Another Miserable Dealership Issue in VA.
01-31-2002, 02:20 PM
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Another Miserable Dealership Issue in VA.
Bought my '01 TL in February last year from Pohanka Acura in Chantilly, VA. Signed up for a deal to have the car detailed with the "Simoniz" package where they would detail it twice a year for 5 years. This cost $389.
We had the first coat applied a week after we bought the car. The second coat was applied 6 months later. So now it is time for the third coat. My wife calls up to make the appointment and is told that they had made a mistake and that it only requires one coat and that there is a "five year warranty" on the paint against acid rain, tree sap, bird sh*t, etc... The second coat applied was a mistake.
So she shows up today at the dealership and after a long talk with the GM he gives her a full refund but we get to keep the Simoniz warranty. I thought this was strange. Rather than keep the $389 and perform 8 more applications, he would rather refund it in full and not do anymore applications. I guess I am irritated with the fact that I had paid for and expected 2 details a year at roughly $38 a pop but now have my money back and won't get anymore details. Maybe I should be happy that I got 2 details free. Thoughts?
We had the first coat applied a week after we bought the car. The second coat was applied 6 months later. So now it is time for the third coat. My wife calls up to make the appointment and is told that they had made a mistake and that it only requires one coat and that there is a "five year warranty" on the paint against acid rain, tree sap, bird sh*t, etc... The second coat applied was a mistake.
So she shows up today at the dealership and after a long talk with the GM he gives her a full refund but we get to keep the Simoniz warranty. I thought this was strange. Rather than keep the $389 and perform 8 more applications, he would rather refund it in full and not do anymore applications. I guess I am irritated with the fact that I had paid for and expected 2 details a year at roughly $38 a pop but now have my money back and won't get anymore details. Maybe I should be happy that I got 2 details free. Thoughts?
01-31-2002, 03:20 PM
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Burning Brakes
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I'd probably have preferred the 10 details for $389 because my dealer here charges $99 for a detail, and that's a special price, not the normal. They usually send out one of those specials every 6 months to their customers, but still 39 is a whole lot less than 99. Either way, atleast you got 2 for free.
01-31-2002, 03:33 PM
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Dude, be glad you got your money back. If they truly use "Simoniz", you're better off.
Simoniz is some old wax. It's good for furniture, not for cars.
If you're not into detailing cars, go out and get some Liquid Glass. It's really good for those people that detail like once a year.
Simoniz is some old wax. It's good for furniture, not for cars.
If you're not into detailing cars, go out and get some Liquid Glass. It's really good for those people that detail like once a year.
02-01-2002, 08:36 AM
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Acura_Fan:
I feel your pain about Pohanka. I didn't buy my car from them, but my girlfriend got her Integra from them. They botched things up so royally, you wouldn't believe it. Pohanka auto sales sucks, plain and simple. I posted my ordeal with them a while ago. The GM there is a nice guy, but his staff screws up often.... which directly reflects on him. I've heard a lot of other compliants from other people who own Acura in that area. The bottom line for Pohanka is this, they have a hot-selling car at a dealership in a fairly affluent area. People come in and pay sticker for their cars, no questions asked. Then, they come in and throw money away listening to everything the dealer says. It's such a shame....
I will say, that they do have some cool guys that work in the service department. I do take my car there to get it serviced.... they are a bit cheaper than Radley.
All in all... I feel your pain.
I feel your pain about Pohanka. I didn't buy my car from them, but my girlfriend got her Integra from them. They botched things up so royally, you wouldn't believe it. Pohanka auto sales sucks, plain and simple. I posted my ordeal with them a while ago. The GM there is a nice guy, but his staff screws up often.... which directly reflects on him. I've heard a lot of other compliants from other people who own Acura in that area. The bottom line for Pohanka is this, they have a hot-selling car at a dealership in a fairly affluent area. People come in and pay sticker for their cars, no questions asked. Then, they come in and throw money away listening to everything the dealer says. It's such a shame....
I will say, that they do have some cool guys that work in the service department. I do take my car there to get it serviced.... they are a bit cheaper than Radley.
All in all... I feel your pain.
02-01-2002, 12:11 PM
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Yeah, I live in Arlington and make the trip to Pohanka since they generally seem to have better service. Radley is less than 3 miles away from my place but I can't stand them. Their service is MISERABLE. I bought my Integra from there and brought it back for some services. They were cool at first then they went way south from there. One time my key for my wheel locks broke and I had a flat/slow leak, so I drove over and asked them to take the locks off with the master key and they tried to charge me like $75 to do it though my car was still under warranty.
Apparently Pohanka lost both of their service managers in the last month or so. The GM Lenny Gonzales was all stressed about that when we talked.
