I went to Brunswick Subaru offices in NorthEast Ohio on 7/7/2018, I customized, made a down payment, and factory ordered a 2019 Subaru Ascent (I had no prior dealings with this particular dealership. I went there because as a Costco customer supposedly you get a fair deal on a car without having to negotiate back and forth with the dealership). When I called Brunswick Subaru to inquire about the car a couple of months later, I was told that the car will arrive on their lot on 9/21/2018. On Friday the 21st, I gave them a call and they confirmed that the car had indeed arrived on their lot that morning. They gave me the VIN number: 4S4WMAMD6K3422093 to use it for my car insurance and we scheduled an appointment for me to pick up the car the next morning. I specifically asked the salesperson not to unwrap the car, not to wash it, and generally leave it the way they received it from the factory. The salesperson agreed but he said they had to put gas. I said, I understand.
When I arrived the next morning, and while waiting for them to complete the paperwork for me to pay, I asked the salesperson to see my car. He gave me the key and pointed where the car was on the lot. I went outside only to find out that the car had considerable damage on the right side of the front bumper (needless to say that they had unwrapped the car, etc.)! I rushed back in and I asked them what had happened? Nobody knew anything! I was keep asking them how did they manage to damage a car that had just arrived on their lot the previous day and they seemed to be angry with each other because they did not notice the damage earlier, themselves (or as the salesman kept saying, they were not informed about the damage earlier in order to "fix it")! So, the best they could do for me, was to offer their apologies and switch the front bumper with a bumper from another Ascent (of the same color) that they said they had on their lot. And then sell the car to me as brand new (like nothing had happened)! Of course I refused their offer, asked for my deposit, and left the dealership annoyed and visibly angered.
There are two questions in my mind that future customers of Brunswick Subaru (and any other dealership that behaves similarly) need to consider: 1) First, is whether you can trust that the Brunswick Subaru has the capability of providing the five star new-car purchasing experience that we have come to assume and expect these days (especially when we buy new cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars). 2) More importantly, however, is whether the people working in Brunswick Subaru have the moral and ethical standards that we expect from people we do business with. Consider this: The salesman was angry because he didn't notice (or was not told about) the damage earlier to patch it and pretend that nothing happened. The dealership, overall, had the audacity to suggest that I buy a car (as brand new) after they hit it and changed/patched the bumper!
Overall, I think that their level of incompetence and their lack of ethical standards are pretty evident.
They managed to totally destroy my shopping experience. This was the first time buying a Subaru and I was very excited about the Ascent. After this incident and the lackluster response I received by the Subaru of America when I reported the incident, I am starting to have second thoughts about my choices.
I took the picture below with my cellphone:
https://ibb.co/hHKsBp
When I arrived the next morning, and while waiting for them to complete the paperwork for me to pay, I asked the salesperson to see my car. He gave me the key and pointed where the car was on the lot. I went outside only to find out that the car had considerable damage on the right side of the front bumper (needless to say that they had unwrapped the car, etc.)! I rushed back in and I asked them what had happened? Nobody knew anything! I was keep asking them how did they manage to damage a car that had just arrived on their lot the previous day and they seemed to be angry with each other because they did not notice the damage earlier, themselves (or as the salesman kept saying, they were not informed about the damage earlier in order to "fix it")! So, the best they could do for me, was to offer their apologies and switch the front bumper with a bumper from another Ascent (of the same color) that they said they had on their lot. And then sell the car to me as brand new (like nothing had happened)! Of course I refused their offer, asked for my deposit, and left the dealership annoyed and visibly angered.
There are two questions in my mind that future customers of Brunswick Subaru (and any other dealership that behaves similarly) need to consider: 1) First, is whether you can trust that the Brunswick Subaru has the capability of providing the five star new-car purchasing experience that we have come to assume and expect these days (especially when we buy new cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars). 2) More importantly, however, is whether the people working in Brunswick Subaru have the moral and ethical standards that we expect from people we do business with. Consider this: The salesman was angry because he didn't notice (or was not told about) the damage earlier to patch it and pretend that nothing happened. The dealership, overall, had the audacity to suggest that I buy a car (as brand new) after they hit it and changed/patched the bumper!
Overall, I think that their level of incompetence and their lack of ethical standards are pretty evident.
They managed to totally destroy my shopping experience. This was the first time buying a Subaru and I was very excited about the Ascent. After this incident and the lackluster response I received by the Subaru of America when I reported the incident, I am starting to have second thoughts about my choices.
I took the picture below with my cellphone:
https://ibb.co/hHKsBp