Hoffman Ford Sales, Inc.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:I truly appreciate your response, and wish SO badly this was the original response I had receivedThis is how business SHOULD be done, and coming from a retail management background who now manages several accounts throughout *** PA, I know that it is completely unacceptable to argue with a customer, let alone, FABRICATE stories to make the customer sound worseI was appalled when I read the response, I could not believe that after reaching out to Better Business to express my concerns, I was blamed for the issueI think it is completely unacceptable that Hoffman took credit for giving me a rental for the entire day "free of charge" when it was provided to me by *** through the man who hit me's insurance agencyIn fact, Hoffman was the one who said I probably would not need to use *** for their rental because the service would be quite fastLike I had said many times now, I was OKAY with the service taking however long it needed to, I just needed to be informed because of my traveling for work and having all of my business needs in my car, especially my tall salon chairs which would not fit in the small rental I had, so I just needed Hoffman to communicate with me so I could plan accordingly I then was appalled that I was blamed for making Hoffman do ALL of the services in hours and that I REQUIRED they be done in that time, when I have NO IDEA how long things take and would NEVER require a time frame for ANYTHINGThe whole point of me calling multiple times to confirm the service and the time frame, was not me REQUIRING anything from you or PRESSURING things to be done a certain way, I am ALWAYS overly kind and generous and simply was calling to confirm because of my severe issues with communication in the past with Hoffman and had a large business trip the day after my service and was worried about getting my car serviced the day before, but once again, I was ensured it would only be hoursIT WAS NOT ME WHO REQUIRED THAT TIME FRAMELASTLY, for Hoffman to TAKE CREDIT of FIXING MY VEHICLE AND COMPLETING THE SERVICE when the service was never done so that I could get my car back, that is again, unacceptableThere is no excuse to blame a customer for all the said things, when none of them are true, and it is unacceptable to do all of that through Better BusinessThe lack of fact finding and getting the information straight is just another reason why I cannot trust this businessWhile I am thankful for your response and really wish it had been the first one I had received, I really cannot give you my business ever againThis makes me incredibly sad, because the day I bought my car, was such a wonderful memoryI had been on life support for a month and had endured terrible injuries, I had not driven in over a year and really wanted a safe car, The sales reps were all wonderful, and I had such a great experience, but then when I started getting services, it all went downhill.
Regards,
*** ***

MsBoughter
is correct in this case that we over promised and under delivered, and we
apologized for this, but she too has to
be reasonable when it comes to her expectations
*** *** stated to us that she called times in the days prior to her
visit to assure that this service would be handled by 12:00PM without delay Knowing that she would be dropping off the
vehicle the morning of her appointment and that the hour window of time she
was constraining us to was a stretch to complete the services, Ron Mour Body
Shop Manager offered a free rental vehicle to *** *** for the day
which she took him up on at no charge to her and at our expense
MsBoughter
dropped the vehicle off for service at 8:47AM for her tires to be balanced,
complete a wheel alignment and perform a throttle body campaignOur service
advisor did tell *** *** that the car may be ready for piat 12:00PM like
she requested and that would have been feasible except for the fact that the vehicle
still had to go over to our body shop to have a mirror replaced and a door
handle issue addressed at MsBoughter’s request. We understand that *** *** relies on us
to make repairs and tell her how long it will take to work on her vehicle but
giving us only a hour window of time to complete all of this work was a bit
of a stretchWe assumed that since she was now in a rental for the day at
no charge to her, we had more time on our hands to complete the work that she
requestedIn hindsight we should not have assumed anything and should have
communicated to her that there was no possible way that we could complete the
service work and the body shop work in the hour time frame she was allotting us
and we should have told her we needed the car for the entire dayAgain, we
apologize to her
We agree whole
heartedly with her that communication is everything and in our industry communication
is something we work on every dayBut, when you have to communicate with over
100+ customers a day and keep their paperwork organized, send them emails, or
make phone calls to them all, sometimes we miss a few or miscommunicate with
them and we apologize for this
We are sorry
that *** *** feels as though we have not tried to keep her as our
customerA few months ago we compensated her by giving her a free oil change
to be used at her convenienceAgain, we apologized to her for this current situation
that occurred and hope that she would continue to be a customer of Hoffman Ford
but we don’t feel as though refunding her money is proper since our services
were provided and successfully completed and since we covered the cost of a
rental vehicle for her
Sincerely,
Dave
C***
Fixed
Operations Director
Hoffman Ford
Reviewed By Ryan H***

I reject MrHoffman’s explanation for the following reasons:
1) Hoffman Ford had/has the ability to override Ford Motor Company’s decision and cover the fuel tankThey made a decision not based on financial reasons according Todd H***
2) Todd H*** allowed no financial consideration for the “miscommunication” on his and his staff’s part that resulted in the delay of my vehicle repair
3) Todd Hoffman accepts no responsibility for his or his staff’s poor communication and lack of customer service regarding the recall and the status of the repairs
4) $is not an acceptable amount to reimburse me for my down time without the vehicle, the fuel and mileage spent to physically drive out and pay the invoice in order to receive proof of payment to avoid “further collection fees”

