JimH

Initially, I tried to post this in dealers/services, but the more I thought, the more I wanted the wider exposure to my question to be seen contained in my post here in General. Mods, I hope you can leave this here for a bit. Thanks.
This is my reply to another post praising Peoria Nissan service in Peoria, Arizona.

I think it is right and helpful to post when you have a good dealer experience. I also feel it is equally right and helpful if you post your bad experience(s) with a dealership.
I had a VERY bad experience with the same dealership (Peoria) and with Scott!
I go back a ways w/Scott as my writer meeting him at Pinnacle Nissan initially. I had a good rapport w/him there. He later moved to Midway Nissan (where I bought my car) and I was pleasantly surprised to see him there. Again, good rapport w/him. While speaking to him at Midway he informed me he was only there for a short term until the Peoria dealership opened and they were moving him out there as it was also a Midway dealership
I purchased my Z from Midway on Oct. 29 and had the same early issues as many at that time.
1) Bose amp. They ordered and installed it w/o a problem.
2) Gray paint spatters on 3 wheels. NNA came in and replaced them w/o a problem.
3) Feathering front tires @ 4,000 miles. Another (not Scott) service writer refused to even consider replacement. Many pleas on my part, but no budging on his part. I eventually (months later) went over him to the service mgr. At 14,000 miles he looked at them and said no problem, we'll replace them. It took several weeks to locate the two tires, but they were finally installed w/no/problem.
4) Dirty car rec'd back after Automate. A few weeks ago I responded to Nissans letter to go in for my "free" application of the Automate finish. The letter indicated the car must be clean when they recieve it so I had a $34 handwash done and delivered a pristine car to them. They returned my car to me the next day with bird droppings on it as well as some kind of liquid dripping down on various places on the car. I was not a happy camper! Scott agreed w/me that it was not right. The service mgr. was walking by and we called him over to look at the condition of my car. His response was, "What do you expect me to do, go out and shoot all the birds we have around here?" I told him, "No, just clean it before you give it back to me." As to the liquid trailing down the sides of the car, he said that Automate is not a liquid and it must have been on my car when I bought it in! Scott stepped up and told him that my car was perfectly clean when I bought it in. The service mgr. refused to do anything, even when I asked him why my car was returned to me in this condition even tho they always offer to wash my car when I have the oil changed. Finally, a lot boy who was standing around, went and got some cleaner and wiped the car down. I was unhappy and let them know that this was not the way I felt a customer should be treated who had purchased a new Z from them. He walked off w/o a reply. Silently, I determined to never darken their doors again, after all, a new dealership (Peoria) would be open in a few weeks and it was only a mile from my home.
Fast forward a few weeks. A few days ago I stopped in to Peoria Nissan to schedule an alignment and oil change. Lo and behold, there's my friend Scott in the service bay. Jauntily I approached him and smiled as I stuck out my hand to greet him. No handshake, hmmmm. He asked what he could do for me and I told him what I needed. At this point things became sticky. He hemmed and hawwed, and finally said, "Uh, I don't think we can help you." My first thought was that the alignment equipment wasn't in yet. I said "Oh, why not?" He is now looking at the floor. Finally, he said, "We don't think we can make you happy." I was dumbstruck. I said why do you say that? He said, "We had a meeting and it was decided you could not be happy w/our service." Who had a meeting, I asked. He said the service people. I said I have never been here before. He said, no, we met down at Midway. I replied, you mean you met at one Midway dealership and had me banned at another Midway dealership? He replied, "Oh, this dealership (Peoria) is not a Midway dealership." Keep in mind that he already told me it was a Midway dealership several weeks ago. I have since verified it is owned by the same corporation as Midway as is the Automate business too! Finally, he made the most incredible accusation. "Also, you took the wheels that we replaced for you and you traded them for aftermarket wheels you now have on." I churned inside, but kept my outward cool. I paid for those wheels when I bought my car, what possible difference does it make to them as to when/whether I install aftermarket wheels? And, where does he get off saying "I traded the stock wheels for my custom wheels?" I, of course, didn't trade for them, I bought them with my own money. In any event, they appear to be saying if I change wheels by trading the originals, I am subject to not recieving service from them!!! I don't think so. Guys, be very careful if you change w/wipers, seatcovers, antennas, floormats, wheels or tires, you too, may be banned. Oooops, I just remembered, I had my windshield replaced last week Sorry, rant button accidentally came on.
What I feel finally triggered this "banning" is my response to a phone inquiry I rec'd from (I assume) Nissan Corp.,(Hmmm, maybe local Nissan dealer??) that came a week or more after the fiasco of the Automate treatment. I was very honest, but frank, in my replies to the caller when he asked if I was happy w/my last service from Midway Nissan. I now fully believe that Midway Nissan saw/heard that phone survey and decided right there to try to ban me.
Is this what we can expect from giving an honest, though somewhat negative reply to a phone survey or in a written survey? If so, I would be very interested to know what Nissan and/or Nissan North America has to say about this kind of treatment. I would, based upon my experience(s), be very circumspect when filling out a survey or speaking to someone on the phone about your service experiences with a local dealer.
Now, after having said all this, I will tell you I have not yet gone back to the new Peoria Nissan and spoken with the GM or even the service mgr. about my experience with a heretofore friendly service writer to try and get their perspective. After all, this may be generated solely by Scott and they may have no idea he said these things. I cannot believe a new dealership would be as callous as this. Nor can I believe they would want this kind of response coming from the owner of their new flagship sports car, the 350Z. I need to let this simmer a bit and to allow myself to calm down before I dive into this situation again.
I am not yet sure what my legal and/or warranty position is in regard to owning a car still under warranty and having the selling dealership and/or another dealership refuse to service it at its appointed service time either.
I do not feel my list of just four problems and my response(s) to them is particularly outlandish or demanding, do you? I just returned from a five week 9,000 mile roadtrip across the nation and I recieved outstanding service from every dealer I went to. Some went way beyond, like the dealer who refused payment when he heard I was photographing other 350 owners and owner groups across the nation!
To say the least, I am a disappointed Nissan owner because of the local consortium of Midway dealers. I love the automobile, to the tune of 30,000 miles already, but this kind of treatment has certainly caused me deep thought and concern as to whether I can recommend either the car or the dealership to another.
Stand by, I will be posting further. Regards, Jim

