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Silko Honda wouldn't return my deposit! Very unhappy with Silko honda in Raynham MA. - Click HERE for Original Thread
qqdoris
Silko Honda
1580 New State Highway
Raynham, MA 02767
508.880.5500, 800.696.7556
Fax: 508.824.7300
info@silkohonda.com

I am feel totally helpless and upset at the sametime as to how Silko Honda treat me towards the buying process of the Honda Pilot EX-L with Nav. Can someone please give me some advice?

Sorry, guys my message is quite longtc.

I sent an email to Silko Honda regarding the Pilot, got a reply from Kristin Clark, she asked me to give her a call and we can schedule an appointment. I called her on July 8th, I told her that I am about 1hr away and I am only willing to go there if they give me a good price. She said she will talk to a Sales Manager and get back to me. She called me back and give me a price of 27,599 on the Pilot EXL/Nav. Yup, the price seems to good to be true. I suspected that it's not the vehicle that I wanted, so I called her back and ask her if it's the Pilot AW EXL/Nav, she said Yes, she told me to ask for Rodney when I got there. I also ask her if they have the Sage color because that's the color I am looking for. She said she doesn't know, but they will work with me on that. I didn't ask for all the details thinking that even if it didn't include the destination charge, it would be around 28,100.

However, when we got to the dearlership, they told me Rodney is busy, they ask me to work with Jailes Pereira. After testing drive the car, we sit down and start talk about the price. At that time, they started adding the following fees:
Destination charge:
Prepration fee:
Wheel lock/Mud guard: 399
The total comes to 28870. And they don't have the color that I want. Jailes said this is the price that we can give you with the cars that's in-stock. If you want the Sage color you have to pay extra. At that point I ask how much more. He went to talk to the sales manager and come back with 750. At that point, I said no, I said I can get the same deal somewhere else. (Should've walk out at that point) Long story short, we agree on 28800 for the sage color that they will locate for me. I also have a trade-in, 99 Honda Accord Ex V6, they gave me 4500 on it. I didn't think I have the best deal out there, but I think the deal isn't bad.
At that point it's 5:40 or so, my daugther is getting fuzzy after a long day in the dealership, and we just want to get out. (Very wrong thing to do, I learned a very good lesson). Since they have to locate the car, so they ask for 1k deposit (that was our understanding). Then they give us the contract and told us to sign here and sign there. (Should've always read the contract before you sign for anything). They have 1k down as non-refundable partial payment. When we are signing the contract, I told the sales guy that I do not want a car that has high mileage, I specifically said not close to 100. Otherwise I dont want it. My understand is that if the car is close by, the sales person would have to drive the car back to the dealership. (Should've put it in writing) I am buying a new car and spending so much money, I don't want someone else to drive the car for the first 100 miles. Anyways, that's me and my husband's understanding that we agree on that.


The sale person said he will call me on Monday once they located the car. I called him 3 times until he return my call around 4pm on Monday, at that point he told me that they located the car but they are waiting to hear from the other side whether they can get the car. I ask him where is the car, he wouldn't tell me. So I ask him to call me Tuesday morning. He finally call me around 11:5xpm on Tuesday and said they got the car, and the car is in Fistchburg, MA. I ask him how many mile is on the car, he said he doesn't know and wouldn't tell me I ask how far is Fitchburg, he said he doesn't know. So I went on mapquest and get an estimate mileage, and it's 74 miles. At that point, I said no, I don't want this car, you will have to drive at least 74 miles on the car, and that's not how we agree on. He said, we can tow the car for you, if you pay extra. I said no. Then he told me to talk to Steve, the guy who does the locate for the car. I called and spoke to Steve, he said that's the closest place where they can locate the car. I said but that's not how we agree on, so he said he will call me back and make me happy. Then comes in this sales manager, Joe , he called me and keep pressuring me to take the car as it is and wouldn't offer any other options. So, I got upset, and I said, if that's the case, then I dont' want the car. He said, then you won't get your money back. I said why not, you guys break the contract. He just keep saying that I see your signature here under the non-refundable partial payment. At that point, he wasn't being very nice and I raised my voice at him too. But I never swear at hime or anything, can never do that. However, the next thing I know, he slammed the phone on me. I was shock at that time. How can a sales manager hang up on their customer especially when I didn't do anything other than arguing with him about the the deposit. Anyways, after a few minutes, I call the dealership back and ask to speak to a sales manager, they wanted to connect me to Joe, I said no, he just hang up on me and I want to talk to someone else. The receptionist told me that he's the only one there, and when I ask to speak to the general manager, receptionist said they are on the meeting. So, I left a message for the GM to call me back. After about 20-30mins later, Joe called back and pretent nothing happend, when I question him about hanging up on me, he said a phone company is doing some work in the building and we probably have some problem with the phone. But everyone can tell from a bad phone connected and someone slammed the phone on you. He started keep pressuring me to take the car again. At that point, I was pretty upset that he hang up on me, I told him that I don't want to talk to him not after he hang up on me. I called the dealership back in the afternoon, and of course, I can't get a hold of anyone. I left a few messages, but no one ever call me back. I finally able to leave a message with Cheryl, the GM, I told her what happened, she said she will handle this personally and will get back to me. That was on Tuesday afternoon. Afer that, I have been calling them since, and I can't get a hold of Cheryl or the owner of the dealership. They just won't talk to me and Cheryl never return my call.



At this point, I feel like I got deceived and I want to back out of the deal. Is there anything I can do to get my money back. Do I have to let this unethical dealership take my money? Or I just have force myself to pickup the car and be unhappy for the next 6-7 years. I feel so helpless, is an oral agreement doesn't mean anything to them? This Joe guy at first didn't say anything about our agreement, just keep talking me into taking the car as it is. When he learned that I am have such a hard time with the way he treated me, and completely unsatisfy with the whole process. He keep saying that he doesn't see the agreement on the contract and I won't get my money back. Is there anybody can tell me what to do? I have been very upset about this for the past few days, I would love to get this resolved asap. Any help/suggestion would be greatly appreciated!!

