CROOKED DEALER WARNING! How McDonald Volkswagen in Littleton, CO Screwed Me Over!
#1
02-28-2009, 11:25 PM
CROOKED DEALER WARNING! How McDonald Volkswagen in Littleton, CO Screwed Me Over!
Today McDonald Volkswagen at 6000 S. Broadway in Littleton, Colorado illegally screwed me out of $330. I'd like to get the word out to as many Volkswagen fans as possible so they can avoid running into the same lying and swindling that I have had to put up with. Here's what happened:
I purchased a 2003 Jetta TDI wagon from McDonald on December 20th. It had 80,000 miles and a "clean bill of health" from the dealership. Shortly after I purchased the car, approximately 7-10 days later, the check engine light came on. I took it back to the dealership to see what the problem was.
I was informed that it would be $99.95 for diagnosis of the problem. I told that service person that I had just recently purchased the car, but it didn't seem to matter. I did get him to just run the codes on it for me. The codes said that glow plugs 2 and 4 were sporadic, and they informed me that it could be the glow plugs or the harness. The service manager on duty said that it would cost between $300-$400 to fix, depending on what the problem was.
I asked my salesman, Frank Acosta, if I would be responsible for the repair on a vehicle I had just purchased. He spoke with someone at the dealership and told me that they would "meet me halfway" on the price; a verbal assumption of about $150-$200 based on the figure they estimated to me earlier. I still thought it was rather rediculous to pay for a vehicle repair on something I just purchased, so I told him I would think about it, never intending to go through with the repair if I had to pay.
Nearly two months went by since the purchase of my car, and the engine light remained on. My temp tags were just about up, so it was time to get the car registered. I went to the DMV, and they said they couldn't register the car, because there was no emissions on record for it. I told her that I knew the car had emissions, because there was a new-looking emissions sticker on the windshield, and the windshield had been replaced by the dealership so I knew they had to have it done. She insisted that she had no record at all, and issued me a 10-day temp so I could resolve the issue.
I called McDonald back and informed them that the state didn't have the emissions records on file and asked if they had them. They said that they did not. They had either lost the paperwork on the car, or failed to file it properly. They told me that they were responsible to provide the emissions on the car (which they are, by Colorado Law), and to go get a new emissions test done. They would then cut me a reimbursement check for the $55 it costs for a diesel emissions test, and then I would be able to get my plates. Sounds easy, right?
I set up and appointment at the shop they had done the emissions at previously, and arrived right on time. After they pulled my car in, the technician came out and asked how long my engine light had been on. I told her about 7 weeks. She then informed me that they cannot legally pass a vehicle on an emissions test if the check engine light is on. I asked if they could just clear the code and run it. She went and got her boss and he told me that was not possible. He did inform me, though, that by Colorado Law, McDonald was responsible for the vehicle to pass emissions to sell it to me, and that they should be responsible to fix it.
I went back to the dealership and informed them of the situation. I spoke with the sales manager Jason. I told him that I didn't feel like I should be responsible for a repair of something that happened directly after purchasing the vehicle, that was now preventing me from getting proper registration. That's when Frank (the salesman) came in and said something to the effect of "Oh, he agreed to pay half of the cost of the repairs, he's just been too busy to get the vehicle in to have the work done."
Frank, if I had agreed to it, I would have taken the damned thing in weeks ago.
After he left I told Jason that I don't feel like I should pay anything, now especially since their mistake with the emissions paperwork was preventing me from getting plates on my car. He sort of nodded, like he would take care of it, and then we went into the service area. We set up a time to have my car fixed on a Saturday, Feb 28th at 8:30 am. I figured that it was resolved.
When I brought the vehicle in, the service rep printed out a sheet that had the $99.95 diagnostic fee on it. I told him that I thought that was all being taken care of, so he crossed it out and said he would have to ask somebody in sales, who wouldn't be in for another half hour. He told me that they would call me with information. My ride was waiting so I headed out.
