Review: Dishonorable experience at Gwinnett Place Certified GTR Dealer, Duluth GA

somatic · 11-09-2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_sk

That's where I disagree. At the end of the day, Nissan Corp hires these dealer managers, who hire these idiot sales guys. It's a top down issue. And good luck trying to call Nissan corp, I've been redirected all day via the switch board, people dont know where to transfer my calls, etc etc. BS.

sorry, but thats not true. every dealership has an owner, or owning company. Nissan has no say whatsoever about who runs the store. The only thing they can do is penalize them, concerning bonuses and inventory.

mr_sk · 11-09-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somatic

sorry, but thats not true. every dealership has an owner, or owning company. Nissan has no say whatsoever about who runs the store. The only thing they can do is penalize them, concerning bonuses and inventory.

Ok you're probably right. I don't know **** about the structure of the dealerships. Still, I think Nissan Corp should be making sure all GTR sales are a league apart from traditional sales within their dealerships - they should have protocol in place to enforce it happens.

You know the sales guys AND techs have to got training; both to sell and to service. Paul must have been asleep during class ...

FuszNissan · 11-09-2011, 02:48 PM

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

It's that old saying "it only takes one bad apple..."

Unfortunately, this has been happening in our industry for so long, we will forever be overshadowed with the "Used Car Salesmen"

shadoquad · 11-09-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuszNissan

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

It's that old saying "it only takes one bad apple..."

Unfortunately, this has been happening in our industry for so long, we will forever be overshadowed with the "Used Car Salesmen"

For every one of these idiots, there's a guy who "gets it" and will deal with you on honest terms.

The guy who sold me my Z is Jay Region from Norris Nissan. He got it. The car sells itself. I merely told him what I wanted, we did some light dealing, took our time, agreed on numbers, and bam we had a deal.

somatic · 11-09-2011, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_sk

Ok you're probably right. I don't know **** about the structure of the dealerships. Still, I think Nissan Corp should be making sure all GTR sales are a league apart from traditional sales within their dealerships - they should have protocol in place to enforce it happens.

You know the sales guys AND techs have to got training; both to sell and to service. Paul must have been asleep during class ...

they do, but you were looking at a preowned one. Preowned recieves no real oversight from corporate

somatic · 11-09-2011, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadoquad

For every one of these idiots, there's a guy who "gets it" and will deal with you on honest terms.

The guy who sold me my Z is Jay Region from Norris Nissan. He got it. The car sells itself. I merely told him what I wanted, we did some light dealing, took our time, agreed on numbers, and bam we had a deal.

Im that guy here lol

SeattleLion · 11-09-2011, 03:34 PM

A truly alarming story. Buying a used car from a distant dealer is like trying to maintain a long distance relationship; very hard to do successfully. Here are some things I noticed:

You don't seem to have received a written proposal from the dealer. This would have listed all charges and taxes. Email and verbal negotiations are fine in the beginning, but I don't think I would even consider providing a deposit before receiving a signed proposal.
I am very suprised you didn't request written cerification of the car's condition. That would have gone a long way toward resolving any disputes and would have saved you the trip.
Considering the price of the car, it would have been a very good idea to pay a local lawyer to represent you. For a few hundred bucks you would have your own representative down there.
Similarly, it would make sense to find a local mechanic to verify the condition of the car.

Buying a car, new or used, from a dealer does not change the nature of the transaction. Depending on the state where you buy the car, there may or may not be consumer protection laws to prevent unethical transactions.

Most important, I think, is that if I am spending $66,000 I want to make sure that I (not the dealer) have independent verification that I am getting what I am paying for.

Most of us think of car dealers as "stores" where we buy a car the same way we buy a bed or a couch. The dealers work hard to make us "forget" how much money is involved. Most dealers only talk about monthly payments, not the total you will be paying. It is up to us to recognize how big these transactions are and it is up to us, not the dealer, to make sure we are getting what we are paying for.

It's really great to find an honest dealer that actually helps customers get the right car at the right price. But in our economy some formerly great dealers are shaving the truth to stay in business.

I am not a lawyer, just an educated consumer. I do know that when I am spending a lot of money, I want to know exactly what I am getting and what my money buys in terms of warranties and other "extras".

Bear in mind you are the customer. You always can walk away if the dealer doesn't do exactly what you want. In some ways you may have made it easy for the dealer to avoid telling you the truth. I suggest you think about what you could have done to make your experience better. Take the time to write out a list of what you want from the dealer before you even consider a deposit. List the things that you need to do to assure you are getting the car you expect.

Remember, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) is most true when a car dealer is involved.

RunNgun · 11-09-2011, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apoc370z

Still reading but i will comment on this..