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
DAVE,
I want you to understand that it was not ME that made the request for things to be done in a hour window, in fact, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE if it had taken multiple days, my issue was that HOFFMAN FORD told me it would only take a couple of hours and that I WOULD NOT NEED A RENTALOnce again, you do not have your facts straight, it is the vehicles insurance company that hit me that offered a rental! Not you! I am offended that you are taking the credit for "offering" me a free rental at no charge, when it was *** *** that offered it to me because it was part of the mans insurance policyIt is EXTREMELY bad business that you are placing the blame on ME for giving a hour window, when that was NEVER my ideaI truly would have been fine with keeping the rental longer and would have gotten all of my work belongings out of my car and made due with the alternative vehicle IF THAT IS WHAT WAS PLANNED.
Please ALSO remember, that my service WAS NOT COMPLETED the at the body shop, instead of doing the service, they just quickly buffed off the scratch, otherwise, my vehicle would have not been given back to me that night and I would have been screwed for work the next day without all my work stuff.
In your response, you fabricated THINGS.
You state that I AM THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU A HOUR WINDOW, when it was HOFFMAN that told me when things would be completed and that it probably wouldn't be necessary to have a rental!!! I only got the rental because *** *** offered it and I thought it would be nice to go home instead of wait in the waiting room
You state that YOU OFFERED ME A RENTAL FREE OF CHARGE when it was NOT you that offered the vehicle, it was the car insurance that hit me, I can't believe you are taking ownership of that being offered to me when it had nothing to do with you guys.
You say that the services were successfully completed which again ISNT TRUEthe body shop DID NOT do the job, they just buffed out the scratch instead of doing the paint job AND DID NOT REPLACE THE MIRROR, so that it would be given back to me.
Once again, bad business that you are taking complete ownership for offering me a rental that had nothing to do with you, BLAMING your customer for "constraining" you to hours when that was YOUR promise, not MY requirement, ONCE AGAIN, I would have been fine with the rental for a couple days PROVIDED BY *** ***, had I been informed so that I could plan my life accordingly, but the issue was that YOUR organization promised the time frame, NOT MEFurthermore, you are saying work was done in the body shop that was never even done so I could get my vehicle backPlease get your facts straightI am even more disgusted with your business now that your response is full of complete lies.
Regards,
*** Boughter

Ms. Boughter
is correct in this case that we over promised and under delivered, and we
apologized for this, but she too has to be reasonable when it comes to her expectations.
[redacted] stated to us that she called 14 times in the days prior to her
visit to assure that this service would...

be handled by 12:00PM without delay.  Knowing that she would be dropping off the
vehicle the morning of her appointment and that the 3 hour window of time she
was constraining us to was a stretch to complete the services, Ron M. our Body
Shop Manager offered a free rental vehicle to [redacted] for the day
which she took him up on at no charge to her and at our expense.
Ms. Boughter
dropped the vehicle off for service at 8:47AM for her tires to be balanced,
complete a 2 wheel alignment and perform a throttle body campaign. Our service
advisor did tell [redacted] that the car may be ready for pick-up at 12:00PM like
she requested and that would have been feasible except for the fact that the vehicle
still had to go over to our body shop to have a mirror replaced and a door
handle issue addressed at Ms. Boughter’s request.  We understand that [redacted] relies on us
to make repairs and tell her how long it will take to work on her vehicle but
giving us only a 3 hour window of time to complete all of this work was a bit
of a stretch. We assumed that since she was now in a rental for the day at
no charge to her, we had more time on our hands to complete the work that she
requested. In hindsight we should not have assumed anything and should have
communicated to her that there was no possible way that we could complete the
service work and the body shop work in the 3 hour time frame she was allotting us
and we should have told her we needed the car for the entire day. Again, we
apologize to her.
We agree whole
heartedly with her that communication is everything and in our industry communication
is something we work on every day. But, when you have to communicate with over
100+ customers a day and keep their paperwork organized, send them emails, or
make phone calls to them all, sometimes we miss a few or miscommunicate with
them and we apologize for this.
We are sorry
that [redacted] feels as though we have not tried to keep her as our
customer. A few months ago we compensated her by giving her a free oil change
to be used at her convenience. Again, we apologized to her for this current situation
that occurred and hope that she would continue to be a customer of Hoffman Ford
but we don’t feel as though refunding her money is proper since our services
were provided and successfully completed and since we covered the cost of a
rental vehicle for her.   
 
Sincerely,
 
Dave
C[redacted]
Fixed
Operations Director
Hoffman Ford
Reviewed By Ryan H[redacted]

[redacted],
I want to let you know that I am aware of and can understand
your dissatisfaction and the inconvenience that was placed on you and am
promptly investigating this further. I am very sorry about this whole situation
and offer my sincerest apology. I plan to speak further with my team and my
managers (Dave & Ron) to learn more about this issue and the events that led
up to now and take action.
My grandfather founded this company on the core belief that
we are here to serve the customer and you obviously have been a good customer of
ours and I hope that we can resolve this issue and that you would be willing to
stay our customer.
Again, I wish I could go back in time and handle your
situation personally from the beginning so that I knew that it would have been
handled properly but unfortunately since my grandfather and father have
successfully grown our company over the years it is hard to have a hand in
everything that occurs since I’m only one individual.  I apologize for the response that was
provided to you and I assure you I have already had a lengthy conversation with
Dave about it. He agrees that he did not do enough fact finding before he
responded and I will take full responsibility for that because he is currently handling
2 positions within our organization as we are actively seeking a service manager
to assist him with day to day operations. So again I apologize on his behalf
and more importantly on behalf of Hoffman Ford, and assure you this is not how we do business. 
 I know hindsite is always
20/20 in situations like this but now my only goal is to
earn your trust once again and work with you to determine a solution that
will work for both of us. If you are willing, I would like to set up a date and
time to complete the services that were not completed and truly provide you
with a rental car for the day if you would need one for your work.  Please try to wipe the slate clean and put
everything that happened up to this point in the past and you and I will figure out
how to get to a solution that will work for both of us.
I would kindly ask you to accept my response and e-mail me
or call me personally to work this matter out and hopefully set a date and time
that I will personally meet with you and have my team handle the process
correctly so that we get you taken care of like you should have been
and will be in the future!
Look forward to hearing from you,
Ryan *. H[redacted]
Ryan.H[redacted]@HoffmanFord.com
###-###-#### (Since I am not always at my desk if you leave a voicemail
I will call you back as soon as I can)

