Rapids Ford Lincoln Mercury

We reached out to Cynthia and left a voicemail message for her on Tuesday 1/31/around 5:00pm We have yet to receive a return call from her Upon connecting with Cynthia we would like to offer a $gas card to offset the fuel that she used to come to our dealership last Friday The vehicle in question was traded in by an older lady that really did treat it gently For the model year of the vehicle, it does have low mileage on it compared to the average miles on a vehicle of that age The majority of vehicles that fall in the price range Cynthia is looking for are not in perfect condition This particular vehicle only had items that were found to be wrong with it from the inspection we performed on it Most of the items were just wearable/maintenance items We disclose all of the items that we find wrong with a vehicle discovered during our vehicle safety inspection On Thursday, the day before Ms [redacted] came to see this car, we had to remove snow from our lot due to the storm system that went through our area on Wednesday evening While moving vehicles around on the lot, this vehicle stopped running and was moved to our row of vehicles that we have set aside to go to the auction This is not a common scenario for us and we feel bad that Cynthia thinks we had a ploy to get her into the dealership At this point, we are waiting for Cynthia to get back in touch with us so we can apologize for the situation to and offer a gas card to her

[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 discussed an agreement with General Sales Manager [redacted] Rapids Ford will reimburse me $and I will work with everyone who left negative feedback on social media to remove their posts since the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of both parties Regards, [redacted] ***

The customer had to be made aware that the vehicle was a salvage vehicleAttached is the Wisconsin disclosure form signed by the customer that gives this disclaimer a mere inches away from his signatureAlso attached is the Autocheck vehicle history report that is not only available at any time the customer wants to see it but even easier it is a simple mouse click away to view on our website for a customer to view at home, on their mobile app, or anywhere else convenientThe comment about this disclosure not being on the vehicle is untrue and really could not be missedIt is required by law to be on display on the vehicle and is on all vehicles on our lotFurther proof that it was there is shown on the attached picture from the website where you can clearly see the disclosure on display on the rear window of the driver's side of the vehicleThe salesman did the customer a service by removing the sticker and putting in the glove box only at delivery because they have the tools and solvent to remove the very strong adhesive that attaches the form to the windowThe salesman does remember being asked if he knew of any issues and stated the he clearly replied he wouldn't know because he had only been working here for a week and there were too many vehicles to know them all yetHe says he stated on the long test drive that they would just have to look at the deal jacket paperwork when they returned to the dealershipObviously they did do that as shown again by the customer's signature on the disclosure formThe title and license application referred to is simply a backup form and is not how a vehicle is titled anymore since the state requires dealerships to electronically process all title and license workObviously this was done correctly as the title did arrive with the correct and same disclosures that existed from the previous owner when they traded the vehicle inThe vehicle was sold at a greatly discounted price from average value already because it had a salvage titleAverage MMR (Manheim Market Retail) which is what we reference to price our vehicles for a good condition truck with no disclosures as of today is still $19,This vehicle was priced on the internet at $14,and Mr [redacted] further negotiated the price down to $14,which would reflect a discount of $so Mr***'s request that he buy the truck for a price reflecting the value with a salvage title has already been doneThe fact that Mr [redacted] traveled almost miles passing around other dealerships would lead me to believe Mr [redacted] knew it was a very good price for the vehicleMr [redacted] also knows that the truck was sold very close to inventory value because he was very budget conscious during the purchase process and asked for further discount that we could not giveThat is also why we cannot reduce the price any further than already sold forThe vehicle cannot be returned for a full refund because it has already been titled in Mr***'s name, sales tax and fees have already been paid to state, and dealer laws would require us to spend many dollars to re-inspect the vehicle for the next saleMr [redacted] has however been offered to trade the vehicle back in for any vehicle priced above $on our lot and we will give him his full purchase price for a trade in valueI have been told the customer does not have any specific complaints about the vehicle, its appearance, or it’s running conditions but if he truly does not want it then he is welcome to trade it back in and get his full purchase price as a trade in valuesUpon further discussion with my general sales manager we are planning to contact the customer with additional offerWe do have a used car warranty fund set up for used vehicles that my encounter after sale problemsWe would be willing to pay the customer a time payment of $in exchange for the customer signing a waiver agreement that this matter is then completely over and no further claims of any type will be madeSo it is the customer's choice to either accept a payment of $or trade the vehicle in for full purchase price trade in value

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.] Regards, [redacted] [redacted]