RedComet

wow man, I didn't know dealers would do such a thing. If I were you I would

A) Write to the BBB.

B) Call NNA and complain a LOT. Be sure to ask if there are any other Nissan Dealers in your area that are not in relation to Midway. Ask about your warrenty too.

C) Get some of your buddies to go in with you to the dealer ship and have a "sit down" with the service manager or anyone who will listen. Basically scare the crap out of them. Do this as a last resort though. And if they don't listen... get a little "rough", gotta handle this **** family style.

failsafe

Jim,

This kind of treatment is completely uncalled for from a dealer- You paid $30K+ for a car and you should be getting much better treatment.
I personally would have already written a letter to NNA- I would definitely mention the great service you received from other dealers but that your local dealer is refusing to service your car.
Your point about the wheels is dead on- you paid for the car and that includes the wheels. If the wheels were in poor condition from the factory they should replace them, it doesn't matter if you replace them or throw them in the trash. You paid for them.
Regarding the survey- I've heard a few stories now about people being honest on the survey and receiving calls from the salesman complaining about a less than perfect review- to me the whole survey is a crock of sh*t. I really thought highly of the salesman I worked with and so I wrote the dealer a letter praising the service I received during my new car purchase.
I would definitely consider contacting Nissan North America immediately and informing them that the kind of treatment you received from your local dealer is making the company look bad.

failsafe

-

Montez

Totally uncalled for, contact Nissan Motor Corp. and the area manager, it also goes to show ya that those that you thought were cool with you arent in alot of cases. I hope you set them in their place, keep us informed.

azjimbo

None of this surprises me Jim.I hate all dealerships.This car is the flagship model of Nissan and the most recognizable car.We should be treated above and beyond.

mcclaskz

Jim-
This treatment is standard at Nissan. I had an issue with my brakes. My dust boots on my front brake calipers disintegrated and I took my car to get serviced. I also have the Gold Prefered Nissan + Warraty which specifically states that, "all interior and exterior parts," are covered. I have stoptech SS lines and Motul 600 fluid, which is, "equal or better," than OEM parts. I took it to be serviced at my local dealer, where I did not purchase the car and they denied my claim. Actually at first, they said there was nothing wrong with my car. Then when I pressed, they told me that I was to blame and that I abused the car. The tech told me that they would have to rebuild the entire front end of my car at my expense. They told me that I melted the spindles, fried the wheel bearings, and a veritable shopping list of problems, all because my brakes saw excessive heat. Needless to say, I called NNA and they sided with the tech, EVEN THOUGH I PAID AN ADDITIONAL $2000 FOR AN EXTENDED WARRATY! Long story short, I took it back to the dealership I purchased the car from (200 miles away) and they installed 2 new front brake calipers no questions asked. NOTHING ELSE WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. The previous tech slandered me to NNA, no doubt putting some black mark against my VIN in a file somewhere. Way to go Nissan! What a wonderful seamless product!

geezer902

The "satisfaction survey" distorts the entire process. Because they (the mfgr, not the dealer) consider any grade other than PERFECT in all areas the same as a failing grade, they expect you to lie.

I have done this a number of times, sort of like grade inflation -- nothing terrible has happened to my car, so it's "perfect."

In fact, I just went through (with a dealership from a different mfgr.) a mess that was entirely the fault of the dealership (not the mfgr.) but, because they were so anxious to repair the mess (but kept making it worse) and so energetic in their effort to fix it, I kept lying each time I got a phone call. Anyway, on the fourth attempt to repair the damage, they actually sent the mechanic to the house and completed the repair (satisfactorily this time) and sent him with gift certificates for four oil changes.

But given the attitude of the service manager -- it doesn't sound to me like Scott is the problem -- this mess of yours has become something entirely different.

Do you have a friend who is an attorney? If so, I'd recommend going back and discussing the issue (calmly if possible) with the service manager. If you are still banned and no other Nissan dealer is available for service, I'd ask my friend the attorney to write a letter to the dealership and to Nissan informing them that you will be going to a mechanic of your choice for all repairs and maintenance and only returning to the dealer for warranty service which they are bound by contract to provide or to provide parts and payments for labor by the mechanic of your choice.

This will be unhappy of course, but if it gets to that point the relationship is too far gone to save anyway.

That's a real shame.

TheLex

Wow, what incredible ***** this dealership has. Considering the economy, you'd think they'd be smart enough to avoid bad press. First of all, I'd contact an attorney. As a contracted Nissan dealer, they are obligated to service your vehicle. Read your warranty. It states you can have your car serviced at ANY authorized Nissan facility. They're "banning" you is a breach of contract that is likely actionable.

I would start be contacting Nissan and let them know that his stealership is refusing to honor their commitment, that you have no other convenient dealer, and that tiime is money. Their refusal to service your vehicle as an official Nissan representative has denied you due service.

Then I would call all the local media outlets. Let the reporters know that this stealership is refusing to honor their warranty contract commitment and as such is defrauding its customers. Reports love this kind of story.

You'll also find that the local television and radio stations have consumer advocacy programs. Contact them. You'd be suprised how fast a recalcitrant stealership will jump when they find out the local tv station is on the phone inquiring about warranty fraud.

Contact the BBB and file a complaint.

If you want to play dirty. Get a poster board and march back and forth on the sidewalk with the board which says something to the effect "this dealership has refused to honor their warranty contract on my 350Z - feel free to ask me why". This is not libelous on your part and there's not a damm thing the stealership can do about it. I suggest your walk back in forth right in front of the entrance where propspective new car customers go through.

Finally, if you have the money and a willing attorney, you can most likely sue the stealership for fraud and breach of contract.

No matter what, don't take it lying down. NEVER let stealerships bully you. You spent lots of your hard earned $$$ buying this car. If this stealer wants to remain in business, he has to uphold his commitments.

cobf32

I agree with this statement.

I would go in and have a sit down with the service manager and find out what the problem actually is. I can't believe it is because you have aftermarket wheels and if it is due to a negative survey at another dealer, then they are slitting their own throats. I work in a service industry and can understand the fact that some people just CANT BE SATISFIED no matter how hard you try.

If those surveys have that much weight mabey we should all fill them out everytime and be totally honest... might result in Nissan service rising to the level of the competition.

Mabey it is none of my business, but airing dirty laundry on the internet may make you feel better, but will only make the situation that much more difficult to resolve. I just have to laugh when peoples first reaction in some of the above posts is to hire a lawyer. That is what causes so many problems to begin with.

Good luck

Silverstone Performance
Phoenix AZ

gcarlton

I thought black balling had gone the way of the Vietnam war but I guess it is coming back to a Nissan Dealer nearest you. The extreme actions of this dealer/dealers will do nothing but hurt the dealer and it's only going to be a lose-lose situation for them. Good customer service in today's market is crucial to profitability and longevity.
I have also had some very disapointing experiences with this dealer during the purchasing phase and my wife and I bought not only a 350Z but also a Murano. I have been so uncomfortable with this dealer that I now go to a non-Midway dealer ( there are 3 Nissan dealers owned by this company) for all my service. 3 years ago we bought a new Tahoe from Midway Chevolet and were very pleased with that dealer and their service department. I would venture to guess that the management of the Nissan dealers are more concerned with short trem sales more than long term customer retention.
Being in my late 50's and having purchased many new cars it is very disheartening to really have to live through such tactics. I am totally in love with both Nissans we purchased and I believe if Nissan had qualifed dealers they would be the number one selling car in the world.

nbdyfcnsqnc

That's totally ridiculous treatment. This is yet another reason why this site is so great. We can identify the dealers that suck and not use them.

In California, I still would especially advise against Nissan of Buena Park, Irvine, and Long Beach. After dealing with almost every dealership in Orange County, the only one that didn't somehow lie to me was Corona!

NeoZ

Legally, Nissan is obligated to perform any and all repairs that are covered under warranty. They cannot refuse service to you for something that you have already paid for (warranty).

I would call the corporate offices and complain about the dealership. I advise you not allow this dealership to take advantage of you.

AZ-ZBum

Hey Jim,

Like I told you at the Pavilions, if you want to put the original wheels back on and see if they'll give you service then, it should only take a few minutes to put them on. I won't be driving my AE for a while unless I get some time to fix the AC in it.

It's sad and pathetic that a dealership mistakes wanting something done right with being picky. Seriously, you don't pay money for something and be happy when they get it wrong.

JimH

Paul, Thx a bunch for stepping up like that! I appreciate your offer and if things were different I would take you up on your offer.
I spoke with the GM and he took my letter and promised to sit down and talk w/serv. mgr. and the serv. writer and get back to me last Friday. Well, it's Tuesday night and no call At this point I don't expect them to follow up as they promised so the letter now goes to NNA, Nissan and the BBB and possibly the investigative TV reporter(s) at the end of this week. Regards, Jim

corsair

iTrader: (12)

jimh - amazing story. i know this thread is semi dead, but this is unbelieveable!

mcclaskz i would suggest that you cancel your extended warranty. After i found out that i was overcharged $1100 (i paid $2000 also) i cancelled mine and received a full refund.

corsair

iTrader: (12)

oh yeah and one more thing. this is just total bs for a company who is going to turn over $65 BILLION in profits this year!

dmcgibbo

even if they didn't ban you why would you want to go back anyway? i would not trust my car with them. it does sound like you are a problem customer though that complains about every little detail which you may think is justified after your 30k purchase but which they don't usually receive from sentra, quest, and maxima buyers...

zurn

Wear it like a badge of honor.

Getting banned by a dealer is like being blacklisted by the *****, or being declared an infidel by Osama. You know you gotta be doing something right!

zand02max

iTrader: (22)

I had the exact same quote at my dealership (ACADEMY Nissan, in Colorado Springs), and yes there is another one opening up, called WOODMAN Nissan (same owner BTW).

Anyway, I was told the exact same thing. I was told I was too picky and there is nothing we can do to please you. OMG< you just razor bladed my entire car, AND I'm too picky. OMG!

I was also told to leave the dealership becuase I raised my voice and I was causing a scene. I inquired the next day, when the General Sales manager called me to apologize about the whole ordeal, he stated I was welcome with open arms. YEAH RIGHT. Then why is it everytime I go in for service, no one wants to wait on me. LOL, who cares, I found another dealer 35 miles away in Pueblo.

So Screw the Nissan dealerships in the Springs.

I myself have that damn Automate crap, and yes they want to charge me to clean my car when they perform the service. Guess what Automate is, AN EXPENSIVE WAX job, done by a huge machine that puts scratches on your car. I'lls tick with my own 2 hands and ZAINO! Anyway, I was told the service is not canceable, because the $249 or whatveer it cost was for the first initial car detail. They say the next 6 wax jobs are apart of that initial fee, therfore you can't cancel it, hence you already used it before you drove the car off the lot. Dealer mark-up!

Some dealers, I swear, they lose in the long run by not taking care of NUMERO UNO, The CUSTOMER!!

Sorry for your experience Jim, wish you the best, BTW, how many miles you got now?

I'm done fuming, time to watch Survivor and CSI, Laters!!!!!!!