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is not satisfactory as Hoffman ford had stated in the letter they are not responsible for the plates but sent a letter to the NYC DMV taking full responsibility for destroying my plates which I have copies of paper work I thank Revdex.com for trying to rectify this situation. As for Hoffman ford I thank you for yet another untrue statement and look forward to
Solving this matter at a higher level have a nice day.
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
I truly appreciate your response, and wish SO badly this was the original response I had received. This is how business SHOULD be done, and coming from a retail management background who now manages several accounts throughout [redacted] PA, I know that it is completely unacceptable to argue with a customer, let alone, FABRICATE stories to make the customer sound worse. I was appalled when I read the response, I could not believe that after reaching out to Better Business to express my concerns, I was blamed for the issue. I think it is completely unacceptable that Hoffman took credit for giving me a rental for the entire day "free of charge" when it was provided to me by [redacted] through the man who hit me's insurance agency. In fact, Hoffman was the one who said I probably would not need to use [redacted] for their rental because the service would be quite fast. Like I had said many times now, I was OKAY with the service taking however long it needed to, I just needed to be informed because of my traveling for work and having all of my business needs in my car, especially my tall salon chairs which would not fit in the small rental I had, so I just needed Hoffman to communicate with me so I could plan accordingly.  I then was appalled that I was blamed for making Hoffman do ALL of the services in 3 hours and that I REQUIRED they be done in that time, when I have NO IDEA how long things take and would NEVER require a time frame for ANYTHING. The whole point of me calling multiple times to confirm the service and the time frame, was not me REQUIRING anything from you or PRESSURING things to be done a certain way, I am ALWAYS overly kind and generous and simply was calling to confirm because of my severe issues with communication in the past with Hoffman and had a large business trip the day after my service and was worried about getting my car serviced the day before, but once again, I was ensured it would only be 3 hours. IT WAS NOT ME WHO REQUIRED THAT TIME FRAME. LASTLY, for Hoffman to TAKE CREDIT of FIXING MY VEHICLE AND COMPLETING THE SERVICE when the service was never done so that I could get my car back, that is again, unacceptable. There is no excuse to blame a customer for all the said things, when none of them are true, and it is unacceptable to do all of that through Better Business. The lack of fact finding and getting the information straight is just another reason why I cannot trust this business. While I am thankful for your response and really wish it had been the first one I had received, I really cannot give you my business ever again. This makes me incredibly sad, because the day I bought my car, was such a wonderful memory. I had been on life support for a month and had endured terrible injuries, I had not driven in over a year and really wanted a safe car, The sales reps were all wonderful, and I had such a great experience, but then when I started getting services, it all went downhill. 
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:DAVE, I want you to understand that it was not ME that made the request for things to be done in a 3 hour window, in fact, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE if it had taken multiple days, my issue was that HOFFMAN FORD told me it would only take a couple of hours and that I WOULD NOT NEED A RENTAL. Once again, you do not have your facts straight, it is the vehicles insurance company that hit me that offered a rental! Not you! I am offended that you are taking the credit for "offering" me a free rental at no charge, when it was [redacted] that offered it to me because it was part of the mans insurance policy. It is EXTREMELY bad business that you are placing the blame on ME for giving a 3 hour window, when that was NEVER my idea. I truly would have been fine with keeping the rental longer and would have gotten all of my work belongings out of my car and made due with the alternative vehicle IF THAT IS WHAT WAS PLANNED. Please ALSO remember, that my service WAS NOT COMPLETED the at the body shop, instead of doing the service, they just quickly buffed off the scratch, otherwise, my vehicle would have not been given back to me that night and I would have been screwed for work the next day without all my work stuff. In your response, you fabricated 3 THINGS. 1. You state that I AM THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU A 3 HOUR WINDOW, when it was HOFFMAN that told me when things would be completed and that it probably wouldn't be necessary to have a rental!!! I only got the rental because [redacted] offered it and I thought it would be nice to go home instead of wait in the waiting room2. You state that YOU OFFERED ME A RENTAL FREE OF CHARGE when it was NOT you that offered the vehicle, it was the car insurance that hit me, I can't believe you are taking ownership of that being offered to me when it had nothing to do with you guys. 3. You say that the services were successfully completed which again ISNT TRUE. the body shop DID NOT do the job, they just buffed out the scratch instead of doing the paint job AND DID NOT REPLACE THE MIRROR, so that it would be given back to me. Once again, bad business that you are taking complete ownership for offering me a rental that had nothing to do with you, BLAMING your customer for "constraining" you to 3 hours when that was YOUR promise, not MY requirement, ONCE AGAIN, I would have been fine with the rental for a couple days PROVIDED BY [redacted], had I been informed so that I could plan my life accordingly, but the issue was that YOUR organization promised the time frame, NOT ME. Furthermore, you are saying work was done in the body shop that was never even done so I could get my vehicle back. Please get your facts straight. I am even more disgusted with your business now that your response is full of complete lies. 
Regards,
[redacted] Boughter

To whom it may concern,We have been in touch with [redacted] and she was to have an appointment to come in to discuss her concern with us this past Thursday (3/16/17) so that we could provide her in person with all of the original documents, that we have already included in this case, and explain everything in person. She did however request to reschedule this appointment for next Thursday (3/23/17) as the winter weather in Pennsylvania was not the greatest this past Thursday, so we agreed. At that time we hope to come to a resolution of sort, but we still do not feel as though [redacted] has any recourse against Hoffman Ford in the situation with her 2006 Ford Explorer.  We had hoped that we would have been able to give a final resolution to this matter via this response but since our meeting did not occur yet with [redacted], we can not and we needed to respond within 10 days. We look Forward to meeting with [redacted] and going over everything with her.