Doris MA
pointech
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Was your deposit a check or credit card? If so call your back and see if they will help you out. Good luck.
jl_ss
Sounds like a really sleazy dealership. How did you pay for the deposit? If you used a credit card then you can dispute the charge with you CC company. If they won't return your calls, then I would go down in person. Tell them you are filing a Better Business Bureau claim and complaints with Honda corporate and the MA Attorney Generals Office. It may get you nowhere, but it may just be enough that they don't want to deal with it. As you learned, everything needs to be specified in a written signed contract. If you get out of the deal then I would email several dealers for their best price on a vehicle that is in stock. Fitchburg is actually a very good dealership - it would be worth the drive to pick it up yourself if it has low miles. In fact you can call the Fitchburg dealership yourself and ask about the vehicle mileage. Good Luck.
pointech
Something else I just remembered, is this a chain dealership? If so try contacting the corporate office.

I had trouble when a dealer when I bought a car at lease end once. They charged me $400 to do the paperwork but messed it up, and I could not drive the car for several weeks because I didn't have tags (they took the tags from it that were registered to the lease company). I asked the manager for a refund on the paperwork fee since they messed it up, he said no. I asked for his boss, he said he didn't have one. Wrong answer, unless you own the company or are CEO you have a boss. I called corporate office and explained what happened. They agreed to refund $200 since there were so many problems. Made the manager mad but I was happy.
qqdoris
Thanks for the reply.

I use my AMEX for the desposit. I already called AMEX to file for a dispute however, at this point, I am not sure if I can get it back. I am trying everything to see if I can get my money back. Worse comes to worse, I rather take them to small claim court. I might not get my money back, but at least I won't let it go without a fight. This is a family own dealership, that's why I think I have problems getting a hold of the GM or the owner. I am thinking they are probably all family members. They support each other on scamming ppl.
andyschneider
So, I live in this part of the country (southern NH/nothern MA), and dealers around here swap cars all of the time. Most dealers are within 100 miles, and their normal operating procedure is to consider these "local swaps". When I was looking for my '06 Pilot LX 4WD in December, I could have gotten a Slate Blue from the dealer, or a Sage Brush from a dealer swap from a dealer 45 miles away. The price was going to be the same, but they did have to figure out what vehicle to swap with the other dealer at that point. I ended up getting the local Slate Blue one.

Anyway, I think the root of your problem is that the "less than 100 miles" issue was never in writing, and the request probably never made it past the salesman. And given the distance from one dealership to another around here, they may not have any choice but to get it from the Fitchburg, MA dealer.

Anyway, their lack of willingness to give the deposit back is something you can (ultimately) fight to get back, but it may take a while. As someone said earlier you can stop payment on the check or put a grievance with the credit card company as two avenues to help here.

andy
Roger
Is the 74 miles the real issue?? I understand the being rude to you part but if the bottom line is losing 1K over 74 miles, I'd take the car.

Roger
deparson
So, you signed a contract with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit and now you want out?

You are out! Out of the contract and out of $1,000 :(

All dealers should be treated as if they are crooks. It is in the best interest of your wallet.

For what it is worth, 74 miles or whatever is really not an issue on a new car, IMO.

-D
787_Pilot
quote:
Originally posted by Roger
...if the bottom line is losing 1K over 74 miles, I'd take the car.
Roger



Doris,
I agree with Roger above. If there's nothing cosmetically or mechanically wrong with the car its not worth your time & headaches going to the mat with the dealership on this. The new car warranty starts at the odometer mileage at the time of purchase so its not like you're going to lose anything there. So if its the color Pilot you want and the car test drives to your liking, take the car - $28.8K is a terrific price for a EX/L Navi. You will not be "unhappy for the next 6-7 years" - the Pilot is a terrific terrific vehicle.

Also for your troubles, I'd recommend negotiating hard as hell for them to at least throw in a few of their more expensive accessories for free like the running boards or sidesteps and crossbars. Heck, demand that they give you mudflaps and wheel locks for free too - they are ripping you off by charging you $399 for them anyway - sleazy sleazy sleazy :3:


787_Pilot
thomasj2
I agree with Roger and DeParson, 74 miles is no big deal. Sounds like you have buyer's remorse and you're using this as an excuse to get out of the deal. Don't sweat the small stuff, life's too short. You got a good deal on the car and color you wanted.
GreenMachine
1st - It sux that you were treated that way, especially charging more for the color you want. :rolleyes:

2nd - 74 miles isn't bad, especially since I've seen "new cars" with almost 200 miles.

3rd - That price is great, especially if it is AWD.

4th - Take the truck and as you walk out, promise to rip them a new one on the Honda survey.. :22:
qqdoris
Again, thanks for all the inputs.

I do not know how many miles on the car. They wouldn't tell me. It is my guess that's at least 74 miles. However, mileage is not really an issue, what I am upset about is how they don't keep their words. If they really wanted me to take the car, they should've been nice about it, shouldn't be rude and so unprofessional. If they are nice about it in the beginning I might take the car. They wouldn't offer anything to me other than keep telling me to take the car. I doubt that they are willing to offer anything extra.
qqdoris
By the way, the 28800 supposely includes, wheel lock/mudflap, cross bar (again sales guy didn't put the cross bar on the contract, but I asked him so many times about it, he said it comes with the EXL/Nav). I also ordered the chrom side-step for 700 extra. So, the total price is 29500 - 4500 (my 1999 honda accord EX V6 trade-in)
pointech
quote:
Originally posted by thomasj2
I agree with Roger and DeParson, 74 miles is no big deal. Sounds like you have buyer's remorse and you're using this as an excuse to get out of the deal. Don't sweat the small stuff, life's too short. You got a good deal on the car and color you wanted.


