BUYER BEWARE
I negotiated a used vehicle purchase - iain.d.a.mcleod
BUYER BEWARE
I negotiated a used vehicle purchase with Griffiths Ford and after driving from Calgary to Hinton, a 5.5 hr drive, I found several undisclosed issues with the vehicle. These issues all should have been identified on the inspection that they performed but were either missed or omitted (Significant leak from the oil pan, warning light on the dash, cruise control not working, lane assist not working, disconnected vacuum line on the fuel system, and the oil was overfilled). There was no one available to rectify the issues or negotiate a solution, so I had to drive home without the vehicle. I attempted to salvage the sale with the Sales Manager Derrick who begrudgingly worked with me to come to terms, but then he backed out on terms we had already agreed upon and failed to provide the documentation I had requested, so I made the decision to walk away.
On multiple occasions I was told that my expectations did not align with a used purchase, but I maintain that a used vehicle should not have warning lights illuminated for safety systems not working, nor should it have any of the other issues noted without being disclosed to a customer. Identifying and rectifying these issues should be part of the service provided by any capable, full-service dealership prior to listing a vehicle for sale. Understandably errors do happen, so my hope was that a reputable dealership would have taken ownership of the issues, made things right, and worked with me to retain the sale. Instead, I dealt with a Sales Manager who actively avoided communicating with me, blamed me for expecting too much, and was intent on terminating the sale.
Honestly, I wish things would have gone differently because I am a big fan of supporting small town, family-owned businesses, but the treatment I received was what I’d expect out of a shady used car lot, not a reputable Ford dealer. I would urge any perspective customer for Griffiths Ford to look elsewhere as I witnessed a lack of attention to detail within the service department, and the customer service from the Sales Manager was abhorrent.
Long story short, think long and hard before trusting Griffiths Ford with your next purchase or service visit.
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