Response for both claims *** and ***. *** *** has been a friend of mine for over years now. I last spoke to him on 10/24/when he had his Windstar in for service and came in to my office to talk to me mostly about how he enjoys watching my daughter do our
television commercials. I would not have suspected that *** had dementia from our conversation and the fact that he was still actively driving would make it clear that he is still functioning fine. As a public retailer we have the desire and obligation to sell/service vehicles to anyone that wants to do business with us. We also have the right and feel obligated to not perform transactions with people that we see as being unfit to do so (i.ementally unstable, intoxicated, potential criminal activity, etc.) *** has looked in to buying a different vehicle 3-times in the last year as his old vehicle has started to have a lot of things wrong with it but never seemed to find the right vehicle to go through with a purchase. In this transaction *** test drove and negotiated a deal on Friday, October 27. He then went home to think about it and returned on Saturday, October to purchase the vehicle so it was not a rush transaction that was done impulsively. In addition as noted in the complaint ***’s youngest daughter was also present at the dealership to counsel Mr*** and approved of the purchase. I have asked the sales manager, finance manager, and salesperson if it seemed like Mr*** knew what he was doing and all have confirmed that he definitely did. The term was settled on to get to a payment level Mr*** was comfortable paying, again showing he understood what he was doing. The $extended warranty and $prepaid maintenance are optional products Mr*** chose to add for protection and are cancellable if Mr*** desires with the refunds being sent to the finance company. Mr*** would simply need to stop at the dealership to fill out the cancel forms or request them by mail if that is what he desires. Mr*** then decided on his own to help out his youngest daughter in purchasing a vehicle after the daughter asked him toMr*** stated that he probably intended to pay for the car himself for his daughter’s use. That vehicle was never repossessed but rather was voluntarily surrendered by the daughter when she said her father was upset that her husband was driving the car instead of her and would no longer help her pay for itNo one from the dealership attempted to get in to Mr*** garage and it would be too early for the finance company to start the physical repossession process so I think that comment is in errorOnce a vehicle is sold and financed with a lender the dealer does not have any control over the transaction as it is now between the lender and the borrower. I was not present for Ms*** meeting with *** *** so I asked *** what his version was. He stated Ms*** came in to his office and demanded to return the vehicle and get a check for $4500. *** says he could accept the vehicle as a voluntary surrender but there would be no refund check given. *** stated that Ms*** then became quite angry and things quickly went bad. *** would not have met Ms*** at the door as he has no view of the door from his office. It would also be very out of character for *** to act the way Ms*** is claiming as he is a very polite and calm person. The vehicle transaction cannot be just forgotten as the vehicle has been titled in Mr*** name, sales tax has been paid, license & titling fees have been paid, and the contract has been assigned to the lender. Therefore, it is not possible to grant the desired outcome. Mr*** stopped in while I was out and asked that his service bill of $from 10/24/be refunded. I would be willing to issue that refund on Mr*** request

First of all I was upset when I came to the dealership. My brother, *** was helping in this matter and told me that they talked to someone at the Ford dealership that we could bring the van back*** never said anything about a voluntary surrender. ***'s commit to me was - This is not my place to deal with this matter. I think it is my place because my Dad [***] has had dementia for the last five years and is on medication. When I found out that he did sign these papers it was past the three day commitment contract timeHe called me and said he did not understand anything he had signedI think because *** is married, Aida should have been brought into the dealership so that they both under stood what was tacking placeBy the way the doctors took ***s drivers license away in December and he is in a home

[redacted]'s wife Aida was present for the purchase and also signed all delivery documents so I do not understand Ms. [redacted]'s comments that she should have been brought in.  As I stated earlier we have many laws and regulations to deal with them and included in this is non discrimination.  If we did not honor a customer's request to purchase a vehicle we could be held liable for age discrimination.  It should be noted that Ms. [redacted] and her sister have filed 2 Revdex.com complaints with the same information and just changed some name contacts.  They also filed the same complaint with the Department of Transportation Dealers Section who sent an investigator to the dealership.  After his investigation he appears to have concluded that the transaction was done correctly without any violations.  At the time of this purchase [redacted] was driving and the van he traded in was in need of some very serious and expensive repairs so it was not unusual that he would want to replace it.  I am very sorry to hear that [redacted]'s health has deteriorated but at the time of purchase there was no way to predict that.

We reached out to Cynthia and left a voicemail message for her on Tuesday 1/31/17 around 5:00pm.  We have yet to receive a return call from her.  Upon connecting with Cynthia we would like to offer a $10 gas card to offset the fuel that she used to come to our dealership last Friday. ...