We do apologize for the inconvenience that [redacted] had to
endure during her visit to our dealership as there was some miscommunication
that took place between...

what was initially told to her by our dealership
personnel and what was told to her by representatives of Ford Motor Company’s
Customer Relationship Center in regards to her fuel tank on her 1997 [redacted]
being covered under the recall.  Unfortunately our dealership does not
make the decisions in regards to if certain parts are covered by certain recalls,
as that decision solely lies with Ford Motor Company. It is unfortunate that
Ford Motor Company chose not to cover the leaking fuel tank as part of the
recall and in turn required [redacted] to pay for the fuel tank herself. We made a
special exception for [redacted] by allowing her to purchase her own fuel tank
for this vehicle straight from the parts distributor therefore reducing the
amount of money she had to spend out of pocket for the repair. Due to the inconvenience that [redacted] endured we
also give her a 10% Labor discount on the installation of the fuel tank in her
vehicle. As of 10/2/14, the fuel tank replacement repair was complete, the 3
recalls on her vehicle are complete and her bill has been paid in full.  
Todd
*. H[redacted]
Vice
President

Response to customer: [redacted] and her husband purchased a vehicle on 09/30/2013; during that sales...

process it was suggested either by them or by us that rather than paying cash it may serve them better to reestablish their credit history. According to the finance manager this was easier said than done the lender wanted the deal reconfigured to be compliant with their buying guidelines converting two thousand dollars of their six thousand dollar equity to cash down accomplished that.  The customer came to the table with an additional two thousand dollars giving them a total of four thousand dollars down. This is how the trade allowance went from six to four thousand dollars.
In addition to the vehicle they purchased ESP Ford extended warranty coverage that was part of the sales agreement contract. In the event that a customer wishes to cancel ESP coverage the money will always be surrendered to the lender not the customer.  [redacted] wants us to give her the check and feels their two thousand dollar cash investment was for the warranty purchase. Unfortunately there is no way to dissect what funding supports individual items on sales contracts. All dealers sign agreements addressing like issues in writing guarantee those lenders they will protect their interests as we will in this case. If [redacted] clears this obligation providing evidence of that transaction, a cancellation will executed and returned to them not the lender.  It’s is our understanding that [redacted]’s husband [redacted] has an arrangement with his boss to pay off this obligation and we  await his instructions to conclude this issue.
Regarding the New York license plate, we Hoffman Ford Inc. do not do business in the state of New York and not privy to activities and or responsibilities pertaining to transfers or disposal of plates. It is the responsibility of the plate owner to handle New York plates in accordance with their laws.
Compensation for pain, suffering, and embarrassment, any embarrassment was clearly self-inflicted considering [redacted]s vulgar rants not limited to an enclosed office but spread throughout our place of business. This display of inappropriate behavior was not only witness by most employees but by our customers in service and showroom as well.  [redacted]’s behavior was so reprehensible that we were forced to call the police and have her removed from our place of business. If any pain and suffering is due it should be to all customers and the police officers that were forced to bear witness to this torrent of obscenities.
Hoffman Ford has been in business for more than sixty years, our customer records indicate we have had the privilege of serving more than fifty thousand customers in that time. Hoffman Ford does not cheat, lie, or knowingly take advantage of any customer.   [redacted] is entitle to any and all consideration afforded to all Hoffman Ford customers. [redacted] is not entitled to have us breach contractual agreements with our lender sources.  [redacted] is invited to continue to use Hoffman Ford services, or question anything she may not understand as long as she displays intelligence and adult behavior.  
Regards,
 
Alan M[redacted]
General Sales Manager 
 
 
Reviewed By:
Earl Hoffman
President

We do apologize for the inconvenience that [redacted] had to
endure during her visit to our dealership as there was some miscommunication
that took place between what was initially told to her by our dealership
personnel and what was told to her by representatives of Ford Motor...

Company’s
Customer Relationship Center in regards to her fuel tank on her 1997 [redacted]
being covered under the recall.  Unfortunately our dealership does not
make the decisions in regards to if certain parts are covered by certain recalls,
as that decision solely lies with Ford Motor Company. It is unfortunate that
Ford Motor Company chose not to cover the leaking fuel tank as part of the
recall and in turn required [redacted] to pay for the fuel tank herself. We made a
special exception for [redacted] by allowing her to purchase her own fuel tank
for this vehicle straight from the parts distributor therefore reducing the
amount of money she had to spend out of pocket for the repair. Due to the inconvenience that [redacted] endured we
also give her a 10% Labor discount on the installation of the fuel tank in her
vehicle. As of 10/2/14, the fuel tank replacement repair was complete, the 3
recalls on her vehicle are complete and her bill has been paid in full.  
Todd
*. H[redacted]
Vice
President

To whom it may concern,            In regards to [redacted] filed complaint we feel as though she has no grounds to file this complaint.           On August 27th 2015, [redacted] did bring her 2006 Ford [redacted] to us...

here at Hoffman Ford for us to perform a Fords Work package which included an oil change and filter, rotation of the vehicles tires, and topped off all the vehicles fluids. During the oil change process when the vehicle was up on our lift our certified technician also performed a complimentary multi-point inspection of the vehicle, which is customary for all vehicles we perform service on. While performing the complimentary multi-point inspection, the technician found that the sway bar links on the front of the vehicle were missing and noted this on the multi-point inspection report card and brought it to the service advisors attention.          When the technician reported these findings to our service writer, and he informed [redacted] about the findings and recommended we perform the services at that time, she declined the recommended services. You can see the list of items in the attached documents in which the technician found during the complimentary multi-point inspection and that [redacted] declined.         When [redacted] declined these recommended services including the need to replace the front sway bar links that were missing, the service advisor documented this service specifically on the repair order that [redacted] signed when she paid her bill for the oil change. This signed repair order is also included in the attached documents.           By [redacted] coming back to us a year and a half later and now accusing us of removing the sway bar links is unsubstantiated. We recommended the service to replace them a year and a half ago because they did not exist.  Now that she has her vehicle at another service shop, getting it inspected, and they too tell her that the sway bar links are missing and obviously needed to replace them, is not our fault or financial responsibility. We feel as though [redacted] has no recourse against Hoffman Ford in this situation with her 2006 Ford [redacted].   Please See Attached Document.  Ryan *. H[redacted]   Vice President