The call never came.
I stopped by the dealership at about 2 pm to get an update. They told me that they believed the problem was the glow plugs (really?) and that's where they were at that time. I went on about my day, hoping they would get to it.
I got a call at about 2:30 pm to inform me that the "repairs were underway" and that the car would be ready by the end of the day. I received another call at approximately 3:30 reporting to me that the car was done and ready to go. They told me that they had to replace all four glow plugs, and the bridge that they plugged into. The total bill for the repair was $660. So much for the $300-$400 I was quoted earlier. But, they were going to "meet me halfway" with the repairs, so my total was "only" $330.
I told the service manager that I was under the impression that I was not going to have to pay for the repair, and that yes, I did want it 100% covered. He told me he would ask the sales manager and call me back. The call came back a few minutes later, and he said that they said no, that's the best they would do. My blood begins to boil.
Remember, it's AGAINST COLORADO LAW for them to charge ME for repairs that will get a vehicle that they are selling me to pass emissions. I am NOT responsible for their mishandling of paperwork that got me into this mess.
My brother drove me back to the dealership. We both went inside (I wanted a witness to what they were telling me). They brought out the paperwork and explained to me that they had replaced 4 glow plugs and an $87 bridge (remember, this was done in about an hour based on their calls). Somehow this adds up to $660, making the "half" amount on par with the original estimate of $300-$400.
As I handed the guy my credit card, I told him, "You are aware, that by charging me for this you are breaking the law."
That's when the goon next to him, apparently his superior, I think his name was Keith Fletcher, jumped up and said "I would advise you to not answer that question and just process the transaction."
I told them that was fine, but they were indeed breaking the law. Little Keith got a little smart at this point, and said, "Well, I can sit here and tell you..." then he caught himself.
I jumped right in, though and said "Yeah you can tell me a lot of things, can't you?" I was staring daggers, and his eyes got really big, like a deer in the headlights. He then hastily retreated to his station. It was hilarious.
They gave me the keys and I got my car and pulled it around to the sales area. I wasn't done with them yet. I felt completely screwed, robbed, swindled, whatever you want to call it, and I had to let them know that. I went inside, where they were all congregated in a little room, doing nothing. I went up to Jason (sales manager) and told him, "I just paid $330 to fix a car that you sold me so it would pass emissions, and that is illegal."
The heads started bobbling, Frank started jabbering, when some woman stood up and introduced herself as the "Used Car Manager" and asked if she could speak to me elsewhere. I followed, and explained everything to her.
She was incredibly snobby. Now remember, I am extremely pissed off, but I am not throwing a fit, either. She then proceeded to tell me one of the biggest, blatant lies anyone has ever told me to my face. It went something like this:
"The law says that if we sell you a vehicle, you have three days for it to pass emissions. If it doesn't pass in that period of time, we are required to repair it at our expense. If it fails after the three day period, you are responsible for the emissions on the vehicle. That's what the law says."
Uhm, what? Why in the hell would anybody be in an emissions place, within three days of purchasing the car, when it is REQUIRED THAT THE DEALER GET EMISSIONS ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY CAN SELL IT TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I also told her how they estimated $300-$400 to fix the car, and the total was $660. She said that Frank told her that everyone told me that the repairs would cost between $600-$700. Another lie! Of course, how can I argue with it, if it's just a "he-said, she-said" thing? I can't!
Either way, I went to another Volkswagen dealer, Osborne, and spoke with a sales manager there. They told me that I was indeed in the right, that I was not responsible for McDonald's mishandling of the paperwork, or the resultant repairs to get the car to pass emissions. She gave me some specific instructions on what to do to remedy the situation, which I obviously am going to do.
But not before I trash these crooked, lying ******** everywhere I can first.
I purchased a 2003 Jetta TDI wagon from McDonald on December 20th. It had 80,000 miles and a "clean bill of health" from the dealership. Shortly after I purchased the car, approximately 7-10 days later, the check engine light came on. I took it back to the dealership to see what the problem was.