Ah, don't sweat the small stuff...my Dad always gave me that advice but it took a while to be able to use it.
pankaj2000
When I bought my pilot 06 LX 4WD month ago. Dealer was asking deposit for color I wanted. I could not trust him so I took Silver.
787_Pilot
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
By the way, the 28800 supposely includes, wheel lock/mudflap, cross bar (again sales guy didn't put the cross bar on the contract, but I asked him so many times about it, he said it comes with the EXL/Nav)


qqdoris,
The crossbar does NOT come standard on the EXL/Nav or any other trim for that matter. He may have meant the side roof rails which is standard on the EX has but not on the LX.

787_Pilot
jordinho
wanted sage brush, stealer said they can get me the color i wanted but it would add around 130 miles on the odo, told em thats fine, now 4500 miles trouble free, almost noise free 06 ex :D 25500 out the door :) get teh pilot! you wont regret it!
ecsw
sorry to hear that.

here is my 2 cents.
The whole argument was base on the 100 miles. If you don't see that 75miles as such a big deal, you wouldn't be mad at them first then they wouldn't be mad at you either.

75 miles is not a big deal imo. If I were you and if I am really worry about the 75 miles issue, I'd call the dealer who has the Pilot you want to find out the current mileage. If it's under 50 miles, then I will arrange to go down there to pick up the Pilot and drive back myself. That way, you will drive your "first" 100 miles on your new Pilot. :)

I hated when I hear the stuipd sales manager has attitude problem. but think about it, if the Pilot you are getting is a good deal, just take it. Chances are, you will never see that sale manager anymore in your life time anyway. ;)
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by 787_Pilot


qqdoris,
The crossbar does NOT come standard on the EXL/Nav or any other trim for that matter. He may have meant the side roof rails which is standard on the EX has but not on the LX.

787_Pilot



787_pilot
Can you please tell me what's the diff. between the side roof rails and cross bar? Thank you.
jl_ss
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris


787_pilot
Can you please tell me what's the diff. between the side roof rails and cross bar? Thank you.



Side roof rails run front to back on each side of the vehicle - The 2 cross bars (front and back) connect to each side rail.
robrecht
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
Thanks for the reply.

I use my AMEX for the desposit. I already called AMEX to file for a dispute however, at this point, I am not sure if I can get it back. I am trying everything to see if I can get my money back. Worse comes to worse, I rather take them to small claim court. I might not get my money back, but at least I won't let it go without a fight. This is a family own dealership, that's why I think I have problems getting a hold of the GM or the owner. I am thinking they are probably all family members. They support each other on scamming ppl.

1. Ask AMEX to clarify if they really think you are bound to buy a car when the dealer won't even tell you how many miles are on it? Be very polite but go to the top with AMEX first to find out exactly what your rights are with AMEX. I'm surprised they have not already told you that they will not charge your card. At the very least, I think you will have the right not to accept any particular car if you feel there are issues (eg, high mileage upon inspection). If you have a long relationship with AMEX, you should have lots of leverage with them. Go to the top, document everyone you speak to, be exceptionally polite, explain everything (even the signed contract) but let them know that you need to resolve this with them first. If you get your money back on the deposit from AMEX, just go to another dealer.

2. If you truly get nowhere with AMEX, inspect the vehicle. Does the contract you signed have a VIN on it? Verify actual mileage and give it a very thorough pre-buy inspection. There are some very detailed pre-buy inspection guides posted here. Let me know if you cannot find them in a search. Document anything you are unhappy with during your pre-buy inspection. If you are unhappy with the car for good reasons, let them know exactly why and send them an email or fax documenting this.

For example, "Jailes Pereira from Silko Honda and I agreed that the car would have no more than 100 miles on the odometer but this car has 375 miles on it. Jailes Pereira from Silko Honda refused to tell me the mileage on the car prior to my inspection. Silko Honda Sales Manager, Cheryl XYZ, refused to follow up with me on this issue. Despite my repeated requests, [insert name here], the owner of Silko Honda, also failed to contact me in any way. ..."

At that point, I would also contact the state's consumer affairs office, attorney general, and the local BBB to let them know your situation.

3. Otherwise, if the car has 85 miles on it and looks great, honor your commitment even if they have been sleazy. Take your very valuable service and in and out of warrenty repair business to a more honorable and deserving dealership.

4. Once you've resolved the issue to your relative satisfaction, send everyone you know at the dealership a copy of this thread letting them know that all 12,700 members of HondaPilot.org are aware of their past behavior and will be on guard. Also send them a copy of your review of their sales practices that you will post here:
http://www.hondapilot.org/drcomment...id=763&state=MA

This dealership now has a history of not behaving honorably regarding deposits. We have called them on it in the past and they have backed down when the realize that bad press might cost them more than your deposit. See, eg, this earlier thread: http://www.hondapilot.org/forums/sh...highlight=silko

5. If you are unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, I would be willing to call/email them again and let them know that we're aware of their continued bad practices. Others here would probably be willing to do the same.

Regardless of our solidarity, you've learned your lesson. Clarify everything before signing your name to anything. Wouldn't hurt to do the same before setting foot into a dealership. Why let them waste your time? Ask them to confirm the out-the-door price by email before driving over there.