Response to customer: [redacted] and her husband purchased a vehicle on 09/30/2013; during that sales process it was suggested either by them or by us that rather than paying cash it may serve them better to reestablish their credit history. According to the finance manager...

this was easier said than done the lender wanted the deal reconfigured to be compliant with their buying guidelines converting two thousand dollars of their six thousand dollar equity to cash down accomplished that.  The customer came to the table with an additional two thousand dollars giving them a total of four thousand dollars down. This is how the trade allowance went from six to four thousand dollars.
In addition to the vehicle they purchased ESP Ford extended warranty coverage that was part of the sales agreement contract. In the event that a customer wishes to cancel ESP coverage the money will always be surrendered to the lender not the customer.  [redacted] wants us to give her the check and feels their two thousand dollar cash investment was for the warranty purchase. Unfortunately there is no way to dissect what funding supports individual items on sales contracts. All dealers sign agreements addressing like issues in writing guarantee those lenders they will protect their interests as we will in this case. If [redacted] clears this obligation providing evidence of that transaction, a cancellation will executed and returned to them not the lender.  It’s is our understanding that [redacted]’s husband [redacted] has an arrangement with his boss to pay off this obligation and we  await his instructions to conclude this issue.
Regarding the New York license plate, we Hoffman Ford Inc. do not do business in the state of New York and not privy to activities and or responsibilities pertaining to transfers or disposal of plates. It is the responsibility of the plate owner to handle New York plates in accordance with their laws.
Compensation for pain, suffering, and embarrassment, any embarrassment was clearly self-inflicted considering [redacted]s vulgar rants not limited to an enclosed office but spread throughout our place of business. This display of inappropriate behavior was not only witness by most employees but by our customers in service and showroom as well.  [redacted]’s behavior was so reprehensible that we were forced to call the police and have her removed from our place of business. If any pain and suffering is due it should be to all customers and the police officers that were forced to bear witness to this torrent of obscenities.
Hoffman Ford has been in business for more than sixty years, our customer records indicate we have had the privilege of serving more than fifty thousand customers in that time. Hoffman Ford does not cheat, lie, or knowingly take advantage of any customer.   [redacted] is entitle to any and all consideration afforded to all Hoffman Ford customers. [redacted] is not entitled to have us breach contractual agreements with our lender sources.  [redacted] is invited to continue to use Hoffman Ford services, or question anything she may not understand as long as she displays intelligence and adult behavior.  
Regards,
 Alan M[redacted]
General Sales Manager 
 
 
Reviewed By:
Earl Hoffman
President

In response to Hoffman Ford’s documentation, the attachment is not the original copy, my car or name information is not referenced on the document and the document appears to be altered.  I questioned why would the sway bars be missing from the vehicle?  After the closure of [redacted] Ford, Hoffman service department was the only shop working my vehicle of which the vehicle was purchased brand new from [redacted].  If the sway bars were off of the car, Hoffman removed them or they were never on the vehicle.  I don’t believe that is the case because the subject would have come up sooner. Every time my vehicle went in for a basic oil change, Hoffman ran a check to generate more business on other service repairs.  I was told twice by Hoffman the sway bars needed to be replaced due to safety not because they were missing.  In either case, Hoffman is responsible as they have dissembled my vehicle on many occasions when they were not asked to do those checks.  Sometime along the line, they removed the sway bars and assumed I would get the service done with their shop.   This shop didn’t invite me to check behind their service tech so it’s very difficult to valid the claim until another shop reviews a vehicle and brings up the errors.  This shop is known for shady service repairs and standard everyday repairs are subpar at best.  Based on my history with this shop, I accepted all of their recommendations for the exception of replacing worn sway bars and the right shift differentiate.  Also, my tech at the time told me it would be best to replace the sway bars at the time of the assessment but I had a little more time of which I didn’t have to replacement that day. I’m working to retrieve the service document for the repairs but Hoffman needs to provide the original documentation and or the email/text document provided when they supposedly sent the notice of repair.  Also, I would like to see the entire service history on the vehicle because the document provided is fraudulent.  Thank you, [redacted]

