Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I have the battery that Hanigan's sold me. The problem is that they will not accept their mistake in that they apparently sold me an outdated battery. Contrary to their complaint response, the battery I presented matches the invoice perfectly, and is in fact, the battery they sold me. [redacted]
Sincerely,
[redacted]
When Mr. [redacted] initially spoke with our parts department on March 27th, he had the invoice with him, but did not have the original battery. Based on the information we had at the time we had no reason to believe we could not replace the battery under warranty. However, when Mr. [redacted]...
returned, the battery he brought with him appeared to be older than the one showing on the invoice. Our parts department pulled the date code from the battery and called the manufacturer of the battery. According to the manufacturer records the battery Mr. [redacted] had with him was from 2012, so it was not the battery listed on the invoice. This was not a case of a missing code on the invoice. The warranty claim was denied by the manufacturer for being out of date. We did not accuse Mr. [redacted] of running a scam, we simply asked him if it was possible that he had brought in the wrong battery. We stock very few batteries at any given time, and our supplier rotates the batteries we do have in stock on a regular basis to ensure that we do not sell batteries out of date. Based on this we are confident that this was not a case of us selling an outdated battery, or refusing to honor a warranty claim, but rather a simple mistake on Mr. [redacted]’s end. Honoring warranty claims such as this incur absolutely no cost to the dealership, so there is no reason for us to deny one. It is, in fact, the responsibility of the manufacturer, not the dealer, to approve or deny warranty claims. If Mr. [redacted] can provide us with the correct battery, we will happily assist him in getting a replacement under warranty.
Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
To: Revdex.com
Date: 1/17/17
This letter is in regard to complaint [redacted] which I started on the Revdex.com computer form and was not able to complete due to the lack of space in the form. I tried to print what I had written but instead it ended up being sent to the Revdex.com before I had it completed. I will repeat the first part.
My wife and I were contacted by a sales person several times from Steve’s Hometown Motors while we were on an extended trip pulling a small travel trailer. The point of the conversation was that his auto agency needed good used pickups and they would like to sell me a new truck and take my 2010 GMC in trade. A few days after returning home the salesman called again and made an appointment to meet me on Friday. I drove to Payette October 28 to look at 2016 Sierra GMC pickups. They had at least a dozen or more in stock. There were several black ones, a red one, a Silver one and numerus white colored GMC pickups. I looked at the ones parked north of their shop area first. Then the salesman took me around the building to the East. There were more parked there and mostly white colored. I sat in the Silver truck and the sales man explained all the features including the trailering equipment package and pointed at the trailer brake control unit which was on the left upper dash. I commented that it was a lot more user friendly position than on my 2010 GMC which had the integrated brake control lower down on the left dash. When we exited the Silver pickup, he also pointed out several other features, such as the tailgate controlled lowering. He also showed me the two plugs for trailer towing. I assumed he was pointing out the features for trailer towing, since he was very aware that we had just finished an 11,000 mile trip towing a trailer. I also observed and looked at the specification sheet on the side window of the Silver pickup and numerous other ones in the lot. Under standard equipment they all listed trailering equipment package, and thru the side driver’s window the brake control was very visible on the left upper dash.
The conversation then proceeded to what color I preferred. I commented that I wasn’t interested in a black or white one and my 2010 GMC was red. The salesman suggested a test drive in the blue truck which was parked in the entry door area. It was very quiet, a very smooth ride and it turned a much tighter radius than my 2010 GMC. We then went inside and negotiated and I purchased the blue 2016 GMC. I drove it home that day – Friday October 28.
On Sunday October 30th I spent time in the pickup becoming familiar with all the equipment using the owner’s manual. I had not driven the pickup other than bringing it home from the dealership on Friday. I then discovered that there was no integrated brake control switch on the upper left dash. I called on Sunday but there was no answer at the dealership. I returned to the dealership on Monday to discuss the issue of no integrated brake control switch. I also needed to deliver the title on my 2010 GMC to complete the transaction. Before I met with anyone at Steve’s Hometown Motors, I walked around the lot and looked at the dozen or so 2016 GMC pickups. I found 2 others that did not have the integrated brake control switch. I talked with the salesperson and showed him that there was no integrated brake control switch in the pickup I was purchasing and we went in the office. He spoke to the sales manager and said they could add an integrated brake control switch for $237.00 additional charge. We discussed it and I said I was not paying any additional money since it was supposed to have a trailering equipment package like the others on the lot. Then the salesman went back to the sales manager’s office. The salesman came back and sat down at his desk where I was sitting and I saw the sales manager walk by and go out to the shop and parts room. The salesman wanted me to give him the title to my 2010 GMC to complete the transaction and I refused to until we had the issue of the integrated brake control switch resolved. The sales manager returned to his office and the salesman left me and went to his manager’s office. The salesman came back to me at his desk and said they would put the factory integrated brake control switch on the GMC at no charge to me. I would have to bring it back the next day - Tuesday November 1. Understanding it would be a factory switch, I relinquished the title on the 2010 GMC to finalize the transaction.