I only go to dealers to look at colors and test drive cars. Once I decide exactly what I want, negotiate the best price in writing before wasting any time with them in person. I never even met the sales person of the last car I bought (Pilot). He had it delivered to my home by a couple of nice retired guys, where we test drove the car, inspected it, and signed the papers at my kitchen table.
jl_ss
qqdoris,


Check your PMs (Private Messages).
PNW-Pilot
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
By the way, the 28800 supposely includes, wheel lock/mudflap, cross bar (again sales guy didn't put the cross bar on the contract, but I asked him so many times about it, he said it comes with the EXL/Nav). I also ordered the chrom side-step for 700 extra. So, the total price is 29500 - 4500 (my 1999 honda accord EX V6 trade-in)


Did he give you anything in writing about the dealer the vehicle is currently at? Call them ask them to find out how many miles are on the car.

I bought a Sienna last month, and the dealer said they had to trade. I also didn't want 300 miles on my car when I got it. They had to drive it from Oregon to get my color and options. They called the dealer while I was there and got the current miles on it, 23 miles, and then they need to deliver it 230 miles, so 253 total when it would get there. I ended up thinking about it and decided that 250 wasn't the worst thing in life. I talked to the driver, asked him to vary the speed, keep it under 70. Turns out he retired from my work, and it does it for fun, and donates the money he ets ($350) to charity. Remember trading costs your dealer.

As for the way your being treated, I think they are not handling it professionally. I would call the BBB, and make a complaint.

They want you to take the car, because it means your "happy" and they made money. Ironicly they also made money from your deposit if you don't buy and are unhappy.

Head down in person, talk to them, I think only a face to face will resolve this matter.
GreenMachine
quote:
Originally posted by PNW-Pilot


Remember trading costs your dealer.




Not always, well at least it didn't cost me, not in dollars or miles. The dealer asked what my color choices were. I told them Steel Blue for my first and Steel Blue for my second. I let them figure out my third choice on their own. :p Anyway, the internet salesguy I dealt with traded a Pilot they had in their pipeline with another dealership that had a steel blue EX 4WD on the way to their dealership. This all happened before it left the AL manufacturing plant. This took just a couple weeks to setup and complete, and I picked it up with 10 miles on it.

I know our Pilot was not originally headed to their dealership either because they had about 20 '06's on their lot, all 2WD with no 4WD's expected for some time.

So there are ways to avoid the dealer trade fees and extra mileage. ;)
qqdoris
I wanted to thank everyone for your helpful input. Greatly appreciated.

Here are somemore info on the whole thing.

1) When the sales person called me that they located the car in Fitchburg, I ask about what dealership they are getting the car from and how many miles on the car. His answer was, I don't know. They wouldn't tell me anything about the car other that it's a Sage EXL/Nav, and keep telling me this is the car that I have to get. I don't know the vin# for the car nor the mileage of the car. I can't get any info from them.

2) The contract that I signed has no vin#, no mileage, no approx. delivery date.

3) When I filed the dispute with AMEX, I can't get any answer from them. They did told me that they will suspend the 1k while they are investigating the dispute, however they told me the investigation might take 6-8 weeks.

I am thinking to head to the dealership tomorrow to try to resolve this and hope they will be professional about it. Is there anything I should be aware of before I walk into the dealership again?
vida
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
I wanted to thank everyone for your helpful input. Greatly appreciated.

Here are somemore info on the whole thing.

1) When the sales person called me that they located the car in Fitchburg, I ask about what dealership they are getting the car from and how many miles on the car. His answer was, I don't know. They wouldn't tell me anything about the car other that it's a Sage EXL/Nav, and keep telling me this is the car that I have to get. I don't know the vin# for the car nor the mileage of the car. I can't get any info from them.

2) The contract that I signed has no vin#, no mileage, no approx. delivery date.

3) When I filed the dispute with AMEX, I can't get any answer from them. They did told me that they will suspend the 1k while they are investigating the dispute, however they told me the investigation might take 6-8 weeks.

I am thinking to head to the dealership tomorrow to try to resolve this and hope they will be professional about it. Is there anything I should be aware of before I walk into the dealership again?



Make sure you go there when the GM is available. Never accept a "no" from someone who is not empowered to give you a "yes". From what I can tell, you would almost be happy to give the same amount of money to any other dealer. I've been there. You're nice, they're scum. I once ran into the situation where contracts were signed and when I went to pick the vehicle up I had to pay $500 more because they quoted (and signed a contract for) the wrong vehicle. Oddly enough, THEY seem to have no trouble getting out of it (the contract). But I digress....
If you meet with them, make sure you are happy with what you end up agreeing to. If you aren't satisfied with the results, walk out and I HIGHLY recommend filing a complaint with your state AG. I've used the one here in Minnesota and they usually send out VERY convincing letters. One of which got me $88 back from DirecTV within 1 month. Not an easy task. No business likes to have a file with the Attorney General. Not even a company as large as DTV.
For you it's gone from buying a car to being treated fairly. Somehow get back to ground zero and start over. Either with this dealer or another. Good luck and keep us posted.
cwa107
Personally, I would go and park my hind end at the driveway to the dealership (public property) with a sign that says "Ask me how Silko Honda SCREWED ME OUT OF MY DEPOSIT!".

The matter should be resolved in a matter of minutes. Particularly if you go at a busy time.

Then, I would take a lesson from this. NEVER, ever, EVER give a dealer a deposit on a vehicle you have not seen. Why? How do you know that the car at the other dealership doesn't have a nasty ding or scratch on it? How do you know that the person who drives it from that dealership to this one doesn't wreck it? Then you're stuck with a repair on a brand new vehicle.

When I bought my wife's Corolla, we spent about 2 hours haggling. When all was said and done, they had to get the specific vehicle (2003 Corolla 'S' model in dark blue) from a dealer in Philadelphia (about 2 hours away). They wanted a $500 deposit. I refused and started to walk out (this is your edge - always start to walk out if things are not 100% comfortable for you). That "required" deposit went from $500 to $50 in about 10 seconds, although they did tell me that they thought I was being unreasonable.

