Devastated!! Seeking Advice
 

I'm sitting here it total shock and stunned at how I have been treated by the local dealership. My story goes back to the Summer of 2008 when I was looking to purchase a new car and test drove the 350z. I liked it but wanted a little more. Thankfully I caught wind of rumors of the 370z and patiently waited. I was able to order the car I wanted in the beginning of '09 but that ended disastrously last Summer. You can read more about it here.

The saving grace of my attempt to purchase the 370z I wanted was that again I caught rumors of a few minor changes plus a new color that really appealed to me (black cherry). I was willing to not only forgo the sales tax write-off for '09 by waiting another season but to also pony up a few hundred more due to the pending price increase.

So I head over to the same reputable dealership, half intending to ask for my deposit back that I paid in February of '09 when the same sales guy gives me some very courteous and apologetic words. I decided to give them another shot. So I yet again order the car, this time even more excited as I have been waiting since roughly July of '08. I'm told it will arrive by roughly mid-March and I can take delivery by mid April at the latest.

So during the past few months, I have been routing my life around this purchase. Probably not the best thing to do but this is a purchase of passion. I could easily buy a much more "practical" car but I already have one of those (Scion). My plan is to have my son start driving my current car when I get the 370z. It's also been stressful as I am going to use my VPP status with my employer to make this purchase and it has been a nail biter at times over the past 21 months. I have often wondered what would happen to my order if I lost my job or changed employers. Also, in the past few months I have deferred certain financial purchases, foregone a weekend trip or two and for the past 8 weeks, worked my butt off with two jobs in order to put down a sizable down payment. As a result of working two jobs, I have had to pass on several special occasions for both family and friends. The bottom line here is that I have made several sacrifices in my personal and financial life. That and I have been very patiently waiting for 21 months to make this purchase.

About 4 weeks ago I call the dealership requesting a status update as I have not heard anything. Again, I expect some type of courtesy call indicating the car is in production, in transit, etc. What I was told was that the car was delayed and would not be arriving until early May. Well that blows a few plans that I had put in place to have the car to use for a surprise for my girlfriend and her birthday (weekend trip). I begrudgingly accepted this and was willing to accept another wait for a few weeks.

I was browsing the local dealer inventory hoping to find a 370z in stock in the black cherry color so I could get a close up look at one. To my surprise, I see the exact car that I ordered! I quickly check with the dealership where I ordered my car and confirmed that it was mine. Yes!!

On Wednesday the 12th of May, I went to the dealership, filled out some paperwork (VPP info, license, insurance, the typical stuff) and got an approximate price. I was told that I would get a call on the 14th with the exact amount once they obtained the license and registration. Delivery was scheduled for Saturday morning at 10am (the 15th). I spent the day moving funds around from savings to checking, verifying my home line of credit was good so I could take out a loan to pay for part of the car not to mention a dozen other things like arranging for a ride to the dealership, etc.

When I got home, I received a call from my sales guy. I figured that it was to tell me the final amount. I called him back and he said that he had bad news. I thought he was joking at first but he finally broke the news. They had mistakenly sold my car to another buyer that day!! He explained that they tried to get the car back to no avail. They were going to look for a replacement but if it's anything like last year, I don't think the car I ordered will be found.

So I sit here beyond furious. My son's 19th birthday was yesterday and I planned on surprising him with the new car (turn the Scion over to him, take some fun rides in the 370z). I have been keeping this car a secret from my girlfriend too and planned on taking a surprise getaway trip in two weeks with her. Summer is just starting here in the north east and I have been looking very forward to getting this car after so much BS and waiting for 21 months!

Yeah I can search for the same car but that didn't pan out last year. I can also buy one that has similar options. Bottom line is that I have been waiting for 21 months, dealer has had my deposit, I've been making sacrifices and here I am mere hours away from taking delivery of a car that I have toiled over only to have it sold by mistake to someone else who is thoroughly enjoying the vehicle that I ordered!!!!

