Plattner Automotive Group Dealer Practices of Non Payment to Vendors and Employees Sarasota Florida

 I have been fortunate enough to not have worked for many employers in my Industry I love so much the Automotive Retail Industry.   But recently I was tenured and took the position of General Manager with the Plattner Automotive Group and it left me in consternation and disbelief.   This Dealer who's name is: Douglas Plattner (he is tied to the Black & Decker Fortune by birth), recently bought out the Warren Henry Dealership in Ocala, FL (Volvo of Ocala/ Subaru of Ocala).   My first mistake was not researching this dealer enough, that is my fault.   The first person to greet me from this group at the Dealership in Ocala, FL was a man named Dave Cannaley, his VP of Sales Operations.   Mr. Plattner and I agreed in writing about my pay plan, moving expenses, demo allowance, etc.  Well once I arrived at the Dealership I was told by Dave Cannaley, that instead of cutting me a check for the move that Doug Plattner and I agree to prior to my moving ($1000.00 only), Doug Plattner just told Dave Cannaley to put me up in a Hotel Room.  Here is where it all started to get bad, my first inclination was to just leave because this is nowhere close to what we agreed to even before my first day on the job.  I had contacted a Realitor and made promises to this person, but now it was just broken.   I agreed to stay on board but felt already a little uneasy.  

After a few days I knew I had made a mistake, it seems the right hand person of Doug Plattner in Sarasota his Corporate Office, was leaving (after 17 years) and was telling me things that made my skin crawl but as with many an out going employee they are a tad tainted in their viewpoint.   Her name was Peggy Bilbo, she was in charge of many things at the Corporate Officeroup there in Sarasota, FL including cutting checks for many of the employees at the Plattner Automotive Group.   She stated that Doug Plattner on many occasion, regardless where he owed the Vendor or Employee, just told her to not pay them (even though the service from the vendor was given or the employee was doing his or her job and agreed to a certain pay plan before their hire date).  In most instances some were never paid while others were paid a significantly smaller amount.   I asked her about a form placed in the hiring packet (which is ILLEGAL) that Plattner Automotive Group wanted signed and it stated: I will not file Unemployment against Plattner Automotive Group if my tenure from them is terminated within the first 90 days.  You cannot ask an employee to even sign such a statement by law.   But it seems Mr. Doug Plattner, could care less about what is legal or morally right (Peggy told me this out of her own mouth) his right hand person within the company.  

Well after working everyday for two weeks (7 days a week) not agreed upon before my arrival but was willing to do what was needed to get this store in the right direction.  I had calls daily from others with inside the company ranks (he owns 9 New Car Franchises and 2 Used Car Independent lots) all telling me what a terrible employer this was and they did not get paid or was underpaid.   Then I met his, VP of Fixed Operations, which told me he had not been paid in over 2 months!  When Peggy Bilbo resigned, Doug Plattner, hired a man by the name of Ryan Cox, Corporate VP of Operations, to take her place.  He lasted two weeks and quit after Doug Plattner refused to pay him what he agreed to do so, and when Ryan Cox left he called me to tell me that Doug Plattner told him not to pay me just before he quit.   When I called, Mr. Doug Plattner, and asked him directly about this (I recorded all phone calls within the company via my cell phone after the first incident with no check cut for moving expenses just to cover myself), Mr. Plattner told me not to worry there was a mistake on my check and I would get it soon.   Well, I immediately called to talk to Darlene Melton, the comptroller that cuts all payroll checks to ask her about it, and she stated that she had cut me a check and nothing was wrong with it, but Doug Plattner tore up this check and told her not to pay me what we agreed upon period and it would be handled by Doug Plattner himself.   

So now I have caught Mr. Plattner in an outright lie.   Also during my tenure there in Ocala, FL, customers trade in's were not paid off, we were cut off by Vendors my service department used in getting everyday parts because of non payment (when I asked Mr. Plattner about this he stated just don't pay them and find someone else), we had no gas card or PO's to fillup New Car Delieveries so we used petty cash to do so, but after a couple of weeks we ran out of petty cash and after many requests to Sarasota for more petty cash (corporate never sent more petty cash) some directly to Doug Plattner, we had to use our own money to do so without any knowledge if or when we were to get reinbursed.   Also I inherieted a Sales Manager, name Jeff Miller, that within two weeks after me being there he was arrested and his picture posted in the local NEWSPAPER, also this guy seemed to be disoriented constantly, hung around known drug users and when I found out we were missing cash from our safe (how much I don't have a clue because of no record keeping for all the petty cash we were out of and was using customer down payments for petty cash at one point), I was told no problem he is really a good guy, directly from Doug Plattner, and not to let him go.     Even our DMS (Dealer Management System Company) cut us off from the Factories (Volvo and Subaru) in downloading leads to our CRM Tool and using Customer follow up out of service, because once again Doug Plattner stated not to pay.   I spent my entire time with this Dealer Group, explaining to customers, and vendors why we did not pay them, or I spent my time keeping employee's from quitting because of none pay.   At this very moment I have not been paid on my end of the month check (Doug Plattner will not give me a dealer statement or a look at expenses, I wonder why?) or even just my pay for working there the last week.  

I have currently taken another position with a larger company that prides itself in it's Intergrity and Honesty.   But be warned about this Dealer Group and it's lying, non paying Dealer: Douglas Plattner.  If my pay in not in my hands by the upcoming pay date I will look to file my own Class Action Suit against this company or join one already in process to ensure Bad Dealers Like this are put out of business.   I also invite the State of Florida to investigate the books within this organization for lack of payment of State Taxes on Employee's and this business, as well as the DMV needs to do an Audit at all his locations as NONE of them keep titles to trades on site except the corporate office and I wonder why this is??   This dealer does as he pleases without regard to anyone most importantly his customers and employees.   He is guided by non moral integrity and thinks nothing about lying to anyone.   I was told by Peggy Bilbo, Doug Plattner's outgoing right hand person, that he, Doug Plattner, stated that no one could get him in court they would have to chase him down and it the Fed's got after him, he would leave the country.  Now I don't know if this statement is true but based upon everything else I have written what do you think?  With all this stated above, I still generated over $400,00 in gross profit in a store that prior to my arrival had not generated more than $200,000.00 in the last 12 months.  I did my job.   This DEALER has an AD on Careerbuilder looking now to replace me in Ocala, FL and many more ads all over the country in hopes you do not know who he is or his Dealer Group Reputation.   PLEASE STAY CLEAR!