Lincoln Dealer is a jerk

"MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562) 01/08/2016 at 10:44 • Filed to: AVIATOR, LINCOLN, WHERES THE CUSTOMER SERVICE?

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So I posted earlier this week how I was interested in that Lincoln Aviator. It was a great deal and better priced than even the Explorers and Mountaineers in the area.

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Well the page had no pictures on it. The truck was about 45 minutes away from me. I filled out the form saying hey shoot me some pictures I’m interested. I got a call that night from the dealership that went something like this (this all on Monday):

Dealer: Hello this is *Dealer* calling in regards to your interest in the Lincoln Aviator.

Me: Hi, yea I’m interested in the Aviator.

D: Well what can we do to get your business and have you in for a test drive?

M: I would like some pictures of the vehicle to make sure it’s in good condition before driving 45 minutes to an hour to go see it.

D: OK I’ll talk to someone about that, what can we do to get you in here?

M: Still need those pictures.

D: OK, do you have a trade in that you’d be bringing in?

M: Yes, a 2007 Mercury Milan

D: Alright great, and how many miles on the Milan?

M: 101,000

D: OK great I’ll make sure someone gets some pictures out soon.

M: Great I’ll keep an eye on my email thank you.

—CALL ENDS

So no pictures show up the next day, website still has no pictures on it. So I figured I fill the form out again. I wiped my number out of it though because I didn’t want to repeat the exact same phone call and they already have it anyhow basically saying send me some damn pictures someone told me I’d get some on the phone.

Been checking all week on the website.

It’s gone, they sold it. Never posted a picture. I guess they didn’t want to sell it to me.

coelacanthist > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 10:49

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Future next gen S2000 owner > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 10:53

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Who ever shows up first and signs on the line takes it.

Tripper > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 10:55

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I’m sure it had already been sold when you talked to the guy the first time. Standard dealer BS, they’ll do anything to get you on the lot.

They figure, if they can get you down there that they can sell you something else.

Matthew Phillips > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 11:01

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I haven’t been to a lincoln dealer since the last time I went a few years ago when the dealer was trying to tell me that his Ecoboosted MKS was V8 powered... My friend (The actual customer) and I looked a him and then he ended up buying a 2012 Chrysler 200 and then upgraded it for a decent discount to the 2016 when his sister wrecked it.

TheHondaBro > Matthew Phillips 01/08/2016 at 11:06

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I haven’t been to a lincoln dealer since the last time I went a few years ago

I haven’t been to a Honda dealer since the last time I was there!

Matthew Phillips > TheHondaBro 01/08/2016 at 11:08

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Touche...

yitznewton > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 11:09

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Yeah, I dunno, it happens. Happened to me with a Silverstone S2000 I wanted to check out. It was listed for a week with no pics, I called, they said they sold it already.

Heck, when I bought my Honda Fit some years ago, I went to see it right when it listed, without pics, and bought it immediately. The dealer only has an obligation to you if you put down a deposit.

 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 12:16

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Probabaly for the best. Do you really want to deal with dropped valve seats?

WiscoProud > coelacanthist 01/08/2016 at 12:39

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“Have I mentioned the tank is a tank?"

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner >  01/08/2016 at 13:24

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I wasn’t aware that was a major issue on the DOHC 4.6L

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > yitznewton 01/08/2016 at 13:26

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Yeah, it’s just a customer service thing in my opinion.

If you call me on the phone and say “Yes we’ll get you pictures” and don’t follow through - not cool. It would be different if it was 5 minutes down the road.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Matthew Phillips 01/08/2016 at 13:27

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So the sales person was uninformed about an MKS not having a V8 so you went and bought a V6 Chrysler?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Tripper 01/08/2016 at 13:28

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It’s just a customer service thing, if you tell me you’re going to do something, I expect it done. I’m not going into a dealership that doesn’t follow through.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Future next gen S2000 owner 01/08/2016 at 13:29

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Yeah I get that, but don’t tell me you’re going to send me pictures and don’t do it. And if it sold 10 minutes after I got off the phone, a simple, sorry it sold is there any other car I can help you find? Anything else we have you’d be interested in? would be the way to go.

Especially when someone has a Mercury to trade in, that’s keeping an orphaned brand owner in the Ford family.