Review: I went to Hoffman ford to purchase a car I took the ford [redacted] for a couple days as was permitted by John the finance manager before we left my husband put 2000 dollars on the extended warranty which we where told could be refunded back to the bank card if I didn't want the service or car.when I returned with the car I was told we could not get the loan from the bank because it wasn't enough money 4,790 dollars give or take a couple dollars however the dealership informed me they had sold my car so I couldn't get my car back John then called the bank and begged the guy to do it John took 2000 dollars off the trade in value which brought the trade down to $4000 he then told me and my husband he was still going to put the money towards the car not and not to worry .He then explained the loan would be for $6970 .me and my husband agreed at that point .Upon me getting letters from New York Dmv concerning license suspension and fines for no insurance on my 2009 [redacted] which hoffman ford sold to an auction I called the dmv they started my plates was never turned over I explained my situation to them and was instructed to go to the dealer ship.I told John about what happened he then went to ask about my plates I also informed him he started my plates where taken off and returned which they where not.He went to find out what happened my car was sent to the auction with my plates still on them he apologized we called the DMV from my cell on speaker and they told us what needed to be done upon him sending the fax I called the DMV two weeks later they stated since the plates where distros by the auction house they needed to write the letter I told John what was said he then did the letter for me from his computer and stated he would fax it after he got back from lunch,I received a letter in the mail staying they received the info they needed to reinstate my license however because the letter came after may 8 2014 I was not entitled to a refund to my registration also I was fined $72 .At this point I was upset and went to John and told him I didn't want anything further to do with him or his company and to cancel my extended warranty he told me no problem it will take three weeks I will get a prorated amount of $1171 he asked my husband to sign a paper staying we wanted the warranty discontinued effective june 18 2014.John stayed he would try and have the check rushed because it usually takes the weeks but he would try and have it naked to or address within two weeks .the check never came when I went down to ask about it he started I never told you it would be mailed to you I said it would go to the bank Santander .I told him he's lying and I called my husband to meet me at Hoffman ford .I then stated to John we paid you cash for the warranty why would it have to go to Santander they have nothing to do with our money.John stated since we still have a loan with them he is required by law to return the money when I told him he's lying and I have a bank statement showing I paid for the warranty he threaten to call the authorities I told him to go ahead because he was lying and is not right .My husband arrived and he and my husband started talking he stated my husband signed papers and he told him it was going to santander .I was asked to leave my husband stayed and talked to John after he and an officer seen he was not going to tell the truth she told him to forget it and to file a complaint she told us to contact the Revdex.com and report him.I called Santander july 15 2012 and asked what exactly was the loan for and I explained I need to know everything the loan was covering and that's when I found out he put the warranty under santander to that we would qualify we never needed the loan for $6790 .John lied and did underhanded practices to get me to buy this car staying with selling my first care even though we did not have a final agreement .they have caused me and my family unnecessary stress and still have not returned the money to [redacted] our myself and its been over a month.please don't let him out his company get away with there Blanton disrespect for the lawDesired Settlement: I would like compensation for my pain and suffering and embarrassment as well as registration refund and fines I received for them not surrendering my plates as well as the full refund for the extended warranty we paid for but was not applied to the warranty, they can send that check of $2000 to [redacted] .

Business

Response:

Response to customer: [redacted]

[redacted] and her husband purchased a vehicle on 09/30/2013; during that sales process it was suggested either by them or by us that rather than paying cash it may serve them better to reestablish their credit history. According to the finance manager this was easier said than done the lender wanted the deal reconfigured to be compliant with their buying guidelines converting two thousand dollars of their six thousand dollar equity to cash down accomplished that. The customer came to the table with an additional two thousand dollars giving them a total of four thousand dollars down. This is how the trade allowance went from six to four thousand dollars.

In addition to the vehicle they purchased ESP Ford extended warranty coverage that was part of the sales agreement contract. In the event that a customer wishes to cancel ESP coverage the money will always be surrendered to the lender not the customer. [redacted] wants us to give her the check and feels their two thousand dollar cash investment was for the warranty purchase. Unfortunately there is no way to dissect what funding supports individual items on sales contracts. All dealers sign agreements addressing like issues in writing guarantee those lenders they will protect their interests as we will in this case. If [redacted] clears this obligation providing evidence of that transaction, a cancellation will executed and returned to them not the lender. It’s is our understanding that [redacted]’s husband [redacted] has an arrangement with his boss to pay off this obligation and we await his instructions to conclude this issue.

Regarding the New York license plate, we Hoffman Ford Inc. do not do business in the state of New York and not privy to activities and or responsibilities pertaining to transfers or disposal of plates. It is the responsibility of the plate owner to handle New York plates in accordance with their laws.

Compensation for pain, suffering, and embarrassment, any embarrassment was clearly self-inflicted considering [redacted]s vulgar rants not limited to an enclosed office but spread throughout our place of business. This display of inappropriate behavior was not only witness by most employees but by our customers in service and showroom as well. [redacted]’s behavior was so reprehensible that we were forced to call the police and have her removed from our place of business. If any pain and suffering is due it should be to all customers and the police officers that were forced to bear witness to this torrent of obscenities.

Hoffman Ford has been in business for more than sixty years, our customer records indicate we have had the privilege of serving more than fifty thousand customers in that time. Hoffman Ford does not cheat, lie, or knowingly take advantage of any customer. [redacted] is entitle to any and all consideration afforded to all Hoffman Ford customers. [redacted] is not entitled to have us breach contractual agreements with our lender sources. [redacted] is invited to continue to use Hoffman Ford services, or question anything she may not understand as long as she displays intelligence and adult behavior.

Regards,

Alan M[redacted]

General Sales Manager

Reviewed By:

Earl Hoffman

President

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is not satisfactory as Hoffman ford had stated in the letter they are not responsible for the plates but sent a letter to the NYC DMV taking full responsibility for destroying my plates which I have copies of paper work I thank Revdex.com for trying to rectify this situation. As for Hoffman ford I thank you for yet another untrue statement and look forward to

Solving this matter at a higher level have a nice day.

