David Eslinger | Page 5

Misinformation, poor communication, empty promises I bought a 2014 Ram Promaster 3500, I still don't have it, and nobody will tell me what's going on. First, I want to put out there that I've reached I bought a 2014 Ram Promaster 3500, I still don't have it, and nobody will tell me what's going on. First, I want to put out there that I've reached out to the salesman, I have sent a message requesting to provide feedback to a sales manager, and I've left several messages with the advisor assigned to my vehicle without response. All of this in an effort to get any sign of a Corwin employee's ability to communicate, and have a chance to get the process back on track. Oct 22 - family member viewed car for me - $500 down to hold the car until Oct 28 (or Oct 29, pending weather driving through the Rockies) - remanufactured engine put in by the mechanics at the Dodge dealerships throws CEL when family member is checking the backup camera - $500 deposit is conditional on them taking care of the CEL and checking a CV boot with oil on it - provided limited paperwork on the history of the car's maintenance done at Corwin Dodge, as well as CarFax Oct 28 - show up at the dealership early in the day; salesperson has a late shift, and consider this a miscommunication between the two of us after he said he would be around Monday and Tuesday, and I assumed a similar shift to what he had on the 22nd - he comes in early to let me know the car is in the shop now; becomes clear the car hasn't been in the shop in the week since a down payment is placed, and is only rolled in that morning - cannot explain why new engine is not showing up on CarFax, I request paperwork on the car, and he passes off the CarFax as "I've seen some things show up, and others not."; let him know I'd like to find out why considering other Corwin work is on CarFax - called for an update in the afternoon told it would be available Tuesday or Wednesday, and surprised and excited to get a call shortly after that it will be ready that night - show up after I finish work to buy the car, he provides additional paperwork I requested, not including what was done that day; I tell him I would like to have that and wait to talk to a finance manager - while signing paperwork (a very positive experience with the finance manager), I request the paperwork again; when salesperson is called into the office and asked what was done to the car that day, he doesn't know; says he can fax it to me, or "maybe go get it now"; I request that I get the paperwork before paying - they addressed the work we requested previously and found that a mouse and chewed up an air filter, and it had been missed in multiple 27 point inspections (or happened in the week prior) - less than 5 miles after leaving the lot, electronic throttle control light comes on paired with a CEL; immediately pull over off 1st Ave N in Moorhead and park it; text salesperson letting him know I'll call in the morning; he sent me suggestion to clear the ETC light and agrees I should call him first thing Oct 29 - call salesperson he mentions that he "did some research" and the light is associated with the "electronic transmission..."; because I know it's not related to the transmission, I ask him to get a mechanic's recommendation on how they would like me to get the car to the shop knowing he and I are not prepared to solve this problem, and I don't want to take an action that will be suggested I made a mistake in continuing to drive it; mentions engine warranty - he checks with mechanic and they suggest I drive it to them; also sends me a YouTube video for displaying the CEL code from another Dodge/Ram vehicle; I tell him I'll try, but that I do not want to debug a CEL on a car I bought yesterday with a new engine in it - over text salesperson promises to get me details of the engine warranty - drop off at the mechanic; assures me they'll take care of it because it was pre-existing; told "we probably can't get to it today"; entirely reasonable, but maybe mistakenly, I interpret this to mean that I'm near the front of the line for getting work done Oct 31 - call and leave a message with advisor at Dodge service department asking for an update Nov 1 - call and leave a message with advisor in the morning at Dodge service department asking for an update before the weekend - find an automated email from salesperson asking me to let him know if anything was not a "ten"; I re-request engine warranty information in response - several hours after the first call, I try calling again, really hoping to get an idea of what the story is before the weekend, told by receptionist "he's at his desk right now"; when I get his voicemail that ironically includes "I'm not at my desk right now," I don't leave a message feeling a bit frustrated - just before they close, frustrated I still haven't received a call for a quick update, I call again; told he is "actually at his desk now" after explaining what happened earlier; he doesn't pick up; immediately call back, explain that I've been trying and just want an update before they close in 15 minutes, they take my name and tell me they will give my number to him; nothing Nov 2 - call Dodge service department; suggest I've left several messages without response, and ask to be transferred to anyone who can give me any information - person I'm transferred with offers to look into it; can't find any data on it; I let them know why I'm a bit annoyed with the silence; told they're training a new advisor, and that's the reason for the silence - suggests they see the advisor; leaves phone for about 15-20sec comes back with update that vehicle is on the hoist with a "buried code" (not which code or any other information), and the advisor is very very sorry for not getting back to me; explains to me that they are understaffed, and are training someone; ask that he calls me back so I can get a full update when he has time Nov 3 - another automated message from salesperson wanting me to be "100% confident in referring" him to friends and family Nov 4 - still have no information about the status of the vehicle, and have not received information promised by the salesperson It is worth noting that my experience with the business manager (not sure of the official title or role of who I did paperwork with and handed a check to) was excellent. He answered my questions, found the people who knew the answers when he did not, and the process was quick, easy, and enjoyable. Cars require investigation, ordering parts, and time