[rant mode on]
First things first.  The Car dealer in question is:

Towson Ford
926 York Rd
Towson, MD 21204

Spread the word not to do business with them.  Particularly if you live in MD.

Now for the details:

September 18 I ordered a new Ford Escape (from the factory) through Towson Ford.  When Ford shortly thereafter announced the 0.0% financing deal, I inquired if I would be eligible.  Long story short, I was told that, with my estimated arrival date of "the week of Nov. 2" I would get the 0.0% deal even if the car came in in after Oct 31 (the original deadline of the deal).

At the beginning of that week, I started calling almost every day to see if the vehicle was in yet.  Each time I got "I was hoping it would come in today.  Should be here tomorrow."  I was also told by my sales rep "I will call you as soon as it comes in" and "Don't worry.  It's your car.  We won't sell it to anyone else."

Well, guess what.  After not hearing from my sales rep for almost a week, I call to find out what's going on.  I find out that the car had in fact come in, but they sold it to someone else!  They blow it off saying it was just a simple mistake and say they can order me another one, be there in 4 weeks.  I say "what about the 0% financing?"  Oh, that ended October 31, you can't get that now (or "it wasn't offered on the escape" depending on who I talk to).  So, you make a mistake, and I have to pay for it?  Yep, pretty much.  Too furious to even chew them out properly, I say I'll call back and I hang up.

After fuming all night, I call them back today.  I talk to a manger, explain the situation, ask what they are going to do to make up for their mistake.  I get the same answer.  "Well, we can order another one for you, and it will be here in 4 weeks."  The 0%?  "That ended on Oct 31.  Your car came in after that, so you wouldn't have gotten it anyway."  I was told I would get it regardless.  "He shouldn't have told you that.  He didn't have the authority to."  At this point I don't even feel like pointing out that I saw a Ford commercial the night before saying the 0.0% deal (on all vehicles) was extended to Nov 20.  I told him to cancel the order and give me my deposit back.

So to sum up:
"I'll call you when it comes in" = [b][red]LIE[/b][/red]
"We won't sell it to anyone else" = [b][red]LIE[/b][/red]
"You'll get the 0% financing" = [b][red]LIE[/b][/red]
"0% was never offered on the Escape" = [b][red]LIE[/b][/red]
"the 0% deal ended on October 31" = [b][red]LIE[/b][/red]
"I'll cancel the order and return your money" = (waiting somewhat skeptically)
Everything they have told me has either been a lie or a direct contradiction of something else they told me.  I wouldn't trust them to deliver a pizza, much less sell me a car.

Please pass this on to anyone who may ever buy a car...

[rant mode still on.  I am so pissed] [spitting nails mode on][pissed]

Edited because I can't spell when I'm this pissed.

Complain directly to Ford Corporate. With the economy the way it is in general, and Ford in particular (just changed CEO), they just might step in and make good, even through a different Ford dealer.

Tell them that you want your car with the 0% financing or you are going to contact your attorney on the basis of them breaking a verbal agreement. If you have it in writing it would be better, but it should still be enough to get their attention. Oh, and I would demand to talk to the owner and then call the Ford Corp. and see what they have to say.

Michael

I used to work in sales, Everyone Get it in Writing from the MANAGER, not Joe Blow salesman, but the Manager, even better if it is the Store Manager.

Sorry to hear they screwed you, and fyi, I didn't sell cars.

Verbal agreements usually don't hold water, but the manager should get his head out of his butt cause it was one of his people that screwed up.

Don't go to Corporate unless you want to be blacklisted by the dealership.

What manager were you dealing with?  Try the General Manager.

Ice

Who gives a shit about getting blacklisted by a car dealership? Like there aren't 50,000,000 other ones withing 100 miles of anywhere. Go to corporate and get them to chew on their ass. Better yet go buy a Chevy and then send a copy of your sales receipt to the dealer and corporate and let them know why they lost out on a sale.

Michael

And guys, if you find a car you want and you are waiting on financing or whatever to be completed by the dealer....always, always put a deposit down.  That legally holds the dealer to giving you first shot at the car.  Even a hundred bucks.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  The funny thing is, 4 years later, we find out the truck they sold me was stolen and never recovered.  I ended up getting my original price back plus a couple thousand.  Oh man....victory is sweet.

Anarki

My wife and I were in Towson, MD this past week.  What a crap hole!  She had a seminar for work and I went along because her company paid.  Wish I wouldn't have.  It seems alot of businesses in Towson don't give a damn about customers.  I know how you feel.

AR_Shorty

Slight revision.  The 0% offer did end (for the Escape) on Oct 31.  The extension to Nov 20 does not include the Escape.  Mind you I got this information from the Ford web page, and not from any of the [b]four[/b] people I talked to at the dealership.

