"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover"

- Mark Twain

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Worst Car Buying Experience @ Henry Day Ford

On July 01, 2011 we tried to purchase a vehicle from Larry H. Miller in Sandy.  We liked the vehicle, but could not come to an agreement on price.

On July 02, 2011 we went to our local dealership - Henry Day Ford in West Valley City.  We could not locate a vehicle on their lot that met our needs.  We told our salesperson about the vehicle we tried to purchase at Larry H. Miller in Sandy.  She said that she could probably do a dealer trade for it.  She was able to look up the vehicle information on the dealer network.  We negotiated a price and left a deposit for that vehicle.  We signed a contract that stated that the deposit was non-refundable.   The contract had that vehicles identification number on it.  We were told we could return at 12:00 PM on July 04, 2011 to sign the final paperwork and pick up the vehicle.  When we returned, the salesperson and the desk sales manager informed us that Larry H Miller sold the vehicle on July 02.  They said they might have found another vehicle for us, but it had an option that was $200.00 more and that the soonest we could pick it up would be the next day.  We informed them we were not pleased about the situation and left.

We immediately drove to another Ford dealership in Bountiful - Willie Ford.  They also did not have a vehicle on their lot that would meet our needs.  They located one on another dealer's lot in Provo.  We were able to do all the paperwork and drive off of their lot by 3:30 with the new vehicle that they picked up for us from Provo.

We immediately called our salesperson at Henry Day Ford and informed her we had purchased another vehicle elsewhere and we wanted our deposit returned to us - since they could not deliver the vehicle that was identified (by the VIN) on the contract.  She said we would have to talk with her General Manager - Jeremy Day.

I made several phone calls to Jeremy Day and either got his voice mail, or his assistant April.  None of my calls were returned.  I went to the dealership around 3:30 PM on July 05, 2011.  I spoke with the desk sales manager.  He told me they could not find Jeremy Day.  I then watched a man quickly enter the managers office through the door. Soon after, Jeremy's personal assistant - April came out.  She stated she could not locate him either.  I made an appointment with her to meet Jeremy Day on July 06, 2011 at noon.  I left the dealership.  I later confirmed, by looking at employee pictures on their web site, that the guy I saw enter the General Manager's office was Jeremy.  He was avoiding me.

I received a phone call from Jeremy Day an hour later.  He stated he had a signed contract that stated "non-refundable" deposit.  I would agree with him, except for the fact that they did not deliver the vehicle listed on the contract by a VIN, or even another similar one when they said they would.  I admit there was no time clause on the contract. There was a specific vehicle listed on the contract which they could not deliver.

Their practices were deceptive.  I would like this resolved by having my refund returned to me.