The vehicle in question was traded in by an older lady that really did treat it gently.  For the model year of the vehicle, it does have low mileage on it compared to the average miles on a vehicle of that age.  The majority of vehicles that fall in the price range Cynthia is looking for are not in perfect condition.  This particular vehicle only had 8 items that were found to be wrong with it from the inspection we performed on it.  Most of the items were just wearable/maintenance items.  We disclose all of the items that we find wrong with a vehicle discovered during our vehicle safety inspection.  On Thursday, the day before Ms. [redacted] came to see this car, we had to remove snow from our lot due to the storm system that went through our area on Wednesday evening.  While moving vehicles around on the lot, this vehicle stopped running and was moved to our row of vehicles that we have set aside to go to the auction.  This is not a common scenario for us and we feel bad that Cynthia thinks we had a ploy to get her into the dealership.  At this point, we are waiting for Cynthia to get back in touch with us so we can apologize for the situation to and offer a gas card to her.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

[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 discussed an agreement with General Sales Manager [redacted]  Rapids Ford will reimburse me $1000 and I will work with everyone who left negative feedback on social media to remove their posts since the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.
Regards,
[redacted]

The customer had to be made aware that the vehicle was a salvage vehicle. Attached is the Wisconsin disclosure form signed by the customer that gives this disclaimer a mere 7 inches away from his signature. Also attached is the Autocheck vehicle history report that is not only available at any time...

the customer wants to see it but even easier it is a simple mouse click away to view on our website for a customer to view at home, on their mobile app, or anywhere else convenient. The comment about this disclosure not being on the vehicle is untrue and really could not be missed. It is required by law to be on display on the vehicle and is on all 200 vehicles on our lot. Further proof that it was there is shown on the attached picture from the website where you can clearly see the disclosure on display on the rear window of the driver's side of the vehicle. The salesman did the customer a service by removing the sticker and putting in the glove box only at delivery because they have the tools and solvent to remove the very strong adhesive that attaches the form to the window. The salesman does remember being asked if he knew of any issues and stated the he clearly replied he wouldn't know because he had only been working here for a week and there were too many vehicles to know them all yet. He says he stated on the long test drive that they would just have to look at the deal jacket paperwork when they returned to the dealership. Obviously they did do that as shown again by the customer's signature on the disclosure form. The title and license application referred to is simply a backup form and is not how a vehicle is titled anymore since the state requires dealerships to electronically process all title and license work. Obviously this was done correctly as the title did arrive with the correct and same disclosures that existed from the previous owner when they traded the vehicle in. The vehicle was sold at a greatly discounted price from average value already because it had a salvage title. Average MMR (Manheim Market Retail) which is what we reference to price our vehicles for a good condition truck with no disclosures as of today is still $19,200. This vehicle was priced on the internet at $14,575 and Mr. [redacted] further negotiated the price down to $14,146 which would reflect a discount of $5054 so Mr. [redacted]'s request that he buy the truck for a price reflecting the value with a salvage title has already been done. The fact that Mr. [redacted] traveled almost 160 miles passing around 200 other dealerships would lead me to believe Mr. [redacted] knew it was a very good price for the vehicle. Mr. [redacted] also knows that the truck was sold very close to inventory value because he was very budget conscious during the purchase process and asked for further discount that we could not give. That is also why we cannot reduce the price any further than already sold for. The vehicle cannot be returned for a full refund because it has already been titled in Mr. [redacted]'s name, sales tax and fees have already been paid to state, and dealer laws would require us to spend many dollars to re-inspect the vehicle for the next sale. Mr. [redacted] has however been offered to trade the vehicle back in for any vehicle priced above $4000 on our lot and we will give him his full purchase price for a trade in value. I have been told the customer does not have any specific complaints about the vehicle, its appearance, or it’s running conditions but if he truly does not want it then he is welcome to trade it back in and get his full purchase price as a trade in values. Upon further discussion with my general sales manager we are planning to contact the customer with 1 additional offer. We do have a used car warranty fund set up for used vehicles that my encounter after sale problems. We would be willing to pay the customer a 1 time payment of $500 in exchange for the customer signing a waiver agreement that this matter is then completely over and no further claims of any type will be made. So it is the customer's choice to either accept a payment of $500 or trade the vehicle in for full purchase price trade in value.