The point of all of this? I want advice from anyone who can offer some. Requesting a refund and walking away is not an option. I have been way too patient and I want all that I can get from this. I am definitely going to talk to and/or write to Nissan regarding this matter at a minimum. I am also contemplating talking to the sales manager directly but I fear that I will lose my cool and get nowhere. If it comes down to me offering up names on this forum and every other forum on the net then so be it. A "sorry" we can get a similar car in a month and here's a free oil change is not even close.

What can I do, who can I talk to? The gloves are off on this one! :mad:

Why is requesting a refund and walking away NOT an option? That is exactly what I would do!!! Why cause anymore stress and aggravation for yourself?

At this point in the game, since you are very specific on what you want, I would do a nation wide search for the car you want and be done with it! Purchase a one way ticket and break the Z in on the way home!

I also was specific. I wanted a BLUE Z with Sports package. I waited and luckily found one. I was not wanting any other color.

Good luck!

That is truly crappy. I can't believe they did that. Shouldn't they at least have put some kind of big sign on the car that said "RESERVED!" and tell the sales guys not to sell it?

I would do the same...walk away. This dealer in question already strung you around twice, why go through the torment of them telling you another story to possibly be let down again. There are plenty of dealerships who will do business with you without leading you around. Go online and search dealer inventories. They are now receiving 2010 models as the first few months of the year were for deliveries of anniversary models and roadsters.

Move on, it's clear this dealership doesn't respect you as a customer. Good Luck! :tup:

I was told that there was a "sold" sign on it of sorts. I was boiling when this situation was explained to me and I didn't hear everything clearly. I was also told that there was a mix-up due to the new software system they were using.

To answer the other question, yeah, I could take my deposit and never return but after 21 months, a ton of patience and sacrifice (I just liquidated $25k of my assets this month for the down payment taking a few hits in the process), I refuse to just walk away and say "oh well." Is there a chance that Nissan customer relations will offer any assistance? In the off chance the dealer finds the car I want in the next week, can I get additional discounts? Will they offer me that black GT-R for the same price as my 370z? Do I have any options for filing complaints/leveraging this situation in my favor? If I walk now, I get nothing and I refuse to do so at this point without exploring my options.

I would use all those good points you made about customer service and give their general manager an earful. Then I would ask for a refund and walk away. They just lost a customer, especially one that was willing to put down a lot of cash (which to me is a waste of money).

I would PM Lou or Koeppel and see if they can get you exactly what you want. Call Nissan, but I would be surprised if it does any good. I called Infiniti about my dealership and got a single return call, they left a message, I called them back multiple times and never heard from them again. Local dealership called multiple times, but I had no interest in speaking with them again.

Some dealers rock and some dealers blow. You got stuck with one that blows.

E

:iagree:

I like this idea

Getting a refund and walk away is the BEST option. Buying a 30k+ car from a dealer, who from your account, who has given you s#*tty service for 21 months would be stupid. Your rewarding incompatence. There are so many Nissan dealer/internet options to find your Z, use them.
When i was looking for my Z, a few local dealers tried to play games so i said F@*k U. Went online found my car in delaware with no hassle and delivered to my home. Done.

:iagree:

I would definitely mention getting the GTR for all your hassles. lol

Hit up the forum dealers. Since you are hesitant to walk away I think it's early to discuss any possible legal answers. To be honest, if it was me, yeah I would be very upset but I'd find another Z, maybe a different color. I'm not sure exactly what your specific order included but I don't see how it would vary greatly in any major areas other than color.

dude...

1. I dont understand how you are having trouble finding a z?
2. I dont understand why you cant find another dealership?
3. I dont understand why you are not suing them right now?

Seriously - the dude didnt accidentally sell anything... they got a better price than you are giving them for that Z so they sold it... if you see that car driving around talk to the owner and find out what they said... if you are lucky the dude is local...