Also, what kind of mileage do you have on the Accord and is it in decent shape?
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107
Personally, I would go and park my hind end at the driveway to the dealership (public property) with a sign that says "Ask me how Silko Honda SCREWED ME OUT OF MY DEPOSIT!".

The matter should be resolved in a matter of minutes. Particularly if you go at a busy time.

Also, what kind of mileage do you have on the Accord and is it in decent shape?



cwa107
Thanks for the tips. I learned my lesson, I will NEVER, EVER sign a contract without reading the terms and make sure all the oral agreements are WRITTEN in the contract.

My 99 Accord has 106k miles on it. It is in good condition I would say. No mechantical problems, everything is working as expected. Only slight dings and 1 small rust (a little smaller than the size of a penny).
cwa107
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris


cwa107
Thanks for the tips. I learned my lesson, I will NEVER, EVER sign a contract without reading the terms and make sure all the oral agreements are WRITTEN in the contract.

My 99 Accord has 106k miles on it. It is in good condition I would say. No mechantical problems, everything is working as expected. Only slight dings and 1 small rust (a little smaller than the size of a penny).



The trade-in price is good, very good if it's an LX-V6.

AMEX will likely cancel the charge as this is clearly a case of fraud. You had a verbal agreement on certain terms and they did not fulfill them. They also were not adequately responsive during the purchasing process and created a hostile environment for you to continue to negociate by hanging up on you and treating you rudely.

Document this thoroughly to cover your bases, be sure to file the proper complaints with the BBB and state attorney general (as suggested by others). But if you want to clear this up in short order, public protest is the BEST way to do so. Nothing gets a dealer to respond like standing in front of the dealership with a sign. You might feel like a total ass for the time being, but believe me, people take that sort of public showing seriously and you'll be surprised how little time you'll need to spend there.

Again, nothing more than a small good faith deposit is EVER necessary. If a dealer insists on one, don't walk away - RUN! If they truly value you as a customer, they will swap with another dealership without a large fee. Worst case scenario to them is that they have a vehicle to sell in a different color. There's no possibility of loss for them.
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107
The trade-in price is good, very good if it's an LX-V6.



cwa107,

My 99 Accord is an EX-V6. Is the trade-in price still good?

I am in the process of filing a complaint with the State Attoney's office. I also filed a complaint with Honda Corporate. By the way, when that Joe guy talked to me, I mentioned that they are not keeping their words. I might have to file a complaint with the attorney's office. Right away, he said, go ahead, the State attorney's office is for us too. Our conversation ends here.
cwa107
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris


cwa107,

My 99 Accord is an EX-V6. Is the trade-in price still good?

I am in the process of filing a complaint with the State Attoney's office. I also filed a complaint with Honda Corporate. By the way, when that Joe guy talked to me, I mentioned that they are not keeping their words. I might have to file a complaint with the attorney's office. Right away, he said, go ahead, the State attorney's office is for us too. Our conversation ends here.



It's not bad, but it's not great. KBB values it in "fair" condition at $4655. I'd say yours is in "fair" condition due to the mileage (84K is typical) and the rust. Small dings and scratches are typical for a car that old.

With Joe's attitude, I certainly wouldn't do business with them, but I'd be damned if they kept my deposit. I would raise holy hell before they'd keep that. You probably won't have much joy with the AG, but the BBB will yield results since if it remains unresolved, the BBB will keep a permanent record and it will leave a permanent stain on their reputation.
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107


With Joe's attitude, I certainly wouldn't do business with them, but I'd be damned if they kept my deposit. I would raise holy hell before they'd keep that. You probably won't have much joy with the AG, but the BBB will yield results since if it remains unresolved, the BBB will keep a permanent record and it will leave a permanent stain on their reputation.



cwa107,

Thank you very much for your understanding. My issue with them is not only the mileage. It is the way they treated me. That's why I told myself, -----------------------------, especially after Joe hang up on me. I didn't say anything bad to him at all. I was just arguing with him about the oral agreement and the deposit. He slamed the phone on me. He called back later with a lied. I mean, come on, be honest. If you hang up on me, admit it. If I believe that something is wrong with the phone, then it's an insult.
Sportymonk
Would you mind if I and and some of the others sent emails to the dealer referring them to this thread and the others mentioned previously?
Edited
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by Sportymonk


Would you mind if and and some of the others sent emails to the dealer referring them to this thread and the others mentioned previously? (you might want to edit those comments out of this thread).



Thank you. You r right. I edited my msg. When you have a chance, please edit your msg and take out my comment. =)
robrecht
To be most effective, we'll need the name of the owner of the dealership and the full name of the GM. A general phone number and all three names to leave telephone messages or 3 different email addresses. Of course we'll also need your name. If you're uncomfortable about giving out your name on the thread, you can PM it to those who indicate their desire to support you, but that will limit the number of emails or phone calls.

Power to the people, man! Reminds me of the '60s. :7:
qqdoris
quote:
Originally posted by robrecht
To be most effective, we'll need the name of the owner and the full name of the GM. A general phone number and all three names to leave telephone messages or 3 different email addresses. Of course we'll also need your name. If you're uncomfortable about giving out your name on the thread, you can PM it to those who indicate their desire to support you, but that will limit the number of emails or phone calls.

Power to the people, man! Reminds me of the '60s. :7:



Thank you. I greatly appreciate the help and support!

My name is Doris.

I have gathered some info below. However, I do not know the name of the owner nor the full name of the GM or the Sales manager. After serveral calls to reach cheryl and never heard back(although the first time I spoke to her, she said she will handle this personally), I called Silko and ask the receptionist to transfer me to another GM, she put me on hold, then came back and said Cheryl is the only GM there. When I asked to speak to the owner, the receptionist told me that the owner is not around. I asked when will the owner be there, she said probably next week. Then I asked if there's a number to reach him, she said no, I am afraid not. However, the weird thing was that, she repeated all of my questions before she gave me an answer. That doesn't seem right.