Doesn't change the fact that they sold MY car to someone else (and I did put money down on it), or that they didn't bend over backwards to fix it after I found this out.

I'll be calling Ford corporate within the hour, and the Better Business Bureau and anyone else who will listen over the next few days.

all these 0% aprs and deals and whatnots have one requirement. that you take delivery of said vehical during that time(sign papers that say you own it) unfortunaly this paper requires VIN number, and if special order they wont get the vin until it arrives). if you order a vehical and is doesnt arrive until the day/week after the deal expires your SOL. dont expect those money mongers to give you any help. the sales agents will lie their parts off to make a sale. i knwo a dealership owner, cheavy do PC system support for him. hes straight up and will tell you the "take delivery requirements" its a small family buisness and he has a sense of honor.

Consider your legal options.  You apparentlty had a contract that they flat out failed to honor.  THEY EVEN HAD A DEPOSIT FROM YOU.

You might also consider complaining to your local Better Business Bureau.

BTW. The major impediment to verbal contracts is a statue of frauds defense.  His deposit may be sufficient to deal with that.  Consult a lawyer.

Note that unless you had a negotiated price any action would probably be difficult because any interest rate can be counterbalanced by a corresponding increase in price.

My great-nephew found-out it is a very bad idea.  Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet in Greenville, SC screwed him, so he complained to GM corporate.  The next time the car left him stranded, GM towed it, as is their policy, to the closest Chevy dealer.  Unfortunately, it was Whitaker.  They accidentally dropped his car off of a lift.  Then they accidentally left it out in the rain with smashed windows.  He still hasn't collected a penny from the dealership.  Their offer for damaging his car was a free CD player.  What crooks.z

That's too bad you were treated so shabbily.  I just purchased a 2001 F150 Lariat (traded in my 1997 F150).  I noticed an oil leak after about 500 miles.  Looking over the engine, I found a pool of oil sitting on the intake manifold.  Turns out that one of the heads was warped.  They had my truck for two weeks, and now I have a $30,000 truck that has had the engine taken apart.  I went directly to the president of the dealership with my complaint, who in turn passed it down to his service manager.  My point to all this?  The service manager asked me what would I like him to do.  I told him that the Ford ESP (extended warranty) for 5/60,000 would be fair.  He said, no problem, I'll have the paperwork in two weeks.  Don't let one dealership spoil it for the rest.  There are some who really believe in customer service.  Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints.  Good luck (and good choice of vehicle!)

I bought my last truck from Towson Ford and didn't have any problems at all. I special ordered it and took delivery about 4 weeks later. I was treated fairly and honestly. That being said, I still wouldn't trust them or any car dealer any farther than I could throw them.

First rule of car shopping:

[b] If the salesman's lips are moving, he's LYING! [/b]

Some of you would call a lawyer
over this?????


HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate to be the one to break the news but, with Ford sales up 40% over the same period a year ago, they don't need your sale.  Someone with some cash came along and got your car.

My sister is a lawyer, and you would be amazed what you can get done by just mentioning the word "ATTORNEY".

Michael

That's why God invented paint balloon bombs!
Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling balloons!

Archangel,

I am an engineer at Nissan and I can get you a deal on an Xterra if you want. Price is a fixed discount, no negotiations necessary. We don't have 0% financing though. We don't need it to sell OUR cars.

Xterra is built in Smyrna, TN, for those of you who insist on buying "American."

Yup, buying a car is depressing.  The dealers always lie, lie, lie.  I can't believe a word they say.  The best thing to do is assume you are going to be lied to, then work around it by making them verify *everything* they say or put it in writing.  They can't lie after you have a contract.

Watch out for DOC fees--I got burned on that shit once.  ONCE!!!!  Everything is negotiable, except on their form, the DOC fee of $200 was already there in black ink.  I shoulda walked right out the fucking door.  It doesn't cost $200 to register a vehicle, no way no how.  That's pure profit for them.

Don't believe the manager, either.  They always play the good cop / bad cop routine and blame each other for mistakes.  All part of the game--misdirection and intrigue.  

Remember:  All they have to do every day is figure out new ways to get unsuspecting people to part with great gobs of cash.  That's the game.  

If something looks fishy, walk.  Don't say a word, just walk right out the door.  That's all you can do.

Problem #1 -- Ford Sucks!!--- May Ford go bankrupt, be bought out by Bill Clinton and  turned into a string of massage parlors.--- At least you'll know up front what your chances of being screwed are.---Just my Biased opinion!!