Review: I was sold a vehicle with a salvage title on 12/31/15 and this information was delibe[redacted]ly withheld from me during the purchasing process. Neither the person I went with to look at the vehicle nor I recall seeing the Wisconsin Buyer’s Guide displayed on the vehicle window when we went to look at it before a test drive. I asked the salesman if there were accidents or work done on the vehicle. He said no. I also asked about any outstanding issues or any other relevant history about the vehicle that I should know about. Again he said no. These questions I asked should have been answered yes, based on the salvage status of the title. The person I went with also remembers these questions and answers provided. Once we agreed on a sale price, we started filling out paperwork. At this point, we went through the Wisconsin Buyer’s Guide. The salesman went through the general condition of the vehicle, noting the tire pressure light was on but never mentioned or pointed out the salvage title or the odometer reading discrepancy. We also filled out the Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application. On this form, Section D requires the selling dealer to note the mileage and check a box if there is an odometer discrepancy, which was not checked. The form states a failure to do this ‘may result in fines and/or imprisonment and may make you liable for damages to your transferee.’ I first became aware this was a salvage title vehicle once I got the new title in the mail from the state on 1/15/16.Desired Settlement: Once I became aware this was a salvage vehicle, I immediately contacted the dealership on 1/18/16 hoping to discuss and come to a resolution. I spoke with the original salesman hoping to either return the truck for a full refund including taxes, title, licensing, and dealer fees or negotiate a discounted price that reflected the actual value of the truck with a salvage title. He spoke with the general manager on 1/19/16 and then with me on 1/20/16 to inform me that I was fully aware this was a salvage vehicle when I bought it and they wouldn’t negotiate a return or discount. My desired outcome is to either come up with an agreed upon discounted price that reflects the value of the vehicle with a salvage title or return the truck for a full refund including taxes, title, licensing, and dealer fees.

Business

Response:

The customer had to be made aware that the vehicle was a salvage vehicle. Attached is the Wisconsin disclosure form signed by the customer that gives this disclaimer a mere 7 inches away from his signature. Also attached is the Autocheck vehicle history report that is not only available at any time the customer wants to see it but even easier it is a simple mouse click away to view on our website for a customer to view at home, on their mobile app, or anywhere else convenient. The comment about this disclosure not being on the vehicle is untrue and really could not be missed. It is required by law to be on display on the vehicle and is on all 200 vehicles on our lot. Further proof that it was there is shown on the attached picture from the website where you can clearly see the disclosure on display on the rear window of the driver's side of the vehicle. The salesman did the customer a service by removing the sticker and putting in the glove box only at delivery because they have the tools and solvent to remove the very strong adhesive that attaches the form to the window. The salesman does remember being asked if he knew of any issues and stated the he clearly replied he wouldn't know because he had only been working here for a week and there were too many vehicles to know them all yet. He says he stated on the long test drive that they would just have to look at the deal jacket paperwork when they returned to the dealership. Obviously they did do that as shown again by the customer's signature on the disclosure form. The title and license application referred to is simply a backup form and is not how a vehicle is titled anymore since the state requires dealerships to electronically process all title and license work. Obviously this was done correctly as the title did arrive with the correct and same disclosures that existed from the previous owner when they traded the vehicle in. The vehicle was sold at a greatly discounted price from average value already because it had a salvage title. Average MMR (Manheim Market Retail) which is what we reference to price our vehicles for a good condition truck with no disclosures as of today is still $19,200. This vehicle was priced on the internet at $14,575 and Mr. [redacted] further negotiated the price down to $14,146 which would reflect a discount of $5054 so Mr. [redacted]'s request that he buy the truck for a price reflecting the value with a salvage title has already been done. The fact that Mr. [redacted] traveled almost 160 miles passing around 200 other dealerships would lead me to believe Mr. [redacted] knew it was a very good price for the vehicle. Mr. [redacted] also knows that the truck was sold very close to inventory value because he was very budget conscious during the purchase process and asked for further discount that we could not give. That is also why we cannot reduce the price any further than already sold for. The vehicle cannot be returned for a full refund because it has already been titled in Mr. [redacted]'s name, sales tax and fees have already been paid to state, and dealer laws would require us to spend many dollars to re-inspect the vehicle for the next sale. Mr. [redacted] has however been offered to trade the vehicle back in for any vehicle priced above $4000 on our lot and we will give him his full purchase price for a trade in value. I have been told the customer does not have any specific complaints about the vehicle, its appearance, or it’s running conditions but if he truly does not want it then he is welcome to trade it back in and get his full purchase price as a trade in values. Upon further discussion with my general sales manager we are planning to contact the customer with 1 additional offer. We do have a used car warranty fund set up for used vehicles that my encounter after sale problems. We would be willing to pay the customer a 1 time payment of $500 in exchange for the customer signing a waiver agreement that this matter is then completely over and no further claims of any type will be made. So it is the customer's choice to either accept a payment of $500 or trade the vehicle in for full purchase price trade in value.

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 discussed an agreement with General Sales Manager [redacted] Rapids Ford will reimburse me $1000 and I will work with everyone who left negative feedback on social media to remove their posts since the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

Regards,