Tough combo, I will see what's out there

Thanks. I have a sinking feeling that the car I want (Black Cherry, Touring, 6 spd, black leather, nav, floor mats, splash guards, sill plates) is too rare to be found in the wild, hence the reason for ordering. It's a repeat of last year when I ordered the same car but in Pearl White and was told 2 weeks before delivery that the order did not go through. Never figured out why that was nor did I get an adequate explanation.

Never in 25 years have I had so much trouble getting a car! That and I'm not even messing with the financing side since I am paying cash.:shakes head:

Save up 2 more years and buy a GT-R

PM sent! i'll probably need til the end of the month to produce the car!

And I will give you a great deal on the black or grey GT-R I have in stock as well, but it's definitely more money than the Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like to me that they had a guy come in with no knowledge of the VPP plan or what he should actually be paying for that car. He must of offered an amount the dealership could not turn down. Which now that I think of it does not make a damn bit of sense unless he paid cash because you had a large down payment yourself. Anyhow eff em.
You will get your car cause you worked hard and you deserve it. Funny things happen in life.

I did go back to the dealership yesterday morning to complain but to also hear how they could rectify the problem. The sales guy was pretty sincere but basically said there was little they could do for me but order the car again or search ground stock once more. I told them I would be an idiot to order once more and when I asked about ground stock, he said they looked once to no avail but would check again on Monday. Thankfully it looks like I have other options thanks to KoeppelNissan :tiphat:

I really wanted to hear their story as to how they could screw something like this up so big as it seems like reserving cars is the cornerstone of running a dealership. I don't know about you but if there is even a small chance of the $42k vehicle you just signed for may be sold to someone else before you make it back in 2 days, there is going to be a lot of unhappy customers. I was literally there on Wednesday and was returning Saturday morning to take delivery. I filled out all of the paperwork except for the final contract (signed a partially filled in "good faith" estimate though). They were supposed to have gotten my plates and insurance stuff taken care of on Friday and that's when another sales person sold the car by "accident". When I pressed them for more information on how they reserve cars as "sold" he said they only use a "sold" tag on the wiper or interior mirror. He said the tag for my car was on the seat and it was overlooked. I don't buy this for a minute and know he is hiding something. He wouldn't let me talk to the sales manager about this but did hint at how he felt very uncomfortable about some policy or practice he wouldn't comment on.

I even showed him the printout from last year of the car they were supposed to have ordered for me (a Pearl White 370z) and pointed out the "pre-sold to (customer name)" section. "Don't you use this to mark cars as sold" I asked. He mumbled something but it wasn't a simple yes or no.

My take on this whole thing? Yeah, both times they agreed to order my car but hedged their bets that a better buyer would come along before they had to sell to me. I just wish the VPP had some type of "customer treatment" clause in it besides the pricing. I'm getting the feeling that since my dealer cannot negotiate the price, they have no incentive to work harder for the deal and as a result treat me like crap. Kind of like "we're only making a hundred bucks on this deal so go stand over there for awhile because we have real paying customers to deal with."

When purchasing a car or anything of value, you should ALWAYS be prepared to walk away. Without that you've just set yourself up for major heartache and problems. That said, I would go directly to the sales manager and get it straight from his mouth his explanation and then go from there because they didn't "accidentally" sell your car. They likely got someone willing to pay more for it, and you got the shaft. Why do they deserve your business after that? I'd walk away a happy person and take my hard earned money elsewhere, period! When dealing with major cash purchases like this, emotional attatchments should never make walking away not an option. You have given up any leverage you would have. All said, I hope for the best outcome for you. Maybe someone among the dealers on here can give you a much better deal and with real customer service.

But he'll have to say up 1 more year for the cost of a brake service and blown transmission.

You need to order your 370z from a different dealership and drive it to their dealership right after so you can do a burnout right in front of them.

