I have just joined the forum and just wanted to share my very bad experience with the purchase and service, so far, of my new Lexus. I don't know if anybody is going to even read all this mumble, but I just need to tell my story so that others avoid going to this dealership.
I just purchased my new Lexus IS350 the end of February. I did all my research before contacting the sales person. I do not like the "price game", so I decided to contact the dealerships via the internet sales rep. I decided to go to Sterling MCcall Lexus. The internet sales rep is Richard Joseph, and he told me that there is no such thing as "lowest we can go". Told me to get my quote and then go talk to him. He promised me he could get me an evern better price for my car.
I went, test drove it, and as we were walking back to the office he asked "are you ready to drive off with a brand new '08 IS350? Because if not, I can just go inside, give you a quote on a piece of paper and then when you're ready you can come back. I do not want to waste my time with you and I do not want my coworkers to waste their time with you either if you're not ready to buy". I could not believe my ears. I decided to just walk away, and as I was doing it he started joking and telling me not to take it too serious, blah blah blah. Gave him a piece of my mind of course. I told him what I was looking for - 2008 IS350 with premium package, black on black.
He came out of the managers' office and told me he had an even better deal. For the same price we were talking about, he could get me "the features I wanted" plus the ML sound system. Of course, I was excited, they don't make that package with that sound system. So we talked price, I liked it, I was getting more than I wanted, for the same price or course. He really did not give me a better deal, only nocked off a little bit from what the other dealership had quoted me, but I was getting the ML, right, so ok. Four times he assured me that was the car I wanted, with the features I wanted, PLUS THE ML SOUND SYSTEM. So there I go to the Finance department. Like I said, I knew what the IS had since I had done my research. The finance guy told me the car had run-flats. I told him no, he kept telling me yes, sooooo sure it did; so I ended up giving up. Tires were not a priority to me, so I thought I had overlooked some information somewhere, and I bought the tire warranty.
I signed......The sales rep insisted on bringing the car so I could see it, I was not supposed to pick it up that day because I had tint to put on. He brought it. I got in it. The car was the IS350 but not with the premium package, it had the X-package. I got sooooo upset. I wasted 5 hours of my day, dealing with this man that did not want to "waste his time", and he ended up selling me the wrong car.
Talked to the Sales Manager, he gave me nothing, just the tint and the tire warrantly, but that was it. Said that he couldn't do anything else. I wanted the car, so I decided to buy it. I should have just walked away, I know.
I found out about the buzzing noise when you plug the iPod charger, and the sales manager did not help at all to even try to get me a better price for the interface kit. Service guy told me $700 but he could give it to me for $625, I laughed of course. I was there for 3 hours, took it in to have my lights checked and they changed it since "it had a faulty assembly". Came back 2.5 hrs later to tell me there was nothing wrong with my car, and that they had to take that new part back and put my original back in since there was nothing wrong with it. So much for being knowledgeable about the vehicles they "fix".
Took it in for the 30 day maintenance and the service guy found there was a fix to the buzzing noise, so he ordered the replacement parts but, to my surprise, they took one of my CD's that I had on my stereo. A burned CD, not even original, with my name all over it, they just took it. Called to report it, they said "sorry there is nothing we can do" Told me that he had asked and that his technicians had said they had not touched anything on my car, so I wonder how did they do the inspection?
The internet sales rep, Richard Joseph, does not know me anymore when I go to the dealership. The sales manager that I had been talking to, Steve Wedderburn, does not know me anymore either. I am very disappointed with my whole experience so far. I already filled out the survey, which was not a good one at all. Maybe it's because I'm a female, and they think I just might not be able to afford such a luxury vehicle and don't know anything about cars. Maybe I just walked in at the wrong dealership, but my experience with the first one I went to was not that pleasant either. What a shame because I know these dealerships are rated one of the top in customer satisfaction, and did absolutely nothing to satisfy or to even compensate me for my "wasted time", the wrong car, the wrong information at time of sale, and at the end, they still not kept their promise and I am missing the ML system. I like my car very much, it's just the people that have been involved in the purchase and the service are so wrong.
I don't know if anybody stayed for the whole story, did not really mean to bore anyone. Thanks for the ones that did finish reading and I hope this information helps others.
I promise not to take that much space anymore