The GM's name is Cheryl. The sales manager who hang up on me is Joe. I believe they have another sales manager who's name is Rodney. The sales person who I worked with is Jailes Pereira.

Silko Honda
1580 New State Highway
Raynham, MA 02767
phone: 800-696-7556
Fax: 508-824-7300
email: info@silkohonda.com

steve@silkohonda.com
Stephen Hilchey
Customer Relations Manager
robrecht
Subject: Silko Honda is developing a consistently poor reputation

Dear Steve:

It has come to our attention at HondaPilot.org that once again the Silko Honda dealership seems to be behaving in a dishonorable manner with respect to deposits paid in good faith by prospective customers.

I am currently referring to the situation that has arisen with Doris X (edited). Our understanding is that although she paid you a good faith deposit on a Honda Pilot that she still would like to purchase, it seems that you have abused that good faith and want to force her to accept a car while ignoring crucial parts of your current (partly verbal) contract with her. Previously, Jailes Pereira from Silko Honda and Doris agreed that the car would have no more than 100 miles on the odometer but now Jailes Pereira from Silko Honda is refusing to tell Doris the actual mileage on the car. Even though she promised to do so, Silko Honda General Manager, Cheryl, refuses even to follow up with Doris on this issue. Despite Doris' repeated requests, the owner of Silko Honda, has also failed to contact Doris in any way. Joe, the Sales Manager at Silko Honda actually slammed the phone down on Doris at one point and now denies it, claiming that this incident was actually the result of a phone malfunction.

If you would like to contest this understanding of events, please let me know and I can let you know how you can communicate your side of the dispute to the HondaPilot.org community. I can also let you know how to see the rather poor reputation that Silko Honda has established previously. However, I would strongly suggest that you first concentrate your efforts to make Doris a satisfied customer.

There are nearly 13,000 members of HondaPilot.org and many more guests who come here to do research on the Pilot, fair pricing, and to find honorable and respectable dealers with competent service departments. Past practices of Silko Honda have already raised public concern as to the integrity of your dealership. I strongly suggest that you resolve this issue with Doris swiftly.

Please email me if you or the owner would like to discuss this matter directly.

Respectfully,

Robrecht
HondaPilot.org member

If necessary, I will also follow up with a few phone calls.
rocky
Thought that this thread sounded familiar

Same dealership Same Sleazy problem

http://hondapilot.org/forums/showth...highlight=silko
qqdoris
Thanks everyone for your support and help. Here's the updated info.

I went to the dealership around 1:45pm. I went to tell them that I want to talk to the GM. The guy at the counter gave me the look and said "you must be Ms XXXX". This is the Joe guy who slammed the phone on me. I said I want my money back. He said, you are not getting your money back. I just keep saying I want my money back. Then he said, I am going to call the police, you are disrupting our business. Then he picked up the phone and called the police. I just stayed there and I kept saying I want my money back. Nobody came to talk to me, and no one seemed to want to work things out with me. Instead, they made me stand there. You would think that as a sales manager in the car dealership, they would want to work things out with their customers and keep their customers satisfied.

(edited) While I was standing there and saying I want my money back. I didn't scream or yell. I just make myself clear that I didn't buy the car from them and I want my money back. Joe, the sales manager, was eating french fries from Wendy's while telling me that I won't get my money back. The other guys around the desk(where the sales person would go to talk to the sales manager to approve for deals) was chewing on chicken wings and looking at us.

Joe just kept saying you are not getting your money back. By the way, they only have a few customers. He called the police again after a few minutes. Anyways, in short, when the police came, they told me that no one is there today and no one can help me. The police ask what happened and told me to go back there on monday. Supposely the owner would be there on Monday. The police also gave me the full name of this guy Joe and the name of the owner.

The fact that they refused to talk me when I walked in is very unprofessional. Joe was very unprofessional and rude. When I was just standing there and said I want my money back. He said "Keep going, I am enjoying it. There's camera everywhere, when the police come, they will throw you in jail.". Was he trying to threaten me?

The full name of this sales manager is Joe Travers.
The owner's name is Adam Silverliee.

I guess I will have to wait to talk to the owner on Monday. Is there anything I should be aware of when I speak to the owner on Monday? and are there questions I should keep in mind when I go and talk to the owner?

When they told me there is no general manager on a Saturday (which should be one of the busiest day) made me wonder if they are telling the truth ? what do you guys think?
drm1111
I would be down there Monday morning an hour after they open. Most dealerships have a morning meeting. Then I would ask for the owner . If they say he's not here I would ask very nice for the owners name and ext. and also i would leave a message for him. After that I would call another Honda Dealership and ask them if they have the number of the district manager of that region. Contact him and explain about them keeping your deposit to how you were treated. Also you can call Honda corporate and file a complaint and they will listen. Go through the proper channels first so they have no excuses. Also I would go for some legal advice if no one satisfies you. Alot of times lawyers will give you the first visit free and tell you if you have a case or not. Good luck and make sure you put the smack on them in the community and surrounding areas. Let the public know how you were treated and to avoid them at all cost. :1:
vida
Doris. The State AG would love this. Trust me, get them invloved.
GreenMachine
quote:
Originally posted by vida
Doris. The State AG would love this. Trust me, get them invloved.


I agree. Some years back, a local dealer was advertising Accord LX auto’s for $15.9K and SE’s for $16.9K, but whenever you came in to buy, they always had all these accessories on with huge markups. One of the execs at my previous employer who was interested in buying one contacted the attorney general, and to make a long story short, he got his Accord LX auto for $15.9K, even though it already a had all these accessories on it. Two other employees also went in and all they had to do was mention his name, and they got the deals. At least give the AG a try if all else fails.