Just did a search and found that the dealership has a website. [url]www.towsonford.com[/url]
They also have an email addy of [email][email protected][/email]
I don't know if it would help, but you can try sending them a copy of this thread. Sometimes the fear of bad publicity can work wonders.

I personally belive that a lot of state agencies for the public are toothless tigers, but do you folks have a state consumer protection agency?

One of my best friends is a lawyer.  I had a problem similar to this and I threatened to take them to court and in doing so I was going to subpeona everyone involved in running their sales department that I had dealt with.  Why?
This would have effectively shut down their sales for at least an entire day if not more.
They listened very closely after that.

Oh, forgot to post it the first time.  I would threaten the managment, and mention Gunderson Ford in El Monte, Calif.,  the credit manager, store manager, and a  bunch of salesman are charged with criminal law violations.

Car dealers rank up there with politicians.

Go to a dealer that will sell through their fleet sales department, most will sell barely over invoice with no salesman involved. You can find these on the internet easily. They will give you an out the door price.

Get EVERYTHING in writing, even if they say they will throw in something for free, dont take their word for anything.

My local Ford dealer (Mastel Ford in Olean, NY) sucks, they play good cop-bad cop, say they will get you the moon and stars etc. Hor$eshit.

Most important thing you can do is your homework, research prices for everything.

BrenLover

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

Now that I've had some time to cool off a little and can think more clearly, I'm looking at my options.

1.  I could try to work things out with the Dealer.  I could probably get a pretty good deal out of it.  Not the 0%, but then, I was going to get the car anyway before that was ever announced.  The downside being, of course, that they have already proven somewhat unreliable.  And that I already filed a comlaint with Ford Corporate.

2.  I can go through another Ford dealer, and try to get the same deal I orginally had.

3.  I can go with another brand.  Maybe Chevy or Isuzu.  My grandfather used to work for GM, so I could actually get a discount on either of those.  And Chevy does still have the 0% untill Nov 18 if I can find something on the lot.  I really liked the Escape, though.

4.  I can just keep driving my old Amigo for a while.  I so annoyed and demoralized by this whole experience.

5.  I can spend the money I was going to put into the car on some Class III toys.  I probably shouldn't, though.

I may look into my legal options tomorrow when I get back to work.  (I've been out at training all week, but I do work for one of the largest law firms in MD.  You'd think the dealer would have seen that on my application and not f---ed with me in the first place.)  

So I'll be mulling this over for a little while more.  I welcome your input.  (and thanks to those of you who have already offered input)

A very annoyed Archangel [B)]

BTW, Morpheus, thanks for the offer.  I was actually looking at the Xterra for a while, and liked it a lot, untill I test drove one.  I still like them, just not if I have to drive it.

I guess I should also mention that my deposit was on my credit card, so I have that going for me.  And I did have a (really good) price negatiated ($100 over invoice (did my homework )).

'bout the only thing I didn't have on paper was the salesman telling me about the 0%.  Which wasn't necessarily a deal breaker, just one more straw in the whole cluster F---.

At least they didn't set my backpack on fire.

Go test drive a TrailBlazer.  Isn't that the GM equivalent to the Escape?  

See what you think.  If you get a discount and 0% apr, go for it.

Good luck,
Ice

You could go to a Mazda dealer, and get the same vehicle with different badging.

I think I know what happened...

"I guess I should also mention that my deposit was on my credit card, so I have that going for me. And I did have a (really good) price negatiated ($100 over invoice (did my homework ))."

They found someone else who would pay MSRP or close to it so they sold it to them. This is where the fleet dealers come in handy.

The Escape is a FAR cry from the TrailBlaser, I am more of a Ford person by the TrailBlaser SPANKS the Escape in every catagory except price. Escape is basically a oversized stationwagon with AWD option

BrenLover

Archangel,

I have a connection with someone at Ford in Dearborn.  I will e-mail them to see what they suggest.  They are not in a position to do something directly, but may be able to suggest who to contact at the Corporate office.

AFARR

It seams that they usually rig those incentives to get rid of unwanted cars on the lot.

What’s the difference between a car salesman and a computer salesman.....  A car salesman knows when he is lying.

This kind of shit goes all the way back to the horse dealer days...same shit...different year..
Nothing but a royal pain in the ass situation when dealing with an automobile dealer. When you buy, do your research,get your prices off the internet and then go in with the attitude that your gonna fuck that salesmans day up and be a royal pain in the nuts until the deal is what you want..can't get your price...hey, you probably passed other dealers on the way to that one. Never be afraid to walk out especially after he's put in a few hours of dealing with you. When all else fails, as far as I'm concerned the dealer can go kiss my big fat ass [argue]  [-!-]