Wow, horrific to sum it up =). Here is an email I sent you can get the gist from it in regards to my dealings. Just a heads up if you plan on working with these guys.
This all started when my business consultant suggested I get one of these vehicles for fuel savings and to attract attention to my business when we head out on estimates/sales calls.
I was delighted to receive a call only a few days after original contacting Herb Chambers telling me they had a car available that met the criteria I had been searching for and then some.
After a very brief thought period I called and put my $1000.00 down payment on this car. I told them I would be financing it through them, so they told me they would be in touch for my information. It took two weeks to finally get someone to get a hold of me, even though I called numerous times. This got me a bit nervous, but the new guy who admitted the previous gentleman dropped the ball seemed to be fairly with it. Doug (the financing gentleman) actually held his end of the deal together and everything went through without hitch.
So this brings us to the next stage, I was in limbo for maybe another week, with no idea of where we were in the stage of my car purchase. Finally I was able to get a hold of someone and asked for my inconvenience that they tint my windows. After calling back about 10 times, the sales manager Umer Iqbal finally called me back and agreed to tint my windows. This 1 hour job delayed my on time car delivery though I told them I needed this car before I left the country on the 22nd of August. I was assured this was no problem. Every time I called however no one knew where the tint guy was or when he would get to my car.
FINALLY, the tint guy came and tinted the windows the 35% I requested for my state legalities. So I am assured again this would be on the truck and to my house before I leave for vacation on the 22nd. Well day after day, I am calling to get an update. Half of the time it would ring continuously then an automated voice would answer telling me the party is not available and hang up on me. The other half I would get a receptionist who told me EVERY SINGLE TIME for a month that either Francia (sales lady) or Umer (sales manager) were with clients. I would repeatedly leave messages, and would never get a return call in a timely fashion. I mean never.
So I am leaving the country I ask if there are any loose ends that need to be wrapped up, again I was told nothing was needed, it can all be handled with the info they have. So 3 days into my vacation (in Alaska where there is no signal on cell phones) I finally get a message that they need a copy of my license. After going through heck a day later I get it to them. I am then told that I need to get them proof of insurance. WHAT? I am 3800 miles away in the middle of no where, and I have to take care of this after going over and over again with them that everything is ready to go. More inconvenience.
Then there is the final delivery. I asked it set for delivery on Saturday the 30th. This, again I am assured, they can do. Well 7pm at a Chicago airport I get a call, this is on Friday the 29th, that my car is set to be delivered in one hour. WHAT? Then I am told I need tog et it off the street because it has no tags. WHAT? What is going on here? So I have to call around frantically while I am in an airport to set someone up to meet the truck driver, and get it into a garage so that it is not towed. This is not an easy task on a Friday night.
SOOO, finally I return home on Saturday, get my car, and of course there is no tags, not even temp tags.
Francia, my sales girl has no idea where they are she told me she herself sent them out on Tuesday and she will look into it as they should have been there by now. Well for the next week and a half I call and leave messages for both my sales girl and sales manager. To my surprise, every call results in the same response, that is that they are with customers I will can leave a message. This is followed by the same action from them, nothing, not a call back, no update, nothing. Finally at nearly two weeks of staring at my car I sent a stern email to which I finally get a phone call from my sales girl. Of course nothing from the sales manager to whom which the email was addressed.
This call is to tell me that she called the registration office, and my tags will be at their office the next day, after which they will over night them to me. OK, well she told me she mailed them out three weeks prior herself, and they were lost, but ok another lie at this point is just another lie with these folks. I get a call the following Monday that they have my tags, and they will mail them out as soon as I pay them an additional $384.00. By now, I am so disgusted I cant see straight, and though I repeatedly ask to speak tot he manager about this, email, and leave messages I don't hear a peep from him.
I demanded a $1384.00 refund on my shipping and tags, and have never gotten a response to my emails or phone calls. I have now had my car on the road, and have yet to hear from Umer the sales managers after weeks and weeks of phone calls, and requests even emails. I think this is very fair since I put $200.00 - $300.00 in fuel in my Navigator weekly, as well as paid for insurance and a car payment for a month of non-use do to dealer negligence.
I have bought many new cars and trucks owning a business, and I have never in my life experienced anything like this, and this is from a Mercedes dealership. Though I need to purchase another smart car for my salesman, I certainly will not get it from Herb Chambers, and it may possibly be another car all together after this transaction.
I sure hope this does not fall on deaf ears, as this dealer should certainly be made to accept responsibility for the way a customer has been dealt with.
Wow, horrific to sum it up =). Here is an email I sent you can get the gist from it in regards to my dealings. Just a heads up if you plan on working with these guys.
This all started when my business consultant suggested I get one of these vehicles for fuel savings and to attract attention to my business when we head out on estimates/sales calls.