I was informed that it would be $99.95 for diagnosis of the problem. I told that service person that I had just recently purchased the car, but it didn't seem to matter. I did get him to just run the codes on it for me. The codes said that glow plugs 2 and 4 were sporadic, and they informed me that it could be the glow plugs or the harness. The service manager on duty said that it would cost between $300-$400 to fix, depending on what the problem was.
I asked my salesman, Frank Acosta, if I would be responsible for the repair on a vehicle I had just purchased. He spoke with someone at the dealership and told me that they would "meet me halfway" on the price; a verbal assumption of about $150-$200 based on the figure they estimated to me earlier. I still thought it was rather rediculous to pay for a vehicle repair on something I just purchased, so I told him I would think about it, never intending to go through with the repair if I had to pay.
Nearly two months went by since the purchase of my car, and the engine light remained on. My temp tags were just about up, so it was time to get the car registered. I went to the DMV, and they said they couldn't register the car, because there was no emissions on record for it. I told her that I knew the car had emissions, because there was a new-looking emissions sticker on the windshield, and the windshield had been replaced by the dealership so I knew they had to have it done. She insisted that she had no record at all, and issued me a 10-day temp so I could resolve the issue.
I called McDonald back and informed them that the state didn't have the emissions records on file and asked if they had them. They said that they did not. They had either lost the paperwork on the car, or failed to file it properly. They told me that they were responsible to provide the emissions on the car (which they are, by Colorado Law), and to go get a new emissions test done. They would then cut me a reimbursement check for the $55 it costs for a diesel emissions test, and then I would be able to get my plates. Sounds easy, right?
I set up and appointment at the shop they had done the emissions at previously, and arrived right on time. After they pulled my car in, the technician came out and asked how long my engine light had been on. I told her about 7 weeks. She then informed me that they cannot legally pass a vehicle on an emissions test if the check engine light is on. I asked if they could just clear the code and run it. She went and got her boss and he told me that was not possible. He did inform me, though, that by Colorado Law, McDonald was responsible for the vehicle to pass emissions to sell it to me, and that they should be responsible to fix it.
I went back to the dealership and informed them of the situation. I spoke with the sales manager Jason. I told him that I didn't feel like I should be responsible for a repair of something that happened directly after purchasing the vehicle, that was now preventing me from getting proper registration. That's when Frank (the salesman) came in and said something to the effect of "Oh, he agreed to pay half of the cost of the repairs, he's just been too busy to get the vehicle in to have the work done."
Frank, if I had agreed to it, I would have taken the damned thing in weeks ago.
After he left I told Jason that I don't feel like I should pay anything, now especially since their mistake with the emissions paperwork was preventing me from getting plates on my car. He sort of nodded, like he would take care of it, and then we went into the service area. We set up a time to have my car fixed on a Saturday, Feb 28th at 8:30 am. I figured that it was resolved.
When I brought the vehicle in, the service rep printed out a sheet that had the $99.95 diagnostic fee on it. I told him that I thought that was all being taken care of, so he crossed it out and said he would have to ask somebody in sales, who wouldn't be in for another half hour. He told me that they would call me with information. My ride was waiting so I headed out.
The call never came.
I stopped by the dealership at about 2 pm to get an update. They told me that they believed the problem was the glow plugs (really?) and that's where they were at that time. I went on about my day, hoping they would get to it.
I got a call at about 2:30 pm to inform me that the "repairs were underway" and that the car would be ready by the end of the day. I received another call at approximately 3:30 reporting to me that the car was done and ready to go. They told me that they had to replace all four glow plugs, and the bridge that they plugged into. The total bill for the repair was $660. So much for the $300-$400 I was quoted earlier. But, they were going to "meet me halfway" with the repairs, so my total was "only" $330.
