The Android Workshop Tumblog

• 2008-10-01

  

  I never did post a photo of my new Scion xD with wheel covers. Here it is.

• 2008-08-14

  The Phil Bachman Toyota "saga" continues

  I submitted a transaction dispute (of the $500 deposit Phil Backman refuses to refund) to my bank yesterday and I got this response. Let’s hope this ends quickly and in my favor…

  We received your Transaction Dispute for your Credit/Debit Card.  

  
  In most cases, following account investigation, you may receive credit, typically within 4 business days, until completed research.

  You should receive a response from our Bank Card Center within 30 days either to get more information or to advise you of our actions. If we do a chargeback to the merchant, then they have 45 days to represent the debit to us. The disputed item may then go to Visa or Master Card for a final resolution. An involved dispute may take several months. 

• 2008-08-11

  Bad Experience with Phil Bachman Toyota Johnson City, TN

  A warning to everyone interested in dealing with Phil Bachman Toyota in Johnson City, TN.

  I’ve had a $500 deposit down with them since June 19th to order me a Scion xD, nearly 2 and a half months later, (not 100% the dealership’s fault, xD’s are in short supply right now) and after maybe one phone call from them that entire time to say “we are still looking and haven’t forgotten about you”. I was starting to wonder if they even wanted to sell me a car and I decided to look at the other dealerships in the area to see if I could get lucky.

  Friday (the 8th) maybe an hour after emailing them, Toyota of Bristol calls me telling me they have a 5-speed Magnetic Grey 2008 xD on the lot and want to do business with me.

  By chance the salesman at Phil Bachman calls me the same afternoon saying they can get me a  5-speed Magnetic Grey 2009 xD from another dealer (this sounds suspiciously like the very same car at Bristol). I was a little undecided with both dealerships since the car had some options that I didn’t initially want (rear spoiler). At first told the Phil Bachman salesman to maybe keep looking for one without a spoiler, but later I called back to ask if I could get it with the spoiler and forgo the extra security system, (that I had originally wanted) so I could afford the spoiler. The Phil Bachman salesman said he’d have to check if the car was still available and would get back to me. He never got back to me Friday…

  So when the Bristol dealership called Saturday morning asking if I wanted to come-up and see the xD I said “sure”. Only a short while later I get a call from the now mad sounding Phil Bachman salesman saying “The other dealership won’t give us the xD and are saying that you are going to buy it from them instead.” So it was the very same xD at both dealerships even though Phil Bachman had lied to me about the model year being an ‘09 (likely to make more money off of me)… I then explained why I was talking with the other dealership. Before I could really say anything else the salesman says to me; “You know your $500 deposit is forfeit if you buy from anyone but us…” What I did next was maybe the smartest thing I could have done then; I told him that I’d call back and let him know what I wanted to do next. I immediately called the Bristol dealership salesman and  told him about the mix-up and that I’d be out $500 if I bought from them.

  The Toyota of Bristol salesman right away called “BS” on Phil Bachman saying it was an illegal practice and that if I bought the car from them they’d guarantee I’d get $500 back even if I can’t get it back from Phil Bachman by either complaining to their GM, talking with my bank or Visa, or complaining to the Automobile Association of America. The Bristol GM was going to refund me out of his own pocket! I was sold that instant because of their quality of customer service was like night and day in comparison to Phil Bachman’s.

  I ended-up buying the car from Toyota of Bristol that afternoon and was thrilled with their friendly customer service. Thanks again to the salesman Jome.

  This afternoon I’ll be calling the GM at Phil Bachman to demand my money back. I’ll post updates later when it’s all said and done.

  UPDATE 1 08/12/08 2:20 PM: I called and the GM was either out, busy, or ignoring me, so I left a to the point message stating that I wasn’t happy with their service, bought a car elsewhere, and want my deposit back. Waiting to see if he calls back…

  UPDATE 2 08/12/08 3:20 PM: It’s been around 24 hours without a call back from the GM at Phil Bachman… I’ll contact my bank and dispute the transaction if I don’t hear from him before they close tonight.

  UPDATE 3 08/13/08 12:44 PM: The General Manager Bill Benton never called me back. I just submitted a dispute of transaction to my bank since I paid the deposit with my Visa debit card. Hopefully they can fix this for me.

  UPDATE 4 09/03/08: The General Manager (Bill Benton) called and left me a voicemail today.. He said he saw my review on Edmonds and claimed that he had “not” got my message. He also had to make the point that they do “partial payments” “not deposits”… Well either way they didn’t refund my money after not providing the car I “partly paid for”. Wow when they put it that way it sounds even more logical that they owe me money.
  I didn’t call back because my bank was already investigating, and he didn’t sound like he wanted to resolve anything.