We returned the next morning and left the pickup for the 2 hour installation. I was called that the pickup was ready and my wife dropped me off at the dealership. I walked into the shop and they handed me the keys and said it was ready. When I got in the pickup I glanced to the left and noticed that there wasn’t any integrated brake control switch in the upper left corner of the dash. As I was getting out of the pickup to go back inside I noticed an aftermarket black box screwed to the outside of the dash near my right knee with a bunch of wires hanging loosely under the dash. I immediately went back to the sales office and told the salesman and he went into the sales manager’s office. The sales manager left his office and went directly to the shop area. In a few minutes the sales manager came back and informed me that General Motors did not sell the integrated brake control switch separately. After some discussion I asked them how you would replace it if it goes bad on a pickup where it has already been installed at the factory. I didn’t receive an answer to that question and was told they had already installed a brake control switch. I told them I would leave the truck here until they could get this problem solved. I went outside and called my wife to come back and pick me up. I then unloaded the few personal things I had in the pickup and stacked them against the wall near the door to the maintenance area. As I finished unloading all the items, the sales manager came out and I re-confirmed that I was leaving the pickup to be fixed properly. He then told me if I left the pickup on their lot he would have it towed. I decided against leaving the pickup after the harsh and antagonistic comments about having it towed that had been made by the sales manager. I reloaded my items into the pickup and drove it home.
Over the course of the next 2-3 days I communicated with GMC several times. I found out that the factory integrated brake switch cannot be installed on the pickup after it leaves the factory because the wiring is different. I also spoke to Steve D[redacted], the owner of Steve’s Hometown Motors about my problems with an inadequate brake switch – non factory - that had been installed on my 2016 GMC. The agreement on October 31 was for a factory integrated brake control switch. In our conversation Mr. D[redacted] was very blunt and informed me that he had looked at the paper work concerning the vehicle and the transaction and I had received a very good deal and he was not taking the vehicle back. He said that they had installed a brake control switch on the vehicle. I explained to him that what was installed was only an off/on switch and does not control the braking when pulling a trailer. After further discussion I was told that Steve’s Hometown Motors would order the type of brake control switch that would do proportional braking without locking up the trailer wheels. The Parts Dept. Manager called me to find out the type of proportional brake control switch I wanted and he ordered it. It was finally installed nearly two weeks later.
This whole incident was created by a lack of truth and clarification in advertising on the part of General Motors. I have included a copy of the specification sheet from my pickup. It clearly states Trailering Equipment Package as did the numerous other pickups I looked at on the lot that had the integrated brake control switch installed. On the specification sheet under Standard Equipment, GMC clarifies all that is included or excluded such as Tire Pressure Monitor System (excl Spare Tire), Power Train Limited warranty – See Dealer for Details and Two Maintenance Visits – Oil and Filter – 4 Wheel Tire rotation – See www.GMC.com or Dealer for Details. The specification sheet on the 2016 GMC I purchased makes no reference to any exclusion of an integrated brake control switch as part of the Trailering Equipment Package. I researched other brands of pickups and confirmed that their trailering packages included everything that I would need to legally and immediately tow any trailer – including brakes.
As a consumer, I expected GMC and the dealership to be knowledgeable in the presentation of their product and to sell me a product that meets my needs – a complete trailering equipment package. The dealership sales employees did not appear to know their “stuff” about the equipment on the pickup and were unaware that all the 2016 GMC pickups on their lot with the Trailering Equipment Package were not equally equipped.
My mistake was in relinquishing the title to my 2010 GMC without having the factory integrated brake system installation completed first. In my past dealings with the previous dealership at that location and my knowledge of their excellent reputation for outstanding customer service and rectifying any issues a customer had with a purchase, I made the decision that this would be handled appropriately and released my title. I then drove home to Weiser and registered the vehicle under the same assumption.
I have had a 1993 GMC and a 2004 Chevy Silverado that both had an aftermarket brake switch mounted at the bottom of the dash in a useable position. My 2010 GMC had a factory integrated brake system that was fantastic! I, like a fool, traded it off and have now gone backward with a 2016 GMC that has a brake control switch mounted on the front of the dash where you hit it with your knee. Very awkward! This also concerns me from a safety stand point.
