Originally Posted by Dada
Dear Mr. Winegardner:
I am a resident in the state of Maryland and relying on the reputation of being one of the “top Chevrolet dealers in Fort Washington” visited your Leonardtown location to purchase a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Your dealership’s message to customers is stated clearly on your website: “Our sales department has one purpose: to exceed your expectations from test drive to delivery. Our professional sales team is committed to a no-pressure, high integrity approach to your ownership experience.”
I am writing to let you know that your dealership has neither “exceeded my expectations” nor demonstrated a “high integrity approach” to my “ownership experience.” As a result of my dissatisfaction, I did provide your dealership with the lowest possible rating on GM’s satisfaction survey. Why?
Background
Based on information shared with me by the dealership during the time I placed an order for my purchase of my new Corvette, I purchased a number of “extras” that the car pundits warn you to be weary of. Not only did I pay msrp for this vehicle, I also bought:
1. 7-Year Extended Warranty (which I knew I could have purchased from another dealer at a better price and at a later date);
2. 5-Year Wheel & Tire Warranty (which again I knew some dealer were selling at a discount to Winegardner’s price);
3. financing through Winegardner;
4. from your Parts Department a Stingray Underhood Liner;
5. from your Parts Department, a Stingray Trunk Lid Liner;
6. from your Parts Department, Splash Guards for Winegardner to install; and
7. Winegardner also installed Lashway Carbon Fiber Side Skirts and Front Splitter, and a Hurst Shifter (which I supplied).
As you are reading this list, you are probably realizing the number of $ of profit from this sale, which I believe was one of the more lucractive deals your dealership was able to realize last quarter.
GM Price Protection
The one comfort me and wife were relying on in making this heavy investment was the GM Price Protection Policy. I believed that my Corvette was price protected under the GM Price Protection Policy and Program. As you are aware, I ordered my Corvette in August 2013, over six months later (March 2014) there was a $3,200 price increase. My vehicle was delivered in May 2014. Despite my timely order, I understand there were delays at the factory primarily because of the Z51 and FAY Carbon Fiber Interior dash constraints. To my surprise, at the actual point-of-sale, Winegardner charged me at the increased price rather than at the original agreed protected price.
The reason for this according to Winegardner was due to GM’s own policies which would not reimburse the dealership for the $3,200 price increase. Instead, I was told that the dealership would only be reimbursed $2,768 and would therefore only send me a check in that amount.
As I mentioned, when purchasing the vehicle, I relied on this protection policy as one of the reasons to put a deposit down on this vehicle. I was also convinced that I would be protected in the event of a price increase. This was confirmed by your dealership.
While I have received a check from your dealership in the amount of $2,768, I have not been made whole on the loss I have suffered as a result of this price increase which is what the protection plan is supposed to cover. Specifically, I am yet to receive the balance of $432 and the corresponding $200 difference in sales tax as a result of this increase for a remaining loss of $632.
Regardless if GM does not reimburse the dealership in whole, my transaction and my purchase was from Winegardner. It appears that Winegardner’s customer policy is that if GM is going to screw someone on GM Price Protection, it shall be the Winegardner customer, and not Winegardner.
I made my concerns known to the dealership, and in turn Winegardner reduced the price of my Corvette by almost $200 to cover the increase in sales tax and another $100 to mitigate my loss. This however reduced my loss to $332, again not making me whole on the original agreed upon price which by contract both the dealership and I agreed would be the purchase price of the vehicle. Instead, Winegardner asaid it would “help me out” on the price of modifications I was going to make to my Corvette to cover the difference.
Catch 22
Although I objected to Winegardner charging me at the new price, I was boxed into either accepting my Corvette on Winegardner’s terms, or losing the vehicle I had several months waited for and paid good consideration as part of our bargain. Had I walked away, I expect I would have lost my $1,000 deposit, had to buy my Corvette from someone else at a higher price, and with another delivery wait. I was not about to walk away from my Corvette and suffer a financial loss and a further delivery delay knowing I had originally made a deal and lived up to my side of the bargain.
Public Comment and Support
I am a avid member of several forums that discuss the C7. To confirm if my position was unreasonable, I posted the facts of this transaction on Corvette Forum and Corvette7 Forum for review and comment by my peers across the country. The universal reaction from Forum members including other Chevy/Corvette dealers was that the fault was with Winegardner and not GM. The explanation was that GM gave back to Winegardner the dealer price difference paid, who in turn passed that exact amount back to me, but not the extra profit it made above that price. The Forums consensus is that Winegardner got back its entitlement from GM, and pocketed an additional $432 profit that it improperly exacted from me. One comment even went so far as to state that Winegardner deliberately cheated me for extra profit, unless it simply could not figure out the math.
The “Help You Out” Promise
Knowing your dealership is supposed to be one of the largest in the state and my faith in your promises to “exceed expectations,” I thought it best to try to resolve this amicably and take the dealership up on their offer to “help me out” so I brought in my Corvette in to Winegardner for modifications. I believed again that Winegardner would actually make up the $300 difference through this process, and as a result I would let this go. As mentioned, I purchased from the Winegardner Parts Department a Stingray Underhood Liner and Stingray Trunk Lid Liner, and Splash Guards for Winegardner to install. I also had Winegardner install Lashway Carbon Fiber Side Skirts and Front Splitter, and a Hurst Shifter, which I supplied. Nothing complicated here. There were some other minor and simple modifications, and one was installing Z51 Badges on each side above the Stingray symbol. I could have done this mod myself, but I wanted to see what Winegardner charged me for this 5-minute each-side peal-and-stick badge application. However, Winegardner charged me about $100 for the peal-and-stick and some $800 overall for the modifications.
Where we are today
Despite providing valuable consideration and by virtue of an agreed upon contract for the purchase of a vehicle at an agreed upon price, what I have concluded is that Winegardner didn’t want to make whole on its side of the bargain and instead not only pocketed the additional monies owing to me but chose to further help itself out knowing I have been taken advantage of.
What make no sense to me is that on an MSRP sale of about $80,000 on a Corvette plus the purchase of the 7-Year Extended Warranty, 5-Year Wheel & Tire Warranty, and arranged financing through Winegardner, that in the end Winegardner would cheat me for the sake of a few hundred dollars. Winegardner made an enormous profit on this sale, and as I have said it is likely was the most profitable sale from this location.
Demand
I am writing to request you review the facts of my case and return the remaining loss of $632. This is a matter of what is right and what is agreed upon by the parties.
My experience will be spoken about in the forums and customers will recognize the name of your dealership to by synonymous with my poor experience. I hope my message will allow you to further review this case and reconsider the decision of your dealership. If Winegardner and/or GM make this right with me even at this late date I would drop this matter. For expediency sake, I shall disregard the universal and overwhelming opinion and conventional wisdom that the fault lies with Winegardner; for and as Winegardner says the fault lies with GM, I shall file suit against GM in Small Claims Court. I shall ask the Court for $732 plus interest where I would receive $432 and pay back Winegardner $300 for its supposed loss on this transaction. As Winegardner did not give me a price break on the modifications, and made a substantive profit, I shall not seek compensation for Winegardner for the modifications.
Before I can file small claims, I first have to send a demand letter to GM. I shall do so and include a copy of this letter. Winegardner may wish to discuss this with GM before I file small claims. Should the Court determine the problem lies with Winegardner and not GM; that shall change the dynamic, and alter subsequent court actions.
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I thank you for your consideration in the matter and look forward to your reply. Should I not hear back from you by ______, I shall assume you have refused my demand.
Sincerely,
Richard Lord
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