for work. I understand this, and prefer the problem is solved right rather than hastily "fixed" only to come back up. I'm not demanding the work be done immediately, I am asking for an update as simple as, "We're seeing X code. We're not quite sure what's up. We have tried Y. We expect Z going forward, and we can('t) give an estimate on how long we think it will take," would go a long way. Being ignored with the single largest financial transaction of my life is pretty discouraging, all at the hands of poor customer service. I see that many people have great experiences with Corwin dealerships, and I believe that's true. Mine has been full of incredibly poor communication from the collaboration between Fargo's Toyota Sales Department and Dodge Service Department, and being left in the dark. I don't have a recommendation on whether or not you work with this dealership because their sales and service formulas are executed by dealerships all over the country. I only recommend that if the signs of poor service start to show up, pay attention to them, and don't be afraid to walk away if things keep heading downhill. Update: Nov 4 - salesperson called within minutes of this getting posted (9:30pm) and left a message Nov 5 - I left a message with the information he was curious about - he can pull service team teeth better than I can, and called back within an hour with an update of what they're working on, what they're waiting for, and provided the warranty information; I'll reach out to the service team to see if they have an estimate on timing - acknowledged he had seen my email requesting warranty information, and his prompt response to a review notification was because it's not routed to the same email address - noted he disabled the automated messages; I explained it's not the messages themselves, but that thee content is a bit of salt in the wound when on my end it does not feel like a vehicle transaction has been completed - was told in text that the salesperson confirmed the engine was put in December of 2018, not October 2019 as I had been told Update: Nov 5 - asked salesperson to call me, and asked to come in to ask for my money back since the series of misinformation had hit a breaking point for me; we scheduled for 11 the following day with the general manager, Bob Nov 6 - showed up for 11am meeting, was told there was no return policy, said I understand, but the fact that I was given incorrect information was the problem, and I was done messing with this situation; he said he will talk to GM - after waiting for 20 minutes, I found him and reminded him the he scheduled the appointment - when starting the meeting, Bob had no idea the meeting was happening and claimed to have no context on the situation, after explaining he said, "I need to investigate," I asked what information he needed from me to make the investigation effective, he told me nothing, and assured we'd connect the following day Nov 7 - GM calls me, acknowledged that I had been given incorrect information, reiterated there is no return policy, I reminded him a situation like this would generally be out of a policy anyway, as a 10 month difference in the engine installation (and subsequent 10 months of seals and oil sitting unused) was the issue at hand - he consistently reminded me it was a new engine with a warranty, I pointed out my concerns about how I would much rather the engine have 5-10k miles on it in the year prior than have never been used citing concerns about bad seals and old oil - ultimately, he offered me $1000 check, as a compromise for the fact that I never would have offered the amount I did had I known the full story - before the call was over he promised me he would get detailed warranty information, as I was still hearing varying numbers and figures regarding what was covered on the engine and its peripherals - he also asked me to remove my review, I made it clear that this was not a way to buy my experience, that I intended to update the review whether or not he had asked, he made it clear the $1000 was not conditional on a better review, but asked that I average my bad experience with this new "5 star experience," and that it would be "at least a 4" - we talked for a while about reminding his salespeople that it's better to say you don't know an answer than to make a best guess, as the customer is likely to believe you actually have the information. - picked up the car and check that night, one of GM's colleagues gave me the information, and when I asked about warranty information said he would make a note and share that I still wanted that with GM in text right away made it from Fargo to Glyndon where the check engine light and electronic throttle control light came on again - I left a message with two people at Corwin Dodge in the service department and with GM at Corwin Toyota (letting him know exactly my concerns I mentioned on the phone earlier were happening, asked for callback) Since, Corwin Dodge service department has been incredibly helpful. They were remarkably apologetic about the busy time, and have even covered work that are not actually covered by the engine warranty as they were pre-existing from their now almost 1-year old installation of the engine. After the initial fix from my check engine light in Glyndon, an oil leak on the fuel pump was found, the service manager said it likely is a result of the car sitting unused rather than being driven after the engine installation. Shane and Andy at Corwin Dodge have been tremendously helpful. I was reminded many times by Corwin Toyota GM that despite sharing a name, the two dealerships "are completely separate," and that's becoming very clear as Corwin Dodge has been communicative and helpful since my initial troubles. I never heard back from Bob, the GM, by email or phone regarding the information he promised to provide for me. I was out of the country for two weeks, and didn't have time to update this (now Nov 26) between now and then. Based on the language in the response here, it looks like he has since responded to the review, but as mentioned never to me directly with the information he promised. Would I recommend Corwin Toyota? No. As I mentioned above, their approach is formulaic in their transactions, but they've displayed fully when it comes to the people work with, they care more about their reviews than your experience. Steer clear. I'm excited to have my car back up and running thanks to the Chrysler-Dodge dealership, and to leave my experience with Corwin Toyota behind. More