I don’t know whether GMC sends the dealerships their inventory or the dealerships order their inventory but there are at least two other pickups on Steve’s Hometown Motors lot without a factory integrated brake switch installed. I would hope that all the sales staff now understands the impact of not having the factory installed brake switch and makes absolutely certain the next customer looking at one of those pickups knows what he/she will need to have in order to be legal to tow anything with the pickup! Buying this model then having to have an aftermarket brake control installed is a joke – it is an albatross in that cab!
I bought my 2010 GMC while GMAC was in the bankruptcy era. I had trepidations about purchasing any vehicle from GMAC because of the uncertainty of GMAC’s future. I have strong reservations about doing any future business with GMAC after this experience and a bail out of 10.6 Billion dollars at my - a tax payer – expense!
In response the complaint assigned ID #[redacted] from [redacted]:
At Steve's Hometown Chevrolet we take pride in our outstanding customer service, and we always try to work with our customers to rectify any issue they have with a...
purchase.
Mr. [redacted] looked at 3 trucks before deciding on the blue one. Some of the trucks had the integrated trailer brake control, some did not, as it is a stand alone option on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The blue Sierra that Mr. [redacted] selected did not have the optional trailer brake. Mr. [redacted] looked at the vehicle and drove it before deciding that it was the one he wanted to purchase.
Mr. [redacted] came back almost a week later and stated that he had wanted a trailer brake control. Out of good will, we offered to install one at no charge, which he agreed to. When he returned to pick up his vehicle, he informed us that he did not want an aftermarket trailer brake, but wanted a factory trailer brake control which is integrated into the dash. GM does not have this available as an aftermarket accessory, so we offered to move the trailer brake control we had installed to a different location at no cost.
Mr. [redacted] stated to us at that point that he did not understand why the brake was not part of the Trailer Tow Package that was on the vehicle he purchased and that he felt it was poor marketing on the part of General Motors, not Steve's Hometown Chevrolet.
We feel we went above and beyond to try to find a solution that all parties could agree to in this circumstance.
Tom L[redacted]
General Sales Manager
Hometown Chevrolet Buick GMC
(208) 642-3348
[redacted]@hometowngm.com
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I have the battery that Hanigan's sold me. The problem is that they will not accept their mistake in that they apparently sold me an outdated battery. Contrary to their complaint response, the battery I presented matches the invoice perfectly, and is in fact, the battery they sold me. [redacted]
Sincerely,
[redacted]
When Mr. [redacted] initially spoke with our parts department on March 27th, he had the invoice with him, but did not have the original battery. Based on the information we had at the time we had no reason to believe we could not replace the battery under warranty. However, when Mr. [redacted]...
returned, the battery he brought with him appeared to be older than the one showing on the invoice. Our parts department pulled the date code from the battery and called the manufacturer of the battery. According to the manufacturer records the battery Mr. [redacted] had with him was from 2012, so it was not the battery listed on the invoice. This was not a case of a missing code on the invoice. The warranty claim was denied by the manufacturer for being out of date. We did not accuse Mr. [redacted] of running a scam, we simply asked him if it was possible that he had brought in the wrong battery. We stock very few batteries at any given time, and our supplier rotates the batteries we do have in stock on a regular basis to ensure that we do not sell batteries out of date. Based on this we are confident that this was not a case of us selling an outdated battery, or refusing to honor a warranty claim, but rather a simple mistake on Mr. [redacted]’s end. Honoring warranty claims such as this incur absolutely no cost to the dealership, so there is no reason for us to deny one. It is, in fact, the responsibility of the manufacturer, not the dealer, to approve or deny warranty claims. If Mr. [redacted] can provide us with the correct battery, we will happily assist him in getting a replacement under warranty.
Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
To: Revdex.com
Date: 1/17/17
This letter is in regard to complaint [redacted] which I started on the Revdex.com computer form and was not able to complete due to the lack of space in the form. I tried to print what I had written but instead it ended up being sent to the Revdex.com before I had it completed. I will repeat the first part.