I was delighted to receive a call only a few days after original contacting Herb Chambers telling me they had a car available that met the criteria I had been searching for and then some.
After a very brief thought period I called and put my $1000.00 down payment on this car. I told them I would be financing it through them, so they told me they would be in touch for my information. It took two weeks to finally get someone to get a hold of me, even though I called numerous times. This got me a bit nervous, but the new guy who admitted the previous gentleman dropped the ball seemed to be fairly with it. Doug (the financing gentleman) actually held his end of the deal together and everything went through without hitch.
So this brings us to the next stage, I was in limbo for maybe another week, with no idea of where we were in the stage of my car purchase. Finally I was able to get a hold of someone and asked for my inconvenience that they tint my windows. After calling back about 10 times, the sales manager Umer Iqbal finally called me back and agreed to tint my windows. This 1 hour job delayed my on time car delivery though I told them I needed this car before I left the country on the 22nd of August. I was assured this was no problem. Every time I called however no one knew where the tint guy was or when he would get to my car.
FINALLY, the tint guy came and tinted the windows the 35% I requested for my state legalities. So I am assured again this would be on the truck and to my house before I leave for vacation on the 22nd. Well day after day, I am calling to get an update. Half of the time it would ring continuously then an automated voice would answer telling me the party is not available and hang up on me. The other half I would get a receptionist who told me EVERY SINGLE TIME for a month that either Francia (sales lady) or Umer (sales manager) were with clients. I would repeatedly leave messages, and would never get a return call in a timely fashion. I mean never.
So I am leaving the country I ask if there are any loose ends that need to be wrapped up, again I was told nothing was needed, it can all be handled with the info they have. So 3 days into my vacation (in Alaska where there is no signal on cell phones) I finally get a message that they need a copy of my license. After going through heck a day later I get it to them. I am then told that I need to get them proof of insurance. WHAT? I am 3800 miles away in the middle of no where, and I have to take care of this after going over and over again with them that everything is ready to go. More inconvenience.
Then there is the final delivery. I asked it set for delivery on Saturday the 30th. This, again I am assured, they can do. Well 7pm at a Chicago airport I get a call, this is on Friday the 29th, that my car is set to be delivered in one hour. WHAT? Then I am told I need tog et it off the street because it has no tags. WHAT? What is going on here? So I have to call around frantically while I am in an airport to set someone up to meet the truck driver, and get it into a garage so that it is not towed. This is not an easy task on a Friday night.
SOOO, finally I return home on Saturday, get my car, and of course there is no tags, not even temp tags.
Francia, my sales girl has no idea where they are she told me she herself sent them out on Tuesday and she will look into it as they should have been there by now. Well for the next week and a half I call and leave messages for both my sales girl and sales manager. To my surprise, every call results in the same response, that is that they are with customers I will can leave a message. This is followed by the same action from them, nothing, not a call back, no update, nothing. Finally at nearly two weeks of staring at my car I sent a stern email to which I finally get a phone call from my sales girl. Of course nothing from the sales manager to whom which the email was addressed.
This call is to tell me that she called the registration office, and my tags will be at their office the next day, after which they will over night them to me. OK, well she told me she mailed them out three weeks prior herself, and they were lost, but ok another lie at this point is just another lie with these folks. I get a call the following Monday that they have my tags, and they will mail them out as soon as I pay them an additional $384.00. By now, I am so disgusted I cant see straight, and though I repeatedly ask to speak tot he manager about this, email, and leave messages I don't hear a peep from him.
I demanded a $1384.00 refund on my shipping and tags, and have never gotten a response to my emails or phone calls. I have now had my car on the road, and have yet to hear from Umer the sales managers after weeks and weeks of phone calls, and requests even emails. I think this is very fair since I put $200.00 - $300.00 in fuel in my Navigator weekly, as well as paid for insurance and a car payment for a month of non-use do to dealer negligence.
I have bought many new cars and trucks owning a business, and I have never in my life experienced anything like this, and this is from a Mercedes dealership. Though I need to purchase another smart car for my salesman, I certainly will not get it from Herb Chambers, and it may possibly be another car all together after this transaction.
I sure hope this does not fall on deaf ears, as this dealer should certainly be made to accept responsibility for the way a customer has been dealt with.
Give us a break. You scavenged a car, here:
"Location: Baltimore Just picked this up:
passion coupe $18650 (including shipping)
black exterior
black tridion cell
Accessories:
Comfort Package
Fog Lamps
Lo-Jack
Navigation
Velour Floor Mats
I also added a 1500.00 7 year 100k mile warranty. Should arrive in a week when I get back from vacation! Dealer was a PITA to deal with unfortunately."
So, how about getting in line, plunking down 99.00, and waiting--like everyone else?