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Short attention to requests Moe is just the paperwork guy. He acts like he could get something done for you. He cant. Except hand you a pen. Not going to buy from Toyota again. B Moe is just the paperwork guy. He acts like he could get something done for you. He cant. Except hand you a pen. Not going to buy from Toyota again. But wow can this guy handle paper!! More

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Very Helpful David worked hard for us to facilitate a deal that was fair for both parties. He really went the extra mile for us, grabbing a truck from the shop so David worked hard for us to facilitate a deal that was fair for both parties. He really went the extra mile for us, grabbing a truck from the shop so we could see it. We then bought it! He was relatable, honest, and efficient. More

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Helpful David listened to what we wanted in our next vehicle and helped us choose the right car for us and kept us well below our budget. He was honest and he David listened to what we wanted in our next vehicle and helped us choose the right car for us and kept us well below our budget. He was honest and helpful with answering our questions and I appreciate the honesty when he didn’t know the answer More

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Corwin helped me find the car I wanted!! Corwin was very helpful in helping me find the right car for my family. The staff there is very knowledgable, friendly and helpful!! If they were no Corwin was very helpful in helping me find the right car for my family. The staff there is very knowledgable, friendly and helpful!! If they were not 100% about a question I asked they found the answer. They made me feel comfortable and not like I was being taken advantage of. Thank you for helping me buy another Toyota!! I got great service the first time I bought my car in 2002, and when I was ready for another new car I returned back and was very pleased!! More

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Fast and easy Came in just to browse and had a very friendly sales rep approach us and helped me find the perfect car for a great price!! Came in just to browse and had a very friendly sales rep approach us and helped me find the perfect car for a great price!! More

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David was great Always a pleasure working with people at this dealership. David was great to work with. Would go to him again for sure. Look forward to next time. Always a pleasure working with people at this dealership. David was great to work with. Would go to him again for sure. Look forward to next time. More

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Awesome experience Came in looking for an all wheel drive SUV. Went home with an amazing 2016 rav4 hybrid. If you are looking for a new or used vehicle I would recommend Came in looking for an all wheel drive SUV. Went home with an amazing 2016 rav4 hybrid. If you are looking for a new or used vehicle I would recommend David Eslinger,Kevin Odamtten and all the very friendly staff at Corwin Toyota. Give them a chance. More

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