I told the service manager that I was under the impression that I was not going to have to pay for the repair, and that yes, I did want it 100% covered. He told me he would ask the sales manager and call me back. The call came back a few minutes later, and he said that they said no, that's the best they would do. My blood begins to boil.
Remember, it's AGAINST COLORADO LAW for them to charge ME for repairs that will get a vehicle that they are selling me to pass emissions. I am NOT responsible for their mishandling of paperwork that got me into this mess.
My brother drove me back to the dealership. We both went inside (I wanted a witness to what they were telling me). They brought out the paperwork and explained to me that they had replaced 4 glow plugs and an $87 bridge (remember, this was done in about an hour based on their calls). Somehow this adds up to $660, making the "half" amount on par with the original estimate of $300-$400.
As I handed the guy my credit card, I told him, "You are aware, that by charging me for this you are breaking the law."
That's when the goon next to him, apparently his superior, I think his name was Keith Fletcher, jumped up and said "I would advise you to not answer that question and just process the transaction."
I told them that was fine, but they were indeed breaking the law. Little Keith got a little smart at this point, and said, "Well, I can sit here and tell you..." then he caught himself.
I jumped right in, though and said "Yeah you can tell me a lot of things, can't you?" I was staring daggers, and his eyes got really big, like a deer in the headlights. He then hastily retreated to his station. It was hilarious.
They gave me the keys and I got my car and pulled it around to the sales area. I wasn't done with them yet. I felt completely screwed, robbed, swindled, whatever you want to call it, and I had to let them know that. I went inside, where they were all congregated in a little room, doing nothing. I went up to Jason (sales manager) and told him, "I just paid $330 to fix a car that you sold me so it would pass emissions, and that is illegal."
The heads started bobbling, Frank started jabbering, when some woman stood up and introduced herself as the "Used Car Manager" and asked if she could speak to me elsewhere. I followed, and explained everything to her.
She was incredibly snobby. Now remember, I am extremely pissed off, but I am not throwing a fit, either. She then proceeded to tell me one of the biggest, blatant lies anyone has ever told me to my face. It went something like this:
"The law says that if we sell you a vehicle, you have three days for it to pass emissions. If it doesn't pass in that period of time, we are required to repair it at our expense. If it fails after the three day period, you are responsible for the emissions on the vehicle. That's what the law says."
Uhm, what? Why in the hell would anybody be in an emissions place, within three days of purchasing the car, when it is REQUIRED THAT THE DEALER GET EMISSIONS ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY CAN SELL IT TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I also told her how they estimated $300-$400 to fix the car, and the total was $660. She said that Frank told her that everyone told me that the repairs would cost between $600-$700. Another lie! Of course, how can I argue with it, if it's just a "he-said, she-said" thing? I can't!
Either way, I went to another Volkswagen dealer, Osborne, and spoke with a sales manager there. They told me that I was indeed in the right, that I was not responsible for McDonald's mishandling of the paperwork, or the resultant repairs to get the car to pass emissions. She gave me some specific instructions on what to do to remedy the situation, which I obviously am going to do.
But not before I trash these crooked, lying ******** everywhere I can first.
#2
03-01-2009, 10:34 PM
Well if youre going to be trying to take this to court or anything of that sort, id keep quiet until it was done and settled. If they found this they could probably file a harassment or something around the lines of ruining business which could screw you over. I ALSO know you're pissed off and you have every right to be. At least the VW is running right now though !
#3
03-04-2009, 03:57 AM
I've heard the standard 'horror' stories about VW dealerships. Hadn't heard anything that bad though. Yes, I agree it would be in your best interest to keep quiet if you plan to pursue this into a legal matter, otherwise they could and would have a case for libel, seriously undercutting the seriousness of your charges. Also have everything in writing in a timeline of events, and have your brother do the same. Also see if you can get in writing Osbourne VWs response, and have a copy of CO law on hand. Go to a law college, and talk to one of their students, this should be an easy win for one of them.
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