Last edited by EdwardDennis; 09-13-2008 at 11:02 PM.
passion coupe $18650 (including shipping)
black exterior
black tridion cell
Accessories:
Comfort Package
Fog Lamps
Lo-Jack
Navigation
Velour Floor Mats
I also added a 1500.00 7 year 100k mile warranty. Should arrive in a week when I get back from vacation! Dealer was a PITA to deal with unfortunately."
So, how about getting in line, plunking down 99.00, and waiting--like everyone else?
SO WHAT????? He bought an orphan!!! He should have still gotten excellent customer service. I suggest you send this information by mail to smartusa. These dealerships are spoiled because of the current popularity of the car. There is no excuse whatsoever for the lack of comminication and service.
passion coupe $18650 (including shipping)
black exterior
black tridion cell
Accessories:
Comfort Package
Fog Lamps
Lo-Jack
Navigation
Velour Floor Mats
I also added a 1500.00 7 year 100k mile warranty. Should arrive in a week when I get back from vacation! Dealer was a PITA to deal with unfortunately."
So, how about getting in line, plunking down 99.00, and waiting--like everyone else?
Wow, thats an intelligent response. I scavenged a car buying an orphan like thousands of others in the US from a certified Smart dealer? Get real, I was in the orphaned line, and still maintain my place in line at the Annapolis dealer for another smart. I guess all orphaned Smarts should just sit on lots so ppl don't "scavenge" them. Maybe you should get a job here, sounds like you would fit right in!
Thanks meaux61, I was just really surprised at how this whole transaction went. An email was sent to smart so I will keep you posted.
Sorry you had so many issues. I purchased a orphan over 4 months ago from Smart Boston (Somerville), and it was such an easy purchase. I went down on a Friday to ask about what I had to do to purchase a Smart. I had just found out about this great car 2 days earler from a friend. I was told by the salesman that I spoke with I would have to put $99.00 down and go thru the process like everone. I didn't know anything about orphans, so I said no thanks I didn't want to wait that long for a car. The salesman left for about 10-15 min. and came back and had me follow him to the second floor car storage area. He then pointed out three different colored Smart and there features. He said that if I wanted one right away I could choose from one of these. I bought my Yellow/Black Smartie that day. I did add a few things onto it so I picked it up the next day Saturday.
My engine light went on Monday, so I called the service department and was able to get in Tuesday (today). I was in and out in just over a hour. I'm very happy sofar with my dealings with them. I have a great car and I got it quicker than most people.
however, the fact that you live in baltimore and you were traveling all the time made the whole mess overly complex to begin with. these are car salesmen, they are not accustomed to multitasking or thinking on their feet.
i'm not a big fan of the somerville office, i found them rather apathetic and unenthusiastic myself.
however, the fact that you live in baltimore and you were traveling all the time made the whole mess overly complex to begin with. these are car salesmen, they are not accustomed to multitasking or thinking on their feet.
i'm not a big fan of the somerville office, i found them rather apathetic and unenthusiastic myself.
The dealer in Hartford isn't any better. Its hard to find anyone there when you show up, no one answers the phone besides the receptionist (who knows NOTHING), no one returns their calls, and they are EXTREMELY apathetic when you do actually get a chance to talk to them. Did New England just get sh!tty dealers all around?
LOL ...simply providing comment on your meandering tale.
I do hope that your future "estimates/sales calls" are always un-"horrific" and that you no longer find yourself "in limbo" for a week.
A Mercedes dealership should:
Answer the phone
Give temp tags on delivery
Handle whatever registration process is needed to get tags
Respond to calls and emails promptly, honestly and accurately
Get the documentation straight up front rather than realize three quarters the way into the process that they're missing a basic thing like a license.
It sounds to me like the salesperson didn't have things together and nobody backed him/her up. It's not hard to sell a Smart. The deal's made... wrap up paperwork, delivery, registration, and bam it's done. It's not a month long process with surprises at every step.
mane, Definitely tell the dealer management and Smart USA about the experience, maybe not to complain but to inform of a gap in their standards. It may be the cheapest Mercedes in existence, but it's still a Mercedes dealership. My own dealer (Houston North) treated me like I was their only customer for the month. Granted, it was 8am on the first of the month...
And you got a hell of a deal, if you paid only 18k and change including Lojack, nav, comfort package and shipping. Warranty was also a good deal... I paid $1500 for only 5y/60k. I would have paid more for 7y/100k if only for resale purposes.
I got a reservation for a blue/black smart that I made in June '08. Meanwhile bought an orphan from Sarasota. A black body with silver triden cell. Beautiful. Incredible service at the dealership. The easiest transaction ever. Great service. They called on a Thursday with a car and I picked up my Smart on Friday 08/08/08. My first tank gave me 38mpg and my second 40 mpg. Very Happy...
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