As far as deposits go, not all are bad. Just make sure you get in writing that it’s refundable.

Good luck with this scummy dealership.
Sportymonk
Here's my email I sent them

******
It appears that you have had some customer support issues lately. (In fact it appears several issues. I thought you might want to know what people are saying about you. Go to the links below. Realize that this is only a Pilot forum, there are many other Honda and Acura forums this will spread to. )

You might want to look at the dealer rating section link at the home page.

If I may suggest something? I know auto dealers are a business and have to make money. But it appears that at best there has been a serious misunderstanding on the issues. Since you could not deliver the car under the terms agreed to with the low mileage, it would seem best to just refund her money and let it go.

See this thread:

http://www.hondapilot.org/forums/sh...15&pagenumber=1

Dealer rating

http://www.hondapilot.org/drcomment...id=763&state=MA

Another Problem thread

http://www.hondapilot.org/forums/sh...highlight=silko
steelblue
Qqdoris,

Sorry to hear about your situation. You may want to contact your local TV stations to tell them your story. Silko Honda probably don’t want the bad publicity and may change their tune real quick if a TV station decided to do a story on it.

A few months back, I saw a story about a woman whose cell phone number got hijacked and incurred a huge phone bill (It was several thousand dollars if I recalled). She complained for two months and the phone company still refused to reverse the charges, saying she is responsible for the bill period. They even sent a collection agency after her. After the TV station got involved, the phone company reversed the charges the same day.
ecsw
Why can't this stupid Joe understand that customer is always right? :4:

we should start to spread this onto other Honda forums if you still not getting the money back. ;)
Sportymonk
Doris, I just PM'd you a message with a idea but I don't want them to read this thread and try to work around it.

Good luck.
andyschneider
Ya gotta love a dealer that on their "specials" page shows vehicles that are "previously owned with less than 25 miles" and have prices that "reflect a $4000 down payment or trade equity". Let's "reel 'em in". :eek:

http://www.silkohonda.com/specials.asp
GreenMachine
I saw this in the "about us" section.

About Silko Honda
A three generation family business, Silko Honda is not your typical automobile dealership. We realize that we must exceed a customer's expectations in order to earn their business.



I think they need to redo this section...:14:


About Silko Honda
A three generation family business, Silko Honda is not your typical automobile dealership, just ask Doris about her recent experience. We realize that we don't have to exceed a customer's expectations in order to earn their business, but rather keep their deposit unless they buy a car from us.
:22:
qqdoris
I can't thank you all enough for all the support! Thank you!

I went to talk to the owner today. The first thing he said to me was "I know why you are here". He didn't bother to ask what happened. I started telling him about the whole deal and the agreement with the sales person and how Joe started to talk to me. When I was saying Joe slammed the phone on me. He cut me off, and changed the subject. Isn't he a nice guy? He started saying that the police was at the dealership last Saturday. I said I went to ask you guys nicely that I wanted to talk to the GM, and Joe gave me attitude right away and said I won't get my money back. Then my friend started saying how unprofessional they are and how rude they are to us. The owner looked at me and said, let's not talk about that, let's talking about the car. Wow, he sure knows how to protect his employees and keep his customers "HAPPY". He told me that he only go by what's on the contract. I asked him, so the oral agreement doesn't mean anything. He said, I only go by the contract. He must know about the agreement that we had, that's why he just kept saying I only go by what's on the contract. He said, we went and purchase the car for you, so now it's yours and waiting for you to pickup. He said the car only has 102-104 miles on it and it's still a new car etc. That's already what not we agreed on. He said I can have the car pull up and you can look at the odometer. It really wasting my time to talk to him. He doesn't want to deliver the car under the terms agreed, doesn't want to know what happened, and yet wanted me to take the car.

Anyways, now, I am going to file all types of complaints and waiting to hear back from AMEX.
andyschneider
So, to me, this dealer certainly doesn't have a lot of customer saavy and certainly doesn't care how things appear, especially to other people. Even if you and your friend were being rude, the dealer has to deal with other customers, and trying to reach a resolution would certainly help with future word-of-mouth sales. So I don't hold any respect for their behavior if what you've said is accurate.

But let me get to the vehicle. From what you've stated, the deal was pretty decent at that dealer. If they have the car there and it does only have 102-104 miles on it, it might be worthwhile to just do the deal and walk from the dealer and do service/warranty work elsewhere. The good thing about Hondas is that you can go to any dealer for service and warranty work, and there are no mileage constraints about how far away from a selling dealer you have to be. I know you had this verbal contract about how many miles on the vehicle you'd be willing to take, but as was discusssed earlier in the string, 100 or so miles isn't unreasonable for a dealer-to-dealer trade. Many cars on a lot will have 100 miles on the just from a few test drives. To me, if having less than 25 miles on a car was a non-negotiable factor, I'd never take a trade from another dealer, since you can't be sure of the number of miles on that car before the dealer swap.

This is up to you, certainly, but the hassle you'll go through to try and get this deposit back may be a whole lot more pain than just doing the deal and walk.....

andy
cwa107
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
I can't thank you all enough for all the support! Thank you!

