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Slimy Dealer 'Steals' NY Man's Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition - Yes it Happend!

You Are the dealer, what would you do?

  • Stick to the Full Price Deal your team told you was the case

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Arop

Arop

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You did not say but correct me if I am wrong:

Did you order this thru the military ordering system while overseas?

Here is the bottom line: In Nov 1968 I stepped off a plane in SEATAC around midnight. I could see and hear people there to greet us. It was cold and sleeting rain. As I stepped into the concourse I got my first taste of hate for the military.

In 1998 I was interviewing for a job as a Sr Software Engineering Progam Manager, I got offered the job in the interview. Been there most of the day, had interviewed with 6-8 folks. I am filling out the go to work papers and the Regional VP is in town and he wants to meet the new guy...He walks in, we shake hands he picks up my resume. After a couple of min he asks, were you in Vietnam? Yes, Sir! He leaves and about 10 min later 2 armed guards and him come walking into the office, he looks at me and say I don't hire baby killers and druggies, looks at the guards and says: Escort him to his car!

Even today you will find no shortage of dislike for soldiers. I have traveled all over the US and been thanked for my service and been put down for it. What this OWNER did to you was to tell you he would not pizz on a military guy if he was on fire.

Actions: You wrote a story about what happened, then you write a review of the dealer, tell others how the military is NOT welcome there. Not sure what Buffalo NY is like in that regard, but I can say my one time there it was COLD with snow on the ground, but that cute little Nurse I met, sure warmed up this soldier. She even flew down to Va to see me a few times.
Wow... What a story. Your recommendation is my plan... And it will unfold in time.

I believe we are a big Military community here in Western New York. There is an AirForce Base in Niagara Falls and everyone in Buffalo seems to be incredibly supportive.
We are the home of hero's like :
John Bobo, Charles DeGlopper and oh yeah, a personal friend of mine, David Bellavia.

( For those of you who don't recognize the above names, it's worth a Google search!)

Thank you for your service @Ole Cowboy
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Brandon W. Snyder

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O snap Gladiator meetup at Southington? I am like 45 min from there. When is this scheduled?
I will post up on here once @Arop gets his JT and invite others. We want a decent group of JT’s only for this meet up/trail ride/bbq

Btw, like @Arop and @Ole Cowboy I’m a Veteran as well. I’d like to get as many Veterans as possible in on this trail day. We’ll call it the Gladiator Invasion of Southington.
 
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Alkali

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I will post up on here once @Arop gets his JT and invite others. We want a decent group of JT’s only for this meet up/trail ride/bbq
Posting to the Great Lakes forum section or here in General?
 

Brandon W. Snyder

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To be honest I didn’t think of that, but I’ll take it as a suggestion. I’ve got a few that are not on the forum coming already. However, is Great Lakes section of the forum my best bet to get attendees or post in several areas?
 

Slapping_Rabbits

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Just curious if you did or plan on writing a google review? I do that and when you put in a lot of detail you can really make a difference. I've done that a few times with a surprising amount of success. Sometimes changes are made at the places I review and at the very least it warns others away from said place. Just fyi, photos make a massive difference. I think adding a visual no matter how minor really adds to the text and provides context. I'm up to approximately 5 million views for some of the reviews and photos I've posted.
 

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Arop

Arop

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Just curious if you did or plan on writing a google review? I do that and when you put in a lot of detail you can really make a difference. I've done that a few times with a surprising amount of success. Sometimes changes are made at the places I review and at the very least it warns others away from said place. Just fyi, photos make a massive difference. I think adding a visual no matter how minor really adds to the text and provides context. I'm up to approximately 5 million views for some of the reviews and photos I've posted.
Yes sir reeeeeeee!
I work in advertising.... I totally get internet marketing, reviews, SEO authority etc.
I will be out there with the story.... But I am not in a rush and am still gathering Intel....
Like the fact that I was right! He sold it to someone who works at the dealership!! Just drove by and it is again, parked out front with license plates on it! Ain't that a whoot!
One of these days I'll figure out how to add a picture!.... Oh wait - let's try this...
IMG_20190703_143130.jpg

Seriously, I just took this one today. I have more but it shows the dealership etc.... But yeah, this was supposed to be mine.
I'm almost wondering if it's the owners....
Wouldn't that be something!
 

NORDNDED

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For an Military veteran to have his dream truck shipped to a dealer, follow all directions to a tee from Jeep Brand, and then have his truck held hostage and subsequently stolen by the dealer is just Bullshit. Period.

No one could / would help : Not Jeep Concierge, not the Owner of the Dealership, No One... and there is no where for us to go.

