In March, I ordered a 2004 Caribbean Blue coupe from Infiniti of Ardmore. Because it was a rare color and an order from the factory in Japan (and undoubtedly because I am only 21) they asked me for a $2500 deposit (a bit excessive IMHO, but I was so excited about ordering the car I shrugged it off)

I have called and stopped in repeatedly at the dealership over the past few months and have been repeatedly assured that everything is A-OK.

Week 12 (last week) comes, and I call to check on the car. My sales woman tells me she "doesn't know where the car is" and that the guy who does the computer searches for that stuff isn't in. Says she will get back to me Monday.

Monday (yesterday) comes, and the sales manager calls me. He tells me "I don't know why the car isn't showing up in the computer, I will call regional (or something like that) to find out."

Today I speak to the sales manager again, who informs me that there "must have been some problem with the order... maybe it didn't go in correctly or maybe we accidentally deleted it".

Now he's telling me he can give me a DG or black instead. I think this is total BS. Caribbean Blue is the color I have wanted ever since I first saw it in their own showroom back in January.

Incidentally enough, I am not even from Philly, I'm from the NYC metro area. I did go to school down there though. Having visited about 4-5 dealerships both around NJ and PA, I chose to order from Ardmore because they treated me the best. Looks like it came back to bite me.

Sorry for the sob story, but I have been reading this forum for many months, and you all are one of the reasons I decided to order a G35, so I just needed to vent.

2004 CB G35 Coupe 5AT - on order, due in June
Staten Island, New York

 

I'd tell them to find a new one in someone else's stock and get it shipped at their cost and cut a $ grand from the agreed upon price. If not, tell them to get you a rental car between the agreed upon delivery date when they can make good on their end of the bargain.

 

Tried... according to him, there isn't a single Caribbean Blue coupe with Graphite interior, 5AT, and navi anywhere right now.

2004 CB G35 Coupe 5AT - on order, due in June
Staten Island, New York

 

hey man,

get your deposit back, if i were you i wouldn't deal with a dealership that makes me wait 12 frickin weeks and no car...if you just wait six more months you can get the 295hp 05' medium blue (kinda like 350Z daytona blue).

 

The hairs on the back of my head stood up just from hearing your story ARGHHHHH!!!. If I were Bill Bixbie I would be turning green and ripping my shirt by now. In any event, DO NOT BUY it from those a-holes. Go somewhere else. Try searching the infiniti website for inventory.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by gsedanman on 06/08/04 03:34 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

I agree with Ximer..... get your dough back and tell Infiniti of Ardmore to (to be polite here) GO AWAY. hehe.
You don't want them to mess up another order do you?
Shop around for an '05 with Medium Blue. Won't be long b4 they're out.
G/L

<font color=red>GSM</font color=red>
<font color=red>GSM</font color=red>
<font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

Same thing happened to me last year with Park Ave Infiniti in Englewood. I think this Ardmore dealership is not on the up and up b/c $2,500 deposit from you is egregious. I don't care how old you are. Anyway, what I did when I got screwed over last year was get on the phone to every dealer in NY and NJ and eventually I found my car: DG/G 6MT with Nav. My car also has the Aero package which I really did not want at first, but had to suck it up to get my car. In the end, I love the Aero package so things have a cool way of working out.

My recommendation is call Circle Infiniti in West Long Branch/Eatontown, NJ. Out of all the NJ Infiniti dealerships that I dealt with, they were the best. That's where I got my car from, as well.

Good luck.

 

Ask for your state's statutory rate of interest on your deposit also. They got the float on it for 3 months. It's not a lot of $ but they shouldn't be able to keep it.

 

Here's what I recommed having sold cars in the past.

1) Take the $2,500.00 deposit back.

If they won't give it back to you, tell them to produce a VIN # within X amount of days like..Ex...A Deposit contract should go - We "Infiniti" dealership will provide you with a carib blue cpe auto navi within 30 days at the agreed upon price stated on this contract...If we (the dealership) cannot produce the specified vehicle, we (the dealership) will return the deposit back to the owner...signed this date and witnessed by X (manager) or X (sales rep)...

2) Contact INFINITI CORP. - Tell them what's going on with your order and that you are upset...AGE has nothing to do with buying a car...If you have the money, the credit, a job and can afford to buy this car...there's no reason why they wouldn't order it for you...

3) It sounds like they're trying to switch you to a different color...tell them ok $5,000.00 discount or whatever if you want me to get the color I don't want...

4) Report them to the Better Business Bureau

5) Last Resort - Hire an attorney -

My $0.02 worth for today.

Let us know what happens!