I went to talk to the owner today. The first thing he said to me was "I know why you are here". He didn't bother to ask what happened. I started telling him about the whole deal and the agreement with the sales person and how Joe started to talk to me. When I was saying Joe slammed the phone on me. He cut me off, and changed the subject. Isn't he a nice guy? He started saying that the police was at the dealership last Saturday. I said I went to ask you guys nicely that I wanted to talk to the GM, and Joe gave me attitude right away and said I won't get my money back. Then my friend started saying how unprofessional they are and how rude they are to us. The owner looked at me and said, let's not talk about that, let's talking about the car. Wow, he sure knows how to protect his employees and keep his customers "HAPPY". He told me that he only go by what's on the contract. I asked him, so the oral agreement doesn't mean anything. He said, I only go by the contract. He must know about the agreement that we had, that's why he just kept saying I only go by what's on the contract. He said, we went and purchase the car for you, so now it's yours and waiting for you to pickup. He said the car only has 102-104 miles on it and it's still a new car etc. That's already what not we agreed on. He said I can have the car pull up and you can look at the odometer. It really wasting my time to talk to him. He doesn't want to deliver the car under the terms agreed, doesn't want to know what happened, and yet wanted me to take the car.

Anyways, now, I am going to file all types of complaints and waiting to hear back from AMEX.



Wow! Did you ask him if he would buy a car from a dealership that had been so rude to him, even went so far as to call the police?!

What a flaming a-hole! Man, we oughtta put a member-submitted news item right out on the front page declaring what a POS this dealership is!

Doris: You have GOT to get out in front of that dealership and picket. Call the local media and expose this very obvious FRAUD. I'll bet this is the only way this dealership can make any money - by stiffing people out of a deposit.

BTW, dealers trade cars all the time. The more cars on the lot, the better. So don't let him hand you that line of crap either. They'll sell that car one way or another.
cwa107
quote:
Originally posted by andyschneider
So, to me, this dealer certainly doesn't have a lot of customer saavy and certainly doesn't care how things appear, especially to other people. Even if you and your friend were being rude, the dealer has to deal with other customers, and trying to reach a resolution would certainly help with future word-of-mouth sales. So I don't hold any respect for their behavior if what you've said is accurate.

But let me get to the vehicle. From what you've stated, the deal was pretty decent at that dealer. If they have the car there and it does only have 102-104 miles on it, it might be worthwhile to just do the deal and walk from the dealer and do service/warranty work elsewhere. The good thing about Hondas is that you can go to any dealer for service and warranty work, and there are no mileage constraints about how far away from a selling dealer you have to be. I know you had this verbal contract about how many miles on the vehicle you'd be willing to take, but as was discusssed earlier in the string, 100 or so miles isn't unreasonable for a dealer-to-dealer trade. Many cars on a lot will have 100 miles on the just from a few test drives. To me, if having less than 25 miles on a car was a non-negotiable factor, I'd never take a trade from another dealer, since you can't be sure of the number of miles on that car before the dealer swap.

This is up to you, certainly, but the hassle you'll go through to try and get this deposit back may be a whole lot more pain than just doing the deal and walk.....

andy



I disagree. Now that there's bad blood between Doris and the employees there, who knows how badly they've beaten that vehicle - especially during the crucial break-in period. I feel sorry for the poor sap that ends up with that vehicle.
GreenMachine
quote:
Originally posted by qqdoris
I can't thank you all enough for all the support! Thank you!

I went to talk to the owner today. The first thing he said to me was "I know why you are here". He didn't bother to ask what happened. I started telling him about the whole deal and the agreement with the sales person and how Joe started to talk to me. When I was saying Joe slammed the phone on me. He cut me off, and changed the subject. Isn't he a nice guy? He started saying that the police was at the dealership last Saturday. I said I went to ask you guys nicely that I wanted to talk to the GM, and Joe gave me attitude right away and said I won't get my money back. Then my friend started saying how unprofessional they are and how rude they are to us. The owner looked at me and said, let's not talk about that, let's talking about the car. Wow, he sure knows how to protect his employees and keep his customers "HAPPY". He told me that he only go by what's on the contract. I asked him, so the oral agreement doesn't mean anything. He said, I only go by the contract. He must know about the agreement that we had, that's why he just kept saying I only go by what's on the contract. He said, we went and purchase the car for you, so now it's yours and waiting for you to pickup. He said the car only has 102-104 miles on it and it's still a new car etc. That's already what not we agreed on. He said I can have the car pull up and you can look at the odometer. It really wasting my time to talk to him. He doesn't want to deliver the car under the terms agreed, doesn't want to know what happened, and yet wanted me to take the car.

Anyways, now, I am going to file all types of complaints and waiting to hear back from AMEX.



Wow, he must train all the sales managers to be A-holes. After that waste of time, I would try everything I could do to not buy that car from that sleazy dealership.

Next time you talk to anyone from there, mention how they are not exceeding your expections and therefore should not be able to earn your business.
andyschneider
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107


I disagree. Now that there's bad blood between Doris and the employees there, who knows how badly they've beaten that vehicle - especially during the crucial break-in period. I feel sorry for the poor sap that ends up with that vehicle.



Yea - hadn't thought about that - you're probably right.....
rocky
Are you a member of AAA?

They'd love this one!

And are really helpful to members with car problems
jl_ss
Get them some publicity with Boston NBC's "Help Me Hank": Link
MA_Pilot
From one Silko Honda customer to another.

I would see if the consumer action people at the local TV stations would be interested in doing a story about a car dealer that won't refund your deposit:

WPRI 12
NBC 10
ABC 6
dragoncoach
If you think about it, the dealer is not really being very intelligent. If they were smart, they would refund the deposit and just wash it off their books. No car was actually delivered so they wouldn't be stuck with a used car that has been titled. The only thing they stand to gain would be an angry customer (who will never buy a car from them again) and lots of negative publicity. Maybe the cost of trading for the car could be split and both parties could part ways......
GreenMachine
Any updates on this? I really want to see this dealer take it on the chin.
cwa107
quote:
Originally posted by GreenMachine
Any updates on this? I really want to see this dealer take it on the chin.


I hate "me too" posts... but, ME TOO! What did you do (if anything) with these idiots?

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