Absolute worst experience with this dealership from start - JOHN
Absolute worst experience with this dealership from start to finish.
I was unfortunately drawn into this dealership by the lure of an affordable short-term (2 year) lease in 2022.
At every level there was a lack of respect for the customer and eventually I found out that the salesperson (Rich Wyatt) and the finance manager (Mark Diab) didn't alert me to the fact that the financing company the dealership uses (WL Leasing) is dishonest and frankly bordering on criminally deceptive in its leasing practices.
Three weeks before my lease was due I called the dealership and they passed me off immediately to the leasing company. It was then I found out that South Oakville had offered me an 'open ended lease' without any disclosure. The terms were buried in the leasing agreement, but I would be surprised if any retail customers have any idea what this type of lease entails.
These leases, almost exclusively used in fleet and commercial leases makes the buyer responsible for the entire buyout value of the car regardless of resale value. You don't get to drop off your car and walk away. You are responsible for the difference between the buyout value and whatever the leasing company will auction your car for. In my case, my buyout was $37,500 +HST and the 'book value' of the car was around $30,000. After two years I was facing a $12,000 charge to return a base model Jeep.
After I alerted the dealership to this fact, they were initially sympathetic, with one sales manager (Mike) confiding me in on the phone that these leases are unethical and a very bad deal for customers. However he promised me that he would try to get the best deal for me from the dealership, Even so he was offering me $33,000 and I would still be out nearly $10,000
After repeatedly trying to get a definitive answer, and three visits to the dealership (after they repeatedly failed to answer my phone calls) I made a final visit three days before my lease was due to try and get an agreement. At this time I was routed to Dan Spasojevic (the general manager) who abruptly told me that the dealership was not longer interested in a trade-in for my car. He was extremely unsympathetic and told me that I should have been smarter and took it to a lawyer when I signed my lease so that I wouldn't have been scammed. At every point the employees of the dealership shirked responsibility and left a customer potentially owing thousands of dollars on a lease that they had passed off as a 'standard lease' but in fact is a specialized lease used almost exclusively for commercial fleets.
After consulting a lawyer and having to draft a letter to the leasing company stating that their lease terms were in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, I thankfully was able to return the car for a nominal fee. However many other customers without my resources would have probably paid the $12,000 that the leasing company initially invoiced me.
Please let this be a warning. A predatory leasing company, paired with an unethical car dealership could cost you dearly. Beware of open ended leases from this dealership as they do not disclose the terms.
If you have been taken in by the low payment and their lack of disclosure, consult a lawyer on the consumer protection act.
I filed a complaint about this dealership with OMVIC and they have put this dealership on file as potentially acting unethically.
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