanta Luxury Motors AKA the worst car dealer I've ever dealt with... I even made a picture - see how much I love you guys?!
I’m going to be honest - the prices are enticing. And, the car I was interested in, a Lexus RX400h, checked out a-okay at the lexus dealership. However, you just need to determine if the cost savings is worth your sanity as this place is poorly mismanaged to say the least. Examples:
1. You give them a typed list of things you want fixed on the car before you buy it. They tell you it's good to go. You arrive to buy the car... you wait 30 minutes. They can't find the keys. You go home. You come back again, after confirming that everything was done again. You arrive back and the car is still dirty and the things on the list haven't been completed. Repeat. Repeat. Anthony, salesperson, apologized but it was insane how many times we were back and forth to that dealership only to find that our "appointment" didn't really exist, that they hadn't done what they said they had done, and the list goes on.
2. Everything is good to go. You're finally going to buy the car. You're sitting down with Glenn, finance guy, and the total is $500 more than expected. They call this a shipping fee. Why? I don't know. But they say every dealership charges this fee.You look to your salesperson who says they "thought you knew." After a lot of back and forth and frustration on everyone's parts and Finance blaming Sales, etc., you buy the car. All agree that the dealership will handle the title on your transfer.
3. Two weeks later you think you're finally done dealing with the place. However, you'll have three different people hounding you down for a title they said they would handle (Anthony - dealer; Glen - finance and now a new player – John, service manager).
4. They'll tell you they didn't run the $500 security deposit on your credit card but there it is on your American Express bill. When you want your money back, the money they told you they didn't take, they'll tell you sure - we'll bring a check.... after three days of this empty promise they change their mind. Now, you can't have your $500 back until they have the title from your trade-in (the one they said they would handle 21 days prior). When you provide documentation that they said they would handle they tell you "the ball is back in your court." When you show them email correspondence that proves that you would have handled 21 days ago, but they said they would, then then say they can wait 10 days for it (which was unacceptable before). However, you now have to wait ANOTHER 10 days for money they never should have taken from you in the first place.
So seriously: They take $500. They tell you they didn’t. They tell you they’ll write you a check and “make it right”… they even set up dates/times to return it to you. Then when they don’t do what they’re supposed to and what they said they would do (i.e. get the title) now they’re going to keep YOUR money that they NEVER should have had in the first place. Then you talk to a 4th person (Richard) who confirms that they won’t give you your money back. So you tell them they’ve left you no choice but to dispute the charge and they can deal with American Express. Enter a call on your part to AMEX to dispute the charge… and NOW 21 days after you tried to do it, you get to start trying to get a title for them.
Finance blames sales. Sales blames "the back."The service manager blames sales AND finance. It is unorganized and beyond frustrating to deal with them. I will say that John tried his hardest to fix things and was available to help, but he kept having to break promises based on Sales and Finance not coming through. I wish I'd never gotten my car from there and would return it if I could.
Numbers 3 and 4 were the primary frustration yesterday. I'm still in shock that they would just keep money they never should have had. SHOCK. After all of that, I was just all worked up and spent the evening trying yet again to find my title to no avail. I'm just ANNOYED because I could have done the title stuff 21 days ago... but they INSISTED they would do it so now it's on me. Grrr.
Other than that - Austin got home - YAY!! So happy to see him, and so was Reuben! We had dinner and preceded to watch Up in the Air with George Clooney - loved it! Ended up being a great night which led up to a great weekend of doing NOTHING. Yes, we plan to do nothing and go nowhere this weekend if we can help it. I. CAN'T. WAIT.
Q: Have you seen Up in the Air?
Q: Would you be mad at a car dealer who did the above? grrrr.
Q: Do you love or hate weekends of nothingness? I rarely get them but am PUMPED to have one!
Stay tuned - plan to post some new recipes this weekend - YAY!!