My wife and I were contacted by a sales person several times from Steve’s Hometown Motors while we were on an extended trip pulling a small travel trailer. The point of the conversation was that his auto agency needed good used pickups and they would like to sell me a new truck and take my 2010 GMC in trade. A few days after returning home the salesman called again and made an appointment to meet me on Friday. I drove to Payette October 28 to look at 2016 Sierra GMC pickups. They had at least a dozen or more in stock. There were several black ones, a red one, a Silver one and numerus white colored GMC pickups. I looked at the ones parked north of their shop area first. Then the salesman took me around the building to the East. There were more parked there and mostly white colored. I sat in the Silver truck and the sales man explained all the features including the trailering equipment package and pointed at the trailer brake control unit which was on the left upper dash. I commented that it was a lot more user friendly position than on my 2010 GMC which had the integrated brake control lower down on the left dash. When we exited the Silver pickup, he also pointed out several other features, such as the tailgate controlled lowering. He also showed me the two plugs for trailer towing. I assumed he was pointing out the features for trailer towing, since he was very aware that we had just finished an 11,000 mile trip towing a trailer. I also observed and looked at the specification sheet on the side window of the Silver pickup and numerous other ones in the lot. Under standard equipment they all listed trailering equipment package, and thru the side driver’s window the brake control was very visible on the left upper dash.
The conversation then proceeded to what color I preferred. I commented that I wasn’t interested in a black or white one and my 2010 GMC was red. The salesman suggested a test drive in the blue truck which was parked in the entry door area. It was very quiet, a very smooth ride and it turned a much tighter radius than my 2010 GMC. We then went inside and negotiated and I purchased the blue 2016 GMC. I drove it home that day – Friday October 28.
On Sunday October 30th I spent time in the pickup becoming familiar with all the equipment using the owner’s manual. I had not driven the pickup other than bringing it home from the dealership on Friday. I then discovered that there was no integrated brake control switch on the upper left dash. I called on Sunday but there was no answer at the dealership. I returned to the dealership on Monday to discuss the issue of no integrated brake control switch. I also needed to deliver the title on my 2010 GMC to complete the transaction. Before I met with anyone at Steve’s Hometown Motors, I walked around the lot and looked at the dozen or so 2016 GMC pickups. I found 2 others that did not have the integrated brake control switch. I talked with the salesperson and showed him that there was no integrated brake control switch in the pickup I was purchasing and we went in the office. He spoke to the sales manager and said they could add an integrated brake control switch for $237.00 additional charge. We discussed it and I said I was not paying any additional money since it was supposed to have a trailering equipment package like the others on the lot. Then the salesman went back to the sales manager’s office. The salesman came back and sat down at his desk where I was sitting and I saw the sales manager walk by and go out to the shop and parts room. The salesman wanted me to give him the title to my 2010 GMC to complete the transaction and I refused to until we had the issue of the integrated brake control switch resolved. The sales manager returned to his office and the salesman left me and went to his manager’s office. The salesman came back to me at his desk and said they would put the factory integrated brake control switch on the GMC at no charge to me. I would have to bring it back the next day - Tuesday November 1. Understanding it would be a factory switch, I relinquished the title on the 2010 GMC to finalize the transaction.
We returned the next morning and left the pickup for the 2 hour installation. I was called that the pickup was ready and my wife dropped me off at the dealership. I walked into the shop and they handed me the keys and said it was ready. When I got in the pickup I glanced to the left and noticed that there wasn’t any integrated brake control switch in the upper left corner of the dash. As I was getting out of the pickup to go back inside I noticed an aftermarket black box screwed to the outside of the dash near my right knee with a bunch of wires hanging loosely under the dash. I immediately went back to the sales office and told the salesman and he went into the sales manager’s office. The sales manager left his office and went directly to the shop area. In a few minutes the sales manager came back and informed me that General Motors did not sell the integrated brake control switch separately. After some discussion I asked them how you would replace it if it goes bad on a pickup where it has already been installed at the factory. I didn’t receive an answer to that question and was told they had already installed a brake control switch. I told them I would leave the truck here until they could get this problem solved. I went outside and called my wife to come back and pick me up. I then unloaded the few personal things I had in the pickup and stacked them against the wall near the door to the maintenance area. As I finished unloading all the items, the sales manager came out and I re-confirmed that I was leaving the pickup to be fixed properly. He then told me if I left the pickup on their lot he would have it towed. I decided against leaving the pickup after the harsh and antagonistic comments about having it towed that had been made by the sales manager. I reloaded my items into the pickup and drove it home.
Over the course of the next 2-3 days I communicated with GMC several times. I found out that the factory integrated brake switch cannot be installed on the pickup after it leaves the factory because the wiring is different. I also spoke to Steve D[redacted], the owner of Steve’s Hometown Motors about my problems with an inadequate brake switch – non factory - that had been installed on my 2016 GMC. The agreement on October 31 was for a factory integrated brake control switch. In our conversation Mr. D[redacted] was very blunt and informed me that he had looked at the paper work concerning the vehicle and the transaction and I had received a very good deal and he was not taking the vehicle back. He said that they had installed a brake control switch on the vehicle. I explained to him that what was installed was only an off/on switch and does not control the braking when pulling a trailer. After further discussion I was told that Steve’s Hometown Motors would order the type of brake control switch that would do proportional braking without locking up the trailer wheels. The Parts Dept. Manager called me to find out the type of proportional brake control switch I wanted and he ordered it. It was finally installed nearly two weeks later.
