| OnHonda11 |
It's been a while since I've been on here as I sold my '06 Pilot back in November. Still come back now and then. I just became OnHonda12 as we've just purchased a used '05 Accord from a local Honda "stealer". You many know where this is going! I need some help and advice.
When I looked at the Accord, it was dirty and the salesman told me not to worry about the interior or exterior of the car's condition as it would be completely detailed inside and out. I said there were a lot of scratches on the exterior. He told me that if they weren't deep and your finger nail couldn't feel them, they'd high speed polish them out. I told them I was extremely picky and the Salemanager assured me that he even gets out there and does the car's himself if needed to get them just right. I also asked for a few stone chips to be touched up on the hood and the rear bumper where there was a chip. I went in this morning and the sales manager wasn't there as it was his birthday and he had the day off. The car had all the same light scratches and none of the chips had been touched up. There was a white scuff on the black leather that the salesmanager said he would have fixed. It wasn't. I told them that I wouldn't accept it as is. I asked to speak to the salesmanager and that's when I found out it was his day off. They got me another manager who looked at the car and told me there was nothing they could do. He told me that he would give me my deposit back and send me on my way. The problem was that the salesmanager had taken over $2000 off the asking price and the owner and salesmanager had gone head to head and it got "ugly" was what the sales manager had told me earlier in the week. It turns out they weren't prepared to spend another dime on the car. I was told this by the owner after I talked to him today. He said it was perfect and he would gladly take it back and put it in his showroom. There's no way with the many scratches that were there. I didn't back out of the deal as I had settled on the car with a clean history, I had sold my other van and had no vehicle. In the end, I thought I would just pay a body shop with a great track record the money to wet sand where necessary and high speed polish for under $200.
Not a half hour later, I was driving down a highway at 125 km/hr and the back left tire blew out. I pulled over quickly to find it flat as a pancake. I put the spare on and called to let the salesman know what had happened so quickly after I pulled away. There aren't any high speed highways near my house to have tested it at higher speeds. I then took it to a Goodyear dealer where close to where I was. He looked at the tire and showed me all kinds of sidewall cracks and cracks in the inner part of the treads. He said that likely the tire heated up as it was losing air, blew and shifted the steel belts. He said that the car was so on the line for a safety inspection with the low tread wear left. I measured them when I got home and there was 4/32 on the front tires and 5/32 on the rear. I believe here in Ontario, 3/32 is mimimum. I never checked the tire depth as the salesmanager had looked at our van in the parking lot (that we were privately selling) prior to me purchasing this and assured me that they would never sell a vehicle with anything even close to as low as my van tires were which read at 5/32. I've since found out that the car sat on their lot for 110 days until I bought it. Might have had something to do with the tires being cracked. They're only 3 1/2 years old.
The dealer claims there's only $200 (profit) left in this deal that they paid the original seller for this vehicle. I feel they misled me by assuring me they take care of every little thing and go over the car with a small toothed comb. I feel that they owe me for the front tires that are cracked with 4/32 and they owe me for the rears that have 5/32 that are also cracked one of which blew out putting my family at risk on the highway. I had asked the owner to have the car professionally high speed polished by a body shop who knows what they are doing and he had refused say that they wouldn't spend anymore money on the deal even though we had agreed they would fix the scratches.
I know I have two different issues at hand here but I need some opinions. Lastly, they took a personal cheque for 2/3 of the payment on the vehicle. The other they allowed me to put on credit card. They suggested personal cheque was fine because I lived locally. I'm debating stopping payment on the cheque as I paid them with it today on a Saturday and it will take until Monday to clear. I want them to know I am serious about them making this right but I don't want to get myself in a legal battle because I have the car and haven't paid.
So wadda ya tink? |
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| jestmaty |
Be prepared for all sorts of answers when you ask for advice on car forums.
If I read correctly, you ultimately took the car, signed papers saying you'd accept it 'as is'.
A blown tire could happen anytime, anywhere. As much as I hate to say it, YOU had a responsibility to check these things during the sale process. The tire's condition that is.... If they were worn and/or cracked, YOU should have commented right there and then.