My car buying experience with Joe at Koeppel was nothing short of outstanding. I would give him every opportunity possible to find the car for you!

wow.... i would be on a war path with that dealership

I agree with the others, they sold it for a better price when given the chance! It's all about the benjamins. LOL

As far as what you are looking for, these parts can be added fairly cheaply yourself and you will be hard pressed to find one that comes with them already installed "floor mats, splash guards, sill plates" You can order the parts online and install them yourself very easily, saving a ton of $! Or just buy them after market and have dealer install...

My story ended a little better.

Mar 10 went in to negotiate an deal on a 370,had some ideas on what I wanted,so the sales rep an I sat down an discussed the options,color was first he mentioned the quartz paint which I really liked an said the red leather was the color option for that paint scheme,I was excited about that combo,then he kinda shot me down, when hes said "oh wait that's the 40th Anni version and he didn't think he would have a chance on getting one because of the rarity in Canada" I said crap never mind ( I didn't want to pay the extra for what I thought was just paint an red leather and I hadn't researched the Anni yet).

So we move on an he finds a mag Black with Persimmon, sport tour/nav on the assembly line in Japan which is my second choice we agree on a price,he tells me he needs $2k down to hold it for me in the next 2 days.I say no problem I want to check with the bank on financing.

2 days later (on a Friday)I call the dealership ,my guy is out for the day an I give another sales rep my credit card # and instructions to place $2000 down payment on the car ,an to let the guy I was dealing with know I would call later next week to confirm delivery date ,buddy gets distracted an doesn't make the down payment.

Monday I phone my sales rep an ask when the cars approx. delivery date would be,he says "Huh? What car,and I explain to him about giving my card# an instructions to put a down payment on the black/orange,hes says he didn't know anything about it an he would call me back.

An hour later he phones says ,there was a screw up on my down payment ,a dealer in Edmonton has bought the car ,but thinks the dealer may not have it sold but said it was just to get it in his show room,an he would call me back hoping he can get it diverted to his dealership.

Another few hours go by,an he calls and asks if I really have my heart set on the black orange combo,because he can get a black on black,I tell him I really wanted the interior to contrast with the paint,hes says he would call me first thing tomorrow an see what he can do.

He calls and asks me I still liked the Quartz/Red combo I said I loved it but I thought it was only avail on the 40th Anni,hes said it was,but if he could get me a 40th would I like one instead of the black/orange,I ask for the same price as the black/orange,he said of course an that it wasn't my fault the dude screwed up my down payment,guess what my answer was ....

Sorry to hear about you experience with that dealership,my was much better after a mistake was made they bent over backward to make my car buying purchase an pleasure there are bad/good and in my case Great dealerships out there this is my 3rd Nissan from the same dealer,their service is what keeps my coming back.

I had the same thing happen at a Jeep dealership. Custom Wrangler ordered for me, showed up the Saturday before Easter. I swung by on my way home to take a look. Told them I would discuss it with the wife, and call on Monday. Easter Sunday, someone walked in and bought it.

Custom ordered for me.
Had my name on the window sticker.
Easter. I'm not leaving my family on Easter to buy a car.
Not even a courtesy phone call before the sale.

No biggie. When I called on Monday morning, and was given the bad news I collected everything back from them, promptly went 10 miles up the road to the next dealer, and placed another order.

This is just crazy. Don't get me wrong, I do believe you, but WOW, it just sounds like a bad dream or something.

You need to get your money back from them, and just walk away. I wouldn't waste any of my energy telling anyone off or discussing it any further.

Then, clear it all from your mind and get back to being excited about getting yourself the 370Z of your dreams. This time prepare yourself by going to sites like New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews and Pricing - Edmunds.com, go to the new car section and research everything like what the car should sell for in your area, so you'll be real prepared when you sit down to actually buy your Z.

Maybe there is a Z out there that is just what you want, or maybe there's one that has almost everything, and you could purchase some things through the dealer, like the sill plates. Not my first choice, but other than finding exactly what you want out there, or ordering, there aren't any other options.

Give Fusz a chance to check around, he may just find something for you.

You didn't tell us if there are any other Nissan dealers within your area, there must be, but then again, I don't know where you live.