This whole incident was created by a lack of truth and clarification in advertising on the part of General Motors. I have included a copy of the specification sheet from my pickup. It clearly states Trailering Equipment Package as did the numerous other pickups I looked at on the lot that had the integrated brake control switch installed. On the specification sheet under Standard Equipment, GMC clarifies all that is included or excluded such as Tire Pressure Monitor System (excl Spare Tire), Power Train Limited warranty – See Dealer for Details and Two Maintenance Visits – Oil and Filter – 4 Wheel Tire rotation – See www.GMC.com or Dealer for Details. The specification sheet on the 2016 GMC I purchased makes no reference to any exclusion of an integrated brake control switch as part of the Trailering Equipment Package. I researched other brands of pickups and confirmed that their trailering packages included everything that I would need to legally and immediately tow any trailer – including brakes.
As a consumer, I expected GMC and the dealership to be knowledgeable in the presentation of their product and to sell me a product that meets my needs – a complete trailering equipment package. The dealership sales employees did not appear to know their “stuff” about the equipment on the pickup and were unaware that all the 2016 GMC pickups on their lot with the Trailering Equipment Package were not equally equipped.
My mistake was in relinquishing the title to my 2010 GMC without having the factory integrated brake system installation completed first. In my past dealings with the previous dealership at that location and my knowledge of their excellent reputation for outstanding customer service and rectifying any issues a customer had with a purchase, I made the decision that this would be handled appropriately and released my title. I then drove home to Weiser and registered the vehicle under the same assumption.
I have had a 1993 GMC and a 2004 Chevy Silverado that both had an aftermarket brake switch mounted at the bottom of the dash in a useable position. My 2010 GMC had a factory integrated brake system that was fantastic! I, like a fool, traded it off and have now gone backward with a 2016 GMC that has a brake control switch mounted on the front of the dash where you hit it with your knee. Very awkward! This also concerns me from a safety stand point.
I don’t know whether GMC sends the dealerships their inventory or the dealerships order their inventory but there are at least two other pickups on Steve’s Hometown Motors lot without a factory integrated brake switch installed. I would hope that all the sales staff now understands the impact of not having the factory installed brake switch and makes absolutely certain the next customer looking at one of those pickups knows what he/she will need to have in order to be legal to tow anything with the pickup! Buying this model then having to have an aftermarket brake control installed is a joke – it is an albatross in that cab!
I bought my 2010 GMC while GMAC was in the bankruptcy era. I had trepidations about purchasing any vehicle from GMAC because of the uncertainty of GMAC’s future. I have strong reservations about doing any future business with GMAC after this experience and a bail out of 10.6 Billion dollars at my - a tax payer – expense!
[redacted]
Weiser, ID 83672
[redacted]
To Whom It May Concern,
In response the complaint assigned ID #[redacted] from [redacted]:
At Steve's Hometown Chevrolet we take pride in our outstanding customer service, and we always try to work with our customers to rectify any issue they have with a...
purchase.
Mr. [redacted] looked at 3 trucks before deciding on the blue one. Some of the trucks had the integrated trailer brake control, some did not, as it is a stand alone option on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The blue Sierra that Mr. [redacted] selected did not have the optional trailer brake. Mr. [redacted] looked at the vehicle and drove it before deciding that it was the one he wanted to purchase.
Mr. [redacted] came back almost a week later and stated that he had wanted a trailer brake control. Out of good will, we offered to install one at no charge, which he agreed to. When he returned to pick up his vehicle, he informed us that he did not want an aftermarket trailer brake, but wanted a factory trailer brake control which is integrated into the dash. GM does not have this available as an aftermarket accessory, so we offered to move the trailer brake control we had installed to a different location at no cost.
Mr. [redacted] stated to us at that point that he did not understand why the brake was not part of the Trailer Tow Package that was on the vehicle he purchased and that he felt it was poor marketing on the part of General Motors, not Steve's Hometown Chevrolet.
We feel we went above and beyond to try to find a solution that all parties could agree to in this circumstance.
Tom L[redacted]
General Sales Manager
Hometown Chevrolet Buick GMC
(208) 642-3348
[redacted]@hometowngm.com