I know the car buying process can be fun, tiresome, nerveracking, and stressful all at the same time. I'm not trying to beat up on you, just seeing the situation from an objective standpoint.
Maybe you could stop payment on the check and get all parties involved to have a sit down to discuss your car purchase experience. I have no idea about Canadian law, but you would almost have to do this first thing Monday am. Maybe get there just minutes before opening, with the new car.
State your grievances and tell them what YOU think is a proper fix to the problem. Nothing has been titled yet, so the paperwork could be stopped and you could maybe return the car.
It all depends on how you approach the management Monday am as to how much they would work with you on resolving the paint/chips/tires complaints. |
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| OnHonda11 |
| I noted on the bill that I was accepting the car with the condition that they would do further polishing, touch-up and fix the seat all as promised prior to delivery. I protected myself there. In being told by the sales manager that he would never put a car on the road that had tires with 4/32, I didn't have a gauge with me at the time looking at the car but did rely on the dealerships experience and professionalism to send me safely on my way. I can stop payment today on the cheque as my bank is a virtual 24/7 bank and can call anytime to stop payment. The plates/ownership was transferred on Friday before the license office closed. I wouldn't think that it would matter either way because they offered to get me out of the deal on Saturday after the ownership had been transferred anyways. I don't want my money back and have to go looking for another car as this is very time consuming and it took the good part of a week to get completed this past week. I'd also have to rent a car for that time period also. |
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| jestmaty |
Good...good, it sounds like you did your best to cover yourself for the safety and comfort of your family.
With this new info, I'd stop payment and get with those guys first thing tomorrow am. Although, stopping payment on a check usually pisses those guys off and puts them in a 'less than optimal bargaining mood'.
Glad you handled the blow out safely. Now, your are only asking them for proper tires that should have been on in the first place and paint touch-up ( which probably costs them next to zero $ in their own body shop ) |
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| Medic721 |
Read your contract closely. You have time today before the 'work week' begins. Before stopping payment check with someone. local laws / regulations may effect you. Canada / Ontario's laws may be different.
Know what you want and are willing to settle for. Also decide before hand if you are willing to give the car back. Here in NYS we have a limited time to back out of a contract. Local laws vary.
Salesman say alot of things. if it is not a certified pre-owned i wouldn't count on getting them to pay for the tires. But the body work agreed to IN WRITING should be takeen care of.
-Mike. |
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| OnHonda11 |
Spoke to a friend of mine who is a GM of an Acura Dealership and a Honda Dealership last night. He felt that they at least owed me to replace to blown out tire. He said that it was dirty pool to sell me a car with tires as warn as the vehicle I considered trading that they said they would never put on their lot with those tires.
I didn't stop payment on the personal cheque. Went in this morning and talked to the salesmanger. We went over everything including looking at the tires closely. Turns out that one of the front ones had a chunk out of it on the sidewall but was obviously not a new chunk missing. Therefore the tires should have never safetied here in Ontario. He agreed to take the car for four days, high speed polish at their body shop to remove many more scratches as 95% weren't through the paint. He also agreed to provide me with 4 brand new tires (Bridgestones :( but free!) and to give me a loaner. Option 2 was to give me my money back. Salesmanager said that he deeply regrets having ever done this deal because he got in so much hot water from the owner of the dealersihp. My friend commented that the car sitting on the lot with old tires for 4 months would have done damage to the tires but also to the money they gave the previous owner. The market has changed here in Ontario huge in the past 4 months. That shouldn't have affected my deal though as they knew what the car was worth the day they sold it and I simply asked what the bottom line/no dicker price was on that vehicle and paid them that amount.
We love the car and feel the dealer has bent over backwards to cover themselves but also to please me in the end. I would definately recommend Georgetown Honda in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada!!! |
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| Samuel2003 |
If I went through all that, I certainly wouldn't be recommending that dealership... :rolleyes:
Also, I'd be willing to bet that the whole "I'm in hot water with the owner of the dealership because I'm giving you such a good deal" was simply a ploy... |
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| Medic721 |
I am glad it is working out for you.
-Mike |
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| colorider |
| Moved thread to Off-Topic, Other Automobiles |
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