Dumbfounded

A little history first; as of 08/31/19 we (wife & I) owned 3 Mopar vehicles. A 2003 Ram 1500, a 2017 Ram 1500 and a 2012 Dodge Journey. Son had been driving the 03 to college. When he was moving out to his new job starting in 09/19 I took back the 03 and gifted him the 17. Daughter still has the Journey with her at college. Knowing this was going to happen I had been looking for a new 1500. Found one and started negotiations. My long time mechanic who had always worked on the 03 new what I was doing and asked to buy the 03 for his grandson’s 16th birthday.

I came to an agreement to purchase but I was having the dealer do some add ons and I was going to have to make an overnight trip to take delivery, so in good faith, I overnighted a check for the full purchase price with the agreement they would proceed with the add ons but the check wouldn’t be deposited until I took delivery.

In the week between sending the check and taking delivery I sold the 03. One of the rebates available at the time was the $1,000.00 “loyalty” rebate. Seven weeks after I took delivery of a 100% cash purchase I get a call from the dealer telling me FCA rejected the Loyalty rebate b/c I didn’t own a truck on the day I signed the final purchase papers. They wanted me to pay them another $1,000.00. I told them I needed that in writing. 24 hours later they call and say they got FCA to roll over and allow the rebate.

I’m truly not sure how I should feel about this episode. Was the dealer trying to pull something or were they really a hero and got FCA to do the right thing? Either way, I was never going to cut a check for the $1,000.00. I have an itemized bill of sale that doesn’t have the loyalty rebate listed as part of the discounts.

Always a grey area when dealing with dealerships, they've earned a reputation for good reason, lol.
Glad it worked out! Best Wishes!

I purchased a 2003 CTD back in 2003 from a dealer in Anchorage, Alaska who called me two weeks later claiming I didn't qualify for a certain $1000 rebate - which didn't appear on any of my documents as a rebate I received. Like you, they needed me to send them a check for $1000. You can guess what I told them. And then in 2019 I purchased a 2019 Ram for my daughter-in-law (DIL) and the dealer here in Houston called me a week later to tell me we did not meet the qualifications for a rebate they gave us and I needed to give them a $1000 check to cover the deal. Gillman CJDR has always been a good dealer but this particular sales manager thought he was going get blood out of a pissed off turnip...needless to say, he never got the check and never called me back. However, the salesman called me to explain they got FCA "to step up and cover the $1000 anyways."

I've been in the dealership a few times since then (as well as my DIL for routine maintenance) for parts/accessories, have seen both the greedy sales manager as well as the salesman on the showroom floor, and they always shake my hand and thank me for my business.

Moral of the story - enjoy the new truck and let your incident as well as my two noted above serve as a lesson to all Ram owners and prospective Ram buyers. Dealers - even the best of them - can't keep control of their greedy employees all the time.

I would say that the dealer was trying to appropriate a grand out of your pocket with a big fat ******** story. Good move saying you want it in writing. Glad you stuck it to them.

I'd be a bit dissappointed that they(whoever) wanted to retract the rebate. But, just be happy it worked out in the long run. If you're happy with everything else at the dealer, keep your business there. If not, find another dealer in the future.

I thought loyalty incentive was for any FCA vehicle instead of RAM specifically. That would bother me too esp since the dealer didn't pursue it further. Imagine if you requested documentation that FCA allowed the incentive.

Duane Pipes said:

I thought loyalty incentive was for any FCA vehicle instead of RAM specifically. That would bother me too esp since the dealer didn't pursue it further. Imagine if you requested documentation that FCA allowed the incentive.

Click to expand...

The more I think about this the more I think it was the dealer. I bought this truck online from a dealer 250 miles from my home and I paid cash. I strongly suspect the manager came to realize they sold this truck at a deep discount b/c it was the last 2019 they had, probably close to break even for them, didn’t make anything from selling a financing contract, I refused to purchase any extended warranties or service plans and since I live so far away they weren’t going to see me back in their service department for routine service either. They warehoused this truck for several weeks if not months and were making very little off of it. I may be completely wrong. I don’t know and am sure I never will know for certain.

I would have told the dealer that you checked with your wife and...it seems....you forgot to charge them for all the wasted time you spent at the dealer signing paperwork during the negotiation of your vehicle. I would have told them.....the charge was $1500 but....due to your kindness....you reduced the charge to only $1000 and.....it's simply a wash. Everyone should be really happy.

I would have told them to cram it in their cram hole.

Also, I would not let it go. Contact FCA, and find out if the story is legit. If it is not, the sales manager has some explaining to do. Contact the GM of the dealership, and let him/her know you're not happy.

2 things:

1. I like your signature.

2. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You didn't pay the money, and you'll never be back to the dealer anyway since it's 250 miles from your house.

