My bad Experience with Lexus of Calgary
I recently - Don Wijesingha
My bad Experience with Lexus of Calgary
I recently traded in my vehicle to purchase a Lexus from Lexus of Calgary, and unfortunately, my experience left me very frustrated and disappointed.
My trade-in vehicle was in very good condition, had an excellent service record, and everything was working perfectly. During the negotiation, we agreed on a trade-in value of $21,000.
However, I became confused when I reviewed how the dealership calculated the transaction. The calculation was presented to me approximately as follows:
Vehicle price: $38,000
Documentation fee: $595
AMVIC fee: $10
Subtotal: $38,605
Trade-in allowance shown: $20,000
Balance: $18,605
GST: $1,930
Less: $1,000
Amount presented as trade value: $21,000
I did not understand this calculation because, based on my understanding, the trade-in should have been calculated by subtracting the full agreed trade-in value from the vehicle price and then applying GST to the difference. In this case:
$38,605 − $21,000 = $17,605 + 5% GST
Based on that calculation, I believed I would be losing approximately $1,000 if the first method was used.
I discussed the calculation with a friend who works at another dealership, and he also told me that the second calculation was the appropriate way to calculate the trade-in. When I returned to Lexus of Calgary and discussed my concern with the sales manager, I felt uncomfortable with the way I was questioned. I was asked whether my friend was involved in the transaction, which made me feel as though I had done something wrong simply by asking for clarification.
To his credit, the manager eventually agreed to correct the calculation. He then told me that I was now getting $22,000 for my vehicle, which was confusing because my original negotiated trade-in value was $21,000. I did not argue further. Ultimately, the transaction was corrected, and I received what I believe was the proper value for my trade-in.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of my concerns.
When I picked up the Lexus, I received only one key fob. When I asked about the second key, I was told that the previous owner had lost it. This was very concerning because I had no way of knowing who might still have access to the missing key fob. I was worried about the security of the vehicle. Fortunately, another manager provided me with a $500 service credit to address the issue, which I appreciated. However, the security of the vehicle is still a concern.
A few days after taking the vehicle home, I also discovered that the passenger-side sun visor was defective. I was told that replacing it would cost approximately $500. When I contacted my salesperson about these issues, I did not feel that there was much willingness to help resolve them.
Before this experience, I considered Lexus of Calgary to be a respectable dealership. Unfortunately, the overall experience has left me frustrated and disappointed.
I am sharing my experience so that other customers can carefully review all of the numbers in their purchase and trade-in agreements, ask questions if something does not seem clear, and make sure that everything promised or agreed upon is documented before completing the transaction.
If anyone has questions about my experience, please feel free to comment.
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