Regards,

Review: On or about 8/21/14 I noted a probable fuel tank leak on my business owned 1997 Ford [redacted]. After speaking with a local auto repair mechanic I was informed there may be a recall regarding the tank leak. After doing an internet search I contacted Hoffman Ford on 8/21/14 to inquire about a recall on the vehicle. I explained the vehicle had a fuel tank leak and was informed that there were actually 3 recalls on the vehicle. I was informed the earliest recall appointment available was 9/4/14 and that they could perform all of the services the same day the car was dropped off. I dropped off the vehicle on 9/3/14 for a morning appointment on 9/4/14. I contacted Hoffman at 3:00p.m. On 9/4/14 to inquire about the vehicle and was informed that the vehicle had not been looked at yet. I expressed concern about completing the repairs the same day as I needed the vehicle to conduct my business. I was contacted by service advisor William * J[redacted] at 5:00 p.m. to report the fuel tank was leaking and should be replaced but was not covered by the recall. I expressed concern about the need for the vehicle and was told that the recall work was complete and I could pick up the vehicle and have the tank replaced at a later date. I inquired if it was safe to drive and Mr. J[redacted] said kind of. I asked why the fuel tank was not covered by the recall and he said because it wasn't. I requested an appeal or review to consider coverage for the fuel tank. I was told they didn't have an appeal process at the dealership but I could call Ford Motor Company. I contacted Ford Motor Company and was informed that I could not file an appeal the dealership was responsible. Ford Motor Company agreed to file an appeal on my behalf. I then contacted Hoffman Ford at around 5:30 and apprised them of their error and requested they handle the appeal. I was informed that the service manager, Todd H[redacted], would handle the filing and send photos. I was contacted the morning of 9/5 by Hoffman Ford and told the appeal was denied. I was not given a reason why until I called Ford Motor Company and was told it was due to the fact that the recall wasn't taken care of in a timely manner. I told them that I purchased the vehicle as part of a business in 2010 and had not received any recall notices. They reported that was entirely possible due to title transfers etc. I was told I had not further appeal rights. I contacted Todd at Hoffman Ford and requested they cover the cost of the fuel tank secondary to the circumstances surrounding the recall, the timeliness of the appointment, the misinformation about the appeal and finally the unsafe direction to take the vehicle with a leaking fuel tank. Todd refused and said we're in business to make money just like you and became very unprofessional and would not apologize for any of the issues I raised. Todd offered me a 10% discount on services and parts. I pointed out that I would have to accept his offer since the vehicle could not be driven safely and requested a quote on the repair. Todd called me back and said the tank was 265.00 plus labor. I told Todd that I found an aftermarket tank for 175.00 and he said we have a 40% mark up on parts as we are in business to make money. He also stated the tank they were installing was a Ford part. When I challenged him he said the tank was from [redacted] auto parts. I told Todd I could purchase the tank from [redacted] myself and avoid the mark up and he said fine. I purchased the fuel tank and asked if there were any other parts needed to complete the repair and Todd said no. I was informed by Todd that the vehicle would be ready by 5:30 on 9/5/14. At 5:45 on 9/5/14 I contacted Hoffman as I had not received a PC. The receptionist informed me that she couldn’t find the paper work and the vehicle was not ready. I demanded a return phone call regarding the status of the vehicle. I received a PC and was told that they did not have the parts to complete one of the other recalls. The service tech told me I could pick up the vehicle and they would come out and put the parts on the following week. I refused and said I wanted the vehicle completed prior to picking up and expressed my disappointment over the lack of communication from anyone at Hoffman regarding the vehicle. I received a phone call on 9/6/14 at 9:30 a.m. and was informed that the vehicle was done and ready for pickup. When I arrived at 11:30 a.m. to pick-up the vehicle they could not find my paperwork and I waited 25 minutes. The invoice provided did not include the 10% discount Todd promised. I explained this to the cashier, who was not aware, and stated I left Todd a VM and would settle the invoice once I spoke to him regarding the invoice. I left Hoffman and received a phone call 20 minutes later from a service tech who accused me of skipping on the invoice. I again explained my issue with the invoice and my conversation with Todd regarding the discount. I told the caller that I was terminating the call when he became accusatory and impolite. I left a second VM for Todd on 9/6/14 regarding the invoice and the service tech interaction. I attempted to contact Todd on 9/8 and then left a VM for Alan M[redacted], general manager regarding this invoice. Alan returned my call and stated Todd was out of the office secondary to health issues and said he could not handle the invoice. I informed him that Todd’s VM did not indicate that he was out of the office. I received a PC from Todd and the service tech who accused me of skipping on the invoice on 9/10/14. Again, there was no explanation or apology for their mistakes or mishandling of the repairs. The service tech stated they replaced several parts associated with the fuel tank until I stated that I had the original invoice that clearly stated that they used old parts. I expressed my disappointment and informed Todd that I would be contacting the Revdex.com to file a complaint regarding their lack of customer service, unwillingness to incur the cost of the repairs that were directly related to the recalled part and their ignorance and advice to drive an unsafe vehicle. Todd requested I make payment via the phone for the repairs. I declined and stated I wanted a corrected invoice prior to payment. I told him I was not comfortable based on the way they were handing my complaints. Upon return from a vacation from 9/13-9/28/14, I received notification of a certified letter and retrieved it on 9/29/14. Enclosed was a letter stating that payment must be made within 10 days of receipt and it must be the form of certified check, cash or money order. “Failure to do so will result in out turning this theft of service matter over to the local District Attorney’s Office for further collection where legal fees will also be incurred.” I made payment on 9/29/14 in person in the form of an Official check and request notarization of payment. Hard copies of all invoices, photos, communication in writing are available upon request.Desired Settlement: I paid for the fuel tank, I would like a refund for the labor in the amount of $214.65.

Business

Response:

We do apologize for the inconvenience that [redacted] had to

endure during her visit to our dealership as there was some miscommunication

that took place between what was initially told to her by our dealership

personnel and what was told to her by representatives of Ford Motor Company’s

Customer Relationship Center in regards to her fuel tank on her 1997 [redacted]

being covered under the recall. Unfortunately our dealership does not

make the decisions in regards to if certain parts are covered by certain recalls,

as that decision solely lies with Ford Motor Company. It is unfortunate that

Ford Motor Company chose not to cover the leaking fuel tank as part of the

recall and in turn required [redacted] to pay for the fuel tank herself. We made a

special exception for [redacted] by allowing her to purchase her own fuel tank

for this vehicle straight from the parts distributor therefore reducing the

amount of money she had to spend out of pocket for the repair. Due to the inconvenience that [redacted] endured we

also give her a 10% Labor discount on the installation of the fuel tank in her

vehicle. As of 10/2/14, the fuel tank replacement repair was complete, the 3

recalls on her vehicle are complete and her bill has been paid in full.