You know straight away that the dealer is shady when they say the bank wont let you finance a car for a certain amount but they are willing to do it if you buy the extended warranty, which will add up to more than the original sum.

Thats when i will look for another dealership

Pay particular attention to this. I had something similar happen, whereby the dealer claimed I wasnt approved for a certain loan, but then COULD get me approved for an even HIGHER loan. I chuckled and told him "if I'm too risky to be loaned $36,000, why would I be given $38,000?" They want you to feel like they're pulling strings, getting the bank to do you some kind of favor by giving you the money, but the catch is you have to pay for this "favor". Complete garbage, it's a risk assessment, nothing more. I got the loan approved myself from the same bank they claimed to have tried the next day =/

From a Nissan dealership too.

mr_sk · 11-09-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Tom Peacock nissan here in houston. speak to the internet sales rep. Steve Hipshin. i bought my nismo through emails, no haggling, no bs. i asked for invoice price and he said sure. i even got some stuff added for free. and this was on a vehicle still on the boat over to america.

i was shocked when i went to sign the papers he had it all written up with no crap about buying an extended warrenty. hell the man didnt even ask if i wanted wheel locks. just heres your car and heres the price. amazing experience.

Sounds like a rare but awesome experience. Glad to hear it. Perhaps I will reach out. Right now I'm not giving Nissan a penny.

Quote:

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

It's that old saying "it only takes one bad apple..."

Unfortunately, this has been happening in our industry for so long, we will forever be overshadowed with the "Used Car Salesmen"

Yeah - and this sort of situation just helps prolong that stereotype..it's a shame.

Quote:

The guy who sold me my Z is Jay Region from Norris Nissan. He got it. The car sells itself. I merely told him what I wanted, we did some light dealing, took our time, agreed on numbers, and bam we had a deal.

Glad to hear you had a positive experience as well.

Quote:

You don't seem to have received a written proposal from the dealer. This would have listed all charges and taxes. Email and verbal negotiations are fine in the beginning, but I don't think I would even consider providing a deposit before receiving a signed proposal.
I am very suprised you didn't request written cerification of the car's condition. That would have gone a long way toward resolving any disputes and would have saved you the trip.
Considering the price of the car, it would have been a very good idea to pay a local lawyer to represent you. For a few hundred bucks you would have your own representative down there.
Similarly, it would make sense to find a local mechanic to verify the condition of the car.

I did have a written proposal for cost and taxes. That went through a few rounds of negotiations but was all nailed down prior to me leaving to get the car.

Regarding condition, I asked and recieved a few emails about the multi-point inspection being done, the car being in excellent mechanical shape, it passed the GTR inspection and still had a bumper to bumper warranty, had never been launched, etc.

I could get a lawyer - that's something I'm talking over with friends here, I have some that are lawyers in the city.

An inspection is good and I had thought about doing that - I guess I just never followed through.

Quote:

Bear in mind you are the customer. You always can walk away if the dealer doesn't do exactly what you want. In some ways you may have made it easy for the dealer to avoid telling you the truth. I suggest you think about what you could have done to make your experience better. Take the time to write out a list of what you want from the dealer before you even consider a deposit. List the things that you need to do to assure you are getting the car you expect.

Great point - this is a learning experience for me. Will execute the deal, whatever it is, much better. And yes, I did walk away...800 miles away, heh.

Quote:

Pay particular attention to this. I had something similar happen, whereby the dealer claimed I wasnt approved for a certain loan, but then COULD get me approved for an even HIGHER loan. I chuckled and told him "if I'm too risky to be loaned $36,000, why would I be given $38,000?" They want you to feel like they're pulling strings, getting the bank to do you some kind of favor by giving you the money, but the catch is you have to pay for this "favor". Complete garbage, it's a risk assessment, nothing more. I got the loan approved myself from the same bank they claimed to have tried the next day =/

From a Nissan dealership too.

Yeah, should have caught that as a red flag as well. Awful. Awful.

Mike · 11-09-2011, 06:00 PM

I'm guessing if they become aware of these threads here and NAGTROC, you can kiss your reimbursement goodbye.

Rui Z · 11-09-2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I'm guessing if they become aware of these threads here and NAGTROC, you can kiss your reimbursement goodbye.

I know right? Sure time is money, but they did say they would reimburse you for travel costs. Maybe hold off on the negativity unless they renege on the reimbursement.

Also, do you really need to get a lawyer involved? It's not like you actually bought the car.

b1adesofcha0s · 11-09-2011, 06:57 PM

Wow sorry to hear that happened to you. Had a similar (though far less extreme) experience when I was trying to buy a 2009 Maxima last year. I live in MD and drove close to 300 miles to see one in NJ. Asked for pics of the car and it looked pretty good in them. When I got there the car actually had graffiti keyed into it. No joke. It wasn't just keyed, there was graffiti keyed on the rear quarter panel. Also, the car had like 2-3k miles more than what I was told. The salesman than told me the pics/mileage they gave me were from over a year ago. They wouldn't even budge on the price so I walked away right there. At that point, I didn't even want it. Luckily for me though, I have family/friends in NY so the trip wasn't a complete waste.