  UPDATE 5 10/09/08: My bank did manage to get my $500 back. The only reason I hadn’t mentioned it above is because I was waiting to hear officially that their investigation was finished. I got a letter in Sep saying that they had credited my account and that if their investigation did not find any wrong doing the credit would be removed. I haven’t gotten another letter, but the credit did appear a 2nd time on my statement a few weeks ago so I assume it was permanently added to my account. Seems like a happy ending finally.

  See comment below from an Phil Bachman ex-salesman.

• 2008-08-09

  

  I got my Scion xD today! (Wheel covers are coming in a few days) A 2008 model, but that’s no big deal since there were no changes and it costed less. The 2nd Toyota dealership had me come-in and hooked me up. I officially double crossed the 1st dealership because they were really being lame.

  However the 1st dealer was mad and doesn’t want to refund my $500 deposit because they wanted to get the very same xD for me (from the 2nd dealer) and learned that I was already talking with the 2nd dealer who had it on the lot and refused to give it to the 1st dealer. The 2nd dealer got me to come-in and close the deal because they are going to help me get my $500 deposit back from the 1st dealership, or just give me $500 if I couldn’t get it back. It’s supposedly an illegal practice (thank goodness) and if they don’t refund me they could be closed by the Automobile Association, or Visa or my bank will be able to get my money back. It got a bit too complex, but the dealership I went with was a lot more friendly.

  I’m still getting used to the 5-speed manual, but I’m getting it quickly. It should be second nature after a week.

• 2008-08-08

  Scion xD false alarm today

  The dealership called today saying they have a grey 2009 xD coming in (my 2nd color choice). I was already thinking “so what’s the catch” (after waiting since the end of May) when he says “…but it’s got an extra $400 spoiler option that you didn’t want”.

  It took me a moment to reply that I hadn’t budgeted for that extra while thinking about keeping my loan payments manageable or breaking the bank for an extra cosmetic option.

  He then went into the same “The xD uses the same engine as the Corolla, and gas prices have created a shortage of efficient Toyota engines thanks to Corolla sales. They just aren’t making as many xD’s.”

  So the dealership is still looking, and I’m still waiting…

• 2008-08-06

  '09 Scion xD dates

  I still haven’t heard anything from my local dealer, but online there is talk about the 2009 xD’s starting to arrive early this month. I’ll be calling my dealer by the end of the week if I don’t hear from them first.

• 2008-07-07

  More Scion xD news

  The dealership just called and said they still have had no luck getting an xD in my color/transmission choice (blue or dark grey / manual).

  The salesman told me that the shortage of xD’s is also in part because of a shortage of engines; Toyota is focused on the demand for Camry and Corolla, (they use the same engine) thus there aren’t enough engines to go around to Scion. The sudden spike in gas prices has shifted demand to the smaller cars and it sounds like Toyota is having a hard time keeping-up.

  This is most annoying… I hope the launch of the 2009 model around August will fix availability.

  

• 2008-07-01

  2009 Scion xD to be released in August

  I called the dealership yesterday asking about the 2009 model Scion xD. The sales rep who has been helping me didn’t know anything right off hand, but he checked into it for me and called back. He said that the 2009 xD would be out some time in August (I think he said; “By the end of Aug”).

  They’ve also preferenced a blue xD at the factory for me, but haven’t heard back about the production of the blue. The sales rep told me that I may end-up having to wait for the 2009 models because there are only 4 or 5 manual 2008 grey (my 2nd choice) xD’s in circulation. It may end-up being worth the wait, however I’ll need to get an oil change and renew my tags on my old car before then, and my loan pre-approval will be expired very soon.

  

• 2008-06-30

  2009 Scion xD

  Looks like the 2008 models are hard to find right now due to the 2009 models about to ship. I also heard that the manual transmission 2008 xD might have been discontinued first along with my first color choice (blue) to make way for the 2009 models. This would explain why I haven’t gotten my xD yet. I may have to wait for the 2009 model. I’m going to call the dealership today and ask if they know anything about the ‘09 yet.

• Still waiting on my new car...

  I’m starting to become a little annoyed by the lack of information about ETA on the order of my new Scion xD. I put $500 down to get the car on order, and it’ll have been a full 2 weeks as of July 1st. All I’ve heard from the dealership (early last week) was;

  There aren’t any blue available anywhere, and if they can find the grey at another dealer they’d have it in a few days, if not it might be a few weeks for one to roll off the assembly line and get to the dealership.

  I also have to juggle my loan pre-approval and expiring tags on my old car. So I guess I’m going to have to call the dealership again soon… I’d at least like to know if I’m going to have to wait for one from the factory.

• 2008-06-17

  

• 

  I took a Scion xD out for a test drive yesterday and was sold in just minutes. It’s so much nicer than my current 2004 Chevy Cavalier in every way (I’m getting $3,000 for it in trade-in). I put in an order for a blue or dark grey manual transmission model. I just have to talk to my insurrance and bank today before I put down my downpayment this week. Nobody can accuse me of not helping the economy…