Mike Furman @ Criswell Auto - getting it off my chest
 

I need to air this out - get it off my chest - blow off a touch of steam.

So, exactly 10 weeks ago I hit up my local dealer to start discussing the possible purchase of a new Corvette. Yeah, the dealer down South who happens to be the biggest dealer of Corvettes in the world was considerably less expensive but I am that guy who sees value in dealing local and supports your local businesses.

We worked out a price that I was comfortable with over the price I knew I could get down South. Again - there is a dollar value to me working local.

I asked all the right question in terms of allocation from learning here on this board.

I was told in no uncertain terms "I will have allocation, this will not be an issue."

Fast forward 7 weeks and I am getting the run around and honestly - whether they were telling the truth or not - I felt like I was now being given the business to hang on to my order.

They began telling me things that I had been confirming aren't possible...such as "forcing in orders, being given special acceptance, and getting the regional Chevy rep involved who can push things through."

As soon as I began feeling uncomfortable (about a week ago) I gave Mike a call. First words out of his mouth "I don't want to engage with you fully because you are working with another dealer and it's just not the right thing to do."

So - I told my dealer a week prior (which by the way has been very very nice - just IMO less than honest. Not outright lying but spinning things to hold on to the deal) you have 2 week to get an allocation and the order moved to status 2000. Reason I put there back up against the wall....I was promised the availability of an allocation within 2 weeks. I gave them the benefit of the doubt - and believed.

Just about 7 days ago - enters Mike Furman to the fold.

He called me less than an hour of leaving him a VM. He spent the first 30 minutes educating me as to the process. How Chevy works, how the process happens and progresses. You can just hear the honestly in his voice. (Remember I am a lead sales guy for the largest hotel company on the planet) He spoke with conviction and even if it wasn't something a customer didn't want to hear - he still told it like it was....presenting all the possible options, outcomes, and availability.

Mike makes it clear - until your local dealer backs out or you cancel the order with them - I'd like to hold off talking orders.

Yesterday my dealer called at 5pm and explained that the local Chevy regional rep was going to "force the order" in within the next 2 cycles so there is no worry.

Little does he know that Chevy customer service all but said "it doesn't work that way."

I didn't fight my dealer and respectfully said if I waited the 2 weeks and then it got accepted I still wouldn't see this car until May or June. That wasn't acceptable to me. Asked for my deposit back and emailed Mike.

I emailed him because I knew he was off on Fridays and didn't want him to have to help me on his day off.

Well...I get an email at 8pm last night.

"Going to the office tomorrow at 10am to enter your order, speak to you then." 9:30 my phone rings and it's Mike ready to talk.

Yes, I haven't gone through the whole process with him at this point but I can tell, without a shadow of a doubt, I am in great hands with Mike. If there is bad news - I am going to get it straight with no BS attached....and options as to what we can do.

I wanted to throw this out there for others to read...because of his ability to deliver and all of these threads I read about people who have put in orders LAST AUGUST with their local dealers and the orders are still sitting at 1100 with Chevy....they have options. Don't just sit around waiting for your local dealer in the hopes they get an allocation soon.....especially if you don't want to wait.

Listen - I can't talk for Mike but with the amount of money these amazing dealer like Mike can work out....even if you paid $1,000 or $1,500 for delivery - you are still saving money by paying the shipping cost. Yes, STILL saving money. Unless your local dealer is able to give this incredible types of deals.

OK, I am done, off my soap box.

Mike - if you ever see this post - in advance - I want to send you a sincere Thank You.

I knew it was meant to be because today is my birthday and the order is in and you have allocation to make it happen.

I am convinced it was suppose to work out this way.

Again....Thank you.

Dave

+1 for Mike :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs: Awesome, straight shooter !

I wouldn't have had quite the patience you showed.

Happy Birthday :cheers: I had one yesterday:D

Happy birthday brother.

Thank you...... happened that my C7 Carbon front splitter and side skirts showed up yesterday, so that added to the B day fun !!!

So has your original dealer agreed to refund your deposit?

Yes, they did. I haven't gotten it yet - but they did verbally.

It's a $10,000 cash deposit -

I had the similar situation with my local dealer who is a friend, after waiting a month with no movement from status 1100 i canceled and contacted Dave at Kerbeck. I had a order with tpw in 3 days. My car is being built next week, so I will be driving in less than 7 weeks from the time I contacted Dave. I will still support my local dealer for service being Kerbeck is 3 hours away from my home. Besides the dealer makes more gross profit on labor sales than on vehicle sales.

Sounds like we were in the exact same boat. Happy you had options and alternatives. I didn't want to back out of the deal - I felt like I was left with no choices.

Best of luck and here's to 7 weeks from now :D

Whoa! As soon as $10,000 deposit was mentioned, I would have walked. That is absurd.

It's funny you say that - immediately after telling me his allocation would absolutely be available in the next 14 days (he told me 11 days ago yesterday he would absolutely have it) he then said - "we have a 3lt in laguna I can give you at a greatly discounted price" and honestly at that point - I was just needing to deal with someone who wasn't interested in "keeping me on the fishing hook." It may be a ME thing...but I didn't want to continue to deal with someone who I was not convinced was being totally honest with me.

I get it fellas - I am a sales guy - sometimes we have to bend the truth to feed the family - but I think in the end - honesty - even it's painful sometimes - gets you the business for life.

He asked for a big deposit. I thought that was odd - but I had never ordered a car like this before. I assumed it was normal so it was a GTD sale - that he didn't get stuck with the car as some people would rather back out and lose $500 bucks.

Not sure though.

+1, I enjoyed working with Mike Furman at Criswell. Their Corvettes are priced right. I left one happy camper.

The many threads like this one and his weekly delivery posts are what compelled me to place my order with Mike rather than a very large multi-store dealer in the south who never responded to my emailed inquiry and whose sales reps ignored my wife and I on more than one occasion as we walked their lot looking at inventory.

There is a reason why Mike has sold over 3,000 Corvettes and has been doing so for over 30 years. Sounds like the OP has discovered that reason as have so many others.

Congrats to the OP and to Mike Furman!

BJ

You will not be sorry for working with Mike. It has been stated over and over on this forum.

Cool story..Mike is on my list when the time comes/:yesnod:

Imagine if you could just place an order directly with chevrolet...

:cool:

Glad you got your car on the way.

:cheers:

You're being really nice and PC about this. When I find out someone is dishonest I wont do business with them. They did more than just bend the truth with a smile on their face. They told a string of lies about their allocation and should never have tried to sell you something they couldn't deliver.

Fortunately there are forum dealers who have allocations and guy's like Mike who are straight shooters.

:iagree: Mike is the man :iagree:

8 weeks from my call to Mike till this:

There is a reason Criswell and Mike specifically sells so many cars.

Fair pricing and excellent customer service.

:iagree:

A $10k deposit??


I would have told him to f**k off for 10k. I didn't even like that my dealer wanted $2k, it should have been 1k at the most and I gave him hell about that.

EDIT: Has the other dealer cashed the check yet?

:iagree:, that's an insane amount of money as a deposit on a car that bases at the high $50ks. Might be fine if you were talking about a $250K car but not here.