[Richardlord]

So it begins.

First, this letter to my dealer to give it the opportunity to do the right thing.

After a week, I send out the obligatory demand letter to GM.

After a time certain, if no response, or a negative response, I file in Small Claims Court.

Richard Lord, MPA
Nancy Lord Zearfoss, Ph.D.
XXXXX XXXXXX XX
XXXXXXXX, Maryland

July 20, 2014

Mr. Jack Winegardner

Winegardner Auto Group

11001 Indian Head Hwy
Fort Washington, MD 20744

935 Solomons Island Road
Road Prince Frederick MD 20678

15113 Crain Highway
Brandywine, MD 20613

22675 Washington St.
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Dear Mr. Winegardner:

Recently, I purchased a 2014 Corvette from your Leonardtown location. Please be advised that I am a highly dissatisfied and disaffected customer. I gave Winegardner the lowest possible overall rating possible on the GM Customer Satisfaction Survey, and the following are my reasons for doing so.

My Corvette was price protected under the GM Price Protection Policy and Program. I ordered my Corvette in August 2013, over six months later in March there was a $3,200 price increase, and GM and Winegardner finally delivered my Corvette in May. The primary reasons for the delay were the Z51 and FAY Carbon Fiber Interior dash constraints. At the actual point-of-sale, Winegardner charged me at the increased price rather than at the original agreed protected price.

Winegardner put the fault on GM and gave the explanation that it does not get back $3,200 from GM, it only gets back $2,768, and would only send me a check in that amount. The financial result was that I would be out $432 and also have a $200 increase in sales tax for a total loss of $632. I expressed my opinion that it appears the Winegardner customer policy is that if GM is going to screw someone on GM Price Protection, it shall be the Winegardner customer, and not Winegardner.

Given my objection to this loss, 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 reduced my loss to $332. Winegardner also said it would help me out on the price of modifications I was going to make to my Corvette to cover the difference.

While I objected to Winegardner charging me at the new price, it came down to either accepting my Corvette on Winegardner’s terms, or I would not get my Corvette. 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.

I also put this out on the Corvette Forum and Corvette7 Forum for review and comment on the situation. 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, passed that exact amount on 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 was that Winegardner deliberately cheated me for extra profit, unless it simply could not figure out the math.

Before filling out my GM Customer Satisfaction Survey, I brought in my Corvette in to Winegardner for modifications. If Winegardner actually made up the $300 difference, I would let this go. I also additionally 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. When I concluded that Winegardener (1) did not price protect me, (2) likely cheated me as those on the Corvette Forums suggested, and (3) did not make up the shortfall on the cost of modifications, that is when I filled out my GM Customer Satisfaction Survey in the negative.

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 it likely was the highest sale from this location this year. I just can’t imagine Winegardner being foolishly greedy and shortsighted enough as to cheat me over chump change where eventually I would get to the truth of the matter acting and speaking out accordingly.

To be clear, the problem is not with Larry, my primary salesperson. Larry was great in helping me in the ordering process. I in no way blame Larry for any of this, and shall never speak ill of him for this sales debacle. Grant was responsible for the improper point-of-sale transaction, but I don’t blame him either for carrying out Winegardner policy as that is his job. The final decisions concerning this sale rested with the Winegardner family member stationed at the Leonardtown location, and thus the blame lies squarely on Winegardner, which it puts off on GM.

I regret Larry shall not be my salesperson for the GMC truck I was going to buy, or for the Chevy hybrid my wife was going to buy. The reason Larry shall not be our salesperson is we shall never buy another vehicle from Winegardner. Additionally, whatever vehicles we now buy shall not be GM products. I also don’t think Winegardner shall have any of my Southern Maryland Corvette Club members, or anyone on the Corvette Forums, buy a Corvette or anything else from Winegardner anytime soon if ever.

If Winegardner and/or GM make this right with me even at this late date I would drop this matter. However, I do not expect this to happen. 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.

I shall post this letter on the Corvette Forums for review and comment.

I Remain,

Richard Lord