JD Martin said:

2 things:

1. I like your signature.

2. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You didn't pay the money, and you'll never be back to the dealer anyway since it's 250 miles from your house.

Click to expand...

1. Thank you

2. Y. I can’t imagine I’ll ever return to that dealer for anything.

Maybe I'm not thinking this through fully, but since you sold your other truck privately, how did the dealership know you didn't own it the day you signed the new truck's paperwork? More importantly, the loyalty incentive is just that - an INCENTIVE to get you to purchase from RAM as a thank you for owning one. Selling it days before you pick up your new one means you're no longer loyal? That's ********. I don't think RAM would play such semantics - I think the dealership was pulling a fast-one. Since I'm retired I probably would've called them on it, but you can let it go and never give them your business again. Think of it this way, if they pull this on 20 people and even 1 sends them a check, it's worth it for them to try...

.

As time passes I feel more and more certain it’s on the dealer. I didn’t tell them I’d refuse to pay it, I told them I needed something in writing before I’d do anything. 24 hours later they call back stating they fixed it with FCA. It just doesn’t pass the smell test. I’m more disappointed in them than mad at them.

I plan to gift this truck to my daughter when she graduates and moves on to a self sufficient life. I’ll be looking at buying a 2022 model for my next purchase. I’ll go back to my local dealer even if it costs me more and I have to wait for a truck to be built. Which is what I should have done this time. Lessons learned.

KeithP said:

As time passes I feel more and more certain it’s on the dealer. I didn’t tell them I’d refuse to pay it, I told them I needed something in writing before I’d do anything. 24 hours later they call back stating they fixed it with FCA. It just doesn’t pass the smell test. I’m more disappointed in them than mad at them.

I plan to gift this truck to my daughter when she graduates and moves on to a self sufficient life. I’ll be looking at buying a 2022 model for my next purchase. I’ll go back to my local dealer even if it costs me more and I have to wait for a truck to be built. Which is what I should have done this time. Lessons learned.

Click to expand...

Definitely a scam on the part of the dealer.....good move not going back. Remember.....if it looks like horse crap.....and come from a horse's ass.....well...you know the rest.

I am all for shrugging it off and moving on, but if they tried it once then they have done it before and will do it again. I appreciate that you posted something here, but I would be sore tempted to raise the flag in a more visible arena, ie some kind of public review, to make others aware. Then I would put the whole thing behind me and enjoy my new truck. FWIW

Yeah, not a scam move. People jumping down the dealers throat need to chill. They definitely didn’t approach this the right way tho. What was more likely is that they were having a difficult time claiming the rebate. When a moron suggested (prematurely) to try and get it from you instead, and you pushed back, they went back to incentives claim processing and got the rebate cleared. All good. Having difficulties claiming a rebate isn’t uncommon at all, but bringing a customer into the issue that early shouldn’t happen. But no, there was no “scam” involved. No one that runs a reputable business gets away with scams that would be that transparent.

In the end, they did the right thing. Everything else is just phone calls and paperwork. As to how you should feel about it, who says you have to feel anything at all?

In any case, as the right hand extends the check, the left hand is grasping the keys. Anything else is just asking for drama.

IRSmart said:

Yeah, not a scam move. People jumping down the dealers throat need to chill. They definitely didn’t approach this the right way tho. What was more likely is that they were having a difficult time claiming the rebate. When a moron suggested (prematurely) to try and get it from you instead, and you pushed back, they went back to incentives claim processing and got the rebate cleared. All good. Having difficulties claiming a rebate isn’t uncommon at all, but bringing a customer into the issue that early shouldn’t happen. But no, there was no “scam” involved. No one that runs a reputable business gets away with scams that would be that transparent.

Click to expand...

This makes sense and may be the most logical explanation.

IRSmart said:

Yeah, not a scam move. People jumping down the dealers throat need to chill. They definitely didn’t approach this the right way tho. What was more likely is that they were having a difficult time claiming the rebate. When a moron suggested (prematurely) to try and get it from you instead, and you pushed back, they went back to incentives claim processing and got the rebate cleared. All good. Having difficulties claiming a rebate isn’t uncommon at all, but bringing a customer into the issue that early shouldn’t happen. But no, there was no “scam” involved. No one that runs a reputable business gets away with scams that would be that transparent.

Click to expand...

If the dealer is really that stupid and has that much disrespect for their customers.....I would still not do business with them.....bottomline…...they were still trying to screw a good customer.

Jerrybob said:

If the dealer is really that stupid and has that much disrespect for their customers.....I would still not do business with them.....bottomline…...they were still trying to screw a good customer.

Click to expand...

I didn’t say they went about it the right way, only that it wasn’t a “scam” in the way people were thinking it was.