BoBs - San Francisco, CA

 

I passed by atlantic infiniti in lynbrook ny today & saw a couple of new cb coupes with wraping on them.Hope this helps.

 

Ah boy. We are in the same boat, possibly. Take an oar and I will give you my nightmare of a story.

This is the car I want. I am not willing to change my mind on any option. I've made it crystal clear that the only way I will purchase this car is if the sticker on the car reflects the exact car I ordered.

6MT / DG / G / Prem / 4-Piece Aero / Trunk Mat

Let me reitterate, I will not accept any 'parts added on after the fact to constitute the full aero kit'.

So here is the story.

March 14th - Ordered the car with the salesman quoted 90 day waiting period.

March 15th - Receive phone call from salesman stating 'a car was found in the pipeline and it will be here May 3.'.

April 10th - Receive phone call from salesman stating 'your car has arrived!, except it has Sirius satellite radio installed. We will sell you this car and pay for half of the satellite radio. I say no, I will go ahead and wait for my real real car, the one I ordered, the way I want it, because the satellite radio external installation, IMHO, doesn't look that good. I don't mind waiting as originally planned, for May 3." "Ok, no problem"

April 20th - I call to get the VIN but there is no VIN.

April 22th - I receive a call that the car I ordered will be here this weekend (April 24/25). So, in preperation for my car getting here I buy my parent's car, which I had been driving, and get insurance for it. In Georgia you can not legally drive a car and not have insurance, period. And the insurance company is closed on the weekend. Keep in mind that I had been driving my parent's car. My dad owned the car. I can NOT have insurance on a car that I do not own, in the state of Georgia. This is why I had to buy the car from him immediately. Nevertheless, this would have had to eventually been done, but..

April 25th - I call to get the VIN, but there is no VIN.

April 26th - I receive a call stating..

1. Your car was never ordered.

2. We tried to sell you your car back on April 15th, but you declined. I tell them of course I did, IT WASN'T THE CAR I ORDERED. I DIDN'T ORDER A CAR WITH SATELLITE RADIO, STOP TRYING TO SELL ME EVERY CAR ON THE LOT EXCEPT THE CAR I REALLY WANT, ***. (sorry, wanted to make sure I get that point across).

2. The car we thought we had re-routed to our dealership is 'LOST', and no VIN or order number is available to track the transaction that was to get that car re-routed to our dealership. We thought it would arrive, but we were wrong.

3. Oh we made a mistake, your car was ordered and it will be here May 21st.

4. We have a DG Prem that we can sell you, and then add on the parts to make it the full Aero kit. I say NO, the paint is not a guarenteed match, which is why I chose to order. Additionally, your salesman told me the paint wouldn't match, and talked me into ordering!

Okay, so I will wait 3 more weeks.

May 21st - We thought this car would be here, but it turns out that it will be here May 28th. Incidently, we also thought it would have the full Aero kit, but it doesn't. But we can add that on when it gets here. (WHY CAN'T THEY UNDERSTAND, If it doesn't come that way from the factory, I DO NOT want it.). I say NO. I then ask them to find out when the real real real real exact car I ordered, the car being built to my order number, the one that should take 90 days to build, is being delivered. They say they will call me back on Saturday, May 22nd.

May 22nd - Originally my dad and myself went to the dealership. So, I asked my dad to dress in shorts, and a polo shirt, and to show up at the dealership. I then dress in my normal business attire, slacks, oxford shirt, tie, and square-toe leather shoes. I figure these people need to know who the F is buying this car. I walk into the dealership and notice that the salesman who dealt with me originally saw me, but I do not make eye contact. I ask the front desk person for the manager, Mickey. I tell him my name is .. and I need to have a meeting with him immediately concerning my car. We go to his office and I tell him exactly what I have spelled out here. He tells me that he is very sorry for the lack of professionalism displayed by his dealership, and one of the people who I have dealt with is no longer working there. I also tell him that VPP will no longer be enough to keep my business, as because of the time of year that it is, that price can be had (and better) at one of the 5 other dealerships in Georgia. He assures me that he will handle this purchase himself, and he will 'take care of me'.

More importantly he shows me my order number (which I had obtained back when my first missed arrival date occured), and the subsequent VIN number that has been assigned to it. He also shows me the arrival date of the car, supposedly June 18th. He assures me he will find out if this car was ordered correctly as soon as an invoice number is assigned to my car, which should happen May 24th (monday). I say OK, please call me when this happens.

May 24th - I call to find out about my invoice number, because he has not called me. He tells me that an invoice number has not been assigned, but they are attempting to find out in Japan what the order was for the car. He calls me back later in the day to confirm that it was being built exactly to my desired specs and it will be here the 18th, or maybe a couple days sooner.

