Darnell Lark

Mfenton responded

I appreciate the response, but that explanation really doesn’t address the overall situation. The truck was listed online as available even though it clearly hadn’t been fully processed or prepared to be sold. It still had snow on it when it was posted, and it hasn’t snowed in over a month. The bigger frustration has been the repeated misinformation along the way. We were told the truck was ready more than once, the vehicle was lost twice, timelines have continued to change, and we’ve spent our own time helping correct dealership mistakes — including driving the truck to the correct location. At this point we’re going on three weeks and have lost a significant amount of time with no real resolution on our end. I would hope someone from management considers doing something to make this right given the circumstances. This has not been a typical or acceptable vehicle buying experience.

Ed Martin Toyota responded

Mari Beth, I understand from your message that you feel misled, and I want to clarify that was never our intent. The delays you experienced were due to factors outside of our control during the reconditioning process. In order to properly prepare the truck for retail sale, it needed to go through a Buick GMC service department. Unfortunately, the first store held the vehicle for 10 days without completing the work, which required us to move it to another location to get the necessary repairs completed. We take pride in doing things the right way and will not cut corners to rush a vehicle to delivery. While I completely understand your desire to receive the vehicle as quickly as possible, our priority is ensuring it is properly inspected and serviced so there are no issues after delivery. That said, I do want to be candid—I don’t agree with the suggestion that we were dishonest, and I would have appreciated the opportunity to address your concerns directly before a review was posted. At this point, I believe the best path forward is to unwind the transaction so we can both move on. We will refund your $2,500 deposit and return the loan proceeds to Centra. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Eric Sarjeant General Manager Ed Martin Toyota

Ed Martin Toyota responded

Mari Beth, I wanted to provide you with an update. Since our last email, our shop foreman has determined the truck will need to go back to the Buick GMC store to address the radio concern. It appears the previous owner installed aftermarket speaker wiring directly to the battery, and the radio is not receiving a signal. Our used car technician spent over 90 minutes this afternoon working through the issue with the Buick GMC foreman, and they’ve concluded the vehicle will need to be physically at their facility to properly diagnose and repair it. Unfortunately, this means there is no chance the vehicle will be ready by Friday. We will transport it there tomorrow, but once it is in their hands, we will not have control over the timeline until their diagnosis is complete. At this point, you are welcome to continue waiting for the vehicle; however, there will not be any concessions or discounts. If you prefer to cancel the transaction, I will need your authorization to process a refund of your down payment and cancel the loan with Centra. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Thank you, Eric

Mfenton responded

I appreciate the explanation and understand that reconditioning can take time. My frustration was never about the truck being properly inspected or repaired — I completely agree that should be done the right way. The frustration has been the communication and the changing timelines throughout the process. Being told the truck was ready or close to ready multiple times, only to find out it wasn’t, is what led to the concern on our end. I’m not interested in escalating conflict. We simply want the truck we agreed to purchase and a smooth finish to the transaction. If the vehicle will truly be ready Friday as stated, we’re happy to move forward and complete the purchase.