Bad Experience with John Thorton Chevrolet in Lithia Springs, GA
07-15-2018, 09:25 AM
#21
Pro
Thread Starter
I appreciate everyone's feedback, both sympathetic as well as critical, but will choose to keep the counterarguments to most of the points raised in the thread for the dealership, should they respond to my official correspondence.
The one additional comment I will make about buying "as-is" is that unlike a private seller, a car dealership whose primary business model is selling cars to the general public "should" be held more accountable for the products they advertise and sell. In my case,
I don't think putting out a less than positive consumer experience out there to inform others who may consider using this company's products and services is "whining". However, everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is a "forum" after all.
The one additional comment I will make about buying "as-is" is that unlike a private seller, a car dealership whose primary business model is selling cars to the general public "should" be held more accountable for the products they advertise and sell. In my case,
I don't think putting out a less than positive consumer experience out there to inform others who may consider using this company's products and services is "whining". However, everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is a "forum" after all.
07-18-2018, 05:22 PM
#22
Team Owner
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: Northern, VA
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Dano, while I always appreciate your mechanical knowledge (sometimes in awe) I have to take exception to a couple comments you made:
"Bent rim can be straighten for about $100".Perhaps. Perhaps more. I know not at all bent rims are repairable.
"Bluntly...fact that the GM shop will not use one....tells me that the car has other problems...". Interesting take. As a matter of principle I would not buy a car with a straightened wheel. Perhaps that, or the potential of the wheel coming apart later, motivated the dealer.
Personally, I bought my last 4 Corvettes sight unseen, without a third party inspection. Total mileage on the four is about 250,000 virtually trouble free miles. Was I lucky? Perhaps. I touched, crawled, looked, poked and drove the snot out of each one before money changed hands.
I am a firm believer in buyer beware. If you don't perform your own due diligence shame on you.
"Bent rim can be straighten for about $100".Perhaps. Perhaps more. I know not at all bent rims are repairable.
"Bluntly...fact that the GM shop will not use one....tells me that the car has other problems...". Interesting take. As a matter of principle I would not buy a car with a straightened wheel. Perhaps that, or the potential of the wheel coming apart later, motivated the dealer.
Personally, I bought my last 4 Corvettes sight unseen, without a third party inspection. Total mileage on the four is about 250,000 virtually trouble free miles. Was I lucky? Perhaps. I touched, crawled, looked, poked and drove the snot out of each one before money changed hands.
I am a firm believer in buyer beware. If you don't perform your own due diligence shame on you.
Bent rim can be straighten for about $100.
But to back it up, such is the reason that you always take a used vet to an independent show to have a pre-purchase inspection done on it.
Even if the car was certified and came with a GM warranty, there are still item on the car that the GM warranty will not cover, and such will be on your dime to repair instead.
Bluntly, with the fact that there are mobil guys that will come to the shop to straighten the rim, and the fact that the GM shop will not use one of them to correct the bent rim, tells me that the car has other problems, and the shop is drawing the line in the sand now on this first item, instead of down the line of other items that may need to be repaired soon as well.
So asking/whining about a used car dealership not going above and beyond on an as-is sale, since you did not do a pre-purchase inspection yourself by an independent shop to confirm the condition/flaws of the used car, I find over the top instead.
Hence it's a ZR1, and going to be speedy to maintain in the first place. Also with the very low profile tires on the rims of the car, this will not be the first bent rim that you will need to have straightened in the ownership of the car to start with.
https://www.google.com/search?client....0.OSOcHWb39rk
But to back it up, such is the reason that you always take a used vet to an independent show to have a pre-purchase inspection done on it.
Even if the car was certified and came with a GM warranty, there are still item on the car that the GM warranty will not cover, and such will be on your dime to repair instead.
Bluntly, with the fact that there are mobil guys that will come to the shop to straighten the rim, and the fact that the GM shop will not use one of them to correct the bent rim, tells me that the car has other problems, and the shop is drawing the line in the sand now on this first item, instead of down the line of other items that may need to be repaired soon as well.
So asking/whining about a used car dealership not going above and beyond on an as-is sale, since you did not do a pre-purchase inspection yourself by an independent shop to confirm the condition/flaws of the used car, I find over the top instead.
Hence it's a ZR1, and going to be speedy to maintain in the first place. Also with the very low profile tires on the rims of the car, this will not be the first bent rim that you will need to have straightened in the ownership of the car to start with.
https://www.google.com/search?client....0.OSOcHWb39rk
Ptroxx is hard on the OP, but much of his post is not inaccurate---it's just what you and I would HOPE a dealer would not do to us if we found out a problem with the car the day after we drove off with it. I would argue, I would ask, I might even whine, but in the end, the dealer has some strong points that can't be completely denied----like, who's to say the car wasn't jumped over RR tracks at speed. Of course that's not the case, but it could be.
Landru's post sort of sums it up pretty well, and is not wrong either.
As to the pql-lbc post, don't forget that other website for dealers feedback by consumers: dealerrater.com. It gets a lot of viewing, too.
07-19-2018, 02:07 PM
#23
Instructor
I have had my car at this dealership unfortunately for body work. While they did a nice job on the rear bumper. The mechanics were asked to look at the mufflers due to a severe rattle at idle. The service guy told me I have an aftermarket exhaust. I replied only the x-pipe was changed. He says well the tech says it has headers installed. I replied "No they are the factory exhaust manifolds, factory catalytic converters, and factory mufflers. There are no headers on this car." Not sure I want their technicians working on my car again if they can't even identify stock exhaust manifolds on an LS-7.
Last edited by 427C62013A; 07-19-2018 at 02:08 PM.
08-12-2018, 09:38 PM
#24
Pro
Thread Starter
UPDATE
After writing to the General Manager of the dealership, he initially to split 50/50 for the cost of a new replacement wheel for the ZR1. I was able to find an OE 19x10 chrome wheel from a supporting vendor for a very reasonable price. After sending the bill to the GM and expecting them to reimburse me half, it was a pleasant surprise when the dealership sent me the full amount of the replacement wheel. Stand up guy. I now consider this matter closed.
After writing to the General Manager of the dealership, he initially to split 50/50 for the cost of a new replacement wheel for the ZR1. I was able to find an OE 19x10 chrome wheel from a supporting vendor for a very reasonable price. After sending the bill to the GM and expecting them to reimburse me half, it was a pleasant surprise when the dealership sent me the full amount of the replacement wheel. Stand up guy. I now consider this matter closed.
08-13-2018, 12:43 PM
#25
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