I normally use Maguiars products for my detailing (generally every few months) but 39 bucks a pop was too good to pass up.
Apparently Pohanka lost both of their service managers in the last month or so. The GM Lenny Gonzales was all stressed about that when we talked.
I normally use Maguiars products for my detailing (generally every few months) but 39 bucks a pop was too good to pass up.
02-01-2002, 07:26 PM
#6
I bought my Legend from Pohanka years ago. Lenny was the GM then also. Probably one of my worst experiences with buying a car.
I agree with UFCen2000. Pohanka is a successful dealership in an affluent area. That's great for a dealership or a business, but when you feel like a peon because of the way that you are treated after you purchase your car, there's definitely something wrong with that. Their customer service was the reason I bought my TL from Radley in Woodbridge. (Also an unpleasant experience.)
Gonzalez should've bit the bullet for the mistakes of his employees. Was the loss of the detailings worth the loss of a life-time customer? It seems menial to me - which is exactly how they make you feel.
I agree with UFCen2000. Pohanka is a successful dealership in an affluent area. That's great for a dealership or a business, but when you feel like a peon because of the way that you are treated after you purchase your car, there's definitely something wrong with that. Their customer service was the reason I bought my TL from Radley in Woodbridge. (Also an unpleasant experience.)
Gonzalez should've bit the bullet for the mistakes of his employees. Was the loss of the detailings worth the loss of a life-time customer? It seems menial to me - which is exactly how they make you feel.
02-02-2002, 10:13 AM
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Hey how come none of you guys come to the NOVA meets?
I agree w/ you about radley vs pohanka. I literallly lived 200feet from radley. I could walk there! but I got my car at pohanka cause the service was much better.
I agree w/ you about radley vs pohanka. I literallly lived 200feet from radley. I could walk there! but I got my car at pohanka cause the service was much better.
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02-03-2002, 01:46 PM
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NOVAWhiteTypeS:
I went to the go cart meet back in October... I was the only TL there
.... me and vinnydahitman from the cl-baord. Is there another meet coming up... I thought I read something about the beginnining of March?
I went to the go cart meet back in October... I was the only TL there
.... me and vinnydahitman from the cl-baord. Is there another meet coming up... I thought I read something about the beginnining of March?
02-04-2002, 12:02 PM
#11
Hey guys. There's a meet planned for Saturday, March 9 at Tyson's Corner Mall at 3pm. Check out the link below for more information and a signup.
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...threadid=60374
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...threadid=60374
02-04-2002, 05:22 PM
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My friend is on the Fairfax County Human Rights board and they are currently hearing a complaint filed against Lenny Gonzalez and some other guy at HBL b/c the applicant had AIDS.
02-04-2002, 05:25 PM
#13
Joe, WTF are you talking about... Pohanka service dept sux dix!!!
I bought my car at Pohanka and took it there once for an oil change and the damn car came back with dings on the door. Ofcourse they claim "you must have done it", yeah whatever.
Radley service dept rocks!
Well, in all fairness, they all suck if you think about it...
I bought my car at Pohanka and took it there once for an oil change and the damn car came back with dings on the door. Ofcourse they claim "you must have done it", yeah whatever.
Radley service dept rocks!
Well, in all fairness, they all suck if you think about it...
02-05-2002, 12:47 PM
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I just dropped my car off at Pohanka again this morning. I had an ABS/TCS light problem that they thought they fixed but didn't. I also think my rotors are warped so I asked them to look at that as well. We will seee what happens.
I was fortunate enough for them to have run out of Acura loaner cars so I got a sweet Ford Focus instead. (Didn't have time to complain as I was late to work)
Does Radley have loaners? They are MUCH closer to my place.
I was fortunate enough for them to have run out of Acura loaner cars so I got a sweet Ford Focus instead. (Didn't have time to complain as I was late to work)
Does Radley have loaners? They are MUCH closer to my place.
02-05-2002, 10:33 PM
#17
Ford Focus?!! I'm sure it's a nice car
, and there are probably good reasons why it made top 10 lists, but are they for real? Is that supposed to be comparable to what you dropped off? Was the Ford Fiesta already taken? That's ridiculous. Not only are you returning a car that should have already been taken care of, but they give you a great loaner as well. (No offense to Focus owners.) Talk about kickin someone when he's down. Perfect example of the customer service that we've been talking about!
, and there are probably good reasons why it made top 10 lists, but are they for real? Is that supposed to be comparable to what you dropped off? Was the Ford Fiesta already taken? That's ridiculous. Not only are you returning a car that should have already been taken care of, but they give you a great loaner as well. (No offense to Focus owners.) Talk about kickin someone when he's down. Perfect example of the customer service that we've been talking about!
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