On a slimy technicality, this dealership could charge me full boat on my LE because I gave a deposit on the original VON. (my fault in retrospect)
(Stupid me believed sales when they said there was plenty of time to do paperwork later - did not know I had to make a deal to have my truck dropped at their dealership - my bad)

• I signed nothing -
• Sales told me that there is plenty of time to do paperwork and they would be in contact with me as the time got closer
• the VON sheet says right on it "this is not an Invoice... Order only accepted when shipped by the factory."
• VON sheet had same Number on it that Jeep Brand e-mailed me - so I (incorrectly) thought my deposit just secured 1 of these 4190 LE's.
• Contacted sales many,many,many,many,many times. Sent over other offer sheets, pricing others were getting, vin numbers with proof of their deal and also sent pictures and video's of delivered LE's, and each time, for the most part, sales stayed silent... and I'm wondering to myself when are we were going to do the paperwork. Totally taken back that these slimy people still exist out there. THEN - you guessed it - truck came in - pay full boat or loose it.

*** So just so we all know what we are talking about here - pay the full 62,310 vs 58,379 (albeit an arbitrary number - it's invoice)
add sles tax to both these numbers in NY and the difference to me is $4,275.09

So Wait - it gets even better! - Have a candid 1 on 1 phone conversation with the owner. Give him the skinny in a very professional manner - tell him where the communication went wrong and asked him to please do the right thing with my truck. He talks to his team, comes back, says NO.
Proceeds to tell me its not about the money here, he could loose a lot more equity with his team if he didn't stick by them.
(actually the only thing that kinda makes sense for those of us ever in management would attest)
...of course there are other leadership qualities and teaching moments that could have came out of this...

But Wait - There's more! Check out this solution opportunity:

I have a shopping cart filled with 3-4,000 worth of parts. Ask owner if he has parts department (of course yes) ask him if he's willing to deal in parts. He does come back and say he is willing to take 30% off parts to make things right. I proceed to give his parts guy list of parts.
They both call back and owner says it's $2,455 => 1805 in parts and 650 for install

I say "GREAT" we now have the solution! Go back to your team, tell them they can have the deal at full boat, saving your 'equity' with them - and since it's not about money, throw in the parts and we have a deal.

He said No.

This actually happened... True Story.

OH YEAH - forgot to mention - I asked the owner:
"If I came into your dealership back in April and asked you if I could have my truck dropped off here for 59k, what would you have said?"
He Replied:
" I'm not sure, this was such a unique process and I'm not familiar with it."
Not only does that help make my point - it was a unique process that I was also unfamiliar with, and thought I was securing a "prize" with my deposit - but there is no way he would have said no.
I asked 3 other dealers - all said the same thing - it's a great deal and no way would we have ever, under any circumstance, passed that up!

Names and Dealership info to follow... right after I pick up LE #2 from a local dealer who actually had one coming to them in July.
same color, same truck, and oh yeah - they happily accepted the invoice price of 58,379
they'll take their floor plan credit -
they'll take their hold back
they'll take a new client who will be as loyal to them as they were to me...
and oh yeah, after the deal was done, I told the guy I forgot to beat him up for the:

All-Weather Slush Mats
Sales code: CWA

He told me, No Problem - I will throw them in for you.... and the other guy asked me what kind of donuts I liked because he was going to have donuts there for all of us when I come to pick her up!

Big difference in both Dealers and Sales People...

Learn from my mistakes - stay away from slimy dealers... this whole process has left a terrible, terrible tast in my mouth for JEEP. This is my first jeep and I have been a FORD guy all my life.
Can you clarify a bit? I'm reading this as if you gave a deposit for an LE and were given a VON at that time but not an actual sales price? If so then I don't really see how you can hold them liable to a price that was not negotiated at the time of order. I understand you asked (or were told you could) to do the paperwork after the fact but that was a mistake on your part to not get a price in writing before giving them a deposit. Yes it is a bit shady on their part for sure but I would have walked out if they would not give me a price when placing the order initially.
 

billyjk7

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Did you get a signed purchase contract from the dealer when you ordered it?
 

Hootbro

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I am confused, what does the statement "Military Veteran" have to do with getting screwed over here? Was there some discount you were getting for it and now are not?
 