So to you, SI, get in your church clothes and go down to the dealership and make it be known that you are the MAN, and you will not put up with this B.S. I have a feeling I was pushed around because I didn't give enough face time to these people, but that will NOT happen again. Flat out, I put the ball in their court and asked them, "Do you want my business or not?". 'Do you want to build a professional relationship with an informed customer who wants to find his new car home with someone who wants to make me feel like I am inportant?" "Do you want to take on the responsibility of reflecting the Infiniti name, or can you not handle it?"

When you put their reputation on the line by asking them to tell you to walk, that is when the rubber hits the pavement. Now I am not telling you that what I did will make an order appear out of thin air, but at least it will get some damn truth out of them. Tell them that you have also contacted Infiniti consumer affairs, and they are actively investigating your order with their district manager. I personally called ICA before my first missed arrival date occured. Get everyone involved, it shows you mean business.

I told my dealership's manager that his staff has killed a large part of the enthusiasm I had for this car. In truth, they really have. That coming from someone who has already ordered parts for his new G, but will at the drop of a hat, sell them on E-Bay, and get something else if I am not treated the way Infiniti is known to treat everyone else. Dealers take notice, don't [censored] with people and their money, as in the end it only hurts you.

My dealership can earn a 5-star CSI from me, if on June 18th (or before) I drive off a happy customer. The willingness for them to go the extra mile after screwing with me for 3 months will make or break this experience for me.

One other thing I forgot to mention. In Georgia, sales tax on an automobile is dependent on the county in which the owner resides. Where I live now is 5%. When I was told my car would be here before June (my apartment lease expired May 31st), I put in my 60 days notice to vacate my apartment to move closer to my job, and to get a garage. When the second missed arrival date came and went, I had to revoke my intent to vacate, and paid a steep penalty.

Now why did I have to revoke my intent to vacate? Because I was going to move to a county that had a 7% sales tax. I thought I would be able to purchase my car at 5% before I had to move. Well, they missed the second date, and revised it to June 18th. If I had moved, it would have cost me an extra 700 dollars in sales tax. However, had I known they would screw me over AGAIN, I would have never put in my intent to vacate, and would have gone to a month-to-month rental agreement. But because they screwed me over, I had to revoke my intent to vacate and sign a God damn LEASE.

Please keep us up-to-date on how your experience goes. I feel your pain and I hope I can help you get some justice from your dealership.

Their salesman forgot the one cardinal rule of sales. Under promise and over deliver. Had they contained their premature need to sell me a car as fast as possible by never changing their 90 day quote, everything would have been A OKAY. But they were so incessent on selling me 3 cars I did not want, that they had tunnel vision, thinking the emotion of me wanting the car would outweigh the principle of buying the exact car I want, without comprimise.

-Chris

 

As some of you have stated, I should not do ANYMORE business with these jerks, aside from attempting to retrieve my $2500, with interest, which I will try to accomplish tomorrow. Assuming they give it back (I'm sure they won't be too keen on this), I am walking away from them completely.

I suppose in the worst case, I can place another order with a different dealership for the exact car I want (and wait 3 more freeking months?). It seems that the combination of Caribbean Blue, Graphite interior, Premium Pkg, Performance Tire & Wheel Pkg, Navi, and Aero Kit is virtually impossible to find.

My concern now is that the end of the '04 coupe production is approaching, and I DO NOT like the new interior and color changes on the 2005 models.

I thought I might try calling Grubbs tomorrow since they do alot of volume on coupes, maybe they can snag me one of the few (if any) cars that have this combination.

If Infiniti of Ardmore refuses to return my deposit, then I'm going to have a war with them. As one of you suggested, "get a lawyer." I usually don't like going to my parents for help, but they are both attorneys, and they are both eager to "rip this dealership a new one".

i'll let you guys know how things shake down with my deposit tomorrow. Thanks for the continued support.

Chris - thank you for taking the time to post your experiences so far. at least i know now that i'm not the only one who has been mistreated this way by a dealership.

2004 CB G35 Coupe 5AT - on order, due in June
Staten Island, New York

 

SI,
The CB coupe you're describing is the exact same car I have. I guess it must be a rare combo because I had a hard time finding one as well, had to make a lot of calls to a lot of dealerships. Eventually, the car just "appeared" on one of the dealers' lots after they told me at first they did not have one.

 

BlueGCoupe,

Where did you end up getting yours?

2004 CB G35 Coupe 5AT - on order, due in June
Staten Island, New York