If there are, do your research then stop by and start the process all over again from scratch.

You'll get your Z, just don't go forward with a stressed out frame of mind. You're doing business and you need to get over what happened and pull yourself together. Forget the past and start looking forward.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your post telling us that you just got your new 370Z in Black Cherry, with Touring, 6 spd, black leather, nav, floor mats, splash guards, and sill plates
.
.

You've given this dealership WAAAAAY too much or your time. I would have made one final trip in there to raise hell loud enough for all prospective car buyers in that shop to hear. I then would have given them a few choice words and said all bets off and that you are taking your business elsewhere. NO dealership has any leverage on me or you or anyone. I don't care if the car is a one-off custom paint with unicorn semen pearl and granite floors... Take you're money elsewhere. Forget about the big letdowns with that so called dealership and buy from somewhere else. Everything happens for a reason my friend. It's a wacky twist of fate and you will eventually get the car you want and all will be golden! Good luck!

Any luck yet, or should I keep calling to get you one?:tiphat:

You do realize that the floor mats, splash guards, etc can all be ordered after the sale? Trying to get these easily added items cuts the availability of your vehicle to next-to-nothing. Just search for Black Cherry, Touring, 6 spd, black interior. Presto.

I used to work at a dealership and I can almost guarantee you they knew that the car was already sold you but it’s not that often that someone walks in and is ready to pay full price and walk out with the car, they knew you’ve waited this long so they figured you would wait another month or two if they fed you a story, they would rather not lose the sale to that guy by keeping it for you since the guy was ready to go then and there, instead they would tell you one more month and get two cars sold instead of one. It’s a **** move but at the end of the day there still walking away with at least one sold and possibly two, at the end of the day money is what matters to businesses. Customer service only exists when it’s essential to get more business.

** Update **
I ended up getting my deposit back from the dealership where I ordered my Z (both times!) on May 20th. Kudos to Joe @ KoeppelNissan for doing what I thought was impossible, that is locating the exact car I wanted. By some miracle, I threw a "hail Mary" to another local dealership and they located another match that is scheduled to arrive on June 4th at another dealership a few hours from here. As much as I wanted to give Koeppel my business, picking the car up locally and saving myself a 400 mile trip was more appealing.

What I found surprising was that two of these cars popped up in the past few weeks. Understand that I have been casually browsing dealer stock on Cars.com, Ebay and the local dealerships for nearly two years now hoping to get a closer look at the car I wanted (kept tabs on 2009's and 2010). All of this while my two orders were being processed. I can count on one hand how many times I saw the car I wanted. I would have bet $$$ that any search would turn up zilch and that I would have to attempt a third order but fate smiled on me and I had two options to snag the car I wanted in a matter of days.

NissanUSA.com shows "my" car as being in stock at the nearby dealership. I know it's actually in transit and should land on Friday, or so my dealer tells me. With any luck, my local dealership can transport it here a few days afterward and that it will be in my garage early next week :-) Here's hoping that fate smiles on me this time!

Dude. That's horrendous. You made Koeppel do all that work and then took your business to another dealership? You're no better than the guys at the dealership that screwed you over. Puke.

????? I followed the advice of many forum members and contacted not only Lou Fusz & Koeppel Nissan but also a different local dealership in an attempt to see if *any* match for my car would turn up. Two of these came back successfully within the same day and I chose the one that worked best for me. An hour or so of searching for a car versus 21 months of promising me a car/ordering twice does not equal screwed over.

Well then in my opinion you should have contacted your local dealer first if your first preference would have been to buy from them. I don't care if you think wasting an hour of someone's time is no big deal. These people are in business to do business. The dealer that you tried to buy a car from didn't act in good faith and neither did you.

You owe this dealership NOTHING. Take your money and walk.
You think their service department is going to treat you any better?

Search the interwebs for your car.
Carmax in White Marsh, MD just called me about a Black Cherry they got in.

LOL...you're a little behind the curve dude. :icon14: