New owner...dealer trying to SCAM me?

[EricSalsa]

I've owned my new Salsa Vibe for about 3 weeks now. Very happy with it and I really enjoy reading the forum. But the dealer is ruining everything. I got my Vibe with a GMS discount, a new college grad discount, and some other deals. Now the dealer wants me to write them a $400 check because they weren't supposed to give me the college grad discount with the GMS. They're saying I only signed an "application" for "credit" even though all my contract/paperwork show the discount being used for my purchase. They even admitted that they made a mistake, but since GM's not giving them the money, I'm stuck with the bill!Now I think this is a load of B.S. and the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. But the guy I talked to at the dealership sounds pretty serious. I called the Pontiac customer service number and the rep told me that the dealer decides which discounts can be used, not GM. He also said that since this is a sale/contract issue, they can't help me. What should I do now? Can they screw-up my credit rating, financing, etc if I don't pay?Sorry for such a long post but this is really ticking me off. Also anyone got a recommendation for a good dealer in the metro Washington DC area? Thanks!Eric

[esjones]

If Customer Service said that "the dealer decides, not GM" and the dealer says that since GM is not crediting them with the graduate discount, then on the face of it, the Customer Service rep doesn't have all the facts, since someone at GM HAS decided, it seems.GMS policy states that most incentives available to the general public ARE eligible to be combined with GMS. You may have to give the $400 back, but I would not do it without a BIG fight with GM's powers that be.And as for the "application for credit" issue, you either qualify or you don't. What did you apply for, and to whom? The $400 discount? If so, then who rejected the application, and on what grounds? Sounds like your beef is more with GM than the dealer.Just my opinion... I might be wrong.- ESJ

[Bdaz1]

If you've been driving the car for 3 weeks now I'd say your credit application went through and all the paperwork was finalized! OPTION AIf you: 1) feel it was an honest mistake? You could offer to split the $400 with them and pay half.2) think you want to continue to go back to the same Dealer and build a relationship with them over time? If your just a very nice guy with an extra $400, pay it.OPTION B1) Tell them that your very sorry THEY screwed up and that you don't have $400.2) Ask them if they want the car back and to lose this sale as well as any future sales from you and EVERYONE you talk to about how unorganized they are and how unfairly they treated you.They should have their act together on ALL the paperwork and discounts/incentives. If the dealer messed up, it's their problem not yours. Especially, 3 weeks after you've been driving the car!OPTION B #2 works well.Let the Dealer and GM work it out between them -leaving you out of it!

[Vibe Rater]

I assume GMS is the GM employee discount? Please don't use short forms that not everyone knows what they mean. If it is the GM employee discount, this is bull crap. The fact that you qualify for an employee discount should not disqualify you from ANY other offer. Period! Tell them that they are NOT doing you a favor by giving you an employee discount. GM still pays them on your behalf. This is done totally separate and outside of your deal. Please do the right thing and let us all know the name of the dealer and the salesman's name and any other person who was involved in any way with this deal. Its buyer beware and we all need to know. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

[vibe owner]

GMS = GM Supplier. Pretty widely available, got mine through my employer Hewlett-Packard (a supplier of sorts). Can be combined with rebates, and I presume other deals as well.

[KSNeptune]

Uhm... You made them an offer in good faith. They accepted it in good faith or you wouldn't have your car. You and they both signed a contract for the good faith amount both agreed upon. Now if the contract stated that part of your payment would be a GM discount, cash, rebate, or whatever... and that "money" failed to materialize as you promised, then either you need to renegotiate the deal, pay them the money, or give them the car back in exchange for whatever money you've paid.And three weeks "could" be how long it would take for GM discount paperwork to come back "denied". Have the dealer fax you copies of whatever paperwork/part of the payment they claim you still owe them. If they can prove they aren't getting all the money you promised them for the car, then you should pay them.Am I a lawyer? No. But reason can determine the truth, assuming one has ALL the facts. Demand more data.KSNeptune.

[Bdaz1]

quote:GMS = GM Supplier. Pretty widely available, got mine through my employer Hewlett-Packard (a supplier of sorts). Can be combined with rebates, and I presume other deals as well.GMS = GM Stock (a purchase "off the Dealer's lot")GMO = GM OrderThese were 2 slightly different discounted amounts offered to employees. From what I here, soon to be combined into the same discount amount if ordered or purchased off the lot.Discounts offered to GM suppliers are different than this.

[Bdaz1]

quote:Now if the contract stated that part of your payment would be a GM discount, cash, rebate, or whatever... and that "money" failed to materialize as you promised, then either you need to renegotiate the deal, pay them the money, or give them the car back in exchange for whatever money you've paid.It doesn't sound like EricSalsa promised them $400 for a college grad discount. I think the Dealer would have offered (and qualified) him for this and then, included it in the deal.quote:And three weeks "could" be how long it would take for GM discount paperwork to come back "denied". Have the dealer fax you copies of whatever paperwork/part of the payment they claim you still owe them. If they can prove they aren't getting all the money you promised them for the car, then you should pay them.The dealer should have determined his eligibility for this by a simple phone call (within hours) not 3 weeks! Hell, they get the GMS eligibility and financing approval in that short a period, don't they?

[Manticore]

Actually I believe they have eliminated the GMO option which was a slightly higher discount to "simplify the ordering process".

[Flip-Side]

quote:If you've been driving the car for 3 weeks now I'd say your credit application went through and all the paperwork was finalized! Ask them if they want the car back and to lose this sale as well as any future sales from you and EVERYONE you talk to about how unorganized they are and how unfairly they treated you.I totally agree with this. By telling you that you need to return the $400, it should void the contract altogether since it is in your original statement. If they want to push it, tell them to take the car back and you can go elseware. Chances are they will back off.

[Vibe]

I would do this------ Walk in give them the keys and title along with your lawyers business card, and tell them that he will be in to see them. Then PROMPTLY walk out. I'll bet there will be a call by the time you get home telling you that they resolved the matter and come back and get your car.

[Vibe Rater]

quote:I would do this------ Walk in give them the keys and title along with your lawyers business card, and tell them that he will be in to see them. Then PROMPTLY walk out. I'll bet there will be a call by the time you get home telling you that they resolved the matter and come back and get your car. And leave a big turd in the back seat!

[pissedoffgokart]

IMHO I would have to agree with the majority. If it is in your signed contract that you get this discount, this discount, this discount, and a new kitchen sink, then they cannot really do anything about it. Dealer relationship? Who cares, there are other dealership's out there (and probably another close by). I cancelled my order once I found out that the salesman had been lying to me about all sorts of stuff, only to have the dealership's owner take me into his office, make a few calls, and give me another rebate for their mistakes! I have no intention of visiting them ever again! Just bitter I guess...

[MA-VIBE-FAN]

First the truth issue: http://www.gmgrad.com then click on "Prgram Details" on the header, deals with this by saying "(Grad) Certificate may not be combined with GM Supplier/Employee Discount". Second your knowledge:Most likely there is no way you would have know this. Unless the GMS paperwork included simular specific language. Third their knowledge:Poor. They made a mistake, that they shouldn't have.Fourth what to do:That is up to you. The dealer made an error, its up to you to decide if you what to give them the $400. Just be careful that whatever you do dosen't jepordize your ability or your family's ability to use the program in the future.Good luck and keep us updated.

[neptunevibeawd]

I had something like this happen to. the dealership screwed up and gave me the $400 grad rebate even though I was excluded by another rebate. However, my dealership called me told me about it then said because they screwed up they would instead sell the vehicle for $400 less. So I ultimately owed nothing, and the dealer got a happy customer who refers everyone to them.

[esjones]

quote:GMS = GM Supplier. Pretty widely available, got mine through my employer Hewlett-Packard (a supplier of sorts). Can be combined with rebates, and I presume other deals as well.WRONG. GMS = GM out of Stock (i.e., you pick your car from dealer stock) as opposed to GMO, which is where you special order your car. GMO used to be a bit cheaper than GMS, but not any more. GM suppliers also get a discount, but I don't think it is as good as the GMS/GMO discounts offered to employees and family members. - Earl

[esjones]

quote:If you've been driving the car for 3 weeks now I'd say your credit application went through and all the paperwork was finalized! Let the Dealer and GM work it out between them -leaving you out of it!I don't think he really meant "credit application" like an application for financing. I re-read the post, and I think that he filled out a form applying for the $400 new graduate discount, which is to be used as a "credit" against the purchase of a new car. - Earl

[MiamiVibe]

Look I had the same problem when i bought my Vibe. It was back then in March when it didnt have 0%. The dealer sold the car at 0% and then called me back the next day saying that they had screwed up. So I went fine very simple do you want the car back 60 miles later or fix the price so my payments stayed the same. They toke option #2 so dont give them the $400 dollars back.

[vibegirl]

I wouldn't pay, just on principle!

[mu_ohio]

When I purchased my Vibe, I didn't have the GMS paper signed from my grandfather. I signed a form stating that I didn't make due with the certificate in 2 weeks, I would owe the difference. With your issue, it sounds like you tried to apply for a student discount and then was denied. Legally, they tried to approve your application in exchange for good faith that you would pay the $400 through the rebate. Since the rebate did not materialize, you are responsible for the money. Just playing devil's advocate here. On the other hand, with how dealers work, they say you can get something when they mean we might be able to get the money from somewhere else. I'm sure the wanted to sell the car and knew that $400 more sounded good and that they could go for it. The sad fact is that GM doesn't always catch things like this a usually pay the dealer the rebate. I think you where the unlucky one that GM denied and now your dealer wants the money. They are about the bottom line and are willing to do whatever. I do agree with the others about giving them the option. You can't fullfill the contract so you can give the car back minus wear and tear or pay the money. I it legally possible for you to be responsible for the 3 days of use on the car even though it's minimal.

[EricSalsa]

Wow I wasn't expecting such a big response...To give everyone an update, I came across the gmgrad.com website very late last night (I know I should've tried to find it a long time ago). Called their 800 number and talked to a very nice rep. At first she said no the discounts cannot be used together. Then she read on her screen that they can...so we were both confused. She called back today after consulting with a specialist who confirmed that the GMS employee/supplier discount CANNOT be used together with the College Grad discount. She also said that it was the dealer's responsibility to check it out and inform me before making the sale. Since the deal is already closed and the dealer screwed up they should not be asking me to foot the bill. I can also file a complaint against the dealership with GM if I want to.Also sorry my first post wasn't very clear...When I bought the car I signed several papers: a dealer Order form, "Retail Instalment Sale Contract" for the financing, GM "Confirmation of Accidental Physical Damage Insurance", Odometer Disclosure Statement, tags/registration, and finally "General Motors Car and Truck Divisions Customer Incentive Acknowledgement and/or Assignment" form.I read over my paperwork several times, especially the incentive acknowledgement, and as far as my untrained eyes can tell, it is saying that I acknowledge I received the discounts listed (college grad, etc) and assign them to the dealer to be applied to my purchase. Above where the dealer signs, it says "The undersigned person, as Dealer representative, certifies that the information on this application is true and correct and the incentive(s) described have been provided to the said purchaser/lessee who has taken delivery of referenced unit through this dealership and that properly completed accurate delivery data has been forwarded to General Motors". Now the word "application" has me worried. For those of you who have seen something like this, what exactly is this form trying to say?Oh well I will be calling the dealership's customer service manager tomorrow to try and get this straightened out. At the very least I should be able to get all the relevant paperwork and see what's going on...Thanks for everyone's suggestions!EricSalsaGaithersburg, Maryland

[Stang2Vibe]

They are trying to pull a crock of crap on you. You signed a contract that they offered you. By signing the contract, you accepted their terms and offers. That is legally binding. Period. The contract can only now be changed if both parties agree to the change. Since they offered the grad rebate and you accepted it, they are legally stuck. It is THEIR fault that they did not check to see if these offers could be used in conjuction with each other. They are expected to find these things out and know about them, not you. If it was me that this happened to, I would tell them "sue me". They would never win because in this case, having the contract signed and the deal completed is in your favor. To void the sale contract, basicly they would have to prove in a court of law that either you or the dealer's representative who signed the contract on their behalf was legally looney tunes at the time the contract was signed. Most likely, that would never fly. Tell them that you will be using the $400 you saved to buy mods for your new Vibe that you read about on the Genvibe site! LOL. Good luck with your Vibe and welcome to the forum!