Review: Body shop painted my rear bumper. The paint does not match the rest of the car.Desired Settlement: Since the manager [redacted] will not repaint the bumper (states its close enought) I will take the car to another Ford dealer and have painted correctly. Would want the dealership to reduce bill by amount of the corrected paint job!!!

Business

Response:

To whom to may concern:

The situation with [redacted] has been resolved. His insurance company authorized a complete refinish of his bumber. Work has been completed and [redacted] has taken possession of his truck.

Review: I have had several issues in my time getting serviced at Hoffman Ford after buying my vehicle there. I always give the benefit of the doubt and have been extremely nice and understanding to the delays, the lack of communication, my vehicle not being serviced correctly, and most of all the lack of empathy coming from the organization. I had spoken with Hoffman Ford several times prior to my most recent service to ensure all communication was CLEAR and that I knew the exact time frame it would take to service my vehicle and what was needed to be done so that way I could resume my job traveling to accounts in [redacted] PA the following morning. I had scheduled the exact time for my car to be serviced and was assured it would only take a couple of hours and really wouldn't need a rental, I go and drop off my car at the time of the appointment a couple days later, and I got the rental anyways just so I wouldn't have to wait in the waiting room. I go home and don't do any of my normal activities just in the event that I need to go back to pick up my car, but slowly the day is ending and I still have not received ANY phone calls. I call Hoffman myself to find out what the hold up is, and they decide to tell me THEN that they were backed up ALL day and that they were just now getting my car serviced for the 2nd portion of what I had scheduled. I was then on hold waiting for what time to come that evening, only to find out it would not be completed at ALL that evening and I would have to come in the next night. This is very frustrating, all my office supplies for my job are in the car because I assumed I would be getting it back in a couple of hours, my expense reports, my toll money, my addresses for the accounts and everything were in the car. It would not be an issue if Hoffman Ford did not CONSTANTLY over promise and UNDER deliver, they always promise an outcome they cannot follow through with. IF they had told me it would take a couple days, I would plan my life accordingly. Every time I get a service there is an issue with lack of communication and not getting my vehicle back when they said they would, and it not being fixed properly. I have even had issues with Hoffman not returning my keys to [redacted] and having [redacted] tell me they also have issues with the communication there. As a business professional, communication is everything and in the service industry it is very dissatisfying to make a promise and not keep it. That being said, I filled out the survey with my experience, and at the end the survey assured me someone would contact me. NOBODY DID. I called THREE TIMES and left voice mails and still NOTHING. Finally, all I get is an email with an apology but nothing to try to keep me as a customer. Even when I had spoken with the service manager about my issues as far as not having my vehicle on time and needing them to follow through because of my life priorities, I would get sarcasm in return with "We don't doubt that" .Desired Settlement: At this point, there are many services I will need for my car soon, I will need an oil change, inspection, getting my car detailed, scratches removed, and even new tires, but I will be taking my business elsewhere and sharing my experience with others. It is very disheartening because I originally thought this was a wonderful business. I suppose the most you can do is refund me for my service I received and transfer all of my information for my vehicle warranty, to the Ford dealer in Lemoyne.

Business

Response:

Ms. Boughter

is correct in this case that we over promised and under delivered, and we

apologized for this, but she too has to be reasonable when it comes to her expectations.

[redacted] stated to us that she called 14 times in the days prior to her

visit to assure that this service would be handled by 12:00PM without delay. Knowing that she would be dropping off the

vehicle the morning of her appointment and that the 3 hour window of time she

was constraining us to was a stretch to complete the services, Ron M. our Body

Shop Manager offered a free rental vehicle to [redacted] for the day

which she took him up on at no charge to her and at our expense.

Ms. Boughter

dropped the vehicle off for service at 8:47AM for her tires to be balanced,

complete a 2 wheel alignment and perform a throttle body campaign. Our service

advisor did tell [redacted] that the car may be ready for pick-up at 12:00PM like

she requested and that would have been feasible except for the fact that the vehicle

still had to go over to our body shop to have a mirror replaced and a door

handle issue addressed at Ms. Boughter’s request. We understand that [redacted] relies on us

to make repairs and tell her how long it will take to work on her vehicle but

giving us only a 3 hour window of time to complete all of this work was a bit

of a stretch. We assumed that since she was now in a rental for the day at

no charge to her, we had more time on our hands to complete the work that she

requested. In hindsight we should not have assumed anything and should have

communicated to her that there was no possible way that we could complete the

service work and the body shop work in the 3 hour time frame she was allotting us

and we should have told her we needed the car for the entire day. Again, we

apologize to her.

We agree whole

heartedly with her that communication is everything and in our industry communication

is something we work on every day. But, when you have to communicate with over

100+ customers a day and keep their paperwork organized, send them emails, or

make phone calls to them all, sometimes we miss a few or miscommunicate with

them and we apologize for this.

We are sorry

that [redacted] feels as though we have not tried to keep her as our

customer. A few months ago we compensated her by giving her a free oil change

to be used at her convenience. Again, we apologized to her for this current situation

that occurred and hope that she would continue to be a customer of Hoffman Ford

but we don’t feel as though refunding her money is proper since our services

were provided and successfully completed and since we covered the cost of a

rental vehicle for her.

Sincerely,

Dave

C[redacted]

Fixed

Operations Director

Hoffman Ford

Reviewed By Ryan H[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: