Took Friends to Pickup Their Leaf--Rejected It

[mpm3710]

When I went to pickup my Leaf they asked me for my SSN as well. I refused. I had a pre approved credit union financing approval and they said they could not just lookup the approval without my SSN. I called my CU and let them talk to the car sales guy there and he just repeated the same story to my CU that they needed my SSN to run the credit union direct lending lookup (CUDL), even with them on the phone telling him that wasn't true, what an ass. He even had his sleezeball "manager" come in and tell me that they needed my SSN to do the CUDL lookup which was also a lie. I was not going to give them my SSN no matter what. I had a credit freeze in effect that I had unfrozen to run the pre-approval prior to coming to the dealership and it was already re-frozen. They could not have run my credit even if they wanted to.

I ended up having to go back to my CU and get the financing done there and bring them a check from my CU to do the deal. I was able to do the deal and get out of there without having to give my SSN. The sales guy was eager to get me out of there too, I think because I was one of the first reservations/orders that they sold for $100 less then invoice and they weren't making any money on me. He didn't even bother to go though the functions of the car with me, and yet the customer checklist was already filled out. (I had read though the manual online as well as the full service manual so I didn't really need the walk though.)

Lesson learned, always bring a check from your bank with the exact amount needed.

I see that you are from Everett. The dealership that you got your car from wouldn't happen to be Magic Nissan would it? That isn't a very nice place. They don't like Leafers to use their charging stations. They weren't very nice about letting me use it when I was in dire straits and may not make it home to Maple Valley. I would imagine how they are with their customers.

 

[LEAFfan]

Since the OP said "$100 under Invoice", I'm going to guess that the dealer was Rairdon's of Auburn. I heard Todd Fee was fired. I'm wondering what he did besides not being that nice.

 

[Amary]

Since the OP said "$100 under Invoice", I'm going to guess that the dealer was Rairdon's of Auburn. I heard Todd Fee was fired. I'm wondering what he did besides not being that nice.

Todd Fee was not fired. He's still at Rairdon's. I confirmed this with him personally. I think the poster who wrote that had him confused with Greg Leach.

Speaking of Rairdon's, and refusing delivery… Our LEAF arrived there on 6/23, but we have not yet been able to take delivery, since they have thus far refused to honor the no-markup lease that Greg Leach promised (both verbally, and in writing), and Marco confirmed (verbally). We qualify for the 0.00204 rate, but they slipped in a markup anyway, and wrote up the lease for 0.00254.

We won't tolerate this, and refuse to sign a lease until they give us the rate Greg agreed to before we placed the order with them (RAQ'd as a purchase, as Greg instructed everyone to do). We are currently at an impasse with the General Manager, Jack "Jay" Miller, and the car has been sitting there for 13 days now.

BBB complaints are going in tomorrow, and I have several calls in to Nissan Corporate. Any other suggestions welcome!

One thought I just had: If we worked directly with an independent leasing company, then I assume that we would negotiate the terms directly with them, and they would then purchase the car from the dealership at the agreed price. The problem with this, of course, is that independent leasing companies would not likely pass on the full $7500 tax credit, nor offer as favorable terms. But, would it be possible for us to work with NMAC in a way that bypassed this particular dealership? Perhaps arranging the lease through a different dealer, even though NMAC would be purchasing the car from Rairdon's?

And yes, when they had us drive down there to pick up the car, they had us fill out a credit application for a second time, complete with SSN's. But we left empty-handed, my wife in tears.

 

[TomT]

Definitely sounds like a stealership to avoid!!!

Speaking of Rairdon's, and refusing delivery… Our LEAF arrived there on 6/23, but we have not yet been able to take delivery, since they have thus far refused to honor the no-markup lease that Greg Leach promised (both verbally, and in writing), and Marco confirmed (verbally). We qualify for the 0.00204 rate, but they slipped in a markup anyway, and wrote up the lease for 0.00254.

We won't tolerate this, and refuse to sign a lease until they give us the rate Greg agreed to before we placed the order with them (RAQ'd as a purchase, as Greg instructed everyone to do). We are currently at an impasse with the General Manager, Jack "Jay" Miller, and the car has been sitting there for 13 days now.

 

[tps]

We are currently at an impasse with the General Manager, Jack "Jay" Miller, and the car has been sitting there for 13 days now.

From their perspective, if you walk away from the car, they'll just sell it as an orphan at a substantial markup, so unfortunately IMHO you're not bargaining from a strong position. I understand that, for you, the bargaining was done when you RAQ'ed, and you expect them to keep their end, but I'm guessing they see things differently.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

most who have dealt with Rairdon's markup on the rates have only had bargaining power if they were on the fence with lease/purchase.

as i was told there was never a locked in lease rates. on review, it does states rates are variable and subject to change and will be determined at time of lease.

you did get a markdown at least.

 

[Amary]

most who have dealt with Rairdon's markup on the rates have only had bargaining power if they were on the fence with lease/purchase.

as i was told there was never a locked in lease rates. on review, it does states rates are variable and subject to change and will be determined at time of lease.

you did get a markdown at least.

Greg did email me over a document with the no-markup money factors, but so far they have not been willing to honor those.

We are interested in the lease, mainly because we wouldn't be able to get the full tax rebate on an outright purchase. But we certainly can buy out the lease.

I thought that with an early lease buyout ("purchase option"), we'd end up having to pay all the future interest ("rent") anyway. But I'm beginning to understand that's not actually the case, and what we'd actually pay is the adjusted capital cost. So we would indeed save on lease finance fees, and could largely eliminate them. (It's hard to completely unwind all the language in sections 14 and 15 of the standard lease agreement.)

So, if the dealer insists on marking up the money factor, or not letting us put down as much cash as we believe they should, we will very likely just turn right around and buy out the lease (with a different dealer). So, maybe we do have some other options — and a little bit of bargaining power! ;-)

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Todd just posted that they have 4 orphans out there. i am guessing that is because they are cranking the MF up on other people who have opted out of the process

 

[Leafittome]

So I saw my friend who's Leaf this thread is about. When we left the sales manager at NorthBay Nissan ony July 1, he told my friend and his wife, with me present, that he would have his service dept. contact Nissan regarding warranty repair of the body/paint issue on their Leaf. He said it might require Nissan to come out and look at the car before okaying the warranty repair(even though pictures were taken), and he would call my friend when Nissan okays the repair.

As of yesterday, nobody from the dealership had called. Even if Nissan hadn't resolved the situation, you'd think somebody would have communicated with my friend. Of course, were it my Leaf, I would have called daily, but the onus is on the dealer to follow up a botched walk through and show some tiny amount of customer care. Either they are just incompetent and uncaring or they want the deal to unwind so they can orphan my friend's Leaf and sell it at a mark up to another customer.

It's a shame, I thought NorthBay was different from other car stores. I was mistaken. They certainly won't get any service business from me on my Leaf or my NV van(which they aren't franchised for anyway).

 

[planet4ever]

So I saw my friend who's Leaf this thread is about. When we left the sales manager at NorthBay Nissan ony July 1, he told my friend and his wife, with me present, that he would have his service dept. contact Nissan regarding warranty repair of the body/paint issue on their Leaf. He said it might require Nissan to come out and look at the car before okaying the warranty repair(even though pictures were taken), and he would call my friend when Nissan okays the repair.

I think it is important and urgent that your friend follow up with the dealer if he still wants the car. The dealer might have a slightly different recollection of the verbal agreement from what you have just stated.

As I said before, your friend's contract is with the dealer, not with Nissan NA. If the dealer believes your friend has walked away from the contract, then he is free to resell the car, and Nissan doesn't owe your friend anything except the $99 reservation fee.

Ray

 

[Leafittome]

I think it is important and urgent that your friend follow up with the dealer if he still wants the car. The dealer might have a slightly different recollection of the verbal agreement from what you have just stated.

As I said before, your friend's contract is with the dealer, not with Nissan NA. If the dealer believes your friend has walked away from the contract, then he is free to resell the car, and Nissan doesn't owe your friend anything except the $99 reservation fee.

Ray

Agreed. I think my friend is naive when it comes to dealers. I recommended he call Ron Coury after the 4th of July weekend and told him the same thing again this week, when I found out the dealer hadn't called him.

NorthBay Nissan needs to know that there are witnesses to what the sales manager said.

 

[Leafittome]

Looks like this saga is heading towards a good result. My friend, after leaving messages for the sales manager and Ron Courey, got a response. He was told by the salesperson that they didn't have the right phone number(we know Ron did, because that's how he was contacted regarding the Leaf arriving at the dealership).

Apparently Nissan questioned whether the damage was from the factory or the port. Regardless, the body and paint work has been completed and, assuming it was done properly--supposedly a new bumper was installed--all should be good for a second walk through on Saturday.

I'm happy that NorthBay Nissan has done what was expected, even if communication was lacking.

 

[Leafittome]

Friends picked up their Leaf and paid for it on July 23 with paint and bodywork supposedly corrected and by the 29th the paint issue resurfaced(literally)--fender to front valance seam still pinched at one end, so bodywork was not adjusted.

At the time of the first walk through on July 1, I told the dealer that this was more than a paint issue, that bodywork not fitting correctly was the problem.

Unfortunately it all starts again for my friend, except this time the dealer has his money.

 

[JPWhite]

If paying all cash I think they may have to notify the IRS of the transaction. Maybe "credit application" is a euphemism for IRS report?[/quote]

Nah.

I paid cash and they ran a credit check as well. I know they did the check because the credit score came back before we left the dealership and the Finance manager shared the credit scores my wife and I have at the moment.