Tripper > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 13:41

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Yea it’s a shitty thing, to lead you on knowing full well that the car that you’re looking for is either sold or in the process of being sold. It’s happened to me when I have already had money down!

I have almost always received wishy washy responses from dealers over the phone or via email. Not answering my questions, answering them with nonsense, or not responding at all. They never get down to it until you get there, and sometimes not even then.

I can see it their way though. It’s sales, so you have to be at least somewhat aggressive. If I was a dealer and we had just sold the car that you wanted, I would definitely do my best to get you down there. Honestly, I bet that tactic works great unless the potential buyer is an enthusiast/looking for something specific.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Tripper 01/08/2016 at 14:01

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Well that’s the thing. they made no effort to get me there.

I said pictures would get me there, repeated it twice, then they dropped all contact. I’ve got a wife and an almost 3 year old. driving 45 minutes to an hour HOPING the vehicle is in good shape is definitely not on my schedule. It’s a 10 year old vehicle, that’s lived it’s life in Michigan - if I can see rust from my computer, I’m not making that trek

Rico > Tripper 01/08/2016 at 14:48

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If I drive 1 hour to find out the thing I wanted wasn’t even there in the first place I’m going to ask that salesperson is why shouldn’t I slap the shit out of them.

Arrivederci > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 15:04

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I get your disappointment, but hard to really call them a jerk. The truck may have already been sold when you were talking to him and he may not have been aware... or it could’ve sold a day later and he didn’t have an opportunity to get pictures. Yes, good customer service would have been for him to call you back and say, “Sorry, the truck sold, is there anything else you may be interested in that we have in stock?”

I understand your schedule constraints, but a 45-60 minute drive isn’t the end of the world. You could take a long lunch from work one day or snag a half day of vacation. I drove two hours to look at a Cayman a couple months ago that looked great in pictures but was sandblasted in person. Yesterday I drove nearly 90 minutes one way to look at a couple cars that were close to one another that I might be interested in. Had to take a vacation day, but it beat being at work.

That said, if you do go look at one that requires any sort of drive, always call before going. Took an hour drive to look at a different Cayman and didn’t bother calling ahead. Gone when I got there. Dealers don’t update their websites as frequently as we would all like them to.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Arrivederci 01/08/2016 at 15:08

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A vacation day?! You’re crazy.

These guys didn’t do anything to try and actually get there and then no follow up, that’s crap customer service.

Sure it would be better than being at work but I don’t have vacation days to throw around all over the place. A long lunch? The drive time there and back would be almost 2 hours alone. Looking at the car puts me up at 2.5, 3 hours. No way I could pull that off.

They’re pretty much a jerk though, no follow up. A clear take away from our conversation was that they’d send me pics. what kind of idiotic dealer doesn’t at least say “It sold, sorry about that. What else can we find you? What about this MKX on our lot?!”

It’s just bad customer service and doesn’t even seem like a smart way to run a car selling business.

Arrivederci > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 15:29

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You’re right that their customer service was lacking and someone else’s comment was probably right that their tactic was just to get you on the lot with the hopes of selling you something else. How pissed would you be if they sent you pictures and then you drove out there and the car was sold?

I’m fortunate to have a ton of vacation time, so it wasn’t a huge deal for me. I know lots of others have quite a bit too, but didn’t know if you were in that camp or not.

I may have a more lenient attitude about this than you just because the cars I’m looking for in the price bracket I’m looking for (because cheap) tend to be hard to find. I don’t mind driving a bit to go look at something if I think I’ll likely buy it.

Matthew Phillips > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/08/2016 at 17:59

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My friend did yes, but that’s because he already had a fascination with the 200 and I was trying to get him in something else. He’s happy with it, so whatever.

19JRC99 > Matthew Phillips 09/17/2016 at 23:09

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Happened to my grandfather. He went to get a new car for him and my grand mother back and the day, he was a little dirty from working on cars all day (IIRC, this was before I was born. Mid 90s I think) so nobody came over to him. Someone runs to his car as he’s pulling out and asks why he’s leaving or something. He pulls out a wad of cash and says “Well, if I won’t be treated with respect I’ll take my business elsewhere.” I think. It’s been a while since I heard the story.