Hope things work out for you better next time

BuckeyeZ · 11-09-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somatic

sorry, but thats not true. every dealership has an owner, or owning company. Nissan has no say whatsoever about who runs the store. The only thing they can do is penalize them, concerning bonuses and inventory.

FWIW, Nissan dealers are independently owned and operated. You can't judge Nissan or the quality of their products by the salesman (or the dealership) for that matter.

UNKNOWN_370 · 11-09-2011, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

everyone goes to mustangs...

Hey Ken, what do you expect? Mustangs are the greatest!!! We're the only two members too stupid to realize it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

somatic · 11-09-2011, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeZ

FWIW, Nissan dealers are independently owned and operated. You can't judge Nissan or the quality of their products by the salesman (or the dealership) for that matter.

that's what I said

11-09-2011, 02:48 PM	#18 (permalink)
FuszNissan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: St. Louis Posts: 14,275 Drives: Pure Sex Rep Power: 541	Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. It's that old saying "it only takes one bad apple..." Unfortunately, this has been happening in our industry for so long, we will forever be overshadowed with the "Used Car Salesmen" __________________ Mods: Too Many to list! LouFuszNissan ZDAYZ 2012

11-09-2011, 03:34 PM	#22 (permalink)
SeattleLion Base Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 226 Drives: '13 Mustang GT Prem. Rep Power: 233	A truly alarming story. Buying a used car from a distant dealer is like trying to maintain a long distance relationship; very hard to do successfully. Here are some things I noticed: You don't seem to have received a written proposal from the dealer. This would have listed all charges and taxes. Email and verbal negotiations are fine in the beginning, but I don't think I would even consider providing a deposit before receiving a signed proposal. I am very suprised you didn't request written cerification of the car's condition. That would have gone a long way toward resolving any disputes and would have saved you the trip. Considering the price of the car, it would have been a very good idea to pay a local lawyer to represent you. For a few hundred bucks you would have your own representative down there. Similarly, it would make sense to find a local mechanic to verify the condition of the car. Buying a car, new or used, from a dealer does not change the nature of the transaction. Depending on the state where you buy the car, there may or may not be consumer protection laws to prevent unethical transactions. Most important, I think, is that if I am spending $66,000 I want to make sure that I (not the dealer) have independent verification that I am getting what I am paying for. Most of us think of car dealers as "stores" where we buy a car the same way we buy a bed or a couch. The dealers work hard to make us "forget" how much money is involved. Most dealers only talk about monthly payments, not the total you will be paying. It is up to us to recognize how big these transactions are and it is up to us, not the dealer, to make sure we are getting what we are paying for. It's really great to find an honest dealer that actually helps customers get the right car at the right price. But in our economy some formerly great dealers are shaving the truth to stay in business. I am not a lawyer, just an educated consumer. I do know that when I am spending a lot of money, I want to know exactly what I am getting and what my money buys in terms of warranties and other "extras". Bear in mind you are the customer. You always can walk away if the dealer doesn't do exactly what you want. In some ways you may have made it easy for the dealer to avoid telling you the truth. I suggest you think about what you could have done to make your experience better. Take the time to write out a list of what you want from the dealer before you even consider a deposit. List the things that you need to do to assure you are getting the car you expect. Remember, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) is most true when a car dealer is involved.

11-09-2011, 06:00 PM	#25 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2185	I'm guessing if they become aware of these threads here and NAGTROC, you can kiss your reimbursement goodbye. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

11-09-2011, 06:57 PM	#27 (permalink)
b1adesofcha0s A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: MD Posts: 40,963 Drives: HypeTrain Choo Choo! Rep Power: 141	Wow sorry to hear that happened to you. Had a similar (though far less extreme) experience when I was trying to buy a 2009 Maxima last year. I live in MD and drove close to 300 miles to see one in NJ. Asked for pics of the car and it looked pretty good in them. When I got there the car actually had graffiti keyed into it. No joke. It wasn't just keyed, there was graffiti keyed on the rear quarter panel. Also, the car had like 2-3k miles more than what I was told. The salesman than told me the pics/mileage they gave me were from over a year ago. They wouldn't even budge on the price so I walked away right there. At that point, I didn't even want it. Luckily for me though, I have family/friends in NY so the trip wasn't a complete waste. Hope things work out for you better next time __________________ Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) \| Uprev Tune by AAM Competition \| Berk Exhaust Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) \| Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

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