ComplaintsforLaFontaine Volkswagen of Livonia

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  When I went for a test drive at LaFontaine on September 28, 2023, I advised the salesperson that there were 2 primary reasons why I was purchasing a new vehicle. The first was that my youngest son was in need of a vehicle so he would be taking the 2011 ***** CRV once I had acquired a new vehicle and secondly, I wanted to have the protections provided by *** Drive such as a blind spot monitor and rear traffic alert, etc. ************ clearly understood this since she proceeded to explain to me how that system (operated/worked). I had every intention of only acquiring a vehicle with those safety features and understood that the vehicle I was purchasing had that. The vehicle I went for a test drive in was not the vehicle I wanted and initially they informed me that someone else had already purchased that particular ****. When I indicated that I wasnt interested in the test drive vehicle miraculously the one I had expressed a desire to purchase was suddenly still available. That was the vehicle I ultimately purchased. After driving the **** for a few days I realized that none of those safety systems seemed to have been triggered even once which seemed odd so I investigated and discovered that the vehicle in fact does not have the *** Drive which I had emphasized that I wanted and the salesperson had acknowledged that fact. Subsequently, in reviewing the window sticker I discovered in very small print on the bottom right side the following statement: Credit Issued vehicle is not equipped with Blind Spot Monitor or Rear Traffic Alert No Charge $450.00. I then had an online chat with a representative of Volks. of America to inquire whether *** Drive could be installed after the vehicle left the factory and and they confirmed that it could. I then contacted representatives from the service departments for a couple of local Volkswagen dealerships (definitely not LaFontaine) and was advised that the *** Drive system could not be installed after the fact.

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  Mark,

  Please reach out to me directly if you have not heard from ** call me directly Matt ***********************************************************************

  Customer response

  11/28/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your rejection of the business's response. 
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of why I am rejecting this response appear below:
  
  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution. Please type details here:]
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 30, 2023, I purchased a **** Volkswagen Taos SE from LaFontaine Volkswagen Livonia. When I took delivery of the vehicle the license plate on my 2011 ***** CRV was supposed to be transferred to the, ****. Initially the documentation prepared by representatives of LaFontaine to complete the transfer was incorrect and I advised them of that fact. Subsequently, when I received the new registration for the, **** from the ******** Secretary of ************ it was still incorrect. The plate transferred was identified as the vehicle I owned prior to the 2011 CRV which was a 2007 ***** CRV. I have left voice mail messages for the individual at LaFontaine (*********************) that was responsible for preparing the documentation to complete the plate transfer and have sent emails to that same individual as well as the Sales Manager (*************************) and the salesperson (***********************) that I dealt with. I have never received a response to any of the emails or the voice mail messages nor am I in receipt of a corrected registration from the Secretary of State. It is now Friday, November 10, 2023, and I still do not have a valid registration for a vehicle I purchased on Saturday, September 30, 2023. What makes this even more frustrating and perplexing is the fact that the salesperson took a photograph of the plate on the 2011 CRV on the evening that I signed the documentation for the purchase of the, ****.

  Business response

  11/30/2023

  Registration has been resolved and new registration has been mailed to the customer.

  thanks,

   

  Matt 

  Customer response

  12/13/2023

  The response only addressed one of the two complaints registered. They sold me a vehicle without all the safety features I had specifically requested while on the test drive with the salesperson.

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  If the Business Mgr tells you there's no remaining manufacturer's warranty, it may very well be a lie--and only because they want to SELL you THEIR extended warranty even if you ALREADY HAVE ONE INCLUDED FOR FREE. The business manager flat out lied to me. He claimed he verified that there was NO EXISTING MANUF Warranty. He sold me what he claimed was a $4,500.00 warranty, at a "deal" of $3,000--Turns out, both things were lies. He later admitted to me--on a subsequent visit--no bank would ever approve him selling that warranty at $4,500.00. I had to find out by accident, on my **C app, that I HAD NEVER NEEDED to buy a warranty from him at all, because there was in fact a year remaining on the ** Powertrain warranty--which I had told me is all I wanted. The only reason we were even talking about extended warranties is because he offered to "Give" me the warranty if I stopped negotiating with his salesperson. Then, once I was in his office, that was a lie also--But he'd convinced me that it was still a great "savings" down from a quoted price that did not actually exist.He said, in front of witnesses, that he has "committed fraud [b]illions of times while working for LaFontaine. ANYONE who has ever worked at LaFontaine has committed fraud."On a later trip to the dealership, He mentioned it, saying it wasn't smart to admit that out loud, and denying that he'd said billions of times, insisting that he had said "millions" instead. But he was so friendly and kind, and seems so "above board," that you likely wouldn't suspect him--until it is TOO LATE.He never disclosed to me that the warranty was cancellable. And, he never provided me the details of any warranty. I asked him several times for one, on a follow-up visit, he refused. He said it covered everything any normal warranty covered and that I didn't need the paperwork. One of his salespersons, left on his own, and returned quietly handing me the warranty coverage details he had just printed out.

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  This customer is an ex employee at ******************** Dexter *************** ******* and The finance manager she is referring to in complaint have a past work relationship.  We are disputing these claims and there is no merit behind claims.

  thanks

   

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a Tiguan 2022 on 9/24/2022 and the financial manager included 2 extra coverages on the contract he presented me. Drive easy through ** credit (****) and Some windshield coverage through **** (799) and assured me they are cancellable at anytime without any penalty if I don't use. The phone calls to cancel were a complete lie because it took hours to reach someone who agreed to send me the cancellation forms. Even though I cancelled the coverage through ** credit on 10/14/2022, I still have not see gotten the amount refunded on my loan. On 11/16/2022, I was informed by **** that the 799 is non-refundable per the contract and that nothing can be done. The financial manager was deceitful not only because he did not tell me about a cheaper interest rate on the ** Volkswagen and because he hyped up extra coverage while the car was already under warranty but because he lied about the coverage being refundable. Also, cancelling the extra coverage from ** credit does not change my monthly payment even if the loan amount will decrease. This information was completely omitted from the discussion.

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a 2011 Cadillac Escalade from Lafontaine Of Livonia in April 2022. The vehicle had over 140k miles when I purchased it. A month later the system suspension and many other things went wrong and I contacted the dealership to see if it was covered for repair and I was told yes. I had my truck towed to another Lafontaine dealership in Highland, ** only to find out that its only covered up to 100k miles. I was told I had an extended warranty in the the dealer lied. I contacted the general manager only to be told there is nothing that they can do for me. It appears to me that the dealer who sold me the vehicle only wanted to get the truck off the lot and knew the problems with the vehicle and gave me the run around.

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