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Arop

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Can you clarify a bit? I'm reading this as if you gave a deposit for an LE and were given a VON at that time but not an actual sales price? If so then I don't really see how you can hold them liable to a price that was not negotiated at the time of order. I understand you asked (or were told you could) to do the paperwork after the fact but that was a mistake on your part to not get a price in writing before giving them a deposit. Yes it is a bit shady on their part for sure but I would have walked out if they would not give me a price when placing the order initially.
Absolutely not arguing my mistake... I've admitted my stupid mistake - However this was no ordinary method of purchasing a vehicle. I thought I had to leave a deposit on the vehicle to secure it. I received, via email from Jeep brand, a VON number. When I walked in to the dealer they presented me a 1 page sheet with the same VON number Jeep Brand e-mailed me. I swear I was there 20 minutes at most and walked out with that pre-printed sheet and a receipt for my deposit.

My contention here is that stupidly, I thought I just secured my prise and the dealer would report back to Jeep that they now had money on it.
I also stupidly believed them when they told me we can do all the paperwork and fun stuff once we we're closer to having it delivered.

To you experts out there who have ordered new vehicles before, this may be seem like a glaring logical negotiating point. I see that now but truly thought we would do paperwork later and if I didn't like what they had to say, I could just have it dropped at a different dealer.

Which is why, technically they are in their right, but morrally, in my opinion, they stole my truck.

I reached out several times with data like I mentioned so they would be prepared to deal at least around invoice.
It is my opinion that they avoided those discussions on purpose.

It is the decision the owner made that, when presented with the honest facts, not help out in any way... It is the decision that the owner again made when presented with another fair solution to not help out in any way.

I'm sorry, it's a shitty thing to do even though it was in his right. The ulterior motive is absolutely giving it to what look like a friend, employee, or maybe even himself.

JEEP BRAND ADMITTED TO ME and apologized for not being clear on their instructions.
 

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Arop

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Did you get a signed purchase contract from the dealer when you ordered it?
No. I just looked. It was a POC price order confirmation sheet WITH the VON number on it that matched what Jeep sent me. It is not signed by them or by me.

This is the point of my contention...
I know now it supposedly meant order the vehicle, I'll pay full boat

But please, fir half a second understand I believed I was following Jeep Brands instructions in securing it only... AND if I didn't like what the paperwork looked like when we got to it, I could call the concierge and have them deliver elsewhere.

Swear to God that is what I thought ...

I see where I was wrong....

I am extremely shocked and disappointed at the owners decision to stick it to me.

That's it. :)
 
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Arop

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I am confused, what does the statement "Military Veteran" have to do with getting screwed over here? Was there some discount you were getting for it and now are not?
Let's keep that out if the discussion. I did respond to @Ole Cowboy 's post - but no there was no military discount or special. It was part of the original story only because I'm proud of that fact and thought if he was at all inclined to do the right thing he would be willing to do the right thing for someone who served his country and his community...
Turned out he could care less
That's all.
 

2004blackwrx

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I agree a signature is good. But if you have and agreed upon price with a deposit that is good enough. I am no lawyer but was taught in school verbal agreement is binding. If you got an offer followed by a deposit that shows you approved the offer and that they accepted the deposit shows they agreed that you approved the offer. It court you may be able to win but probably not worth the cost of effort unless you got money to waste on a moral point. Goodluck with the new jeep. If you had an agreement then please post the dealer on here and the wrangler so all jeepers know to avoid them.
 
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Arop

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I agree a signature is good. But if you have and agreed upon price with a deposit that is good enough. I am no lawyer but was taught in school verbal agreement is binding. If you got an offer followed by a deposit that shows you approved the offer and that they accepted the deposit shows they agreed that you approved the offer. It court you may be able to win but probably not worth the cost of effort unless you got money to waste on a moral point. Goodluck with the new jeep. If you had an agreement then please post the dealer on here and the wrangler so all jeepers know to avoid them.
i'm not taking any legal action here...
I'm taking responsibility for being an Idiot...

I'm not biter - just extreemly frustrated and dissapointed not only at the communication but the owners decision to hang me on that technicality.
That is it.

Will post all paperwork and dealer info soon.

I could not in good conscience let any of my friends, family or service members deal with the nightmare and shenanigans at this dealer.
That is the reason I feel compelled to post this story.
 

Evilhomer 0||||||||0

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I am confused, what does the statement "Military Veteran" have to do with getting screwed over here? Was there some discount you were getting for it and now are not?
+1
Is throwing around veteran status meant to elicit more outrage or sympathy?. Unless you were treated differently or unfairly BECUASE of your veteran status.

It seems to imply that if this happened to a normal citizen, it's fine, but if it's a vet we should be more outraged? Veterans being denied benefits by the VA or some other entity would be appropriate use of the "Vet being mistreated" headline.
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