Coggin Chevrolet CONCEALED PAINT DAMAGE, TRIED TO BUY BACK CORVETTE TO SELL AS NEW Jacksonville Florida

DO NOT BUY YOUR VEHICLE FROM COGGIN CHEVROLET at the Avenues in Jacksonville, Florida.

BEWARE: Coggin Chevrolet allegedly CONCEALED paint damage on a new 2024 Corvette Z06 and the general manager tried (in my personal experience) to buy back my vehicle to RESELL IT AS NEW.

In early 2024, I purchased two brand-new 2024 Corvettes—a Z06 ($163K) and a Stingray ($103K)—paying over and above the sticker price. My experience with this dealership was absolutely horrible, unprofessional, and unethical. If I could rate them zero stars, I would. 

Spending over a quarter of a million dollars at one dealership should have guaranteed excellent service, but instead, I encountered deceit, incompetence, and a complete lack of regard for customer satisfaction.

Here’s a breakdown of my experience:

1. Chevrolet Stingray Conv 3LT – purchased 1/27/24

• Delivery Experience: Despite arriving at the dealership at our agreed-upon time, I was forced to wait 5-6 hours for the vehicle to be prepped/detailed/buffed. I drove 350 miles to pick up the vehicle and it should have been ready because the paperwork had already been completed. My sales rep, Cary Watkins, knew I was arriving but was very unprofessional.
• Condition: The Chevrolet Stingray was poorly delivered.  
•  RATING: I was deeply disappointed by the customer delivery experience. The dealership failed to provide even the most basic level of care or professionalism during the handover process. There was no effort to ensure the vehicle was in pristine condition, no walkthrough of its features, and no attention to detail that one would expect when purchasing a high-end vehicle. Instead, the process felt unorganized and entirely impersonal, leaving me feeling undervalued as a customer—especially after such a significant purchase.

2. Chevrolet Z06 – purchased 4/9/2024

• Damaged and Filthy Upon Delivery: Dealer-to-door service - I arranged for a reputable  enclosed car carrier service, specializing in luxury vehicles, to deliver the Z06 to my home. Upon arrival at my home, the vehicle was filthy with fingerprints, smudges and dirt (inside and outside). The dealership didn’t even bother to remove the tacky handwritten note stating "SOLD” that was taped to the windshield. Coggins Chevrolet had the vehicle for 5 days prior to transporting, so they had plenty of time to prep/detail my Corvette Z06. I spoke to Cary Watkins ahead of time about not having a repeat situation, yet Cary’s excuse was they didn’t have a place to keep it clean.

The transport driver then informed me of DAMAGE to the vehicle's front end. They confirmed this damage was documented at pickup from Coggin Chevrolet, and the sales advisor, Cary Watkins, was aware of it. Cary told the driver that the customer is okay with noted damage (a blatant lie). See photo from the transport company noting the damage and dealership notes. Again, the damage and dirty condition was NOT as a result of the transport company. My opinion is that the dealership purposely concealed damage by keeping it dirty.

Paint Damage: My $165,000 Z06 was delivered with paint speckles and overspray that were initially hidden by dirt and dust. After having it cleaned by a professional detailer, they discovered significant overspray and white speckles on the hood. The detailer suggested this possibly happened at the dealership’s service department, allegedly while another vehicle was being painted (see photos). They confirmed the white paint cannot be removed through detailing and recommended repainting the entire car.

3. Deceptive Sales Practices

DEALERSHIP LIES.  I dealt with sales advisor Cary Watkins, who lied and concealed crucial information about the my vehicle’s condition during delivery. DO NOT BE ENTICED by his claims of being one of Chevrolet’s top sales representatives, because my experience was that he was unprofessional, arrogant, and displayed deceitful behavior.

4. Poor Management Response & SELLING USED VEHICLES AS NEW

After uncovering the significant issues with my Z06, I reached out to the dealership’s general manager, Will Stepaniak. Initially, Mr. Stepaniak offered to reimburse me for the detailing costs, but when the detailer discovered the paint speckles and white overspray—issues that could not be corrected—his response shifted. He acknowledged the problems and proposed to "unwind” the deal by buying back my Corvette. However, he required me to sign a disclosure stating the car was "new,” which raised concerns. I questioned whether he intended to resell the vehicle as "new” to an unsuspecting customer. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Stepaniak rescinded the buyback offer. In further discussions, he offered only $5,000 in compensation but insisted I sign a non-disclosure/non-disparagement agreement, preventing me from speaking about the dealership’s actions. I refused. This experience destroyed my trust in this dealership, and I would NEVER consider purchasing another vehicle from them.

BOTTOM LINE:
Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues in my opinion lacks professionalism and integrity. DO NOT BUY CORVETTES FROM THEM. Save yourself stress and avoid doing business with Coggin Chevrolet at all costs.